Happy To Bleed For You

Sammy groaned her displeasure as another one of the mini caves turned up nothing but the occasional dead beat vampire. Maybe the
other had been telling the truth,she couldn't sense anything besides Rusty who she had already staked and disposed of. Just as
she was thinking about turning back however,a shadow hovering by the narrow path caught her attention. It was stock still then
in a flash of briliant colors it exploded.

"What the hell?" Sammy asked peering into the darkness after recovering from the momentary blindness. She squinted trying to get
a better look. Out of the corner of her eye she picked up motion. Her head jerked and she swung around with a warning growl.
Sammy immediatly pivoted just as a shadowy figure emerged around the corner,only a yard away from her.

"Faith?" she asked.

The figure rushed her!

The movement was too fast for her to counter and she found herself eating cave wall. She flipped to her feet whirling around in a circle seeking out the figure. "Where are you?" she asked the deathly silent cave. There was a strange noise behind her and
her first instinct was to spin around. As she did a very nasty set of razor like claws came into view.

Sammy tried to jump back,but it was too late.

Even through the darkness of the cave Sammy could see the tan dirt beneath her stain with crimson. She looked down to see three
very sharp,very real talon like claws protruding from her side. She followed the arm to see some sort of beasty vampire looking
thing...an uber vamp maybe. The creature retracted its claws,the sick sound of metal and flesh filling his ear,and he licked
them clean.

"Hmph,for an immortal you sure do bleed alot."

Sammy doubled over,the wind knocked out of her lungs from the sudden attack,she took a deep breath and it knocked her to the
ground. "Shit!" she yelled out loud,her voice echoing throughout the otherwise silent cave.

The creature laughed at how pathetic she was,"Don't worry though cause I like blood and yours is rather lovely."

Disregarding the wound Sammy shot up quickly. 'Oh no,' she thought,her knees suddenly buckling under the stress of the demon
jumping onto her. They rolled around the ground,Sammy feeling his knee smash into the side of her head violently,making her
vision blur. Another knee to the chest had her coughing and trying desperately to get to her feet. The creature went in for
another hit but to his dissmay Sammy caught his ankle in midair,twisted it over her shoulder and sent him knocking into the wall
with a bloodcurling thud as he hit.

Her heart pounded painfully against her ribs and for a second,it stopped beating. Her eyes shoot wide open,gaping like a fish out of water,her face turning a sickly blue as she tried to force a gush of air into her searing lungs.

'What the...hell's..happe-' even her thought cut off. She realized what had happened,what the creature had done to her...he wasn't a vampire at all...he was a theif...a soul theif none the less...and he had just stolen her immortality because that was
like her second soul and he could't touch the first one with it in place.

Black spots filled her vision,she was swaying trying to catch herself but failing poorly as the pain from her first wounds
magnified when she shot her arm out.

"Oh god,"she choked,fear like a life consuming flame engulfing her,"oh god,oh god." she panted in a panic,the dark around her
settling in. "no.no,oh god no." she cried raggedly. "Faith!" she screamed at the top of her lungs which was not a very good
idea. She felt someone grab her leg and start dragging her towards a light at the very end of the cave.

"Stop! What-stop!" she yipped. There was a clinking sound,like chains hitting each other. She was forcefully yanked to her feet
and shoved into what looked like a meeting room of some sort,like the satanic ones in the scary movies. She was brought before
a man who looked strangely familiar and smashed down on her knees.

The man gave her the once over then threw his head back and laughed to the high heavens,"You're the immortal? Oh my bad you were
the immortal?" Sammy didn't answer,just concentrated on breatheing and staying awake and alive...who knew breatheing could hurt
so damn much?

"Dj man," she coughed sputterting blood on his feet.

"Hmm,"he shook his head,"Tsk tsk tsk,you don't look so good."

"Fuck you."

"No no no. That's her job." he pointed to the far corner. Sammy heaved dryly,her head spinning like a top,but she still turned
to where he was pointing.

"Buffy."

