Trials and Restorations

~ Part 12 I (of II)~

Hearing sounds of an unexpected presence in her home, Buffy cradled the baby in her arms. Handing Rory over to Joyce, she instructed her daughter,
"Look after your cousin. I'll be right back."

Leaving the youngster's room, Buffy shut the door behind her, listening out for the sounds she found now to be coming from her
bedroom. Entering, she found her ability to inhale dramatically return, as she gazed at her husband.

"Just here to pick up a few things," Scott announced bustling around their bedroom, picking up any shirts he encountered in his way. Opening draws and wardrobes, he removed his things.

"I've missed you," Buffy called over the noise he was making.

Stopping, the brunette took a deep breath and picked up his suitcase. Dropping it on his bed, he loaded the clothes he had
acquired into it.

"Scott, can't we talk about this?" Buffy tried again.

Looking with the sincerest expression he could muster, Scott agreed with an, "Okay."

Not expecting this response, Buffy stuttered, "Well.. Okay... I actually kind of hoped you would have something to say."

"Honestly, honey, I'm pretty much out of words. The fact that you didn't think to tell me that you are a lesbian before we got
married, is pretty much a words-taker."

"Scott, I'm not a lesbian."

"Okay then, well that you used to be one."

Lost for words, Buffy could not reply.

Sighing, the older psychiatrist decided, "This is harder than I thought it'd be. I'll come back when you're not here."

Moving to leave, Scott stopped pleaded,
"Scott, don't go. Look, what I did or was in my past, doesn't have to affect our relationship now."

"But it is. Buffy, are you aware that you are obsessed with your ex? You may think you're over her, but you are *really* not."

"Faith means a lot to me, yes. I mean we were good friends before we started dating but-"

Visibly disgusted, Scott told the slayer to, "Please stop. I don't really want to know. All I wanted you to tell me is that you don't
still have feelings for her."

"Feelings?"

"Yeah. Honey, I want to come back to you and for us to put all this crap behind us. But I can't... I wont do that if you can't swear to
me that this whole Faith thing is over."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I don't want her to be a part of our lives any more." As if gaining more confidence in his request, Scott walked over to
stand in front of the blonde. "Honey, if you tell me that I never have to worry about seeing her around here, I'll come back right now and I promise, we wont ever talk about it again."

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Looking around at the new-look of the 'Gentleman's Club', Faith chuckled at the sight of a red carpet rolled out for patrons.
Strolling up to the bouncer at the door, the slayer gave him a once-over.

"It's a private party tonight," he announced, not intimidated by the brunette before him. "You on the list?"

"How much will it take for me to be on it?"

"Fifty," the bouncer spat.

"Dollars?!!"

"No, cents," the bouncer replied, grinning inwardly at his own sarcasm.

Pulling out a crisp dollar bill, Faith told the bouncer to, "Keep the change." Walking past him.

"Come back here!" The man called after the slayer. Looking to follow her, but not wanting to ignore his duties as more patrons arrived, he glanced from the woman back to the new arrivals. At a loss for what else to do, the bouncer angrily challenged the approaching guests.

"Hey!" Faith called over the club's music, strolling up to the bar. "Is Theresa here tonight?"

"Yeah, she's on in ten," the woman informed, serving a customer his drink. She returned her attention to the brunette.

"Cool," Faith uttered, seeming to glance around absent-mindedly. "I'll have a Martini. Dirty," she ordered.

Waiting for the bartender's distraction to become a certainty, Faith slipped into the door aside the bar and backstage. Constantly checking behind her for followers, she navigated her way to a room she'd known well in her past. Knocking on the door to it, she waited for it to be opened, smirking at the woman then stood in front of her.

"How've you been, T?" the slayer asked, letting herself inside and scrutinising both the blue decor of spacious room and the clutter on the makeup counter.

Looking confused, Theresa was forced to inquire, "I'm sorry, should I know who you are?"

"Apparently I owe you this shirt," Faith explained, picking up a discarded, large dildo with a smirk. Setting it down, she continued to explore.

Looking as if to remember but unable to, Theresa laughed, "Well, you're welcome," she decided.

