Meant To Be

Two: The Queen of Hearts

One

OUR GANG

The Bronze was deserted now. Faith swung her sword in a wide arc, holding sixteen vampires at bay for the moment as they roared and growled and raked the air with their claws and tried to leap past her; tried to reach Willow. Faith shielded Willow’s body with her own, keeping Willow behind her and the vampires in front, and considered her options.

She saw Xander out of the corner of her eye, slowly making his way toward her. The vampires either hadn’t noticed him or weren’t bothering with him. For some reason, they wanted Willow...

Willow tried her best to stay out of Faith’s way. She watched as Faith slashed her wakizashi through the air, not allowing the snarling, snapping creatures to get past her. One dropped into a crouch and tried to leap under Faith’s swing, but she kicked him in the face without missing a beat like she was punting a football and he slammed into two other vampires and took them down with him. But the vampires were steadily moving closer, hemming Faith in, cutting her off, backing her and Willow toward the wall.

Willow was trying to stay close to Faith so Faith could protect her while at the same time trying to stay out of Faith’s way so she had room to fight. Willow did her best at the impossible task as Faith swung her wakizashi around, holding the vampires back and looking for openings to stake them. A vampire sprang straight at Faith’s throat; Faith spun and cut its head off and it turned to dust. But the move put Faith out of position for the split-second another of the vampires needed to get in under her guard and punch her in the face. Faith went flying back into the wall and fell to the floor.

“Faith!” Willow screamed, trying to run to her; but the vampires were too fast and the nearest one was on Willow in a second. But as Willow fell she heard the vampire scream, as Xander stuck a knife through the back of its neck. Xander just had time to toss that vampire away before he was thrown aside by the others as they sprang at Willow again...

Faith got there first. She leaped straight into the vampires, straight into all fifteen of them with a roar like a lion and Willow saw two vampires go flying thirty feet across the room as she got herself up and got out of Faith’s way. She looked around for Xander, as Faith slashed the air with her sword and kicked out with her legs and rolled and punched the air with her stake, not giving the vampires a chance to use their numbers to their advantage. Willow saw Xander getting himself up about ten feet away. She helped him up, and they both ran back to Faith. They saw two vampires turn to dust as Faith beheaded them, but eleven were still trying to hold her down as she covered up and rolled, and the two she had punched away were running back to the fight. Xander desperately pulled vampires off of Faith, trying to give her room to move. He managed to stake one through the back, but another one turned on him and smacked him away again. He went flying through the air and bounced off a table, and hit the floor.

“Xander!” Willow screamed, and ran to him again.

Rolling around beneath the pile of vampires, trying to keep their slashing claws away from her face, Faith had a clear view for a moment. She saw Willow running for Xander, and two vampires heading straight for both of them...

Faith kicked her legs out as hard as she could and four vampires went flying. She stabbed he sword straight through the face of one of the vampires holding her down, managed to roll away from the others and backflip herself up.

“Willow!” Faith screamed, as two vampires grabbed Willow by the arms and tried to hustle her out of the room. The four she had kicked away were running to join them, and the six she had just rolled away from were behind her, as Faith ran for Willow...

Xander was on the floor. Faith couldn’t tell if he was alive.

Seventy-three flashed through Faith’s head, then she put the thought aside. It was a distraction. She was working.

With a roar Faith leaped across the room and tackled the four vampires who were running toward Willow. She jumped back up to her feet, threw her stake straight through the back of one of the vampires trying to hustle Willow away, and ran after the other. They weren’t trying to kill Willow. They were trying to kidnap her...

Willow struggled, dragged her feet, tried to slow the vampire down. He elbowed her in the head, and she fell limp in his hands.

Faith screamed, and ran at the vampire as he turned to face her. She knew the other ten were right behind her now.

She instinctively catalogues her surroundings, noting any terrain or object that can be used for offensive or defensive advantage.

Faith picked up a fork from a table, turned and threw it through the throat of one of the vampires behind her. She anticipated the move of the vampire who was behind her now as he tried to slash through her neck with his claws; she ducked him, spun and cut his head off. Willow fell to the floor, and Faith stood in front of her as the ten remaining vampires surrounded them. The one with Faith’s fork in his throat pulled it out with a snarl. Faith showed him her teeth. She saw Xander a few yards away, getting up. She breathed a sigh of relief.