"You're lucky today,you see the master of the coven didn't feel like killing all of you today,no fun in that. So instead he let
me play a little game and I gurantee it will capture your undivided attention to say the least. So here's the million dollar
question...Who is Faith going to save? Her immortal girlfriend,"he made signs with his fingers,"or her hopeless beaten and for
ever first love?"

Despite knowing fully well she would regret what she did next Sammy pushed herself to stand up,which she acomplished with much
torment. She could feel sweat accumulating on her brow,her legs shaking like jello. "She won't play." she gasped slamming her
eyes shut.

"Oh but she will. Why don't you see for yourself,right Luc?"

Luc grabbed the shackled Buffy who had remained quiet in her cage and pushed her until she was standing next to Sammy. "That's
right baby doll,remember me?"

"Of course," Sammy winced,"how can I forget someone whose breath smells like a dead dog's ass?"

Luc struck her across the face,her teeth clamping down. "Fiesty little bitch aren't we? No worries though once I get through
with you the only thing you'll be able to say is yes master."

"S-sure dipshit,whatever you say."

"Why you little-" he raised his hand to strike her but was stopped in midhit. He snarled at Raemeus, "What the fuck are you doing Raemeus?!"

"Look who decided to join the party."

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




Faith shrugged off the evil vibe she was getting and proceeded to round about the cave and find an entrance,which was farely
easy to find with her heightened powers and all. She inhaled deeply trying to steady her overactive heart before going in because vamps could hear a heart pounding for miles. Finding an okay beat,she threw one leg into the hole she would be creeping
into,then the other followed by the rest of her body.

It was your typical run of the mill cave. Really weird smelling,dark,cold,dank,humid, and overall just plain depressing if you
weren't used to it like she was,this was a walk in SunnyDale park.

She walked around through the cave on guard for vamps or demons or whatever the hell was in there,but as time dragged on and
nothing came out she let her mind begin to wander...What if she couldn't face the fact that Buffy would never look at her as more or other than a convict,the girl who stepped into her life and ruined it,the girl who taught her the true meaning of loathing someone. She thought she had come to terms with this the night Sammy declared her love for her,but obviously she hadn't
done so properly.

So what if she just let it go? What if she stopped trying to live up to Buffy standards,looked the other way,and started trying
to live for her new life instead? With Willow,Kennedy,Xander,and Dawn having forgiven her? What if she started looking to them
as friends instead of just her past victims? What if instead of trying so hard to get something she would never have? Buffy's
forgiveness and friendship? What if she opened her eyes and saw what was right in front of her?...

Sammy.

Now that Faith looked at it without the conflicting emotions that were Buffy she saw that Sammy had walked into her life and
lent her a shoulder to lean on when she most needed it. She befriended her despite knowing of what she had done,and she defended
her against everything from vampires to her own dark demons,to Buffy. And then she declared her love for her openly and with a
sense of pride and humilty. Sammy really was everything that she liked in a person,funny,cunning,smart,loving,open,witty,brave,
courageous,forgiving and willing to give a second chance,sexy,beautiful,seductive,sexy,sexy...yep.

She stopped dead in her tracks...Sammy was the person for her and she had been stupid to try and push that away,stupid not to see that from the very start. Buffy was in the past like everything else,not forgotten but left to move on to something better.
This was the the big moment she had been craving her entire life...and now that it was here,her new life,her second chance...she
wanted Sammy next to her to share it. If there really is such thing as a silver lining...then Sammy is her silver lining.

Sammy loved her...And she loved Sammy.

With a light heart now that everything was sorted out Faith got back to the task at hand which was...not hearing Sammy scream out in pain...

She spotted a glowing light around the corner and instinctively crouched in her fighting stance,moving stealthily along the wall
of the cave......

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




Luc dropped his hand already feeling the presence of another slayer in the room. He put on a confident smile,his white fangs
grazing his lip. "Hello Faithy. Nice to see you again."

(Fpov)

I honestly have to say that I have never felt such a combination of raw fear and hate as strong as this. These bastards are
definetly in for the ass kicking of their lives. I make an attempt to keep my voice and face neutral and emotionless.
Damn this is harder than I thought,I'm so pissed! And scared...both Sammy and Buffy look like they could use a good couple of
weeks in the ICU ward. Well,I crack my knuckles,I'll have to make it up to both of them when we get out of here,especially Sam.