"Oh, I'm not one to *say* thank you," Faith informed the woman, turning to face her. "But I can show you that I'm grateful."

Smiling, the exotic dancer admitted, "I wouldn't say no to that. But I'm on stage in a few minutes."

"Really?" Faith asked, wandering around the room, picking up and dropping articles. "You got your act ready?"

"Pretty much."

Taking seat, Faith prompted Theresa to, "Show me what you got."

Beaming, the slayer relaxed as Theresa agreed, moving to the corner of the room and switching on some music. Approving the song choice and nodding her head to the beat of the Hip Hop track, she watched as the artificial blonde performed for her.

Slowly and seductively removing each article of clothing she was wearing, Theresa danced to the music. Locking eyes with the slayer as she performed, the stripper taken by surprise as Faith leapt up, driving the woman back onto her dressing room counter.

Taking her by the hand, Faith pressed her lips onto the older woman's, driving her tongue inside.

Enjoying the forceful nature of her client, Theresa leant back, grabbing at the slayer's shirt.

Quick to relieve herself of her clothes, Faith obliged, allowing the top to fall onto the floor. She resumed kissing the taller female, allowing the stripper to wrap her long legs around her waist.

Breaking their oral contact, Theresa was just able pant, "What's your name?"

"Does it matter," Faith replied her, moving to resume their kiss as she tore the strap of the older woman's thong.

Gasping, Theresa asked, "So what am I supposed to scream?"

Positioning herself between the woman's legs, Faith answered, "God."

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Floor sweeping her adversary, Buffy jumped to her feet when the demon hit the floor.

Picking up her axe, she was blindsided, when the demon sprung back into action, knocking her backwards. Beholding the human-sized, male demon, she braced herself for his attack.

Swinging the weapon, Buffy's eyes widened when she was disarmed. In a bid to prevent her own weapon being used to kill her, the slayer turned and ran, leading the demon to open space. Spotting a crate, the blonde picked it, throwing the wooden box at the beast.

In a full on assault after its injury, she administered a snap kick to the demon's chin, caught off-guard when the demon caught her leg by its ankle, twisting it.

Screaming in pain, Buffy fell to her knees. Just able to grab hold of her fallen weapon, she quickly positioned it between the demon's legs and in a swift lever action sliced the beast in two.

Falling to the ground, she clutched at her leg, wincing. Suddenly feeling the earth beneath her tremor, the slayer looked around for a place to take cover. Surrounded mostly by grounded boats and water, she spotted a control room inside which she wished to take refuge. Attempting to stand, she found she couldn't and instead relented to her body's overwhelming desire to faint from the pain.

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"That is the second quake this week," Faith observed, muttering, "What the hell is going on?" Letting herself and her guest into her home, the slayer moved though the six-bedroomed house, yelling out for her housemates. Trying again, she hollered, "Is anybody here?"

"Faith in here," came the reply.

Following the voice to the reception room and with Theresa behind her, Faith illuminated the room, startled to behold a multitude of people, who in unison called out,

"SURPRISE!!!!"

Her horror apparent, Faith looked around at the room filled with guests. She read the banner hanging from the ceiling, reading
aloud, 'Welcome Home'.

"It's your 'We're glad your back' party," Kennedy chimed, approaching her.

"You guys shouldn't have," Faith could just about say as a seemingly disconcerted waitress advanced toward her.

Looking toward the source of the now blaring music, Faith returned her gaze to the younger woman. "Delana, Theresa. Theresa, Delana," she decided to say. Taking the latter by the hand she told her, "Let's go get a drink."

"Where've you been all evening?" Delana worriedly enquired after the brunette's whereabouts. "I was supposed to bring you here in time for the surprise but I couldn't get hold of you."

"I was at a club," Faith told her, taking a drink and handing it to the blonde.

"Is that where you met her?"

"Who?" Faith asked, though knowing exactly whom the New Yorker was referencing.

"Theresa."

"No. Theresa and I go way back." Sighing and giving the waitress a quick peck, the brunette told her. "She's just an old friend, babe."