She noticed Xander picking some things up from some of the tables. A bottle, a lighter, some napkins. Faith held her sword in front of her and watched the ten vampires as they snarled at her, apparently trying to figure their next move. She slowly knelt beside Willow, not taking her eyes off the vampires, and felt her pulse. It was strong and steady.

She knew the longer she could stall the better off they’d all be. Buffy would be showing up soon, and the police would be along too with any luck. So Faith waited, and didn’t do anything reckless. She wondered how long it would be until the vampires moved, and then wondered if they were stalling too...if they were waiting for help. Willow was still unconscious. Faith couldn’t move very far from her and still protect her. The smart play was to wait...

The vampires didn’t seem interested in Xander at all. That was a mistake on their part. Xander ran up to the vampires from behind with a vodka bottle with napkins stuffed in the top. He lit it with the lighter at the last second and threw it at one of the vampires’ backs. The vampire burst into flames, ran around screaming for a few seconds and turned to dust as the other nine suddenly decided Xander was important after all, and sprang at him...

Break’s over, Faith thought, as she sprang right after them. She managed to tackle four of them and cut the head off one as another got a good shot in that sent her flying and made her lose her grip on her sword. But she rolled with the punch, turned it into a backward somersault, came up on her feet and ran back to Xander as he went down, dragged to the floor by the other five vampires. She didn’t have a weapon now but she had no choice but to wade in anyway, and she started peeling vampires off of Xander and flinging them away before they could get their claws into him.

“Get her out of here!” Faith shouted, as she got him up. He nodded and ran for Willow, as three more tried to cut him off, and Faith barreled into them and brought them down. But one of them got a good shot in on her, smashing his fist into her face and cracking her head against the floor, and another one slashed at her stomach with his claws. Faith screamed as his claws slashed deep into her stomach and drew blood; she kicked out with her legs and managed to dislodge them enough to get herself up, and she saw Xander carrying Willow out the fire exit. But then the other five vampires were on her, and they dragged her back down to the floor, slashing and biting and punching her. Her head cracked against the floor again and again, and she saw stars, as she tried to cover up and roll...

“Where...are we..?” Willow said, waking up in Xander’s arms. “Where’s... where’s Faith?”

Xander was running, running with her in his arms as fast as he could. Willow looked around. They were in the alley outside the Bronze, running toward the front entrance. Her head hurt.

She remembered.

“Xander! Put me down!” she said.

Xander ran out of the alley to the front of the Bronze, and put her down, and caught his breath.

“What happened? What are we doing? Where’s Faith?” Willow said.

“She’s still inside,” Xander said. “I’m going back in. I need you to run, right now. A few blocks up there are houses. Bang on some doors and get inside.”

“What? Are you crazy? I’m not gonna just run! Faith needs us!”

“That’s why I’m going back in. I love you, baby. Now go!” he said, and pulled away from her.

“Wait!” Willow shouted, and ran after him. “I’m going in with you!”

“Willow!” Xander shouted, grabbing her by the shoulders. “Those vampires were after you! Not me, not Faith! You!”

“But...” Willow said, holding his arm. “You don’t even have a stake!”

“Get the hell out of here! Bang on some doors, get inside!” Xander shouted, and ran back into the Bronze.

All eight vampires clawed and bit and pummeled Faith as she rolled around, kicking and punching, trying to keep her arms and legs free and trying to protect her face. One of the vampires managed to grab her right arm, and she screamed as he bent it all the way back and broke it with a crack that echoed through the room. She punched out as hard as she could with her left and he went flying, but there were still seven more to contend with, and they pummeled her over her entire body again despite all her attempts to cover up; now that her right arm was broken she couldn’t protect herself anymore. There were starbursts of light behind Faith’s eyes as they cracked her head against the floor again and again...she kicked out with her legs and kept trying to roll but she was slower now, and she couldn’t use her right arm, and their fists kept catching her, pummeling her as she tried to cover up...and then everything went black.

