Willow shifted slightly and realised, with a strange sense of disorientation, that she was asleep sitting up. Why...?
Shifting again she realised that her shoulder was stiff because something - someone actually - was leaning on it. As she concentrated she could feel the soft warmth of someone breathing against her neck and the gentle sensation sent tingles down her spine. Cracking an eye open, she looked down to see the dark blonde hair of Tara. Her lips curled up in a smile and she felt a deep sense of peace. Craning her neck, Willow looked down and watched Tara's sweetly innocent face, marvelling at the beauty of her slight smile. Something passed through her at that sight, and the redheaded witch was surprised to feel a sense of completion in that moment that she had never felt before.
The book they had been studying rested on their knees with Tara's hand holding the old pages open. Without thinking, Willow hesitantly touched Tara's fingers. Growing a little more confident she stroked the blonde girl's hand and traced the shape of one of her rings.
Tara shifted and Willow pulled her hand back, startled. Slowly, Tara woke up and shifted to look up at Willow.
"Good morning," she said throatily, opening her blue-green eyes and smiling sleepily.
For a moment Willow could not remember how to speak or what to say. Her gaze was trapped by the green eyes so close to hers and nothing seemed to be moving in her brain. Eventually she managed to tear her eyes away, only to find herself staring at Tara's mouth, wondering how soft her lips were. With an effort, Willow focussed on the top of Tara's head and forced her brain into action.
"G-Good morning," she managed to say. "Did you sleep ok? You can't have been very comfortable there. I'm sorry - I didn't realise how late it got. I should-"
"I'm fine," Tara cut in. "A little stiff maybe, but this is important."
"Thanks."
"I'm sorry we didn't find anything."
"Don't be. Sometimes research takes a long time." Willow smiled down at Tara. "I remember when we were researching the Mayor's Ascension it took us..."
She trailed off and slowly looked over to the chair where they had tied up Faith. The empty chair where they had tied up Faith. Tara followed Willow's gaze and paled slightly.
"Should she be gone?" the blonde girl asked cautiously.
"Uh..."
Both girls looked at each other and, without a word, they stood and found weapons. Tara rooted in a drawer for a stake and Willow took out one of the crossbows and loaded it. Prepared, they went in search of Faith.
They found her sitting calmly at the kitchen table, wolfing down waffles and syrup. Buffy and Giles were nowhere to be seen so Willow held her crossbow aimed at the Slayer's chest while Tara tried to look threatening.
"Hey Red," Faith mumbled through a mouthful of waffles. "Are you gonna shoot me or just look?"
Willow gulped.
***
Buffy sat on the bench in the garden, watching the sky turn from black to steely grey and finally to pale pink as the sun rose. The early morning air was chilly, although it promised to be a hot day, but she did not notice. All she could feel was the cold emptiness where her baby should have been. She was inside a body that was not her own and nothing was the same now. Silently, a tear ran down her cheek.
Giles was sitting at the foot of one of the trees surrounding the garden, uncaring of the dew that was seeping through his jeans, watching Buffy. It was difficult to reconcile the memories he had of Faith with the girl sitting feet away from him. The body was the same but she even looked different now. It was not just the baggy jumper and lack of make-up; it extended beyond that. Something projected from her that was completely opposite to what Faith had been, yet there was a part of her there too. Buffy's expressions crossed her face and Buffy's loving eyes shone out of the brown eyes that before had been hard as stone.
In that endless moment before dawn he realised something amazing; it did not matter what container it came in, he was in love with Buffy's mind, heart and soul. Nothing could ever stop him feeling that way. He watched as a tear stole silently down her face and without even thinking about it he stood and walked over to her.
Buffy looked up, startled, as she felt warm fingers wipe away the tear.
"Hello, love," Giles said softly.
"Hi," Buffy managed before bursting into tears.
