After only covering few steps from the house Faith jogged to stop Piper.
"Piper listen." She said holding her hand.
"You don't have to say anything Faith, I understand. Love is not about what
you want; it's about what the person you love want. As long as you are
happy, I am happy." Piper told Faith trying to smile over swallowing her
tears. "When Buffy asked what I would do? I had told her that I would wait
for you to wake up. When you woke up, you were gone. So, I got your
answer." Piper finished and pulled her hand from Faith and ran towards her
sisters who hugged her as they continued their march to the high school.
Faith was in disbelief as she watched Piper go. Even though she was
couldn't believe what she heard from the Charmed One and the fact that she
didn't get a chance to tell her side. Yet she smiled for she had heard the
words that she needed to hear to feel the want to live and want to survive
the fiasco they were about to face.
"So, how are you dealing with Tara not being here?" Buffy asked her best friend. "I am fine." Willow replied briefly. "Now that she accepted her destiny, how are things between you two?" She asked again. "It can only be better, you know." Willow tried to convince Buffy and herself. "How is that?" Buffy didn't believe her friend. "Well you see when she told me about her giving up her destiny it was like she had just become so big. Big as in sun big. I am just the earth you know. She was all shiny and giving the earth all life and everything and the earth was so sad so far from the sun and so small it was just so bad." Willow was searching for another analogy when Buffy stopped and just stared at her friend. "I am not making any sense am I?" Willow asked. "You make some sense Willow. You are trying to say that you were not comfortable with Tara giving up her destiny for you." Buffy told her friend. "Well, exactly. But I would be if she was. But I could feel that she wasn't and that made me feel worse and that just brought this huge wall, this unseen huge I mean big, big as in..." "I get it. It made a rift in your relationship. Now continue." Buffy once again stopped her friend from providing another analogy. "Well yes that's what I meant. Anyway, so I was in a bad place and I kissed Kennedy and I broke a promise and she took her destiny back so I am happy." She ended her thoughts. "Wait a minute you kissed Kennedy?" Buffy had stopped hearing after that little confession. "Yes, but Tara took her destiny back." Willow tried to drift Buffy's thought. "How does that make it the same? I mean taking destiny back is not betraying you, kissing someone else is betraying her. What was that about Willow?" Buffy asked dishing Willows attempt to justify her action. "It is the same because I love her." Willow said solemnly. "Love always is about the person you are in love with, it's not about yourself. I love her Buffy, and giving up her destiny didn't make her happy. She always felt guilty making me a culprit in some ways. I had to let her heart loose for a moment so that she could take the step to her happiness. So Kennedy was just a moment. Do I make sense?" She asked her friend who was spellbound. "Yes, you do Willow. You make perfect sense." Buffy said as she hugged her best friend as she watched Faith smile with her eyes closed. Buffy was ready to face love for the first time in her life.
The battle certainly was like none that Buffy or Faith had ever fought. If they had walked in with an army of girls, what awaited them was certainly an army evil of every kind. To both the older slayers surprise the potentials fought with not only strength but also with a rage that each one had savored for the evil. Piper quickly climbed a small cliff and froze any creature that was not immune to her powers while the potentials, Scoobies and two slayers killed them. Willow and Phoebe found themselves holding hands and enchanting protection spell for Paige who started to orb the wounded to Leo and bringing them back. So, the war was certainly happening.