When Faith opened her eyes again Xander was there, frantically trying to pull vampires off of her. He managed to fling one away, but one of the others let go of Faith and backhanded him in the face. Xander went flying across the room, and lay still. Faith chopped at one of the vampire’s necks and poked another one in the eye. She was able to get one of her legs free and she kicked out with it with all her strength and sent another vampire flying. Before the others could grab her again she managed to roll away from them and awkwardly flip herself up to her feet with her left hand. She felt dizzy. Her legs were wobbly. The eight vampires all ran at her again, springing at her like wolves. She didn’t have her sword and she had no idea where it was. She didn’t have a stake. Her right arm was useless. She ducked and dodged as best she could, trying to get to Xander.

One of the vampires picked up a long, heavy table and threw it at her. She should have been able to dodge it, but she was a step slow now and it crashed on top of her, bringing her down. She felt a sharp pain in her left ankle as she fell. The vampires leaped at her, but she was able to tear a leg from the table and hold it above her, impaling one of the vampires as he jumped on top of her. He turned to dust in front of her eyes, but the other seven were right behind him. She just managed to roll herself out of their way and get back up; her left ankle hurt as she did and she started to fall. But she used it to her advantage and caught the vampires off-guard by dropping to her knees in front of them; their claws slashed through the air above her head, and Faith managed to stake another one with the table leg. She immediately dropped to the floor and rolled again, and as the vampires sprang at her she stabbed upward with the table leg, managing to stake a third. But one of them picked her up by the throat before she could dodge again, and smashed her face into the floor, and everything started spinning. She tried to get up, but she wasn’t sure which way up was, and one of them kicked her, sending her flying across the room. She slammed into a wall and fell to the floor.

“Faith!” she heard. It was Willow.

“Will!” Faith shouted, as she tried to get up. Everything was spinning and she felt shaky. When she tried to stand she fell; she couldn’t put any weight on her left ankle.

She looked up. She was seeing double now and there was gray at the edges of her vision, seeping in...

She saw Willow with her sword in her hand; she had been trying to bring it to her. But the five remaining vampires were all running toward Willow now, slavering and snarling...

“NO!” Faith screamed, and managed to get herself up, and ran after the vampires as best she could, limping. She grabbed a knife from a table she passed and threw it through the ankle of one of the vampires; he fell to the floor, howling. Willow was running, but the other four had nearly reached her...

“Willow!” Faith heard Xander scream. She knew he was too far away. Willow was running, but the vampires would be on her in seconds...

Screaming, Faith grabbed a table and managed a fairly good off-balance throw with her left arm; the table hit the vampires in the back. All it did was annoy them, but it got them after her again instead of Willow, and she braced herself as they sprang at her...

Redirect his energy. Make it work for you.

Faith managed to grab one of the vampires with her left hand as he sprang at her, and flip him over her shoulder, just barely keeping her balance, putting all her weight on her right leg. She let herself fall backwards with his motion, and the other three vampires overshot her as they sprang at her; they leapt right over her and hit the floor, snarling.

Everything was becoming gray, and slowing down even as the room started spinning faster, and all the sounds in the room were muted...like she was underwater. She felt nauseous. Her mouth suddenly filled with vomit. She forced it back down again.

And then she suddenly saw Willow standing above her, holding out her sword...Faith grabbed it, struggled to her feet again, spun around and beheaded the vampire with the knife through his ankle as he tried an awkward leap at her. But she was shaky and slow, and she couldn’t keep her balance with the room spinning; she was already falling again as the other four tackled her from behind and, too late, she heard Willow scream, “Look out!”

The scream sounded like it had come from far away, from the other end of a tunnel.

Faith was on the floor again. She thought she heard Willow screaming...

One of the vampires grabbed Faith’s left arm and chopped the sword out of her hand. She threw a punch, but there wasn’t any strength behind it and it wasn’t enough to dislodge the vampires. One of them started punching her in the face, smashing her skull against the floor, as the others held her arms and legs down. The one punching her in the face was snarling and foaming at the mouth; she felt his saliva dripping on her face. It was warm. It smelled like dung. Faith thought she saw Willow and Xander trying to pull the vampires off of her, but everything was gray now, and doubled, and still spinning, so she couldn’t be sure. The ones holding her legs turned and lashed out at something, and Faith thought she saw something fly through the air. The vampire who had been pummeling her stopped for a moment, and smiled. Faith felt something else on her face...it was warm too, but it smelled different. It was sticky. She realized it was her blood. She realized her face was covered with it.

