Reminding the Fallen
by zenithar
Chapter 19
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Author's Note: Once again thanks to Rebelrsr for help on the fic, couldn't do it with out you. ' ' indicates Buffy's demon. ( ) indicates human thoughts.
Everyone was standing in an uncomfortable silence, waiting for Willow to move or speak again. Willow was glaring at everyone. Dawn was looking at the redhead pleadingly, Xander was appeared slightly afraid of the Wiccan, while Anya was cowering behind her husband, Spike was looking like he was ready for a fight to break out, and Faith gazed at her feet as though ashamed of how she had acted.
"Look, Red, we know it's B, here," Faith said, pointing to chest then moved her hand up to her head. "But here, we're still thinkin' vampire, here. All of us have our problems with her, but we're honestly trying to fix them."
Willow's glare abated a little then she put her hands on her hips and sighed. "I can understand that, but that still doesn't give you the right to doubt Buffy like this. She's done nothing but help us and treat us like family since she's been back. Last time we had Buffy with us we kicked her out, and I will not let that happen again," Willow said vehemently.
"We weren't thinking of kicking the blood sucking demon out, well not yet. We were just voicing our fears to each other," Anya said to defend herself.
Shaking her head, "Alright, if you guys really are afraid of Buffy this much maybe I could help." Moving back down the stairs and sitting in a chair, Willow took a moment to compose herself before asking, "What exactly has you scarred, and you can't just say 'she's a vampire'."
Xander looked from face to face seeing the same reluctance to start, so he decided to hit things off. "Well, I guess it really is just the vamp thing that's bugging me. I mean, how many souled vampires have we known, and how well have they turned out?"
Spike looked like he was about to take offence to the comment when Willow looked straight at her childhood friend and spoke quietly but with a seething anger behind her words. "I know that's not what's bothering you, Xan." Seeing his shocked face Willow continued, "You're pissed that the woman that you've always had a crush on fell for another girl. I heard what you said just a little while ago, and I'm telling you now, get over it."
Completely at a loss for words Xander just sat there. "Will - I - it," While he tried to come up with something to say, Anya jumped in to defend him.
"Hey, back off! Xander's an idiot at times but he's my idiot. I'll make sure he gets over his little crush so you don't need to worry about him," Anya said.
"Fine, just know that Buff and I are together now and no one is going to change that." Turning her face away from the married couple and looking over at Spike she asked him, "What's got you so scared?"
"Well, I suppose it's our slayer vampire's new eating habits. It's just not natural for a vampire to actually feed off of another," the bleached-blond argued.
"First off there's nothing about there being a slayer turned vampire, so her feeding off other vampire's is kinda fitting, doncha think, Spike?" Willow asked in an almost sickly sweet voice. "And if you're afraid she'll drink from you, don't worry. Buffy has better taste than that."
"Um, Will, you sure you're not a vampire? Because you seem to be being a little... bitchy?" Dawn asked.
"Well let's see, if you had all your friends turn on you at the first sign of trouble you might be a little bitchy, too, Dawn," the redhead answered snarkily. "Now, what's got you spooked over Buffy?"
Not willing to look Willow in the eye, Dawn let her eyes rest on her shoes. "It's nothing too specific, more like just how she's been acting in general." Glancing up, the brunette saw Willow raise a questioning eyebrow. "Haven't you noticed it? I mean letting me come along to Willie's, her practically having sex with you in the bar, just being way more impulsive than normal. Almost like how Faith used to act."
"Alright, that's a bit more legitimate excuse for all this," the Wiccan conceded. "Yes, Buffy's been acting differently but something had to happen. She's been alone for almost an entire year, and she now has a demon stuck in her head. I think she's entitled to a few personality differences."
"Alright, but did she really need to enjoy draining that vamp so much?" Dawn asked.
Before Willow could answer Spike spoke up. "Well it makes sense that she would like it. She enjoyed slaying when she was just a slayer and I'm pretty sure her demon likes the killing just as much. Putting the two together on a vampire would tend to make her a little... happy when it comes to feeding."
"Fang's got a point," Faith said. "I mean if B can get the hungry part done during slayage she's definitely going to be happy about it." Smirking at the redhead the dark slayer added one more part, "Then she'd just need to deal with the horny part."
Willow blushed at the last comment. "Ok, Faith, your turn. What's Buffy freaking you out about?"
Leaning back against a wall and crossing her arms Faith answered, "Hell, Red. I don't know. It ain't like she's done anything. I guess I'm just afraid of what she might do."
"You're going to have to give me more than that, Faith." Willow stared intently at the younger slayer. The brunette did seem disturbed by something. "You'd better tell me, Faith, or I'll drag out Resolve Face and torture it out of you."
Smiling reluctantly, the Rogue Slayer mumbled, "It's just...I'm afraid B won't need me anymore."
Everyone around the room was confused. Even though she didn't know what the dark haired woman meant Dawn was still going to try and comfort her, "Faith, Buffy could never make you unneeded, because I'll always need you." Getting up, Dawn went and hugged the slayer, putting her head on Faith's shoulder.
