Finding Her Way Home
by rebelrsr
Chapter 34
[reviews]
Disclaimer: All things Buffy belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and lots of people in expensive suits. I'm not making any money here, just trying to create a happier Buffyverse for my favorite characters.
Spoilers, etc.: Pretty much everything after the Gift.
A/N: Character thoughts are enclosed by **. Flashbacks are enclosed by //. Thanks to Ivy for the preread and Zigpal for the beta and encouragement! I couldn't do it without you.
Archiving: By permission only.
A/N2: I'm mixing parts of S6 and S7 with very little regard to canon. For purposes of the fic, Dawn is over the age of consent *wink*.
Jennifer's block made the pain nothing more than a heavy pressure on the back of her mind. At the sound of Dawn's name, though, the pressure surged. The barrier wavered, and Faith grimaced at the returning ache deep inside. "Dawn." Her eyes zeroed in on the younger girl — and her heart stopped. "D!"
Racing across the clearing, Faith slid to her knees next to Dawn's prone figure. Kennedy backed away before running for the house. "Come on, D. It's gonna be OK," Faith rashly promised, pulling Dawn into her arms. The pain flooded through her. Ignoring the waves of agony, Faith rocked the girl in her arms.
Barely aware of anything outside the fire racing along her veins, Faith dimly felt twin pressures on her shoulders. "Hang on, Faith. Let me help."
"Red?" The single word had Faith gritting her teeth against new pain. Cold sweat slicked her skin.
"Don't forget me, Faith. We come as a pair now." Another pair of hands gripped Faith's where they cradled Dawn as Buffy crouched in front of them. "Will's going to help, make sure you and Dawn are back to normal."
Normal? Faith didn't remember what that was. Still, as long as the pain was gone, she'd deal. "Dawn first." She managed to raise her eyes to Buffy's. "Take care of Dawn first."
Buffy nodded tersely, her own eyes drifting up to a spot over Faith's head. "You heard her, Will."
Time lost meaning. Faith lived and breathed pure pain. Trembling, tears flowing in a steady stream down her face, she braced as best she could and waited. Dawn remained still in her arms, not moving. "Please, Dawn. Let Red help you." She managed to move one hand from its spot on Dawn's arm, gently stroking her pale face.
The burning in her mind continued to build until Faith was sure her head was going to blow off or she passed out. Body vibrating with fine tremors, she started to lower Dawn to the ground before she inadvertently hurt her.
"Faith?" Faith twitched at the soft, confused voice. Dawn's blue eyes blinked slowly.
The tears fell faster. Faith tried to answer, but her voice wouldn't work. She closed her eyes, drooping forward. The hands on her shoulders tightened; the ones in front holding her up.
A gentle breeze blew through her mind. Spreading out, the wind extinguished the fire scorching her nerve endings. When the breeze died out, a layer of ice coated her mind. Faith felt the pain lingering behind those frigid walls. Like Jennifer's previous try, Willow's shielding could only help. Their problems weren't over, only delayed. Opening her eyes, Faith peered blearily at Dawn.
Those bright blue eyes seemed to wrap around her. "You OK, D?" She couldn't hold back the question.
"I think so," Dawn whispered back. Her lips trembled suddenly, and Faith struggled not to bend down, place her own lips there to keep them still. "I'm so sorry, Faith."
"Oh, baby, it's not your fault." Closing her eyes, Faith cursed her mouth. Damn it. She wasn't supposed to be comforting Dawn. She should be tossing her on the ground and running for the gates. Buffy and Willow were right here, watching everything. Faith figured the pain from earlier would be nothing compared to Buffy kicking her ass for even thinking about Dawn as more than a friend.
Fingers drifted over her lips and then her eyelids. "Look at me, Faith."
Faith stubbornly shook her head.
Dawn shifted in her lap, and the fingers were replaced with soft lips. Faith jerked back, bumping into Willow's legs. Dawn's fingers wove into her hair, pulling her back for a kiss. Heat exploded inside, beginning to melt the barrier Willow had created. Liquid sunshine flowed through her veins.
With Herculean effort, Faith tore her mouth from Dawn's. Panting and panicking, she stood; although, she very carefully set Dawn on the grass, not dumping her roughly. "No, D. We can't do this." She felt a warning tingle in her mind.
***
Buffy watched Faith and Dawn, sensing a fight on the way. From the strain on both of their faces, Willow's block was failing. She didn't want a repeat of the screaming and fainting. "Faith, wait!" Moving quickly, she grabbed Faith's arm, keeping her from running.
She could feel the muscles under her hand trembling. "Let me go, B. I'm no threat. Not to you or Dawn." Faith's voice was husky and wavered toward the end.
"I never said you were, Faith," Buffy answered softly. Not wanting to push Faith further, she took a step backward, hand slipping from Faith's arm. "We all need to talk. Get this straightened out before we go inside."
Faith flinched, arms wrapping around herself. Buffy thought fleetingly that Faith looked like a puppy expecting to be kicked. She was curled in on herself, accepting of the blow, but protecting vital organs.
The pose woke something primal in Buffy. Her Slayer raised her head, a sleepy growl sounding in her mind. "I said, we need to talk." Buffy's voice was deeper, rougher this time. The pleading edge disappeared. This time, the phrase was filled with pure command.