Giles immediately sat down beside her and she collapsed, sobbing, against his chest. For several minutes he simply held her, rocking gently and whispering meaningless words to comfort her. He could feel the fear and loneliness pouring out of her so he tried to reassure her that he would never leave. After a while the sobs quietened and Buffy put her arms around his neck and held on to him tightly. Giles rubbed her back in soothing patterns and waited for the trembling hiccups to stop before speaking.
"I'm sorry," he said eventually.
"It's not your fault," Buffy said into his shoulder. "You didn't do this."
"But I haven't been here for you. I've been too concerned about my own feelings..."
"Ssh, you're here now and that's all I need." Buffy relaxed slightly and sniffed. "I just need my Giles and I always feel better."
"Do you need me or a tissue?" Giles said, chuckling quietly.
Buffy punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Just you, silly. You smell good. I like the way you smell." She sniffed again. "Although a tissue would be great as well."
She slowly unwound her arms from her husband's neck and sat back. Giles pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her solemnly.
"Thanks," Buffy said, and blew her nose. "I must look terrible."
He looked at her critically. "Surprisingly, Faith seems to be the type who can get away with crying. You look fine."
"How about that?" she said, wiping her eyes and grinning up at him. "I guess we never saw her like this."
"Tearful?"
"Vulnerable."
"I think she was always vulnerable, she just tried to hide it."
"And she succeeded."
They were silent for a moment as Buffy finished cleaning her face.
"I think you were right," Giles said after a minute.
"I was? When? Do I get a gold star for it?" Buffy grinned up at him.
He put his arm over her shoulder and pulled her close. "You were right about Faith. She needs our help. I think in a strange way this might even be her way of saying she wants our help."
Buffy was silent for a moment before answering. "I hate to admit this, but I think you're right. What can we do?"
"I don't know."
They huddled closer to watch the sun finish its morning display.
***
Willow slowly lowered the crossbow as she realised that Faith was making no effort to escape and, in fact, seemed to be enjoying her waffles and syrup. She carefully put it on the table, still within easy reach, and beckoned behind her back to Tara.
"Understand, I do not trust you," she said. "I will never trust you and I never wish to. But you aren't escaping and you wouldn't get far with the baby so I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt."
"Gotcha," Faith replied and gestured with her fork. "Take a pew and try the waffles. They're really good. Did you know the G-man could cook?"
"Uh, yeah?" Willow said nervously.
"I'm not gonna bite you, so sit down," Faith instructed. "Couldn't get far with this brat anyway."
Not taking her eyes off the Slayer, Willow pulled out a chair and sat down. After a moment's hesitation Tara joined her, keeping a firm hold on her stake.
"Go on, try them," Faith encouraged. "Don't worry, I haven't put anything in them. I do wanna get out of this body sometime soon and I'm told that you're the girls to do it."
Willow took a plate from the pile at the end of the table and slowly put some waffles on it.
"Why aren't you tied up?" she asked, pouring syrup on the waffles.
"I'm pregnant now. Being tied up is really not good for the circulation." Faith grinned. "So, you're little miss magic now. Getting any better? As I recall, you couldn't even turn Amy back into a person last time I saw you."
"I de-ratted her a couple of months ago," Willow said proudly.
"And I suppose you helped her?" Faith asked, indicating Tara.
"Oh n-no," Tara stuttered nervously. "That w-w-was before we m-m-m-m-"
"You gonna get that sentence out today?" Faith asked sarcastically.
Willow risked a quick glance at her friend and was dismayed to see the hurt filling her eyes.
"Stop that," she ordered. "We're trying to help you and you're just doing what you always do."
"Oh yeah? What's that?"
"Hurting people. Can't you stop, just for one moment, and think about what you do to people?"