After her third trip back from Leo, Faith saw a familiar vampire being marooned by a bunch of orgs. She immediately jumped on them and saved the vampire few punches. "Spike, you ok?" Faith asked and continued to dust more vampires. "Nice jewelry." She added looking at a locket dangling from his neck. "It's not a bloody jewelry. Angel gave it to me, told me to hurry and get back here." He screamed his annoyance at being teased. "So what does your love charm do?" It was Buffy who had asked this time. "Suppose to save the world." He yelled back. "But we had no time to translate how this thing works. He just told get here and now I know why." "Well, partner can you see Red?" Faith asked saving one of the potential from being bitten. "She is behind you. Get there and let the witches help you." She finished. It took Spike a little time but he did make it near the protective circle that Willow and Phoebe had made. "Hey! Need help with translation of this stuff." He said as he pushed few of the dwarf size demons out of the way. Recognizing the writing on the amulet, Willow suddenly let go of Phoebe's hand breaking the protection spell. Thankfully Piper was looking right at them so she froze the demons around them. But the more they killed the more powerful demons emerged who either didn't freeze or they froze only for a short time, but her blowing power was still working well on most of them. "Uhhhh! It says something like, merging undead, unusual and some line. It doesn't make sense." Willow said trying to take the amulet out of Spike's neck but instead was thrown aback with a strong jolt. Just then Paige appeared with newly healed Kennedy. Immediately Paige's eyes were on the demon that was now attacking Spike, "Oh! My god! Is that who I think it is?" She asked no one in particular but both her sisters were as spell bound as she was. Kennedy on the other hand didn't waste time staring, she sprung to Spike's aid and as the demon held the amulet, to stop him from taking it, she held his hand instead. Before the three even blinked the amulet melted their skin with heat and light started to emit from all the three bodies. "Run!!!!" Spike managed to speak before his strength gave in and he along with the other two was on the floor on their knees spraying rays that was killing anyone in its path and crumbling the whole earth around them. Paige grabbed her sisters with Willow and orbed them outside the school where they waited for the survivors to come out. "There is the bus, load everyone in it and get cross the city line before it crumbles under our feet." Screamed Giles at everyone as he rushed to get the bus. "Not till Faith is out." Piper said. "And Buffy." Willow added. "Guys you all leave. I'll wait for them to come out." Paige volunteered and sent her sisters with rest of the survivors to safety.
In the bus, Piper approached her little sister who was lost in her own thoughts, "You ok?" She asked. "I am fine. It hurts to see Cole again but I guess it makes sense right. He was undead, Spike was the vampire with a sole, something certainly unusual and Kennedy was the one who was actually the continuing the line of the slayers. So, they had to merge." She told her sister. "Yes, but seeing Cole again. Are you ok with that?" "No, you mean seeing Cole die again. If I am ok with it? No, I am not. But I lived through it once and I can live through this again." She replied grimly. Piper hugged her sister whose heartache was once again opened.
The bus stopped just across the border of the city that was now crumbling inside the earth. While everyone came out Phoebe and Piper stayed inside hugging each other. Though both were crying for different reasons, but at that moment as the sun rose for a new day, their heartache felt the same and found relief in each others arms.
Just as the visual of Sunnydale as a town disappeared, Paige appeared with the two slayers. Buffy and Faith were both drawn by the emptiness in front of them and joined the group who was mesmerized by the view; while Paige went to join her sisters and orbed them back home immediately.
"I guess they weren't kidding when they said the town was center point huh." Faith said whistling at the sight. "Nope they sure weren't kidding." Buffy just agreed. Faith looked at Buffy, "B listen, I think when I came back I was misunderstood." She started, but Buffy interrupted, "I know, you are in love with Piper." Buffy didn't dare look at Faith, even though she had promised herself that she would not make that moment any more difficult for Faith as it already was. "I carried your scar for too long B. But when I woke up in Perfect's arms, the scar that the slayer strength couldn't heal was healed by the whitelighters. But I had to make sure that scar was gone from inside too, otherwise it would never have been fair to Perfect." Even though her heart did belong to Piper, it still hurt Faith to see Buffy in pain. She just looked down not able to see Buffy trying to avoid her eyes. Buffy turned to look at Faith and was finally able to say, "Faith, go home."
As soon as Piper had reached the manor she had ran to the attic and closed the door. She put six candles on a circle and softly spoke the spell she had used many a time for but not for this reason. "Hear these words Hear my cry Spirits of the other side Come to me I summon thee Cross now the great divide." A vapory shadow now looked at her as she knelt on the floor and just cried. "Why? Why did you have to die?" She yelled at the spirit. "I just had to Piper. But that's not the reason why you called me." Prue said from the circle unable to hug her sister who seemed to be in so much pain. "I need you. I need you not to be dead." Piper screamed again. "I am here." Prue said softly and let her sister cry. "She is the only one..." Piper started but her words just disappeared with her tears. "I know Piper you don't have to say anything." Prue told her sister.
"Here we are. The Halliwell manor. Do you want me to come inside with you?" Tara asked Faith in porch of the Halliwells. Faith simply nodded and Tara disappeared.
