Complement

XIII – Breathe
(Part B)
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The next evening found Buffy pinned up against the padded wall in the training room. Faith was holding both of Buffy's wrists with one of her hands above her head. She leaned the upper part of her body into Buffy's, using her foot she placed it in between Buffy's, and applying a little pressure, widen the distance between Buffy's . T. Then she moved between them and brought her lower body into intimate contact with Buffy's. Starting at her thigh she delicately raked her nails up the length of it, over Buffy's hips, up her torso, the side of her breast. Faith then changed to using the pads of fingers to run up the sensitive underside of Buffy's arm, reaching her wrists, she switched hands and did the same in reverse down the other side of Buffy's body. The sound of Buffy panting low in her ear, sent a vibration of heat straight down to coil in the pit of Faith's stomach, then reached down and added more heat to Fais als already overheated center.

When she could reach no further, Faith slid her body down Buffy's just far enough to kiss along the top of Buffy's workout shirt. Tasting with her tongue the sweat that was there, both from their training session, and from desire, there was nothing else in this world like it. Faith could feel the heat and the moisture from Buffy's core hot upon her stomach. She fan aan answering moisture in her own core. She slid her free hand up the back of Buffy's thigh, and slowly slid her body back up Buffy's, trailing her tongue, raking her teeth along her skin on her way up to Buffy's neck. She placed little love bites there, sucking on her skin, leaving little tiny marks. Her hand came up to cup Buffy's ass and she pulled Buffy into her even more tightly. Buffy bucked up into Faith, this exquisite torment driving her crazy. Faith pressed back into her, moaning...

Her hand came round to slid over Buffy's stomach and teasingly dip below the waistband of Buffy's shorts, making a promise that neither Slayer was ready to fulfill just yet. Buffy's whole body felt like one hot current, there wasn't a part of her that wasn't tingling, oversensitive to the slightest touch from Faith. At this point, a kiss on the cheek caused both Slayers to get soaking wet. Neither could count the number of cold shower they took each day, but still they continued to torture each other. Living each day in a haze of desire, lust, passion, in the heat that was between them waiting to be fulfilled.

Faith's hand slid further up Buffy's torso, over the top of her shirt to play with a painfully erect nipple. She ran her fingers around it, raking her nails over it through the shirt. Then using the palm of her hand Faith raised Buffy's breast to her, dipping her head down to capture y'sy's nipple with her mouth through the shirt. Biting it, teasing it with hard flicks of her tongue, across its sensitive tip, causing Buffy to moan with each touch.

Buffy struggled to get her hands free, needing to touch the Dark Slayer. Wanting to feel that hot flesh beneath her hands.

"Faith..." She moaned, and Faith felt herself get even wetter from the husky sound of her name falling from Buffy's lips.

Faith relented and let go of Buffy's wrists, wanting to feel her touch. Every part of her body had become an erogenous zone over the last few days. Faith had never experienced anything like this before. Her other hand came down to torture Buffy's other nipple, until Buffy grabbed her forcefully by the arms. She brought Faith up to her, leaned in and captured Faith's mouth with her own.

Their kiss was wet, hot, wide open, each trying to devour the other. Their tongues dueling, running over each other's teeth, lips, sucking them into each other's mouth like candy. Faith moaned into Buffy's mouth, the vibration of it ran straight down into Buffy's core making her even more impossibly wet. She pressed her hips up even harder into Faith who pressed back down in return, starting a rhythm between them. Neither Slayer knew how they were still standing.

They had been torturing each other like this for days now. They still hadn't made love, they weren't quite sure why they were waiting. Both wanted to more than anything they ever wanted to do in their whole lives, but still they waited. Waited for something to tell them that the time was right, that the past had been completely forgiven, would not rise up to haunt them. Would not be used as a weapon to hurt each other. So they tortured each other with the kissing and the touching, with the promise of more, the promise of a release that was yet to come. They made out on the couch at night after Dawn went to sleep like high school kids, a new experience for Faith and one that Buffy was more than happy to teach her. They had their hands on each other every second they were alone. They were driving each other crazy and enjoying every minute of it. They had found each of the other's hidden, non-obvious erogenous zones. They were learning each other's likes and dislikes; they were taking their time with each other.

Buffy had taught Faith over the last few days the difference between a sexuals ans and the I'm-happy-to-see-you kiss, to the slow building passionate kiss, to the out and out I-want-you-now kiss. The difference between I want to touch you just because caress and the I want you touch.

But they also spent hours talking, learning about each other. Surprising each other, having fun, giggling, laughing, even having a few quarrels over what to watch on TV. They spent time alone with each other, time with Dawn, time with Willow, Tara, Anya, and Giles as they all started to get to know each other. Discover who the real people were beneath the surface. Only Xander was still reluctant to give Faith a chance. She knew she needed to talk to him, but she was too caught up in the whirlwind that was Buffy right now to do it.

