Author's Notes: Gotta thank my beta Mike and those who are reading and have left reviews. There will be a sequel...oh yes, there will be :)

Beaten, battered, exhausted. She dragged herself up the stairs and ignored Kennedy's urges to go to the infirmary and get herself checked out by Dr. Sonia. The words 'I'm fine' were repeated through clenched teeth the entire walk back to the castle. Angel had practically carried her while Kennedy helped the girls make it back in one piece. The vampires, there had been too many of them, but after a long, hard fight they finally had gotten each and every last one of them. Not, however, before four of them had cornered Faith and beaten her to a bloody pulp.

If it hadn't been for Angel...no, she couldn't think of that. It hurt too much to think, much less breathe without sharp pains from her two broken ribs that jabbed her with every little move she made. She nearly tumbled into her room as Buffy flung open the door before her hand even reached the handle.

"Faith, god..." Buffy groaned as she tried to catch her before she slumped to the floor. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Patrol. Vamps..." she gasped out as Buffy gently carried her to the bed and laid her down. "Got them bastards that got you, B."

Buffy winced in sympathetic pain as she gently examined each and every one of Faith's visible injuries. She managed to get Faith out of her tattered t-shirt and bloodstained jeans before she frowned and ran her fingers delicately over the dark bruises already forming over her body.

"You're really hurt, Faith. You should get checked out by Dr. Sonia."

"No," she struggled to speak as she slowly shook her head no. "I just need some sleep and some painkillers and a bottle of Jack. Slayer healing will take care of the rest."

"You need to shower," Buffy said softly as she reached out and gently brushed aside a few strands of hair that stuck to the drying blood on her forehead. "Maybe have a nice, long, hot bath."

"Are you offering to take care of me?"

"Of course," Buffy smiled as she leaned down and laid a gentle kiss upon Faith's swollen, bloody and split lips. "I still think you should get Dr. Sonia to check you out, Faith. It's bad."

"I'm okay, B. Been beaten worse and lived to tell the tale."

"The girls...are they okay?"

"They're a little banged up. I took the worst of it," Faith coughed as she struggled to sit up. "Fuck."

"Stop trying to talk, Faith," Buffy whispered as she ran her cool fingertips over Faith's swollen jaw. It felt good, soothing. Faith sighed out slowly, it sounding more as if she was purring and it caused Buffy to laugh as she leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss. "Come on, I'll run you a hot bath."

"S'okay, B. Need to sleep," Faith slurred slightly as she closed her eyes, succumbing to the overwhelming pain in her body.

Buffy was having none of it and Faith, just drifting off to sleep, could hear her walk off into the bathroom and run the water in the tub. She struggled to open her eyes, the pain almost too much, but the satisfaction of taking down that group of vampires was enough even if they had gotten the upper hand and nearly beaten her as badly as they had beaten Buffy before. She'd done it for Buffy, gave it her all and still walked away. There was nothing she wouldn't do for this woman. Absolutely nothing. She'd lay her life on the line for her and she had basically done just that.

Wincing in pain, she got herself up from the bed and nearly collapsed, finding Buffy rushing out of the bathroom just in time to catch her and keep her from falling to the floor. With a heavy sigh, Buffy helped her to the bathroom and managed to get her out of her bra and her panties and into the tub without much of a struggle and without causing too much pain for her.

"Bubbles?" Faith asked as she raised an eyebrow, leaning back in the tub and relaxing as much as she could.

"It's soothing and relaxing," Buffy insisted as she sat on the edge of the tub. "Is the water too hot?"

"It's perfect."

She closed her eyes, but didn't drift off to sleep. She felt Buffy dab at the small gashes on her forehead and cheek soothingly with a washcloth. She reached up and grabbed onto Buffy's hand, stopping her as she forced her eyes open and looked up at her. She pulled her down a little and kissed her, smiling against her lips as Buffy let out a soft moan and held onto the edge of the tub so she wouldn't fall in. Despite how painful it was with her swollen, split lips, she kissed Buffy deeper, just needing to feel her lips on her own.

Buffy pulled back, smiling as she scooped up a handful of bubbles and blew at them. Faith couldn't hold back the chuckle as she laid her head back against the edge of the tub and closed her eyes yet again. The nagging voice in the back of her mind kept telling her to cherish these moments and there was a feeling that they wouldn't last for much longer.