Before she could ring the bell she heard Piper's voice in the attic, thanks to the slayer hearing. Instead of going through the sisters, she decided to just climb up the wall and first talk to Piper. When she entered the attic she was taken aback by the sight. Her first instinct was that Piper was attacked as she on the floor crying while the ghost was trying to get out of the circle. "Touch her and I'll make your transparent ass sorry." Faith told the woman in smoke. Prue turned around at a woman who was posing in an attack position. She just smiled in ridicules of Faith's thought, "Leather pants, cocky attitude and always ready to attack. Let me guess, Faith." "It's good to know I am famous." Faith replied but did not relax. "Faith what are you doing here?" Piper was finally able to ask. "I promised you I would be back didn't I?" Seeing that Piper was unhurt Faith walked towards her love. "World is saved, where would I go but home." Faith put her thoughts simply as she wiped Piper's tears and sealed her words with their lips. Faith took Piper's hand and slowly guided in to her lower stomach. She broke the kiss just for a second and looked down, "It's gone. All of it. No scars." Piper's eyes once again filled with tears but this time it was for different reason. She kissed her and yes her Faith once again and paused to look at her sister who hadn't still disappeared. "What are you looking at? Now go." She told Prue who was about to protest but decided just to vanish for now and get the scoop later.
(Three months later in the Bronze)
"Can you imagine the government builds this whole city back and the first thing they open up is the Bronze?" Buffy screamed over the music to her red headed friend. "Well, entertainment is more important." Willow provided a lame excuse as she handed Buffy her drink. "So, where is Tara?" Buffy sipped on her drink and looked at the floor. "She is in Russia with her new charge. But, she is coming for your birthday next week." She replied and lost in the music that was drowning the building. "Wow! Hot sexy female near the bar corner." Buffy stated. "Oh! No! Buffy that is the FBI agent that is snooping around about the whole city being swallowed up. I think her name is Scully." Willow tried to warn her friend but it was too late. "Well may be Agent Scully might want to interview me." Buffy said as she made her way towards the bar.
"Ok here this is good. She'll like it." Faith said holding a teddy bear in front of her face. "Faith please we are looking for something thoughtful not playful here. Come on stop fooling around and pick something meaningful for Buffy before you make me want to beat you." Piper said between her teeth trying to control her irritation at her sweetheart's playful nature. "Is that a promise?" Faith grinned and Piper couldn't help but smile at the suggestion. "Yes, it is as soon as you find something good." This time Faith had a reason to oblige.
THE END
"So, how are you dealing with Tara not being here?" Buffy asked her best friend. "I am fine." Willow replied briefly. "Now that she accepted her destiny, how are things between you two?" She asked again. "It can only be better, you know." Willow tried to convince Buffy and herself. "How is that?" Buffy didn't believe her friend. "Well you see when she told me about her giving up her destiny it was like she had just become so big. Big as in sun big. I am just the earth you know. She was all shiny and giving the earth all life and everything and the earth was so sad so far from the sun and so small it was just so bad." Willow was searching for another analogy when Buffy stopped and just stared at her friend. "I am not making any sense am I?" Willow asked. "You make some sense Willow. You are trying to say that you were not comfortable with Tara giving up her destiny for you." Buffy told her friend. "Well, exactly. But I would be if she was. But I could feel that she wasn't and that made me feel worse and that just brought this huge wall, this unseen huge I mean big, big as in..." "I get it. It made a rift in your relationship. Now continue." Buffy once again stopped her friend from providing another analogy. "Well yes that's what I meant. Anyway, so I was in a bad place and I kissed Kennedy and I broke a promise and she took her destiny back so I am happy." She ended her thoughts. "Wait a minute you kissed Kennedy?" Buffy had stopped hearing after that little confession. "Yes, but Tara took her destiny back." Willow tried to drift Buffy's thought. "How does that make it the same? I mean taking destiny back is not betraying you, kissing someone else is betraying her. What was that about Willow?" Buffy asked dishing Willows attempt to justify her action. "It is the same because I love her." Willow said solemnly. "Love always is about the person you are in love with, it's not about yourself. I love her Buffy, and giving up her destiny didn't make her happy. She always felt guilty making me a culprit in some ways. I had to let her heart loose for a moment so that she could take the step to her happiness. So Kennedy was just a moment. Do I make sense?" She asked her friend who was spellbound. "Yes, you do Willow. You make perfect sense." Buffy said as she hugged her best friend as she watched Faith smile with her eyes closed. Buffy was ready to face love for the first time in her life.