"I can't take much more of this. God..."

Faith pushed herself away from Buffy, after all this waiting she didn't want the first time they did make love to be on the floor of the training room. They stood staring at each other, their bodies pulsating with unfulfilled desire, a little bit unsteady, breathing erratically, but smiling.

Then Faith stepped in close to Buffy again and gathered her back into her arms, just holding her, loving the feel of her there. The way it just felt right. They held each other tightly waiting until their bodies calmed down enough so they could gce tce the rest of the world. That was how Willow and Tara found them.

"S-s-s-sorry."

"No problem."

The Slayers moved apart, but remained holding hands. They were comfortable showing their affection for each other in front of the witches and Dawn now, well not quite as affectionate in front of Dawn.

"Buffy, Dawn is out front she needs to talk to you."

"I'll meet you out front I just want to wash up. 'K, B?"

Buffy gave Faith a quick kiss and went into the shop to see what her sister wanted.

"So guys everything set for tomorrow morning?"

Faith had finally come up with an idea on how she might be able to get Buffy to forgive herself for stabbing her. She just hoped it didn't backfire on her. She had discussed it with Willow and Tara and they seemed to think that it was worth a shot. Faith then enlisted their help.
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They talked for about five minutes; the witches seemed to have everything under control. Faith started to walk towards the bathroom to wash up when a wave. No, not a wave, an echo of fear hit her, followed quickly by anger, only it wasn't hers, it was Buffy's. Without even giving a second thought to how she knew this or why she waelineling it, Faith ran for the front of the Magic Shop.

She skidded to a stop when she entered the store and she saw who Buffy was facing off against. Faith didn't know them personally but she knew who they worked for. Fear rushed through her like wild fire, panic was hot on its heels.

'NO! NO! NO! Why can't they just leave me alone? WHY?'

Buffy turned towards Faith the second she came into the room. This time Buffy got the echo of emotions, Faith's fear and panic reverberating in her. It was odd this echoing thing, but she didn't have time to dwell on it now. Buffy walked towards Faith, smiling at her reassuringly and Faith started moving to meet her halfway. The Chosen Two stood side by side facing down the three members of the Watchers Council.

"Tell the others to get their asses in here and to stand where I can see them Quentin." Buffy demanded.

Quentin Travers nodded to one of the other men with him who looked more like hired muscle than a Watcher. The man left the shop and returned quickly with four other well-muscled Watche Alt Although Quentin hadn't said why he was here yet, there wasn't a person in the shop that didn't know rea reason. They were here for Faith and they were going to be in for a big surprise. They had been searching for her since she had gotten out of jail, but Angel had kept her well hidden. Had kept the fact that a Slayer was working for him in L.A. when she had been well enough to do so very quiet. Kate had set up a fake paper trail for him that led to the East Coast, which was where they had been looking.

It was only by shear luck they had found out that Faith was here. They still had a spy working for them at the hospital who had called them just yesterday to let them know that Faith was here in Sunnydale. Their spy had been on holiday when Faith had her run in with the tombstone. They had arrived on the first flight in, and had come here to speak with Giles and Buffy about helping them capture her. The Council was still under the mistaken belief that the two Slayers were enemies. They didn't want a Rogue Slayer on the loose.

"Since I doubt you are all here for tea and bisques, mind telling me what the hell you are doing here? We had a deal. Remember Quentin?"

Buffy folded her arms across her chest. She had gotten control of her initial anger; there was a cold calm detachment to her tone. She was trying to, in the same way that they shared their aura with each other while they practiced Tai Chi together, share her calmness with Faith now. Buffy visualized it surrounding them both, and again felt that odd little echo of Fa's e's emotions come back to her, and this time knew that Faith felt it too from her. Knew because, Faith had whispered low only for her ears, Thanks B. Okay now.

"I think you already know the reason we are here."

"Why don't you tell me, tell us, so that we're all clear on it. I would hate for us to be on two different pages, you know what I mean? Especially since we were all just beginning to play so nicely together again."

"Perhaps, you, Giles and I, should talk about this privately."

"Not happening."

"But I think..."

"Well I don't. It's not gonna happen. So speak."

"We've come for her to take her back to England."

"You mean like you did the last time?"

"Well, no. We want to reeducate her. She needs to atone for what she did." Quentin was clearly uncomfortable now. He had been expecting assistance not resistance.

"She has already atoned for what she did. I guesen ten the mighty Council couldn't get to her when she was in jail. Lucky for her. As for you're reeducation, I know first hand what kind ofducaducation you people believe in."