Faith stayed in the bath until the water grew warm, then with Buffy's help she got out and dried off. She allowed Buffy to carry her to bed and lay her down gently as if she were made of glass. She did feel a little better, still sore, but it wasn't as excruciating as it had been before. Buffy turned out the lights and stripped out of her clothes before she climbed into bed under the covers next to her. She said not a word as she gave her a gentle kiss and reached for her hand and intertwined their fingers. Even in the darkness of the room she could see the intensity in Buffy's eyes, the caring side of her, and the worried part of her that was afraid to leave her alone for even just a second.

"I love you, B."

"I love you too, Faith," she whispered, moving a little closer to kiss her. "Never forget how much I love you."

Faith nodded her head slowly, ignoring the ominous feel those words brought on. She'd never forget. Ever. How could she forget how amazing it felt to be loved by Buffy? She settled down on the bed, shifting slightly to get more comfortable as she turned her head to the side, her face just inches from Buffy's now. She felt her own warm breath bounce off of Buffy as she breathed in and out slowly. With one last light kiss, she closed her eyes and gave in to the pull of sleep, welcoming whatever dreams lay ahead, a few hours of bliss she only ever felt with Buffy there by her side when she slept.

****

She'd slept all night, peacefully, despite the rough shape her body was in. The worst of the pain was gone by morning, her slayer healing having dealt with most of the painful parts of her injuries. She was still bruised and cut up, but it didn't hurt to breathe or move like it had the night before. Her hand was still being held by Buffy's. She smiled to herself as she gently stroked her thumb over Buffy's and watched as she slowly opened her eyes and looked up at her.

"Morning," Buffy said sleepily as she leaned in to kiss her. "You feeling any better today?"

"Getting there," Faith smiled, leaning in for yet another kiss. "Thanks for last night, B."

"It was nothing. You are my girl and you were hurt, it's only natural for me to want to take care of you and nurse you back to health with an epic bubble bath and plenty of kisses."

Faith smiled wider as she let go of Buffy's hand and ran the tips of her fingers up her arm and around to her back, loving how Buffy shivered under her touch. She brought them closer together, holding back the wince as pain shot through her body from the sudden movement. Buffy's eyes searched her own, worry showing deep inside of them as she cautiously slipped her arm over Faith's waist. She didn't want the pain she felt to stop her from enjoying just holding onto the love of her life, sharing good morning kisses and gentle caresses she'd quickly grown to love even though they hadn't happened that much at all.

"Faith, if you're hurt we shouldn't..."

"Shh," she whispered against Buffy's lips. "Don't worry about me, B. I'm alright."

She silenced any further of Buffy's protests with a deep, wildly passionate kiss. She held her closer, slipping a thigh between her legs, needing to feel every inch of her that she could. The pain in her body soon fluttered away as they both began rocking their hips slightly, needing more than just a subtle touch. Buffy laughed throatily and pulled the covers completely over their heads as someone knocked softly on the door.

"God, people just can't seem to stay away and mind their own business, huh?" Faith whispered as she gripped onto Buffy's hip and pulled her down harder on her thigh. "Whoever it is has shitty fucking timing."

"You find out who was at the door the other night?"

"Red."

"Really?" Buffy chuckled as she shook her head. "Goodness. Did you find out what she wanted?"

"No," Faith lied easily, hoping to hell Buffy couldn't pick it up from the rushed tone in her voice. "Let's just forget about it and whoever is at the door right now. I need you right now, B."

"You always need me."

"That's a given," she smiled against her lips as she focused on Buffy's hand moving to cup her breast ever so softly, minding the bruises that covered most of her body. "Addicted to you, B."

She honestly was. Even before their relationship grew to this point, she was addicted to just the feel of Buffy's hand in her own, to the little smiles she made appear and the way Buffy would laugh at the stupidest jokes that she made. She was addicted to the way Buffy's eyes would light up just from looking at her and although it had changed since she was changed, it was still there under the lust, the love and the bloodlust that consumed her every second of the day. Most of all she was addicted to the way Buffy loved her and wasn't afraid to show her in every way she could.

The knocking continued, more insistent now. Faith sighed as she untangled herself from Buffy and pulled the covers back, looking at her apologetically as they both got out of bed and quickly got dressed. They shared one last kiss before Faith unlocked the door and opened it, looking over her shoulder to make sure the sunlight coming in from the hallway didn't reach Buffy.

"What do you want, Red?"

"I'm sorry if I...interrupted anything," she stammered as she fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. "I have been, as you know, in research mode for the last several days. I'm going on no sleep and I've found it."

"Found what?"