Faith tried to move, but it felt like there was no strength left in her arms or her legs. A languid, dizzy haze enveloped her now. She felt like she was underwater, sinking...the room was fading away, and the gray was getting darker...the room was fading to black.

“So you killed a few of us, Slayer?” the vampire hissed. “We are hundreds. And you are mine.” And Faith felt his fangs against her neck...

Faith’s whole body felt warm now, and numb. She felt like she was weightless, and sinking...

For a moment, she was suddenly back in her motel room with Buffy. She wondered how she had gotten there.

I’m gonna keep you warm, baby, she heard Buffy saying...

“My girl,” Faith whispered.

The vampire sneered at her.

Faith couldn’t see Buffy anymore...she didn’t think she was in the motel room anymore. She didn’t know where she was...she thought she smelled vampires. She couldn’t see anything. Everything was getting dark...

A tear ran down Faith’s cheek.

“Love...you...” Faith whispered...

The vampire punched her in the face again.

And the last thing Faith felt as everything went black was the sharp sting, like a needle, as fangs tore into her throat...

Willow and Xander dragged themselves up from the floor and were about to run back to Faith, when a blur suddenly ran right past them. It moved so fast they didn’t know what it was at first...

And then they saw a lion.

The lion ran straight at the wolves, roaring.

The wolves leaped up, when they heard that roar: they sprang at the lion, thought to pit their strength against hers...

Before they even reached her there was a flash of metal and two of the wolves turned to dust in mid-air, as Buffy beheaded them with her wakizashi, her hands moving faster than Willow and Xander’s eyes could follow.

The other wolves barreled into Buffy and slashed the sword out of her hand. They had seen the damage Faith was able to inflict on their brothers with a sword just like that one and they weren’t taking chances. Buffy spun and kicked one of them in the chest, sending him flying the length of the room, but the other one knocked her to the ground and leaped on top of her and tried to slash at her with his claws.

Buffy got her hands around his neck and squeezed.

Their eyes locked on each other. The vampire snarled at Buffy, his eyes two yellow slits.

He heard a growl well up from Buffy’s throat, and saw something in her green eyes...something he had never seen in a human being before. Human beings were supposed to be prey animals. But this...

Buffy roared, showing the vampire her teeth, and squeezed with all her strength. The vampire felt the bones in his neck crunching and popping. He tried to pull Buffy’s hands away, but he couldn’t, they were like steel...

Her eyes were still on him.

The wolf saw a terrible light in those eyes, now...he saw his death there.

The last thing he felt, before Buffy wrenched his head from his body like a cork from a champagne bottle, was an icy cold, spreading through him...a cold that had started in those green eyes, and stabbed into him, and filled him up...

His body turned to dust. Buffy stood up, still holding his head in her hands, blood still dripping from the neck.

She faced the last vampire. The head she held in her hands turned to dust.

Buffy smiled, and growled.

The wolf leapt at her, and the lion leapt at him. Their bodies collided in the air, and fell to the floor.

Buffy landed on top.

She grabbed the wolf by the hair, leaped back up to her feet, swung him around like a baseball bat and smashed him head-first into a wall, putting a hole through it. The wolf fell to the floor.

Buffy stood above him.

“Die,” Buffy snarled.

The wolf tried to stand, but Buffy smashed it in the face, sending it sprawling back to the floor. She placed her knee on its chest and held it to the floor. She grabbed it by the throat, and looked it in the eyes.

“Just--” Buffy snarled.

She punched it in the face. Its nose broke beneath her fist, its blood spurted onto her hand.

“Fucking--”

She punched it in the face again, collapsing its skull. The wolf’s body shook all over, and then became still.

“DIE!” Buffy screamed, and punched it in the face again. Her fist went straight through the wolf’s face, out the back of its head and through the floor beneath it, and it turned to dust.

Buffy realized she was crying.

She felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Buffy,” Willow said.

Buffy turned, and saw Xander kneeling beside Faith. Buffy felt a surge of panic when she saw Faith...when she saw her lying there, unmoving, her face covered with blood. She felt her heart stop.

“Faith!” Buffy screamed, and ran to her, and slid down beside her. “Baby...? Baby...?!”

Faith lay perfectly still. She was deathly pale. Her neck was bleeding.

“Wake up, wake up...Faith...baby baby baby...wake up wake up wake up WAKE UP!” Buffy screamed in Faith’s face, and shook her by the shoulders...and felt herself starting to tremble. She saw her tears, falling on Faith’s cheeks.

Faith didn’t move.

Buffy felt Xander’s arm around her.

Buffy felt disconnected from herself, now...like she wasn’t there anymore. Like she had gone away...she didn’t know where she had gone.

Suddenly, she felt warm. She was in Faith’s motel room, under the covers...Faith’s arms were around her. They were strong...Buffy wanted those strong arms around her forever.

You’re my girl, she heard Faith saying...

Willow leaned her head against Faith’s chest.

She couldn’t hear Faith’s heart beating.

And then, something happened...

Willow did something, and didn’t know why.

Willow whispered something in Faith’s ear. It was a word Willow had never heard before...she didn’t even recognize the language. Willow didn’t know why she whispered it in Faith’s ear just then. She didn’t know what it meant. After she whispered it, she realized she didn’t even remember the word...she had no idea anymore what she had whispered.

Willow leaned her head against Faith’s chest.

She heard Faith’s heart beating.

“Her heart’s beating, Buffy,” Willow said. She leaned down close to Faith’s mouth, and listened. Faith was breathing; her breath was faint but it was there. “She’s breathing. She’s alive.”

Willow looked up at Buffy. Buffy rocked herself back and forth, her hands clasped to her mouth, as Xander held her.

“Buffy,” Willow said, and put her hand on Buffy’s shoulder. But Buffy wasn’t there; Willow didn’t know where she had gone but when she looked in her eyes Willow could tell Buffy was far away now.

“Buffy!” Willow said. “Buffy!”

“BUFFY!” Willow shouted, shaking her. Buffy suddenly snapped her head up, as if she had just been awakened from a dream.

“She’s alive,” Willow said, and put her arms around Buffy, and hugged her. “She’s alive, sweetie. Okay? She’s alive.”

Xander hugged her too.

And the three of them knelt on the floor together, holding each other.

“She’s alive?” Buffy whispered, as she cried. “My baby’s alive?”

“She’s alive,” Xander said.

Buffy nodded, and finally looked at them.

“You’re hurt,” she said. “You’re both hurt.”

“There were twenty of them, Buffy,” Xander said.

“Twenty?” Buffy said, looking down at Faith incredulously.

“They were after Willow,” Xander said. “If Faith wasn’t here that’s the ballgame.”

Willow looked down at Faith, with a tear in her eye. “Twice,” Willow said. “That’s twice now.”

Willow caressed her cheek.

Faith coughed, and opened her eyes.

“Faith!” Buffy shouted, and practically lunged at her. She gently brushed the hair out of Faith’s eyes.

“Guys,” Buffy said. Her hands were shaking. “I need...I need towels, water.”

“Got it,” Xander said, and got up and sprinted to the bar.

“Where...” Faith whispered. “Where’s...”

“Hi, baby,” Buffy whispered, and smiled, and kissed her cheek. “It’s me.”

Faith looked up at her, her eyes unfocused.

“B...?” she whispered.

“Yeah,” Buffy said. “I’m right here, baby.”

“Will...Xander,” Faith said, her voice getting stronger. She looked around. The room wasn’t spinning as much now.

There had been a word...a word Faith had never heard before. She couldn’t remember it now. The word was a physical thing...Faith had been adrift, floating away, and she had seen the word, and grabbed onto it like a lifeline...she’d felt new strength in her arms, as she held onto the word...she’d felt warm. The word had pulled her back to the shore.

“We’re okay,” Willow said, and took Faith’s hand. “You saved us. Saved me. Again,” she said, and smiled.

“Trouble does...follow you around...girl...” Faith said, and managed a small smile.