"Sorry the feeling's not mutual. You're a dead man walking,no pun intended." I take a step towards him,my body and mind in total
slayer mode. Luc doesn't even flintch,he simply removes a very big knife from the waistband of his jeans and places it over
Buffy's heart.

There was a chuckle from behind Sam and I noticed for the first time since I got into the room that dj man was looming over
her,he too with a knife over her heart. I hesistated breifly,and dj man noticed.

"Hello Faith,"

"Hey dj."

"It Raemeus by the way."

"Hello deadmeat."

He snorts,anger flashing over his face. "Anyways Faith,I thought we should play a little game tonight. No need to kill everyone right now,too easy. The night of our little club incident you killed my goons." he tapped Sam with the dagger and I noticed for the first time how afraid she looked,what was going on?

"Luckily however Luc here was smart enough to run away. I knew though that you would undoubtedly follow him though so I
planned for it to happen. I did my homework and I found out about the key and what she meant to all of you...how very noble of
you by the way to treat her like a human and all. I knew that if you heard me planning on taking Dawn and you saw the cave
you would know. So this morning I planted what you would call a slayer dream into her head because after all I am the
god of illusion."

"You have that right." I bite back.

"Faith,Faith,tonight you will learn not to be so hasty in your actions. Buffy here certainly regrets it because not only is she
going to die but thanks to her hardheadedness she's dragging everyone else down with her. Had she bothered to pay attention she would have seen the note scribbled in pretty little words stating that she was with the witch. Did I mention that I also allowed her to see your little night on the lake?"

"Which was very interesting by the way." Luc added.

"Then of course I enhanced that vision too,showing her that you were leading Dawn to this cave with you girlfriend here to play
a mean joke on her to get back at her for acting the way she did...I know,I'm briliant." he finished.

"Has anyone ever told you that you talk to much?" I said smugly,mr dj hadn't seen that I had a fairly long wide sharp spear very
close to me. In fact if I could distract him for a few seconds I could reach over and plunge it into his heart...no god can stand that...gods are gods,not immortals.

"Comes with being the victor."

"Nah nah nah,comes with being a motormouth." I stick out my tongue at him. "Bet you didn't count on Fang being here."

"Fang?" Raemeus says the word like it hurts him.

"Behind you."

Raemeus spins around knocking into Luc who falls back leaving Buffy free... and to my utter relief Sammy rips away from Raemeus' hold so fast he doesn't even notice. Buffy races over to my side handing me the spear I had been making eyes at for her to follow along. I grab the hilt postioning my arm,and aiming the arrow head at his heart...


"Raemeus,"

He spins around quickly,but not quick enough,using all of my might I lurch the spear foward vaguely hearing the words leaving
Buffy's mouth in a way I remember all to well...

"Faith no!"


And I'm hopeless to stop what is happening.

Raemeus' hand reaches out and yanks Sammy back by the neck leaving her right as the target for the spear...it happens so fast,
it happens so slow and I can't react because my body is glued to the floor,my brain is dead,and only my dying screaming heart
is what functions...

And the spear strikes her chest,ripping through the soft flesh and hard muscle. Ravishing through her very soul...through my
heart...with a feeling that makes the actual deed pale in comparison...

That spear might as well have struck me down...it would have been less painful than to watch the girl I love as it stopped
moving and made its new home in her chest...

(Npov)


The sound of the spear piercing through bone and flesh echos through the room like it's been magnified,amplified with special
effects to make it all the more sinster and stomach churning. Oddly enough there is only one grunt,one choked whimper,one pair
of wide eyes staring at her,one pair of hands gripping at the long pole,only one persons' blood squirting out like if it's
being shot through a water gun...only one pair of soft grey eyes clouding over...only Sammy slowly slumping to her knees as the
man behind her speaks as if the gaping hole in his chest is no big deal...

"I told you not to be hasty Faith...this is an illusional me," he points at the black gunk,oozing from the wound,that no longer
resembles blood,and shoves his hand through only to become transparent on the other side,"that however is real." he says
refering to the blood on the floor in front of a statue still Sam on her knees,her hands still grasping at the spear.