"The cure," she whispered as she peered into the room to look at Buffy practically cowering in the darkest corner of the room. "Buffy?"

Faith stepped back, feeling as if the wind had been knocked out of her. This was what she wanted, wasn't it? For Buffy to be human again, to be alive, to feel her warmth upon her skin as they made love for hours into the night. She thought back to what Kennedy had said to her the other morning, about the possible side effects of Buffy suffering from amnesia once it was all said and done.

"You sure?" Buffy asked softly, her voice wavering slightly as Willow walked into the room and motioned for Faith to shut the door behind her. "You can really turn me back?"

"Yes," Willow nodded, taking a few tentative steps towards Buffy. "I can. It's very possible, Buffy. I'm not going to screw this up, believe me."

"Does Giles..."

"He knows. He was there when I figured it out," Willow replied quickly. "We can do this whenever you are ready, Buffy, although we don't have too much time to play with. It either gets done before the next full moon, which is in just three days, or we have to wait another month. If it's all right with you, we can do it tonight. I have everything I need to make this happen, to change you back. We all want you back to normal, Buffy."

Faith stood there, watching Buffy's emotions run rampant as the tears welled up in her eyes. They were a mix of happiness and anger and something else Faith couldn't quite pick up on. She ran a shaky hand through her hair, wondering if Buffy was going to take up the offer of doing it soon or wait another month. A part of her wanted to wait, but she knew, deep down, that Buffy had to do it soon rather than later. Not just for herself, but for their relationship as well. What was one more heartbreak? One more piece of happiness plucked from her like candy taken from a baby?

Buffy moved past Willow and took both of Faith's hands in her own. "Faith?"

"Yeah, B?"

"Are you okay with this?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I can...feel your emotions, your thoughts," she whispered just loud enough for her to hear. "You don't want this, do you? You're afraid I'll forget everything that's happened, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"I won't."

Faith forced a smile and held back her tears as she pulled Buffy in for a long, tender and loving kiss. Faith shook her head as she broke away from the kiss suddenly, knowing that her clinging onto this, onto Buffy the way she was, wasn't going to be healthy for her in the end. Buffy didn't know about the possible side effects that Kennedy had mentioned to her and she had a sinking feeling that Willow didn't want her to know. In the end it wouldn't matter. She wouldn't remember any of it.

"Buffy?" Willow cleared her throat before Buffy could kiss Faith again. "Do you want to do this tonight?"

"Yes," she replied without taking her eyes off of Faith's. "We'll do it tonight."

"Faith, could I speak with you alone?" Willow asked, and without a word Faith followed her out into the corridor and closed the door quietly behind her. "I know Kennedy told you about what we found."

"Did you find something different?"

"No," Willow replied as she lowered her eyes to the floor. "Aside from the fact that we can do without the whole 'draining a slayer' part, the rest of it..."

"She's going to forget everything, isn't she?"

"Not everything, just...some of it. I know this has got to be hard to hear, Faith, but we need to do this."

"I know," she said softly as she reached out and gave Willow's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "We need her back. Do what you need to do, Red. I'll deal. We all will."

"I don't want her to know that she'll forget," she whispered as she looked up at Faith. "I feel bad enough as it is for this even happening in the first place."

"Then don't tell her. Simple as that."

"I've spoken to Angel. He thinks her not remembering anything since she turned is for the better. He's staying until the spell is done and then he's heading back to LA. He asked me to send you to see him later, before we do the spell that is. He needs to talk to you."

Faith nodded her head slowly, her heart suddenly feeling heavy and broken. "You're certain about her not remembering any of this?"

"I am, unfortunately," Willow sighed out. "I know how hard this has to be for you, Faith. I know how you two feel about each other and how far you've come in your relationship since you came here. I feel for you. I really do. This is the kind of heartbreak I wish I could keep from happening to you. You don't deserve heartbreak like this, but I can't find a way around this. I would if I could."

"I know, Red. Just do what you need to do. Bring Buffy back. I told you I'll deal. Hasn't been anything that's been shoved my way my whole life that I haven't learned how to deal with one way or another."

Willow gave her a quick, tight hug before stepping back quickly and trying to hide the slight blush on her cheeks at hugging Faith pretty much out of nowhere. It wasn't characteristic for her to hug Faith. It never had been in the past. Faith chuckled softly and pulled Willow in for another hug.

"I got faith in you, Willow. You'll do this and everything will go back to normal, back to the way it was before."

"I'll leave you two to spend the day together alone and I'll tell the others not to bother you until it's time," she said timidly as she smirked at Faith. "God knows you two will want this last day together. I know you do."