The battle certainly was like none that Buffy or Faith had ever fought. If they had walked in with an army of girls, what awaited them was certainly an army evil of every kind. To both the older slayers surprise the potentials fought with not only strength but also with a rage that each one had savored for the evil. Piper quickly climbed a small cliff and froze any creature that was not immune to her powers while the potentials, Scoobies and two slayers killed them. Willow and Phoebe found themselves holding hands and enchanting protection spell for Paige who started to orb the wounded to Leo and bringing them back. So, the war was certainly happening.
After her third trip back from Leo, Faith saw a familiar vampire being marooned by a bunch of orgs. She immediately jumped on them and saved the vampire few punches. "Spike, you ok?" Faith asked and continued to dust more vampires. "Nice jewelry." She added looking at a locket dangling from his neck. "It's not a bloody jewelry. Angel gave it to me, told me to hurry and get back here." He screamed his annoyance at being teased. "So what does your love charm do?" It was Buffy who had asked this time. "Suppose to save the world." He yelled back. "But we had no time to translate how this thing works. He just told get here and now I know why." "Well, partner can you see Red?" Faith asked saving one of the potential from being bitten. "She is behind you. Get there and let the witches help you." She finished. It took Spike a little time but he did make it near the protective circle that Willow and Phoebe had made. "Hey! Need help with translation of this stuff." He said as he pushed few of the dwarf size demons out of the way. Recognizing the writing on the amulet, Willow suddenly let go of Phoebe's hand breaking the protection spell. Thankfully Piper was looking right at them so she froze the demons around them. But the more they killed the more powerful demons emerged who either didn't freeze or they froze only for a short time, but her blowing power was still working well on most of them. "Uhhhh! It says something like, merging undead, unusual and some line. It doesn't make sense." Willow said trying to take the amulet out of Spike's neck but instead was thrown aback with a strong jolt. Just then Paige appeared with newly healed Kennedy. Immediately Paige's eyes were on the demon that was now attacking Spike, "Oh! My god! Is that who I think it is?" She asked no one in particular but both her sisters were as spell bound as she was. Kennedy on the other hand didn't waste time staring, she sprung to Spike's aid and as the demon held the amulet, to stop him from taking it, she held his hand instead. Before the three even blinked the amulet melted their skin with heat and light started to emit from all the three bodies. "Run!!!!" Spike managed to speak before his strength gave in and he along with the other two was on the floor on their knees spraying rays that was killing anyone in its path and crumbling the whole earth around them. Paige grabbed her sisters with Willow and orbed them outside the school where they waited for the survivors to come out. "There is the bus, load everyone in it and get cross the city line before it crumbles under our feet." Screamed Giles at everyone as he rushed to get the bus. "Not till Faith is out." Piper said. "And Buffy." Willow added. "Guys you all leave. I'll wait for them to come out." Paige volunteered and sent her sisters with rest of the survivors to safety.
In the bus, Piper approached her little sister who was lost in her own thoughts, "You ok?" She asked. "I am fine. It hurts to see Cole again but I guess it makes sense right. He was undead, Spike was the vampire with a sole, something certainly unusual and Kennedy was the one who was actually the continuing the line of the slayers. So, they had to merge." She told her sister. "Yes, but seeing Cole again. Are you ok with that?" "No, you mean seeing Cole die again. If I am ok with it? No, I am not. But I lived through it once and I can live through this again." She replied grimly. Piper hugged her sister whose heartache was once again opened.
The bus stopped just across the border of the city that was now crumbling inside the earth. While everyone came out Phoebe and Piper stayed inside hugging each other. Though both were crying for different reasons, but at that moment as the sun rose for a new day, their heartache felt the same and found relief in each others arms.
Just as the visual of Sunnydale as a town disappeared, Paige appeared with the two slayers. Buffy and Faith were both drawn by the emptiness in front of them and joined the group who was mesmerized by the view; while Paige went to join her sisters and orbed them back home immediately.