"Jeeze, sorry Red. I didn't think-"
"That's your problem. You don't think and you end up making enemies out of people when you don't need to. Buffy and Giles tried to help you last time, they did everything they could, but you just carried on with your reign of terror thing regardless of what they were doing. You could have had friends and family here if you hadn't been so selfish and-and-and...and selfish! All you think about is your self! Poor little Faith. Didn't have a great start in life so now the world owes her something. Well, I have news for you - it doesn't! Sure, you had some bad times but we all do. It's what we do with them that counts. You could have been so much more than you are but you threw it all away because you're a selfish, spoilt, mean person."
Willow stopped, panting slightly. For a brief moment Tara covered her hand and squeezed it, sending tiny shivers down her arm, before picking up a fork and breaking off a piece of her waffle.
"I-I had.." Faith trailed off, feeling a strange burning sensation in her eyes. "I had no idea."
"You should have," Willow pointed out. "Buffy and Giles both tried."
"No wonder you all hate me."
"They don't hate you."
"But you do," Faith stated shrewdly.
"You hurt my best friends and tried to take them away from me. And then there was the whole trying to kill me thing. So yeah, on balance I don't like you."
"And you?" Faith asked, looking at Tara. "You're new - what do you think? Is she right?"
Tara froze for a moment before looking at Willow. "I think you've hurt some very special people. But if you worked at it they might, in time, forgive you."
For a moment, Faith's eyes softened but then the icy fury she always held inside reasserted.
"Screw you," she spat and pushed her chair back angrily. "As soon as I get my body back, I'm outta here."
She grabbed a waffle from the uneaten pile and stalked out of the kitchen. For a moment Willow considered following her until she realised the Slayer was going down to the basement rather than leaving the house.
"She seems angry," Tara commented.
"She's always angry."
"You were very brave."
"Nah, just stupid."
***
Faith stomped into the basement, only just restraining herself from ranting aloud, and threw herself down on one of the sofas. Only to jump up again when someone spoke from across the room and curse as a wave of dizziness overcame her.
"Hey, take it easy there," a voice said as strong, cool arms steadied her. "You can't go jumping around in your condition."
"Yeah?" Faith said roughly, shrugging off the arms. "What would you know?"
"Oh, I've been watching y-the Slayer for the past couple of months. It's getting harder to move with the brat inside you."
Faith slowly sat down and watched as the strange man walked around her and sat down on the table. It was the blonde vampire that attacked her earlier and as she watched he pulled out a packet of cigarettes and lit one up.
"Hey!" she exclaimed. "Smoke ain't good for the baby."
Spike chuckled. "Well, well, well. Getting a bit protective are we?"
"Get lost."
"Love to, pet, but I can't." Spike stubbed out the cigarette. "I'm stuck here as much as you are."
"What are you doing here? Did B open a refuge for pathetic inadequates? Or are you the latest toyboy?"
"Would you believe I'm here out of the goodness of my own heart?"
Faith 'looked' at him.
"Bloody hell, you're as bad as she is. Doesn't anyone think I'm innocent around here?"
"You're a vampire. You're never innocent."
Spike put on a hurt face. "I'm deeply, deeply upset that you're so suspicious. As it 'appens, I'm here to help. And because I like this world."
"Come again?"
"I don't want to die so I'm helping."
"Die?"
"Yeah. Didn't they tell you? A demon cult wants to sacrifice that brat you're growing and use it to open the Hellmouth. They'll pull out some nasty that's going to destroy every last drop of humanity on the planet, including me."
Faith swallowed and felt a thread of fear twist around her mind. "Kill the baby?"
"Oh yeah. Someone has a real yen for destruction and that kid is their way to get it."
The Slayer curled a hand protectively around her belly.
***
"I guess we should go and check on Faith," Buffy said as the sun began to warm her.
"We should."
"Promise me something?" Buffy turned her head and looked up into Giles' green eyes. "Please?"
"Anything, love."
"Promise me that no matter what happens, even if I'm stuck this way, you'll never stop loving me?"
Giles tilted her chin up and gently kissed her lips. "I promise."
*finis*