Faith watched as Willow walked down the long corridor and waited until she disappeared around the corner before she took in a few deep breaths and walked back into the room. She wasn't sure if Buffy had been listening or not, but she was sitting on the bed and staring blankly up at the ceiling as she laid her head back against the headboard.

She gave Buffy a little smile when she looked over at her, then walked over to the window and sat in the chair, lighting a cigarette. She was shaking uncontrollably now, trying to fight off the tears she desperately wanted to cry. This was going to be over between them tonight and after this morning it was almost as if they already shared their bittersweet goodbye without even knowing it. She wanted one last day with Buffy, one last time making love to her until her body ached a delicious, pleasurable ache, but she had a strong feeling that if she allowed it to happen she'd end up even more broken in the end. Her heart and soul couldn't handle it.

All the progress they'd made would be gone. Every word, every touch, every kiss, whisper and caress would only be a memory in Faith's mind. But it was more than that. She'd miss the feeling of knowing how much Buffy loved her, of the comfortable silence they shared when they just laid there and stared at one another for what felt like hours at a time. She'd miss the acceptance that Buffy had finally given to her and the friendship they'd formed before they'd become lovers.

The tears started to flow then and she did nothing to stop them. Buffy walked over to her slowly and sat across her lap, tenderly kissing away each tear as it fell. Faith turned her head away before Buffy could place a gentle kiss on her lips, and she took a long drag of her cigarette before she allowed herself to look back at her. She was falling apart already and this wasn't how she wanted to be even if Buffy wouldn't remember a single thing. She remembered now and that was all that mattered.

"It'll be okay," Buffy whispered as she placed a tender kiss on her forehead. "Faith? No matter what happens after tonight, everything will be okay. I promise."

The tears flowed harder then and she scoffed as she moved Buffy off of her lap and stood up. She wanted to scream at her, tell her that wasn't true and to stop making her promises she wouldn't even remember, let alone keep. But she held it all back, suppressed it deep inside, deeper than the darkness she knew was still in there lingering, desperately trying to come out and take over the light she'd found alongside of it.

She hadn't felt so hopeless and alone since she'd lost Robin and the girls that day. Her heart was breaking, shattering, and all she could think about was the future. A future without Buffy, without sharing the love they had for one another. Yet another setback, a downfall. It was basically the story of her life and it wasn't at the same time. This was why she'd been so afraid to give her heart to another before, she was afraid of the pain that would follow as soon as it was crushed, broken, defeated and tossed away like it was nothing. She felt like nothing in moments like this. She felt like a waste of space, a waste of air. A complete waste of life and not worthy of being loved by anyone, even herself.

Loser. Whore. Psycho. Bitch.

Shaking those thoughts from her head, she roughly wiped away her tears and took one last drag of her cigarette before dropping it into the coffee mug still sitting there on the windowsill. She closed the window shut tightly, her muscles tensing as she felt Buffy run her hands up and down her back soothingly. She let Buffy's arms encircle her from behind and sighed into the soft kisses Buffy placed over her neck. She stopped Buffy's wandering hands before they could slip under her shirt and she turned slowly to look at her, frowning as she held her hands tightly in her own.

"I...can't do this, Buffy."

"Nothing is going to change, Faith."

"Everything will," she whispered, leaning in and tentatively kissing her, their lips barely brushing against each other's before Faith quickly pulled back. "Everything is going to change, Buffy. We can't do a goddamn thing about it either. It's better this way when you think about it. You'll be back to being you and I'll go back to being whatever the hell I was."

"You were everything to me even when I made you believe you weren't. That will never change, Faith, no matter what happens after tonight. You will always have a place in my heart and I will always love you."

In that moment Faith knew that Buffy had heard every word she and Willow had said out in the corridor. Buffy knew she wouldn't remember and yet she was fully determined to believe she would, somehow, one way or another. She'd forgotten the pain from being beaten that still plagued her body with constantly, the pain of her heart about to be broken now the only thing she could feel. She was already growing numb, her mind wandering, and she felt as if she was floating and stuck in a dream, or more accurately a nightmare, she couldn't wake up from.

Memories of their time together, as short as it was, would always be right there on the surface, as hard as she'd try to push them down and lock them away. She felt like she was losing Buffy and she knew she was. She wanted to just hold her all day and she wanted to go off and be alone just so she wouldn't have to deal with the fallout she knew was coming. Buffy sensed this, she sensed the inner struggle Faith was having and she wrapped her arms around her tightly, burying her face into the crook of her neck with whispered words of love and promises even she knew she wouldn't be able to keep after tonight.