"I guess they weren't kidding when they said the town was center point huh." Faith said whistling at the sight. "Nope they sure weren't kidding." Buffy just agreed. Faith looked at Buffy, "B listen, I think when I came back I was misunderstood." She started, but Buffy interrupted, "I know, you are in love with Piper." Buffy didn't dare look at Faith, even though she had promised herself that she would not make that moment any more difficult for Faith as it already was. "I carried your scar for too long B. But when I woke up in Perfect's arms, the scar that the slayer strength couldn't heal was healed by the whitelighters. But I had to make sure that scar was gone from inside too, otherwise it would never have been fair to Perfect." Even though her heart did belong to Piper, it still hurt Faith to see Buffy in pain. She just looked down not able to see Buffy trying to avoid her eyes. Buffy turned to look at Faith and was finally able to say, "Faith, go home."
As soon as Piper had reached the manor she had ran to the attic and closed the door. She put six candles on a circle and softly spoke the spell she had used many a time for but not for this reason. "Hear these words Hear my cry Spirits of the other side Come to me I summon thee Cross now the great divide." A vapory shadow now looked at her as she knelt on the floor and just cried. "Why? Why did you have to die?" She yelled at the spirit. "I just had to Piper. But that's not the reason why you called me." Prue said from the circle unable to hug her sister who seemed to be in so much pain. "I need you. I need you not to be dead." Piper screamed again. "I am here." Prue said softly and let her sister cry. "She is the only one..." Piper started but her words just disappeared with her tears. "I know Piper you don't have to say anything." Prue told her sister.
"Here we are. The Halliwell manor. Do you want me to come inside with you?" Tara asked Faith in porch of the Halliwells. Faith simply nodded and Tara disappeared.
Before she could ring the bell she heard Piper's voice in the attic, thanks to the slayer hearing. Instead of going through the sisters, she decided to just climb up the wall and first talk to Piper. When she entered the attic she was taken aback by the sight. Her first instinct was that Piper was attacked as she on the floor crying while the ghost was trying to get out of the circle. "Touch her and I'll make your transparent ass sorry." Faith told the woman in smoke. Prue turned around at a woman who was posing in an attack position. She just smiled in ridicules of Faith's thought, "Leather pants, cocky attitude and always ready to attack. Let me guess, Faith." "It's good to know I am famous." Faith replied but did not relax. "Faith what are you doing here?" Piper was finally able to ask. "I promised you I would be back didn't I?" Seeing that Piper was unhurt Faith walked towards her love. "World is saved, where would I go but home." Faith put her thoughts simply as she wiped Piper's tears and sealed her words with their lips. Faith took Piper's hand and slowly guided in to her lower stomach. She broke the kiss just for a second and looked down, "It's gone. All of it. No scars." Piper's eyes once again filled with tears but this time it was for different reason. She kissed her and yes her Faith once again and paused to look at her sister who hadn't still disappeared. "What are you looking at? Now go." She told Prue who was about to protest but decided just to vanish for now and get the scoop later.
(Three months later in the Bronze)
"Can you imagine the government builds this whole city back and the first thing they open up is the Bronze?" Buffy screamed over the music to her red headed friend. "Well, entertainment is more important." Willow provided a lame excuse as she handed Buffy her drink. "So, where is Tara?" Buffy sipped on her drink and looked at the floor. "She is in Russia with her new charge. But, she is coming for your birthday next week." She replied and lost in the music that was drowning the building. "Wow! Hot sexy female near the bar corner." Buffy stated. "Oh! No! Buffy that is the FBI agent that is snooping around about the whole city being swallowed up. I think her name is Scully." Willow tried to warn her friend but it was too late. "Well may be Agent Scully might want to interview me." Buffy said as she made her way towards the bar.
"Ok here this is good. She'll like it." Faith said holding a teddy bear in front of her face. "Faith please we are looking for something thoughtful not playful here. Come on stop fooling around and pick something meaningful for Buffy before you make me want to beat you." Piper said between her teeth trying to control her irritation at her sweetheart's playful nature. "Is that a promise?" Faith grinned and Piper couldn't help but smile at the suggestion. "Yes, it is as soon as you find something good." This time Faith had a reason to oblige.
THE END