“Went blonde again,” Willow said, and they all laughed.

“Everyone’s...okay...?” Faith said.

“Yeah,” Buffy said. “We’re all okay.”

Xander raced back with a couple of bar rags and two big mugs of water.

“Thank you,” Buffy said, and wet one of the bar rags, and began cleaning the blood from Faith’s face.

“Xan Man,” Faith said.

“Private Xan Man, reporting for duty Sarge,” Xander said, and smiled.

“Get your...D.O.R.,” Faith said.

“Hell no Sarge,” Xander said, and kissed her cheek.

“Faith, how bad are you hurt?” Buffy said.

“Don’t know,” Faith said. “Kinda...hurts a lot, all over. Feel...woozy.”

“Okay, I’m gonna take you to the hospital,” Buffy said, and grabbed Faith around the waist. “Okay, here we go--”

“No,” Faith said, and pushed Buffy’s arms away.

“You gotta go Faith, you’re hurt,” Buffy said, and started to lift her up. “Come on, we’ll just--”

“No, I don’t wanna!” Faith screamed, and pulled away from Buffy, kicking at her and trying to bat her away with her left arm as Buffy tried to lift her up. “No! No no NO!”

Faith was shaking. She folded her one good arm across her chest, as if to hide herself. She turned over on her side on the floor, away from them all.

Buffy and Willow and Xander looked at each other. Faith looked away from them...she wouldn’t meet their eyes.

“Guys,” Buffy said. “Give us a minute?”

“Yeah, um, okay,” Willow said, and stood up. She took Xander’s arm, and walked over to the bar with him.

Buffy watched Faith, watched her shaking, and covering up with her one good arm, trying to hide from her. Faith still wouldn’t look at her. She was still covered with blood. Her right arm looked broken.

A tear rolled down Faith’s cheek. Buffy wiped it away.

“We won’t go to the hospital. Okay?” Buffy said. “We’ll just go back home, and I’ll take care of you. Okay, baby?”

Faith nodded, but she still wouldn’t look at her.

Buffy stroked her hair, and watched her, and waited. She rested her hand on top of Faith’s, and waited.

Eventually, Faith looked up at her.

“Feel like telling me why you don’t wanna go to the hospital?” Buffy said.

“Just...don’t like hospitals,” Faith said.

“Okay,” Buffy said. “Then you’ll have to deal with Doctor Buffy instead. Can you follow Doctor Buffy’s orders?”

“No hospital?” Faith said.

“No hospital.”

“Okay.”

“First order,” Buffy said, and rested her hand on Faith’s stomach. There was a bloody wound there. “You’re hurt and I need to know how bad. But we gotta get outta here too in case more vamps show up. So real quick, I’m gonna look at you all over and you’re gonna tell me everywhere it hurts, okay?”

“But...Will and Xander,” Faith said.

“They’re way over by the bar, they can’t see, okay, baby?”

Faith nodded. Buffy unbuttoned Faith’s blouse, and touched her stomach. Faith winced in pain. Buffy cleaned the wound with the damp rag.

“This is pretty deep,” Buffy said. When the wound was clean Buffy tore a long strip from the bottom of her skirt. She pressed the dry bar rag against the wound and tied it in place with the strip.

“This is a crap job but it’ll hold until I get you some real bandages,” Buffy said. “Okay, now tell me wherever it hurts...”

“Are they...a couple?” Xander said, sitting next to Willow at the bar and drinking a Coke. He wanted a beer and he wanted one pretty badly, but he knew Buffy would want him to drive.

“Yeah,” Willow said. “And you can’t make any jokes about it, Xander. I mean it. No dumb jokes. Buffy really cares about her.”

“Got it,” he said, and drank his Coke, and put his arm around her.

“I like her better with Faith than with Angel,” Xander said. “Never thought she liked girls, but...”

“Are you gonna make that lame joke you always make about us inviting Katie Holmes over for a threesome now?” Willow said.

“I was considering it.”

Willow smiled. “What am I gonna do with you?” she said. “You’re such a bad boy. You need a time-out. Maybe we should increase your exercise regimen.”