"I need to..."

"I know," Buffy nodded as she dropped her arms from around her and took a step back. "Do what you need to do right now, Faith. Just...don't forget how I feel about you."

"Never could even if I wanted to," she whispered. Mustering her will not to grab Buffy and kiss the hell out of her, she grabbed her jacket and slipped out of the room, not looking back and not saying another word, feeling her heart and her world begin to crumble around her.

Faith wandered the twisted maze of corridors throughout the castle, fighting off the tears still stinging her eyes. She ignored those around her who said hello, who showed a hint of concern that something was wrong. She ignored Giles who asked her to come to his office for a cup of tea and to talk about what would happen that night. She ignored Dawn when she asked if Buffy was awake. She made her way outside and even though the dark clouds had rolled in and the smell of rain was in the air, foreshadowing a rather big and heavy storm, she didn't care. She climbed on her Harley, her thoughts drowning out with the roar of the engine, and she took off.

The rain followed as soon as she'd reached the main road. It was cold and it pierced her skin, but she didn't care. She couldn't feel anything but the numbness in her body now. She couldn't feel anything other than her soul becoming lost, detaching itself after finding its equal and her heart continuing to shatter into a thousand pieces.

She came to a stop at the field she'd been to before and a loud crack of thunder jolted her bones, making her shiver at the sheer intensity and closeness of it. She was crazy to be out here in a storm, she knew that, yet she didn't care. Nothing mattered now. She was alone yet again, wallowing in self-despair and barely able to hold herself together. She stood on the edge of the road, looking out over the field and watching as the rain poured down and mixed with the heavy fog that rolled in seemingly out of nowhere. It felt like her life, just watching the rain come down and the fog that now surrounded her. The irony of the world around her matching how she felt in her heart and soul was too much.

She slumped to the ground, not caring that she was sitting in a puddle a few inches deep. She buried her face in her hands and let the tears fall. She was shaking, shuddering, never having cried so hard before in her life. It wasn't supposed to end up this way for her. She wasn't supposed to find love, to find happiness, just to have it all taken from her. She didn't even know what was supposed to happen. She was strong, but definitely not strong enough to pull herself together to get through this.

"Faith?" Xander called out as he leapt out of the car before it came to a stop. "Are you crazy? Sitting out here like this?"

"Leave me the fuck alone, Xander."

"No," he said firmly as he knelt on the ground next to her, slipping his jacket off and draping it over her shoulders. "Willow told me about what's going to happen tonight."

"What's your fucking point?" Faith snapped as she looked over at him, her tears mixing with the rain, but it didn't matter. She knew Xander knew how hard she'd been crying. "Just leave me alone, please."

"You aren't going to lose her, Faith. No matter what happens, even if she does forget, you won't be pushed out of her life again. None of us will allow that to happen. Not after all you've done for her since you came here. We won't let her forget and I am sure as hell not going to let you let her forget it either!"

"Just go...Xander."

"No," he said firmly as he pulled Faith to her feet and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm taking you home, Faith."

She didn't fight him, she just cried into his chest, soaking his already rain soaked shirt with her tears. She was feeling so helpless. It was doing more than pulling her apart, it was destroying her and she was letting it happen. Xander led her to the car, easing her into the backseat with him. Faith looked up and saw Giles behind the wheel, his own tears brimming in his eyes when he saw the emotional turmoil she was going through. Xander reached for the blanket that was folded on the seat next to her and wrapped it around her, sighing as she began to shiver from the cold.

"Takes us home, Jeeves," Xander joked, and Faith let out a little chuckle as she shook her head and slouched down in the seat. "Everything might be changing, Faith, but you gotta know that there are other people who love you. Maybe not quite the way Buffy does, but it's still love and you are not alone."

The acceptance, even though it felt far too late, had been the one thing she'd waited for since the day she met Buffy and the others. To finally feel it, even just from Xander, was overwhelming. She let out a whispered thank you as she closed her eyes, exhausted from her emotions and from crying, and let herself drift off to sleep, not caring and hoping that she'd never wake up.

****

Angel, Xander, Giles and Dawn all stood off to one side of Buffy's room shortly after night had fallen. Faith stood by the window, watching as Kennedy helped Willow prepare for the spell. The first part had been done. Willow had put Buffy under a sleeping spell since the pain of bringing her body back to life from the state that it was in would be excruciating. They all had agreed it would be for the best if Buffy wasn't awake for this.

