The Witch's Hour
by wraith
chapter two
[reviews]
chapter two
just a short chapter this time but more will follow asap.
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Willow could only stare at the younger woman for a moment. "Faith, I always knew that you could be more than you let on, but I have to admit I still underestimated you. And look at you, I never would have pictured you as being into silk robes, you look fantastic. I only wish Buffy knew how well you're doing, she'd be so proud of you."
Faith looked away guiltily for a moment and began to nervously shuffle her feet. Finally she told Willow to take a seat on the sofa and the slayer sat facing her, pausing a moment to give her a serious look before she began. "Look Re . . .Willow, There's something I've wanted to tell you for a real long time, but it would mean breaking a promise I made, a promise I swore I would never betray. But watching you spend your life searching for B. and seeing the toll it's taken on you, I can't keep that promise any longer."
"What are you saying Faith?" Willow couldn't help the anxiety she could feel rising to the surface, or the anger.
"I'm saying that Buffy knows what I've been doing, hell, she's the one who keeps pointing some of the younger slayers my way, figures it's as good place as any to get some practical experience slaying. She's even been here a couple of times for a day or two.I hear from her every eight or nine months, fill her in on how you all are and what you're doing, especially you, then I don't hear from her again for a while. She never tells me where she is or where she's going, just says that's she's ok and reminds me of my promise. I know, I should have told you years ago when she first contacted me, but she swore me to secrecy, said I'd never hear from her again if I broke my promise."
"FAITH!! How could you keep this from me, from Giles? How long have you known where she is?" Willow's anger was beginning to get the better of her, she felt doubly betrayed, both by Faith and by Buffy. It had been seven years since Buffy had disappeared, seven years without so much as post card or a 'I'm still alive' phone call. Seven years that she had spent feeling empty and alone.
Faith curtailed any further questions, holding her palms up in defeat. "Hold back Red, it wasn't my call to make, like I said I swore to her that i wouldn't say anything. I guess I figured that it was her busness, and I felt that I owed her that much at least. I mean, she saved the world, what, four or five times, died at least twice and lost some of the people that meant the most to her. If she wanted to retire and ride of into the sunset, well hell, it's not like she was THE slayer anymore was it? She deserved to retire, to be able to go to sleep each night and not have to worry about the next big bad. The new council was working out fine, and her and X-man trained the new slayers well, just look at what they did in L.A., shit, the place is still taboo to things that go bump in the night."
"That's not the point Faith!" Willow yelled, she couldn't believe that the dark slayer had known all this time and had said nothing. "It's not about her retiring, or wanting to get away from the fighting or anything else like that. It's about the people who love her and who haven't even known if she was alive or dead or what happened to her.!" Willow stood up at the beginning of her tirade and was pacing, frantically waving her hands about. "No-one expected her to keep being THE slayer, after, after Dawn died we all changed. I haven't used magic since after the war in LA when I tried to locate Buffy, but I found that locator spells wouldn't work on her for some reason and I've given it up altogether now. I gave up on everything when she left! She was what held us all together, once she was gone and it became clear that she wasn't coming back it all just fell apart." Willow felt the tears on her cheeks and wiped angrily at them with the palm of her hand. She faced Faith with a defeated look, her bottom lip quivering.
The slayer gathered the sobbing woman in her arms and led her back to the couch, stroking her back as she let out a great deal of the pain she had been carrying for so long.
"It just couldn't be the same without her", she began again between sniffles. "Of course Kenny tried to take her place, but I know that you can relate to how well that went over." Faith met her guilty glance with a calm, if knowing smile. "Yeah, I remember, and you woulda thought that Kennedy would have too, she was there when I tried to take over being top slayer, all I managed to do was almost get everyone killed. B really was the best wasn't she?"
"oh Faith," Willow whispered imploringly," if you know where she is you've GOT to tell me . . . please?"
The dark haired slayer studied Willow for long moments before answering her. "Before I say any more about that, I want you to answer two question for me. First, do you still love her?"
"of course I love her, she's my best friend!" Faith gave her a knowing look,"no Red, I mean are you still IN love with her?"
Willow was about to go into 'just friends' speech, but feeling Faith's eye's trying to drill into her very soul she could only nod her head." Yes, yes I'm still in love with her."
"Good, now the complicated part, who are you looking for, Buffy . . .or the Slayer?"
TBC