Faith was spread out on Dawn’s bed with her hands behind her head staring up at the ceiling. She knew Christine had been outside her door most of the time. She just had to be alone to think for a while. The dark slayer just felt so alone at the moment. The brunette sighed sitting up, her stomach rumbling, telling her that she was hungry.
The younger slayer got up and walked to the door, stepping out into the hall way. She nearly collided with Christine, who just stepped out of the bathroom. Faith noticed that the potential’s eyes were blood shot from crying. Christine actually tried to avoid her but was stopped as the brunette slayer placed her hand on the potential’s shoulder, stopping her.
Christine turned slowly, facing Faith, and made eye contact with her. Everything the potential had been feeling, hiding, and suffering over for the past 19 years of her life, showed through her eyes in that one moment. Christine’s eyes teared up looking into the older girl’s eyes. Christine was tired. She was so tired of fighting everyday. And she felt as though she was about to break. Her walls that she had put up for most of her life were crashing down.
Faith gathered Christine in her arms, her heart breaking for the girl. She understood her pain and didn’t want the girl to feel so sad and alone. The potential needed someone, and the brunette knew it. Christine had buried her face in the crook of Faith’s neck sobbing lightly over everything that had happened in the past 19 years; her past, the horrors, things with Kennedy, The First, her parents...everything.
Faith stroked her hair and held the potential close, comforting someone in her own arms for one of the first times in her life. After a while, Christine lifted her head looking into her friend’s eyes. Faith gave her a half smile, wiping away some of her tears with her thumb. Christine didn’t know how it happened but as the brunette slayer leaned in to wipe the potential’s tears away, Christine leaned into her, placing her lips over Faith’s, capturing them with her own. They softly kissed for only a moment, Faith being gentle, something that she never did, understanding that Christine just needed someone right now.
The potential rested her forehead against Faith’s and sighed. The brunette slayer lightly planted a kiss on Christine’s forehead and stroked her cheek lightly. “Thank you,” the potential whispered lightly. Faith smiled and nodded.
“I’m here for you, Ok? Don’t you forget that. I kind of know what you’re going through...you’re not alone,” Faith said looking into the other girl’s eyes. The potential smiled lightly grasping the brunette’s hand and lightly squeezing it.
“Me too Faith. I know you are having a hard time as well. Don’t push me away...you can trust me too. I want to be there for you if you will let me,” Christine pleaded. The dark slayer lightly smiled.
Faith then remembered what Buffy said to her, years ago, in her hotel room. How Buffy said she could trust her after hiding Angel, and the whole thing with Post. Christine noticed the now sad expression on Faith’s face. She was going to say something but caught movement out of the corner of her eye.
Kennedy stood staring at Christine and Faith and how intimate they looked at the moment. Jealousy, hurt, and anger rose within her. Kennedy hung her head looking away from Christine and headed down the stairs, not wishing to see anything more.
Christine and Faith were the last ones to arrive to dinner. Some of the potentials had already finished. Willow had an old text of the sacred scriptures in front of her as she ate. Buffy sat silently next to her and watched as Faith and Christine came into the room. Kennedy, who was seated on the other side of Willow, got up and left as the two entered.
Christine sighed heavily watching her go with a heavy heart. But she was too mentally exhausted to follow or do anything about it. The potential and brunette sat down at the table, looking 20 years older then what they really were. They were both tired from the emotional day they had had. With their walls both back into place, but not from each other, they quietly began to eat. Buffy cleared her throat.
“Now, that we are all here,” Buffy said glancing at Faith and Christine, “I want to discuss what we are going to be doing. We don’t know what The First may be up to next. I went out earlier and found where the bringers go to. Caleb is there and seems to be organizing an attack of some kind. I say we surprise them and beat them to it,” Buffy stated as the other potentials sighed and dropped their forks losing their appetites. They were tired and Buffy had been running them raged.