Unconvinced, Delana replied, "A really pretty, old friend that you were bringing back to your house at night."

"Exactly," Faith replied, as if to mock the girl's jealously. "Babe, get a drink down you and let's go dance."

"I have to go to work now," Delana told her. "I just stopped by to say 'welcome home'."

Rolling her eyes, the slayer made no attempt to stop the blonde walking away. Wanting to make a getaway, Faith cursed as she was stopped by an abrupt question from Kennedy.

"Nothing," Faith replied, coming to her own defence. "She just went crazy 'cause I brought someone home with me."

"Really?" Kennedy asked, sympathy absent from her question.

"Yeah," Faith returned. "Have you seen her by the way?"

"Delana?"

"The blonde I came in with," the slayer corrected.

"Yeah, she left with Steve from the Magic Box. He looked really happy."

Shaking her head, Faith decided, "Such a slut."

Clearing her throat to alert her girlfriend and the slayer, Willow signalled for them to join her in the corner of the room.

"Giles," Kennedy greeted as the brunettes joined the worried-looking twosome. Noticing his outfit with sarcasm in her voice, she
complemented Giles on a, "Nice hat."

Removing the article from his head, Giles remained serious as he explained, "Something is terribly wrong; I can't get hold of Buffy."

"Why are we panicking?" Kennedy felt she had to ask.

"The earthquake. And the fact that the last time I spoke to her she was on her way home to pick up weapons." He looked to Faith
explaining, "Buffy went after the demon, Nazhra."

Unable to understand her ex's recent and increasingly reckless behaviour, Faith asked, "Is she tripping? She almost got killed last
time."

"I told her that but-"

Interrupting what she felt was to encroach on her time, Faith simply asked, "Where is she?"

"At the marina."

"I'm there," the slayer replied, going to rush off and with the retired librarian following close behind her.

"You're the guest of honour," Willow reminded the brunette. "I'll go with Giles."

"I don't even know half these people," Faith replied, looking around the room to and noticing that none of them even took heed. Lowering her voice, she added, "And no offence but if she's in trouble a slayer would be a much better option."

"But I'm a powerful Wicca," Willow argued.

"And apparently about five years old?" the slayer returned in reference to the pout the redhead was adopting.

"Faith is right," Giles added. "A slayer may be a better choice to fight this thing. We will call as soon as we know something."

"Okay," Willow conceded. "Good luck."

Turning from the ex-watcher and charging out Faith ordered, "Giles, let's motor."

HBC... Jus' keep readin'...


~ Part 12 II~

"She was the kind of person who could walk into a room and light it up," Dawn confessed to the morose church congregation. "With her infectious smile and her good natured spirit. I loved her dearly and will miss her so much." Holding back her tears as she spoke, the brunette uttered, "Rest in peace."

Stepping down from the stage, the young woman made her way to the pew of the crowded church. Replaced at the podium by a priest, the man prompted the congregation to stand and join him in prayer as he laid his hands on the closed casket.

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Stood in front of the fresh grave, listening to the silence that marked the absence of its visitors, Buffy stared ahead. In disbelief at the past week's events, she attempted to numb the pain by paying no attention to her surroundings. Closing her eyes, she found that notion that was interrupted when she was told,
"Hi, I'm looking for Buffy Summers."

Turning, Buffy faced the woman who was stood behind her holding flowers in one hand and an article of clothing in the other.

"Hi. My name is Theresa Foord. I am the woman-"

"The witness?" Buffy asked.

"Yes," Theresa clarified. "I just wanted to return this. I thought it would mean more to someone here than it does to me." Thinking over her words, she corrected herself whilst handing over the garment. "Not that it doesn't mean much to me, just that it would mean more to someone who knew Faith longer. I was told that you were the person to see."

Staring speechless at the shirt, Buffy felt her eyes begin to water. With a sudden rage, she administered a blow across the woman's face. Finding herself quickly restrained by her younger sister, Buffy screamed out,
"You whore!"

Clutching her face, the hurt blonde asked, "What the hell is wrong with you, lady?"