"Ms. Summers you have to understand, to know that she is unstable."

"I understand nothing and for the record Faith is not unstable."

"After all she did to you? Did to your family, your friends. She tried to kill your lover. She stole your body."

"Your point is?"

"You can't possibly expect that we would let her run free. She needs help. She needs to be trained properly. Only we can provide that for her."

"Faith has everything she needs right here. There is nothing that you can provide for her, nothing she even remotely needs from you! She isn't going anywhere with you. Not now! Not ever!"

"I am afraid that it isn't your choice Ms. Summers"

"No you're right it isn't B's choice. It's mine! And I'm not going anywhere with you people! I kinda like breathing."

"I am afraid that it isn't your choice either young lady." This was not the way he wanted to play this. One uncontrollable Slayer was enough, two were unacceptable. He was still chafing over his last meeting with the Chosen One not that long ago, still angry she had managed to get the upper hand over him.

"Think long and hard before you do something stupid Quentin. Especially since it hasn't been that long since we all kissed and made up. So that there is no misunderstanding between us. Faith is not going anywhere with you people. She is part of my family and no one. NO ONE touches my family. You'll have to go through me to get to her. So if you think you can beat me give it your best shot."

"And me," Dawn moved over to stand beside her sister and Faith.

"As well as me," Giles joined the Slayers.

"And us," holding hands the witches also joined the Slayers.

"Us too," Xander said as he and Anya moved up to stand next to Faith. He smiled at Faith, he was still angry but this was his family come hell or high water and he was one-hundred-percent behind Buffy when it came to family. No one touched his family.

"Don't forget me Luv," Spike came out of the back where he had been hiding and watching, to join the gang in their united front.

Faith's eyes widen in amazement and gratitude as they all surrounded her. Once again, the Dark Slayer was humbled and awed, but not just by Buffy, but by all of them. These people who she had caused so much pain, had hurt, had threatened to kill were standing up for her. Thought that she was worth fighting for, thought she had something to offer. Any doubts that Faith had about her own self-worth, what she had to offer to others, about not being good enough were forever destroyed in that moment.

Quentin knew when he was beaten, at least for now. He would let them think this was over, but for him it was far from over. He looked at Giles.

"She is your responsibility."

"One which I am honored to accept."

"We will be monitoring you and your new charge." Quentin nodded to them and turned to leave. Just before he walked out the door, Buffy stopped him.

"Quentin," Buffy waited for him to turn back around before continuing. "One or two minor things. Since Giles now has two Slayers to watch, I believe his salary should double. Faith will be put back on the payroll. It also seems she might be going to college next fall, I'm thinkin' the Watchers Council should pay for that as well." Buffy waited for Quentin's nod of agreement, which he finally gave.

Quentin started turning once more to leave to only be stopped by Buffy again.

"Oh and one more thing. Do your watching from across the ocean. And so I am very clear. If anything should happen to Faith. Anything out of the ordinary, an accident perhaps? Anything that I even think smells of the Council well I... I just might have to tell Glory that this key she is looking for... well that the Council has had it all along. That if she wants to know where it is she should talk to you personally... She would believe me, funny thing she seems to know about our previous history... And if by chance something should happen to Faith after we take care of Glory. Something that I think smells like the Council... It won't be vampires I hunt anymore..."

Quentin left the Magic Shop with the sound of Buffy's threat ringing in his ears. He had just seen for himself first hand the dark side of who everyone called the Light Slayer and it scared him. No one in the shop really believed that it was completely over. For now though, they had a cease-fire. At least until the threat of Glory was gone.
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"I... I don't know what to say..."

Faith had to stop herself. She was in awe of them, and even though she didn't want to she started to cry. She was used to having to fight for herself. She didn't doubt that Buffy and Dawn would stand beside her but she never expected the rest of them too. She knew the L.A. group would have if they had been here, but the Scoobs, and even Spike. It overwhelmed her. She wiped the tears away with the back of her hands and tried again.

"I... thank you all... For standing up for me... I can't believe... after all... I just never..."

Willow took pity on the Dark Slayer, not in the sense that she felt sorry for her, but in the sense of how hard she was struggling to find the right words to express her feelings.

"No biggie. I mean you're part of our happy little family now. This is what family does for each other. You know stand up for each other. Save each other from vamps and evil things. Annoy each other. Get on each other's nerves. Lend money. Do favors. General nice things. You know family things. Of course now that means you're stuck with us. Which is a good thing and a bad thing. But not a bad thing in a bad way but in a good sort of way. You know like..."

"I get it Red. Than Tha Thanks all of you." Faith smiled at them. They thought of her as family, she was a little shell shocked by it. There was still one member of the family though that she had to make things right with.