“What? We are the good guys here. I am tired of being beaten by The First and the bringers. We need to form a plan and Get them first. We need to find out what they are up to. I am tired of all of us dying one by one. I say we end that now. No more death. We are stronger then that...” Buffy was saying as people were half listening to her.
“Just like last time...” Faith mumbled pushing her plate away from her.
“Excuse me?” Buffy asked hearing the other slayer. Faith looked up at her like a deer caught in head lights.
“N-nothing B...it’s just that...you’ve been running these kids really hard lately...don’t they deserve a break?” Faith stated looking at her hands. Buffy was steaming.
“Faith, we don’t have time to be sitting around doing nothing! We could all...” Buffy started. Christine then suddenly threw her fork to the side, hitting the wall with such force that it was now sticking out to the side.
“ENOUGH!” she yelled as everyone stopped and looked at her. “Incase if you haven’t noticed, Faith is a slayer too. You’re not the only one here Buffy...” Christine started.
“Excuse me but you haven’t been a slayer...” Buffy began to retort hotly.
“Shut up Buffy,” Christine sneered shutting the other slayer up with shock. Everyone stopped what they were doing and were now watching and listening to the scene unfolding in front of them.
“No Buffy, I am not a slayer. And thank God too. I would want to kill myself more now then I already do. I wouldn’t want to be here, like Faith, having you step all over me and treating me like shit. Your right, I am not a slayer. I know that you have been through hell Buffy, but guess what, so have I. I bet there are a lot of people here who have suffered in their own ways. I have been through and seen things that would give you nightmares. Just as I bet you have been through things and have seen things as well. I saw Faith’s life in my dreams Buffy...I don’t know how or why but for some odd reason it happened and I was able to. And you have no idea how she felt and what she had been through back then. And you didn’t care. You have no idea how much you have hurt her. Yes Buffy, we know you are the big mighty goody good slayer. And it isn’t your fault you are like that, but you aren’t the only one here god damn it! I am tired of you treating some of us like we haven’t been through anything. I am tired Buffy. We all are. We have been pushing ourselves for you day in and day out and you don’t care. We do our best for you and you don’t notice, wanting to go on to bigger and better things. I am sorry for calling you out on this but enough is enough. We need to fight as a team...but you’re making me, as well as some of the others, want to fight on their own...and that can get us killed. I understand how worried you are and how you want to get into the battle and be organized and prepared...but we are human Buffy. We aren’t slayers. That’s right, we are not slayers like you...but maybe...maybe you should start listening to others...other then yourself...” Christine finished getting up and leaving the table. Everyone watched her go in silence. Faith got up after Christine left and looked at Buffy briefly before following the potential.
No one said a word as the two girls left. Eventually, all the other potentials got up and left the table as well, not saying anything. Willow observed the whole thing. She did agree with what Christine had said. Dawn passed her sister and hugged her, silently smiling.
“I’m going to bed Willow, let me know if you find anything,” Dawn stated leaving the room. Buffy sat in silence the whole time thinking about what Christine had said. She was right, she had been running the potentials ragged. Willow looked at her best friend who had changed in many ways in the past 8 years.
Buffy took a deep breath and sighed resting her head in the table. “Am I that hard on them Will?” Buffy asked looking over at her best friend. The redhead sighed, placing her elbows on the table.
Kennedy stood, leaning against the back door. She had heard everything that Christine had said. She was right, Buffy needed to slow down. Kennedy sighed thinking back to how she saw Christine and Faith earlier. Then she remembered kissing Christine and how good it felt. Kennedy ran her fingertips across her lips, remember the sensation it gave her.
She saw Faith follow Christine, hoping to find the other girl. Kennedy wanted to be that person. She wanted to be the person that Christine ran to. She wanted to be that person that held her when she cried, to kiss her tears away, to be there for her. Kennedy sighed again kicking a stone across the backyard.
Why was Christine pushing her away so much? And why go to Faith of all people? Was there something going on between the two? The brunette shook her head, casting the thoughts away. She was going to wait till Christine got back so she could see if she was ok. Plus she wanted to talk to her.