"What did you say to her?" Dawn asked, through clenched teeth as Buffy shrugged from her grasp and walked away in a bid to calm down.

Watching after the smaller, yet stronger woman, Theresa answered, "Nothing. I just introduced myself. She asked me if I was
the witness and when I said yes, she snapped."

"Theresa Foord," Dawn recognised. "Do you blame her? You know you are the lowest of the low. How could you take the stand in front of all of those people and say the things you did?"

"I swore to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but. If the fact that Faith and I were sleeping together bothers you, then I apologise that I came."

"Apology accepted," Dawn uttered, ordering, "Now go."

Handing over the bunch of flowers in her hand, Theresa obliged, leaving the brunette to stare after her.

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Lost in memories of the past, Buffy found herself jolted back to reality as she heard her name called.

"Faith?" she called back.

Charging inside the cramped space and instantly looking toward the voice, Faith immediately ran to be by her fallen ex's side.
"Buffy, what the-?" she started. Removing her jacket, she covered the blonde with it. "What's going on?"

"I got into a fight," Buffy offered as an explanation. "I think my foot is broken."

Looking toward the limb in question and attempting to tend to it, the taller woman found herself at a loss for what to do.
"We gotta get you to a hospital," she offered with an outstretched hand.

When the older slayer refused, Faith crouched to be at her eye-level.
"B, what's going on? Why are you going on all these missions alone?"

When the petite slayer remained silent, Faith noticed the tears in her eyes. Confused, the brunette moved to hold her former lover. Feeling useless, she felt that all she could do was hold the slayer and wait for her crying to subside.

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"Yeah. No, we're still at the marina... She doesn't want one....It's okay, I'll take her home... Yeah, hold on." Faith offered the phone to Buffy who shook her head. Sighing, the dark beauty put the receiver back to her ear. "She's not really feeling up to it, G-man. She'll call you in the morning... Okay. Later."

Switching off her cell phone, Faith resumed her position at the older slayer's feet, placing the injured foot atop her lap and
examining it with soft touches.

"Thank you," Buffy muttered.

"How long've you been here?"

"I don't know."

"You gonna tell me what's up?" Faith asked. When Buffy did not go to answer the question, the brunette clarified, "That wasn't a
question, that was an order, B."

"Does it matter?"

"Er, yeah, considering my new job seems to be saving your ass and patching you up. Why the death wish?"

The older slayer made no move to answer and merely shifted in her position, attempting to remove her leg from her ex's lap.
Placing Buffy's leg gently down, Faith sat beside her former girlfriend in silence. When the blonde, lifted the jacket she was
using as a cover and indicated she share, the younger slayer felt she had to accept. Placing her arm around the smaller woman's frame, she drew her in close.

Resting her head on the blonde's, Faith inaudibly sighed.
"B, I gotta be honest with you, this is driving me crazy," the slayer admitted.

"What is?"

"Not knowing what's going on in your head. Wanting to help you, but feeling like I can't." She paused, continuing to say, "You know you can tell me anything."

"I want to," the older slayer confessed. "But I can't. I'm not your problem anymore."

Laughing at the statement, Faith corrected her with a, "You will always be my problem."

Making no move to reply the statement, the blonde seemed to stiffen against the body of her former lover.

"What?" the dark slayer wondered, to which Buffy replied,

"Why?" She sat up, answering the brunette's impending question with a, "Why can't you let me go?"

"Hold up," the brunette uttered, sitting up. "What?"

"You're making everything so hard for me and it's unbearable Faith."

Confused more at the older woman's behaviour than at her question, Faith asked her, "Again, huh?"

"I've sat here, for the past God knows how long, just looking back over my life and thinking about all the things I've been through and the one thing I don't get is you. After all the things I've done to you, all the things I've made you do-"

"Buffy, where the hell is all this coming from?"

"Faith, if I were to die tomorrow, would you miss me? Would you cry?"

"Okay, now we're randomly psychotic."

"Answer the question."

"Of course I would."

"But why? You'd finally be free."

"Of what?" Faith felt she had to know. "Of love?"

Stopping silent, Buffy looked into the younger woman's eyes and asked her, "You still love me?"