“But you and Katie would look just so cute having a pillow fight in your underwear. In slow motion.”

“We’ve gotta get this threesome fantasy out of your head. It’s gross. I mean, what would you say if I was all, I wanna boink you and James Van Der Beek? If I was like, hey, let’s see you and James, y’know, gettin’ busy together?”

“Why, why did you put that image in my head? Yuck. Now I got naked James Van Der Beek in my head.”

“Welcome to my world. And hey, you’re always putting yucky Katie Holmes naked images in my head. And I mean, sure, I’m real super happy for Buffy and Faith and everything and y’know, gayness, girl power, hey, cool, whatever, great for them but...let’s just say your threesome fantasy? Never gonna happen while I’m one of the threesome, sweetie. It’s just gross. Well...” She gave him a devilish grin. “Unless you invite James over. Or maybe Thor.”

“And now I have naked Thor in my head. Thanks, hon.”

“That’s what you get for being naughty.”

“No hot Willow and Katie lovin’ for me.”

“Sorry, sweetie. I like a big hammer. But, Buffy being gay...y’know, it’s funny...don’t tell her this? But...I kinda sorta saw this coming.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. Her Dad, the guys she’s dated...Angel...she’s just never had any luck with guys...never found one she could last with. All the guys in her life, I mean every single guy in her life, with the sole exceptions of you and Giles? They all let her down. And I’ve noticed her, y’know, in gym? And I’m not saying she was like a definite lesbian then, but...she’d look at some of the girls, and there was always just a vibe there. Like...it always seemed to me like she could maybe go that way. And I mean, yeah, okay, Angel, big epic romance but...really, what kind of life could they have ever had together, even if he didn’t go evil?”

“It’s funny,” Xander said. “If you programmed a computer to find someone for Buffy who’s like the exact opposite of Angel in every single way, I think it would spit Faith’s name out. I mean, male, female. Vampire, Slayer. He was all broody, she’s feisty. He used to read weird old French poetry, she talks about the Celtics. I couldn’t stand him, I think she’s frigging awesome.”

“I think he just tried to read French poetry,” Willow said. “I mean, yeah, he likes to read but I think with the French poetry he was sorta just posing. Buffy said he started getting into the poetry after they watched that Anne Rice movie.”

Xander giggled. “Figures,” he said.

“Plus, y’know, another way he and Faith are different? He always made Buffy cry,” Willow said. “Faith makes her laugh.”

“Yeah. At Giles’ house today? That’s the first time I’ve seen the Buffster really happy in a long time. It looks good on her. I want her to keep that look.”

“Angel and Faith do both have fabulous hair though. That’s one thing they both have in common.”

“Had. Angel had fabulous hair. Now it’s very un-fabulous dust.”

“Um...yeah, right,” Willow said.

“Angel really did have fabulous hair though,” Xander said. “I always wondered how he got it to do that.”

“He used product,” Willow said.

Buffy had finished cleaning Faith’s face, and now she was caressing the back of her head, probing for wounds. “How does your head feel?” Buffy said.

“Bad headache,” Faith said. “A little dizzy but...it’s getting better. Vamps...cracked my skull pretty good on the floor. Am I bleeding?”

“No. You have a thick head.”

Buffy ran her hands down Faith’s cheeks, and around her neck. There were big, red bruises on Faith’s neck. There were bite marks there, but the wound had closed. Buffy could have sworn the wound had been open and bleeding just a moment ago...just before Willow had examined her.

“Ow,” Faith said, as Buffy gently ran her hands down her right arm.

“Yup, broken,” Buffy said, stopping at Faith’s right elbow. Buffy moved her hands down Faith’s wrists, out to her fingers, and caressed each one.

“Ow,” Faith said.

“Where?” Buffy said. “Here?” She touched Faith’s right index finger.

“Yeah, can’t...move it. Thumb too.”

“Maybe broken or sprained. Okay.” She moved her hands down Faith’s sides. “How’s your back feel?”

“Okay, I think,” Faith said. “Woozy. Might...fall asleep.”

“Just another minute, baby. Let’s turn you over a little,” Buffy said, and turned her over onto her left side. When she lifted Faith’s blouse Buffy could see a line of red bruises running down Faith’s side. Buffy probed along her back.