With that said he disappears in an explotion of black smoke leaving Luc to fend for himself.


"Gahhhhhh!" Sam whimpers finally able to pull the spear out of her chest. Immediately blood spurts out of her mouth and wound
in sync,her body spazing and jerking. Her body pitches foward,but a warm body stops her fall and cradles her. She forces herself
to look up thinking it Faith,but it is in fact Buffy who is holding her. She tries to push away,but finds her limbs to be feeling like they're tied down with ton weights.


(Bpov)

Oh...my...god...

This isn't happening...this isn't happening...this isn't happening.

My body is numb and stiff,glued to that one spot in the cave.

Sammy.

She pitches foward,her eyes rolling to the back of her head and I see that Faith isn't moving from that spot. My slayer senses
are still kicking and powerslide in front of her to catch her before she hits the hard ground. I turn her around gently so that
she is facing up. I look away from the hideous hole in her chest,feeling her blood drip on me. Her body jerks and shakes wildly
in my arms,but even as that happens I can feel how frail she really is. She could have gotten away if she hadn't stopped to
distract Luc from attacking me...she saved me...again.

"Faith,"she gurgles out hyperventilating, her eyes drooping. From here I can tell her heart is still somewhat beating,a sure
sign that Faith didn't hit it directly but still...

I hear a small pitiful whimper and look over my shoulder to Faith. Her hands are practically possessed,and her face is paler
than Sam's if that's possible. Her eyes are so pained as she stares on in shock,fear.


(Fpov)

"Faith,"

Sam half chokes,half coughs out before her eyes begin drooping...

That damn bastard tricked me...he made me kill her...my friend...my girl...my love...

No...I killed her.

My body feels numb,cold and painfully numb...I watch Sam stop jerking and become still as a rock and I whimper. It makes B
turn and look at me with a pained yet somewhat relieved expresion.


"You missed the heart."

It's happening all over again...it's coming back to me...I tried to outrun it and it caught up with me in the worst possible
way. B is looking at me the way she did that night not too long ago...she's blaming me for what's happening...she's looking at
me the way she did when I killed Allen Finch...it's happening again...

"I didn't mean to."

I can't believe the words that leave my mouth,but I can't believe that any of this happening right now.

My Sammy,my lover,my friend,...my new profound love was slowly bleeding away...and it was all my fault. This time there was no
evil bad guy to blame,no vampire to mistake...she had thrown the spear...and the spear did what it was forged to do...destroy.
My past had come back to bite me in the ass,and bite it did. My stupidity,my utter lack of common sense my recklessness...

It was happening again...all over again...all over again my life was falling to pieces.


"F-faith," Sammy whisper's softly,her voice is demanding that I run to her,but I can't move. She wheezes,forcing more blood to
seep out of the god forsaken wound,"Faith...I love you." she says,closing her eyes.

I want to run over and kiss her and tell that everything will be fine,but my mind stops me and I jump into action,reaching into
my breast pocket I pull out Sammy's cell phone and dial 911. Within seconds I have a confirmation and I dare to hope once
again. My feet feel heavy as they carry me to her side. Being as gentle as I possibly can,I scoop her out of B's arms and hold
her against my chest and I hear her sigh contentedly...I pray to god this isn't the last time I hear her sigh or laugh or giggle
or chuckle or any of those little things I took for granted everyday...

"I love you too...I love you to Sam." I smile,a sob ripping from my throat. Despite how small SunnyDale is,I don't think the
sound of sirens reaching my ears could have taken longer. "I love you Sam. Please," I beg feeling the hot tears that I've been
holding in for so long finally come out,"please don't leave me. Please."

That's what sucks about loving...you spend your entire life trying to avoid getting hurt...you finally take the risk and it jumps right back in your face...this is why I was afraid to love...this is why I hate. Because there's no greater pain in the world than loving someone...


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AN: Cliffhanger again. Sorry I had to. Now review or I will not post the new chap. Remember this is not the end yet...well it is
for someone...Sheez I made myself cry while I was writing this. Now be nice people three chapters in one day is definately worth the five seconds it will take you to review.