Letting her arms snake out and wrap themselves around the brunette's waist, Faith spoke again, "That's not what I meant, D. Not that the hug was unwanted though. What I meant was B not needing anyone else to help her with patrol and shit."
"Oh, you mean making slayers unnecessary," Willow got a nod from Faith in agreement. The redhead took a moment to think before talking again, "Then why not go out on patrol with her tonight?"
"I guess I could..." Faith said uncertainly.
"Look, Faithy, no matter how powerful Buffy gets she can never be in two places at once. So you might not be able to match her in physical power, but you'll still be needed in the slay business," Dawn said comfortingly.
"She's right, Faith. Buffy will always need others to help her. Some of us will be keeping her sane," Willow said glancing across Dawn and Xander, "while others will be out helping her fight," she finished letting her eyes fall across Spike and Faith.
With the serious stuff out of the way, the gang let the conversation drift to less stressful things. After a little while, they decided to split up untill it was time for a patrol. Anya and Xander said they would be back at their house, Spike went back into the basement. Faith and Dawn elected to stay in the living room and cuddle while Willow planned to speak with Buffy.
On her way up the stairs, Willow took a glance back at Faith and Dawn. Seeing the girls huddled together really showed her that the two had changed. Faith had learned to accept responsibility, and Dawn was growing up. With this in mind, she knew that Buffy would be accepted back into the Scooby gang.
Reaching their room she quietly entered. Shutting the door the witch crept up to the sleeping blonde. Just looking at the elder slayer she saw both the old Buffy she had grown up with and the new Buffy who she was getting to know much better than the old. The woman looked the same as she had a year ago. Yet seeing the lack of chest movement was a poignant reminder of how much she had changed. Even though she no longer breathed and her heart didn't beat she was still very much the same Buffy the redhead knew. Yet at the same time she was so very different.
Silently Willow crawled onto the bed and lay down next to the vampire without waking her. Brushing a loose strand from Buffy's face the redhead let the backs of her fingers graze over the cold cheek. (She really does look dead,) Willow thought sadly. (Well it's time she got a little more active.)
Leaning in to place light kisses on the cheek and circling up to place them on Buffy's brow, the blonde slowly began to wake. A small smile appeared as the kisses rained down slowly making their way to the pale lips. When their lips touched the vampire let her arms reach out and around, pulling the redhead on top of her. "What's with the wakeup call, sweetie?" Buffy asked drowsily.
Burrowing her face into the slayer's neck, Willow mumbled out, "I need to talk with you about the others."
Running her hands through the red locks Buffy asked, "What's wrong, Will?"
"They're doing the 'don't trust the vampire' thing," she mumbled into the vampire's neck. She raised her head to look Buffy in the eyes, "They're afraid of you."
'Told you they'd never accept you," the slayer's demon thought.
Not looking shocked at all Buffy just placed a gentle kiss on Willow's lips, "It's alright. I knew they'd never take me as I am, I'll leave once-"
Willow cut her lover off as soon as she uttered the words, "You're going nowhere, slayer. I straightened 'em out so all of them are going to be working towards getting used to you. I can't have you leaving just as soon as I get them willing to take you back."
Surprised, and not a just a little turned on, by the forcefulness in her witch's voice Buffy could only look at her in amazement. After a moment Buffy said with a smirk, "I think I like 'command witch', Will."
'You think you like her? I know I love her,' the demon thought while mentally leering at the redhead.
Blushing at the compliment Willow hid in the nape of Buff's neck. Feeling the blond petting her head Willow began to calm a little bit. "Um, Buffy, I sorta told Faith you'd be willing to go out patrolling with her tonight. You don't mind that you're going together do you?"
"Not a bit, Wills. It'll give us a chance to reconnect," Buffy said with a nod.
***
Faith, sitting in an armchair, had Dawn straddling her lap and was calmly nipping at the younger girl's earlobe. Once the brunette let out a small moan the dark slayer leaned back from her and looked in her flushed face wearing a smirk. "Told ya you'd like it."
"Ok, I'll give you that. The earlobe thing was a lot better than I thought it would be," Dawn said while resting her forehead against the dark slayer's.
Looking into her girlfriend's warm brown eyes, Dawn whispered, "Faith, I really am worried about Buffy."
"Hell, D, we all are, but, Red was right. We just need to remember that it is Buffy."
"No, that's not what I meant. I'm worried she'll do something to you during patrol," she implored.
Brushing a quick kiss on Dawn's lips, Faith smiled. "D, I didn't trust anybody for a long time but your sister kept trying to give me her trust. Maybe things woulda turned out different if I had just listened. I owe her, D. And I've never seen anyone like her. She doesn't know when to stop or quit. I used to think it was because she thought she was better than everyone, but it's not, D. It's because she's always had something worth fighting for, something worth beating death for. She - hell, we just need to learn how to beat this..." Faith just let her voice trail off after her little impromptu speech and looked at Dawn to gauge her reaction.
The younger woman felt something akin to awe at her girlfriend's speech. Knowing Faith was right Dawn only asked, "When did you get so smart?"
Hugging Dawn closer to her, the dark slayer whispered in her ear, "When I started carin' about more than just me."
A/N- dont worry the weird Willow vamp thing will be answered