Christine walked with her hands in her pockets down the street hearing Faith’s thudding footsteps behind her. She knew she would come. “I can’t believe you just did that. That took some balls girl...hey...slow down,” Faith said catching up with her.
“I’m sorry Faith, but I didn’t like the way she was treating you...” Christine was saying. Faith stopped her.
“Thank you Christine, for what you did back there, and for everyone...but I should have stood up to her...” Faith said looking off to the side for a moment. The potential smiled looking at her friend.
“You know, you’re kind of cute when you think deep,” Christine said laughing.
“You want to tell Buffy that?” Faith replied following in step with her. The potential shook her head. Faith, changing her mind, then jumped in front of her, walking backwards as Christine walked.
The potential looked at her feet as they walked, avoiding Faith’s stare. She knew very well that the other girl could read her like a book and was afraid of what she would see.
As Willow was about to talk to Buffy, something caught her eye in the text. “Hey! I think I found something?!” the redhead announced excitedly. That grabbed the older slayer’s attention, even though she still felt heavy hearted.
Willow had found a prophecy from the old scriptures. She began to read it out loud. “Two, born and raised in darkness, shall come together as one bringing balance to The First. They shall have solid force against the evil of The First and become connected in light. Death shall come to one, scorning the other, and light will be spilled through the world by a sorceress stronger than magic itself...” Willow read. She then looked up at Buffy.
“I can’t read the rest...The page is scorched,” Willow said looking back at the text rereading it. Buffy thought for a moment.
“Two born and raised in darkness...what the hell does that mean...”
“Chris, look at me,” Faith said stopping causing the other girl to stop. The potential sighed then looked into Faith’s eyes. The brunette slayer could see all the pain and loneliness through the other girl’s eyes and it hurt her.
“Tell me Christine...Tell me your story...” Faith lightly asked as gently as she could. The other girl’s eyes began to water as tears began to roll down her cheeks. She quickly looked away feeling ashamed that she was acting like this. That she was being weak.
“No Chris, it’s ok. Don’t feel ashamed in front of me...” Faith said placing her hands on Christine’s face, wiping her tears away.
“Touching really,” said a voice out of no where. Christine and Faith turned to the source of the voice and the potential gasped in surprised. Her very own face stared back at her.
“You aren’t going to tell her are you?” Christine’s double asked.
“Leave her alone,” Faith demanded stepping in front of Christine, fanning her arms out to the sides, protecting her. The First just merely laughed.
“I’m warning you. You don’t want to get in my way,” The First merely said getting up in the brunette slayer’s face. Faith felt odd talking to The First in the form of Christine herself.
“What are you going to do? Hit me out of the way?” Faith sneered, knowing that The First couldn’t solidly touch anything.
“Actually...yes,” it replied harshly bringing it’s whole arm foreword, striking Faith, sending her clear across the street towards the park. Faith collided against a tree falling to the ground.
“FAITH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Christine screamed watching Faith’s body slump to the ground. She turned to The First frightened. “You Y-you can’t...aren’t...” Christine stuttered, trying to back away a little as The First came near.
“To be able to touch you?” it finished for her. Christine tried to move around The First, but was shoved backward to the ground ten feet away. “Well it seems I’m at an exception for you two,” The First answered sneering.
Christine began to walk backwards on her hands and feet trying to escape The First. “What were you thinking? Opening up to that worthless slut,” The First shouted turning and pointing to Faith. A surge of rage went through the potential sending her to her feet.
“Don’t call her that, you...” Christine shouted aiming a punch to her double’s face. The First turned catching Christine’s punch in its hand.
“I wouldn’t do that...Now,” The First said crushing Christine’s fist in its hand. Christine let out a blood crushing scream. “Let’s take a trip through our head...shall we?” And with that, The First brought back Christine’s fist to its body thrusting out the hardest punch it could deliver, sending Christine back thirty feet head first into a tree.