“How’s this feel? Any pain?” Buffy said.

“A little...lower back, but...think it’s okay,” Faith said.

She rolled Faith back over again, and unbuttoned her blouse the rest of the way. She ran her hands over her stomach and her breasts and her collarbone. Faith’s left collarbone had a livid red bruise covering it.

“Any pain? Any pain up here?” Buffy said.

“Just...tryin’ to cop a feel, huh?” Faith said. “Can’t...fool me, B.”

“Sshhh. Any pain?”

“Bone up top...what’s it called?”

“Here?” Buffy said, and touched Faith’s left collarbone again. Faith nodded. “Your collarbone. How bad?”

“Hurts, but not that bad.”

“Got a big bruise there. With some luck it’s not broken.”

Buffy ran her hands along Faith’s abdomen, over her ribs.

“Any pain here?” Buffy said. “Ribs okay?”

“Yeah,” Faith said. “Hand...feels nice. Warm.”

“That’s Doctor Buffy. Warm hands.”

Buffy lifted Faith’s skirt. She ran her hands along Faith’s thighs, and up over her butt.

“Ow,” Faith said.

“Where?” Buffy said. “Your butt?”

“Yeah. Up high on it like...my tail bone maybe?”

She turned Faith on her side, gently moved her underwear out of the way and looked at her butt. “You’ve got another big bruise here,” Buffy said. “You probably just landed hard on it.” She turned her back over, and ran her hands down Faith’s thighs, to her knees.

“Ow,” Faith said.

“Right knee?” Buffy said, her hand resting on top of it.

“Yeah.”

“Think you can move it?”

“Maybe...yeah...little,” Faith said, and bent her knee very slightly.

“How bad’s the pain?” Buffy said.

“Not too bad.”

“You can move it, so it’s not broken. Maybe just banged up pretty good.”

Buffy took Faith’s boots off, and ran her hands down Faith’s ankles.

“Ow,” Faith said, with a sharp intake of breath.

“Bad right here?” Buffy said.

“Yeah,” Faith said. “Hurts bad.”

“Okay, your left ankle’s definitely broken.” Buffy took Faith’s socks off, and ran her hands down to Faith’s feet.

“Feet probably...all smelly from stompin’ all those vamps,” Faith said.
“They’re not smelly,” Buffy said, and ran her fingers across Faith’s feet, down to her toes, feeling each one of them. “Stop saying goofy things.”

“Ow,” Faith said.

“Here?” Buffy said, touching the big toe on Faith’s right foot. The toes on Faith’s right foot were caked with dried-up blood.

“Yeah.”

“You lost a couple of toenails on your right foot. I think the big toe’s broken, plus the one next to it. Okay, you’re pretty well banged up but I think you’ll be all right,” she said, and fixed Faith’s skirt and buttoned up her blouse. “Time to go. You definitely can’t walk so I’ll carry you.”

“Kinda...lame bein’...carried out,” Faith said.

“Sure because, taking on twenty of those super wolf vamps yourself? Will and Xander probably think you’re all weak and girly,” Buffy said, and lifted Faith in her arms with no effort at all and stood up. “Guys,” Buffy said. Willow and Xander turned and looked back at her. “We’re going.”

“Tired,” Faith said, and decided to close her eyes for just a second. “Just... wanna sleep.” When she opened them again she was lying in the backseat of the car, with her head on Buffy’s lap. Willow and Xander were getting in front, and Willow was carrying her boots and her sword. A breeze came in through the broken window in back, but Faith didn’t feel cold; she noticed Buffy’s coat draped over her like a blanket. Buffy’s fingers were stroking her cheek.

“Go back to sleep, baby,” Buffy said. “We’re gonna get some stuff for your pain in a minute, okay?”

“I’m...in your gang?” Faith said, as Xander started up the car and they drove away. “Part of the gang?”

“Of course you’re in my gang,” Buffy said. “What kind of question is that? You’ve always been part of the gang.”

“You guys are...all in my gang,” Faith muttered, and went to sleep in Buffy’s lap.

“Okay, baby,” Buffy said, and smiled. “We’re all in your gang.”