Trials and Restorations

TITLE: Trials and Restorations
AUTHOR: faith_b
EMAIL: faith_boreanaz@yahoo.co.uk
RATING: NC-17
PAIRINGS: I'm keeping schtum...
DISCLAIMER: Ok, like four of these characters and the place names etc. belong to Joss and Mutant's enemy, but I still have to give a shout out to them? How wack is that?
FEEDBACK: I figure if I tell you to give fb, you wont. So, don't give fb, ok? Hahahaha Reverse psychology at its best. Hahahahaha!
A/N: I just wanna make it clear that this was written solely for the people who wanted 'Trials' to end on a happier (not happy, just happier) note. Now, be warned, this one is gonna be soppy. So if you don't like all of that romantic let's-all-share-our-feelings kinda stuff, then the 'Trials' series ended with 'Complications' and 'Restorations' doesn't exist. Did that make sense? Anyway, I'm keeping all the details about this fic, including the pairings, pretty close to chest 'cause I don't want to give too much away. So, read on for a happier ending to 'Trials' or not…'Sup to you :)

DEDICATIONS: To all of the people that caused the morphing of a short (ish) 'Trials and Tribulations' into a three part series! :)


Trials and Restorations:-


~ Part 1 ~


"Oh God," Joyce exclaimed when allowed access into the cramped containment room. She ran to the slumped form of the dark slayer and knelt beside her, calling her name.
"Faith. Faith, say something."

When met with the brunette's unconscious stir, she turned to beckon assistance.

"I swear," Faith mumbled, causing Joyce to return her attention to her.

"Swear what?" the blonde inquired in a bid to engage the fallen slayer in conversation, whilst attempting to aid fellow soldiers to lift her up.

"I swear," Faith repeated, stood on the porch of her and her lover's Sunnydale home.

"Even when I'm old and grey?" Buffy continued to ask.

Grinning, Faith returned, "Even when you're old and grey." She paused, adding, "Besides, by then I'll be old and grey too and I
probably wont be able to get play elsewhere anyway."

Seeing this statement have a negative effect on her girlfriend, the younger slayer quickly backtracked. "I'm kidding," she assured, wrapping her arms around her girl's waist.

"That's just it," Buffy explained, shrugging out of her partner's embrace. "You always do that."

"What?"

"Make a joke whenever I ask you to tell me how you feel."

Laughing, the brunette responded, "Aw c'mon. You know how I feel."

"But why can't you tell me?"

Exhaling audibly, Faith asked her, "You want me to tell you how much I love you?"

The fairer of the two nodded lightly.

Appreciating this, Faith took her lover's hand and placed beneath her left breast. "You feel that?" she asked.

Buffy nodded again.

Looking the older woman in her eyes, the taller slayer told her, "It's doing that for you and only for you."

Speechless, all the slayer could do was smile.

"How's that?" Faith asked.

Looking up at her other half, Buffy told her, "You are so hot right now," whilst ridding the brunette of her jacket.

----------------------------------

Joyce looked down to the infirmary bed as Faith came to.

"Faith?" she quietly called.

Slowly opening her eyes, the brunette looked up and was brought back to reality.
"Yeah," she quietly answered, sitting up.

Dismissing the medical staff on guard, the cadet moved to be beside the patient. Throwing her arms around the slayer, Joyce was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief for the first time that evening. "You scared me so much. I thought I'd lost you." The blonde released the older woman. "The doctor thinks you've been starving yourself. What's that about?"

"Kiddo, it's in the food," Faith told the minor, throwing the bed covers from her body and moving her legs to the side of it.

"What's in the food?"

"The drugs. The shit they're giving me to keep my strength down. It's in the food."

"Oh God."

"Exactly," Faith returned, attempting to stand, but immediately succumbing to gravity's pull.

Catching and keeping hold of the taller woman, Joyce ordered her, "Faith you've got to eat. Look what's happening to you."

"It'll wear off. It only takes about a week for the stuff to get out of my system."

"But in that time, you'll get real sick," Joyce informed, her voice laden with concern.

Sitting back down on the bed Faith remained silent, thinking through her options. The young woman eventually asked, "So what am I supposed to do, huh? Just stay here like this until they decide you don't need me anymore and do me in?"

"I'll always need you."

"They don't care. Once you graduate, they'll ice me anyway." The slayer held her face in her hands. "We've gotta get the fuck out of here before that happens. We've gotta get back."

"Where?"

"What d'ya mean?" Faith returned. "Home, J. We've gotta get back home."

"To America?" Joyce asked, taking a seat next to the slayer.

"To Sunnydale. To your mom."

"They'd never let us and we're in the middle of nowhere. You aren't exactly in the best shape and I can't take them all out by myself."

"You don't have to, kiddo. Look, I've just gotta go a couple more days without eating the shit they give me and I'll get my powers back. Then none of these fuckers'll be able to stop us from leaving."

"I can probably hide some of my food in my clothes," Joyce thought aloud. "And I can bring it to you every day after class."

Ruffling the adolescent's hair, Faith smiled.
"We're going home kid," she whispered to her, causing Joyce to beam.

TBC…