Responding to the tone, Faith nodded immediately. Her posture, however, remained almost submissive. She stood, body partially turned away, head down. "Sure, B. Whatever you want. Talking's better than stabbing, you know?" The husky voice thinned with strain, squeaking into the upper register on every other word.
The Slayer woke further. Peering through an orange haze, Buffy saw not only Faith's budding link to Dawn, but the delicate outline of the Slayer bond. Trying to push the Slayer back into her corner and chilled by the memory of their fight to the near-death, Buffy snapped, "Do you see a knife, Faith?"
Power uncoiled through her; the Slayer demanded control. Buffy refused. The last time the Slayer had been in control, Kennedy had nearly become a grease spot on the gravel in front of the house. The internal rumbling turned impatient. Violence wasn't on the menu, it assured her. The Slayer merely wanted to help Dawn and Faith come to terms with their bond. Letting go, Buffy mentally stepped back.
Faith must have felt the change. Her head came up for an instant, an answering flare of orange overlaying her brown eyes. "B?" The Slayer smiled at the deep note in her Second's voice.
"It is time to stop running," the Slayer stated firmly. She stalked toward Faith, gesturing to her Mate and her Sibling. "You are needed here." Crossing her arms, the Slayer waited for the Young One's agreement.
"No." The unexpected refusal was swift. Faith's Slayer stood tall and confident, glaring defiance.
The Slayer sprang across the space, hand gripping the Other's shirt at the throat. Growling softly, she challenged Faith's Slayer. Finely honed senses noted that her Mate and her Sibling hovered nearby, their thoughts reaching out, trying to stop the inevitable.
Buffy, too, reached out, screaming silently, No violence. You told me there would be no fighting.
Ignoring all of the distractions, the Slayer glared at the Young One in her grasp. "You will stay. You are needed, and your Mate is here." The Slayer was prepared to force the issue, no matter the promise made to her host, if the Young One refused.
The choice of words panicked Faith's Slayer. Twisting and snarling, she fought to get free. Her struggles barely registered with the Slayer. Angered and sickened at the fear in her Younger Sib, the Slayer's hands tightened on Faith's shirt, ripping it.
"Why do you fight? It is what you want, need. The path has been set." The Slayer didn't understand. Holding Faith's Slayer in place, she stared into wild eyes.
"I am damaged. There will be another for-" the low words cut off. The proud stance faltered.
Shaking her head, the Slayer disagreed. "It is past. My host has relented. You are part of her pack. Take your place here, as her Younger Sib."
She waited impatiently for an answer. "I cannot." The body in Buffy's hands straightened again. "Dawn will find another. There are many on their way here. I can feel them through the Line."
"No!" The Slayer growled the word, pitching the Young One across the clearing. "The bond is set. You must Mate." She paused, eyes gleaming ferally. "Or you will die."
A scream shattered the hostile atmosphere between the two Slayers. Dawn ran to Faith's side. "Buffy! What are you doing?" Shock and anger showed in her blue eyes.
Her Sibling was too late. The Young One would bow to her fate; the Slayer was determined. Almost smiling, she paced toward the pair. "Buffy is gone," she repeated. "Only the Slayer remains." With surprising gentleness, the Slayer picked Dawn up and set her several feet to the side. "You must wait, my Sister. Your Mate must accept my decree; then you will be free to Join."
Turning her back on Dawn, she continued until she stood over the Other. The prone posture was pleasing. Satisfaction leaked into her deep voice. "You have already shown your acceptance of my status. End this."
***
Grappling with her own snarling Slayer, Faith tried to tell Buffy's Slayer she was more than ready to do just that. She's promised herself she would never fight the other girl again. Too much of their blood had already been shed.
She gained a small amount of control and started to speak. Too late. Orange eyes glowing, the Slayer lifted her off the ground. Faith closed her eyes. She was done fighting. Redemption was too hard; she'd let Buffy end it here.
A hoarse shout echoed. Faith felt weightless for several seconds before she slammed into the ground. Moaning and surprised Buffy hadn't done anything worse, she opened her eyes. Fire surrounded Buffy, the flames waist high. The air popped and rippled from the intense heat.
Rage and fear flooded her mind, and her Slayer howled in response. Fingers digging into the ground, Faith maintained an uncertain hold on her Slayer. It lasted until Willow joined the fight. Red hair standing from her head, her voice rose above the fire. A funnel cloud spun across the ground. The fire bent toward its pull, away from the Slayer. It grew stronger; the flames weaker.
"Back off, Dawn. Let them handle this," Willow shouted, eyes a solid blue.
Dawn wasn't listening. She turned on Buffy, the whites of her own eyes eclipsed with blue. "Stay away from Faith, Buffy. Don't make hurt you."
Faith's Slayer clawed her way into driver's seat and surged to her feet. This fight was unnecessary. Her host was a coward. "Stop." The single word halted the showdown. Placing herself between her Senior and her Mate, Faith's Slayer bowed her head. "I will submit."
A/N: I made a lot of changes to the canon primal Slayer aspect in order to make this scene (and later plot points) work. Thanks go out to Howard for planting the wolf pack idea many, many months ago.