"How could I stop?" Faith answered in earnest. "You're still the girl I fell in love with aren't you? Okay, the more messed up and attached version, but you're still you." She laughed. "You know it's funny. I've tried so hard to stop loving you these past few weeks, but the more I try, the more I can't stop."

Looking away from the younger slayer's face, all Buffy could offer in explanation was, "Faith, the woman you love is not me. And what you're holding onto is an idea."

"What idea?"

"The idea that you and I can be together."

"We were once."

"Were we?"

"We weren't?"

"Faith, think back. Can you ever remember a time when we sat and talked to each other? Or when we went out to do something together that we both enjoyed; just the two of us? Or a night that didn't end with us fighting? All of our time together was spent either fighting or making up."

"That's utter bullshit," Faith replied, remembering. "It was great in the beginning. Everything was great until you went and fucked it up with Riley."

"Riley was a cry for help. Things between us were way beyond the danger area before I slept with him."

"That wasn't my fault. I wasn't there. I was too busy being a slave for the council, remember?"

"I do, but you have to also remember that I was young then. I didn't know what I was doing. All I knew was that I missed you so much and needed Riley to help me feel something... Anything."

"You're talking about being young? Buffy I was barely seventeen when they shipped me off to a country that I didn't know anyone in. Surrounded by people who didn't want to know and all that kept me going was you. I don't and I can't understand why you couldn't have felt the same way about me."

"Which is why everything turned out the way it did. Faith, you can never forgive me for what happened, can you? As far as you're
concerned, I slept with Riley that night because I wanted to. God! Do you know how drunk I was that night? How upset I was that you weren't there with me; to hold me, to... love me. He did-"

Interrupting, Faith asked her ex to stop with an, "I get it. It's all my fault that I was overseas being tortured everyday, because I couldn't be with you to love you. Do you know how self-centred you sound?"

"Uh-huh, because you're not making this all about you? It could have easily been me that the council took away to experiment on, but it was the luck of the draw that it was you."

"'Cept the difference is, B; if they'd have taken you, you wouldn't have come back to find me knocked up."

"How many times can I say that I'm sorry?"

"'Til you feel it," Faith answered standing. She paced away from the blonde, unable to face her.

"I do. Baby, I am so unbelievably sorry that what happened did." She caught herself, turning away from the brunette. "Faith. I... Never mind."

"No, what?" Faith prompted.

"It's nothing."

"My God, for once can you not just say what's on your mind without holding back?"

"I was just going to say that... I wish things were different."

"How?"

"So many ways. I just wish everything was simple again. That I could go back ten years and start all over. I've wished that ever since the night you left."

Staring through the cabin window, Faith retorted, "Well, you can't. You can't take back all the pain and all the damage."

"I know."

Silently reflecting, Faith voiced her thoughts to the blonde slayer telling her, "I am curious, though. If things had have worked out
and I'd have come back with J all safe and sound, what would have happened between us?"

In earnest, Buffy answered, "I don't know. I was thinking about that and remembering how I felt that day..."

"And?"

"I don't think I'd ever wanted to be with anyone more."

Turning to face the blonde, Faith remained speechless as she continued,

"And now… Now, I feel like I finally understand what you were talking about that night that you told me that your heart beat for
me, because Faith before you came back into my life, I'd been dead for three years."

Moving to kneel beside Buffy, the brunette attempted to read her expression, asking her, "What are you saying?"

Choosing a non-verbal answer, Buffy took hold of her sultry ex-lover by her shirt, coaxing her forward and allowing their lips to meet. As her lips met the soft, full lips ones of the other slayer's she used her mouth to gently caress the taller woman's.

Whimpering into the kiss, Faith pulled back, looking into Buffy's eyes.
"We can't do this," the brunette told the psychiatrist, in an attempt to move away from her. "You're-" she tried, silenced by
Buffy's move to pull her closer.

Drawing the younger slayer toward her, the slayer rose onto her knees ignoring the pain of moving her injured foot. Looking down on the brunette, she leant in capturing the younger woman's lips and tasting her.

TBC....