"We're all set," Willow said quietly as she looked around the room. It was heavy with anticipation, of fear the spell might not work, fear that they may just lose Buffy all together for good. "Kenny, baby, go stand with everyone else."

Kennedy pulled Willow in for a kiss, whispering words of encouragement; that she believed in her, that she could get through the spell without anything having gone wrong like the last time. She moved to stand next to Faith, grabbing her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"It'll be alright, Faith. She might not remember, but we won't let her forget."

"I know," she whispered, fighting back the tears she thought she'd finish crying hours before.

The only light in the room now came from the candles Willow had lit that surrounded Buffy on the bed. They were floating just inches off the mattress, creating a barrier of sorts. Faith couldn't help but stare at the peaceful look on Buffy's face. Kennedy didn't let go of Faith's hand, she only held it tighter as Willow began a steady, low chant, her eyes closed and a soft ray of white light slipping from the tips of her fingers and slowly beginning to cover Buffy's entire body.

Faith tuned out Willow's voice, the faces of those surrounding her, and focused on Buffy's face. She wanted to reach out for her, kiss her one last time, but she couldn't. It was too late. Thunder from the storm still raging outside rumbled loudly, sending a shiver through everyone in the room. Buffy's body lifted from the bed slightly as Willow's chant grew louder, quicker with every second that passed. Faith's heart began beating rapidly and she squeezed Kennedy's hand so hard she was afraid she'd crush her bones as Buffy's body began twisting, her face showing even in the unconscious state she was in the pain that went through her entire body.

Everything grew silent, even the storm outside came to a standstill as Buffy's body slumped back onto the bed and the candles surrounding her snuffed out and fell on the mattress around her. Giles fumbled for the light a few seconds later and everyone in the room just looked around at one another, all thinking and wondering the same thing.

Did it work? Was she alive again or did the spell to cure her fail and nothing had changed?

Kennedy let go of Faith's hand and rushed over to Willow's side as she collapsed to the floor. The magic she'd used having been so powerful it drained her completely. Faith stood where she was and leaned against the wall, unable to let out a single breath just yet. She feared that second Buffy woke and found out what had happened. She feared what Buffy would do if she didn't even remember her coming back.

"Is she..." Dawn spoke softly, breaking the heavy silence that had filled the room. "Did it work?"

"We must wait until she wakes. The spell Willow used to keep her asleep will wear off soon," Giles said softly as he placed a hand upon Dawn's shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. "It worked. She's breathing, look."

Everyone looked over then at Buffy. Faith's eyes had never left her. She'd noticed as soon as the lights had been turned on that it had worked, that she was alive again. The connection they shared, had always shared, felt stronger now. She was most definitely alive again. A sigh of relief flowed through the room and still Faith couldn't find it in her to let out the breath she'd been holding for the last couple of minutes. At the first sign of Buffy struggling to open her eyes, she let out a small breath, feeling her body wince and begging for a fresh breath of oxygen.

Giles was the first one at Buffy's side as she opened her eyes, gasping for breath as she clutched at her chest. He reached for her hand and whispered words Faith couldn't hear over the rapid beating of her own heart. Words that made Buffy look up at him in confusion, then in horror as she tried to make sense of what he was telling her. The others surrounded the bed and Faith still stood where she'd been the entire time, unable to find it in her to take a few gradual steps forward. The tears that followed the confusion were heartbreaking. Faith wanted nothing more than to rush to her side and hold her, but she couldn't.

Everything had changed. Everything was back to where it'd been before when she was nothing but another slayer, the psycho slayer, the bad slayer, the one that Buffy wanted absolutely nothing to do with. She didn't need to be told that. She could sense it through their connection. A tie had been severed between their souls.

She'd lost her. She was losing herself.

"What...happened?" Buffy gasped out, finally finding her voice.

"It's a long story," Giles said softly. "We'll tell you once you've had some rest, Buffy."

She sighed out and looked around the room, wiping away her tears as she slowly sat up in the bed. Faith leaned back against the wall as Buffy's eyes looked past Xander and Angel and landed on her. The anger was undeniable in Buffy's eyes as they stared at one another. Angel must have sensed it as well and he moved quickly to keep Buffy from leaping up from the bed. In a fit of anger she glared at Faith, looking like she wanted nothing more than to leap up and strangle her, to kill her for even just being there.

"What the hell is she doing here?"

To Be Continued...