"X-man we gotta talk." Faith walked over to Xander, grabbed him by the arm and dragged him towards the door to the training room not giving him a choice.
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"Thank you for what you did. I know things still aren't right between us. I can understand that. I can appreciate that now. What I did was wrong. I'm not even sure if I can explain to you why I did it. Even if I could it still wouldn't make it right."

"Why don't you try to explain it to me Faith? I think I deserve to know why." There was less anger in Xander's voice, but the hurt was still there. Somehow Faith knew it had more to do with the way she had used him as opposed to her trying to strangle him.

"I used you and treated you like trash. I treated you how I was treated my whole life. I didn't know any better, was afraid to know any better. But you kept coming back. You tried to make me see myself in another way and I was afraid of that. Afraid of what you were offering and I knew that you would keep on trying. I didn't believe I was worth it. I was afraid if I even tried that in the end I would end up destroying you. So I did the only thing I could think of to finally get you to see me the way I saw myself. I can never tell you how sorry I am for that. You were the only one who really tried wholeheartedly... Not even B did that. I'm sorry I hurt you Xander, I really am."

Faith held Xander's eyes with her own, hoping that he would see the truth in them. See all that she was trying to tell him.

"Apology accepted Faith."

Xander looked at her. He was starting to see her for the first time. He had thought he had known her two years ago, but he really hadn't. He understood what she had been trying to tell him without actually saying it out loud. He wondered how she had managed to make it this far, survived this long all alone. The hurt he was feeling, the betrayal began to ebb, the anger was gone. He had changed, hell he was dating a twelve-hundred-year-old ex-vengeance-demon. Anya had caused more damage, more hurt to others than Faith could hope to in three life times, and he had forgiven her. Hadn't he?

Faith smiled tentatively at Xander and for the first time he smiled back at her. The hurt was still there but he wasn't angry anymore.

For once when Faith exited a room with one of the Sunnydale crew after a heart to heart, the rest of them weren't hovering around waiting for some kind of disaster or brawl. They had all finally given her their trust, finally no longer thought of her as a threat. She was family after all and family didn't hurt family. At lenot not their family.
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The Chosen Two woke up on the couch the next morning a little over an hour before dawn. Buffy had insisted that Faith spend the night at her house after what happened with the Council. Faith had not protested, she didn't want to be alone anyway. In any case, she didn't need an excuse to spend the night with Buffy, just wanting to be with each other was enough excuse for both of them.

"Come on sleepy head we need to get dressed before Red and Blondie get here."

Faith jumped up off the couch before Buffy had a chance to distract her. Which wasn't hard at all these days. Buffy mumbled some kind of protest, but Faith knew better than to get within arms reach of the golden-haired Slayer.

"Not gonna work B."

They had barely finished dressing when a quiet knock came from the front door. Faith opened the door and found two very sleepy witches standing ther
"
"Big time. Owe us so big time Faith." Tara mumbled at her as they walked in and headed straight for the couch.

They were asleep before the door closed behind the Chosen Two.

"So you never did tell me where you were taking me Faith." Buffy said as they walked hand in hand through Sunnydale.

"Um... Not gonna B." Try as hard as she could Faith couldn't keep the nervousness out of her voice, they were getting close to their destination, and she wasn't sure how Buffy was going to react.

'Great plan. What if it backfires? Maybe I should have thought about this more. Gotta do this. We gotta get past this. Have to. Otherwise...'

Faith stopped her musing when her arm was almost torn out of its socket. Buffy had stopped walking and had tightened her grip on Faith's hand, while Faith had continued walking.

"Faith?" There was a tremor in Buffy's voice. Faith didn't have to ask, she knew Buffy realized where she was taking her.

Faith turned around and faced Buffy, closing the distance between them. She grabbed up both of Buffy's hands into hers and looked deeply into her eyes.

"You know I would never do anything to hurt you. Hurt us. Don't you B?"

"Yes," Buffy answered her without the slightest hesitation, and Faith knew she was speaking the truth.

"Then can you just trust me? Trust me 'cause we need to do this. Need to, to make it finally allht.\ht."

Buffy nodded her head, again without the slightest hesitation. They started walking again in silence to where the last of their bad memories lay, to where Faith hoped that by the time the sun rose in the morning sky they would finally be laid to rest.
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They walked into Faith's old apartment, the one the Mayor had given her. The apartment where one Slayer had wanted her life to end and the other had been there to end it.

Buffy stood just inside of the entrance. The memory of that day still fresh, like the guilt, the regret, the loss, the remorse. She saw the ghost of Faith reclining on the bed, reading a comic book, saw her own ghost shut off the stereo. As the ghost of Faith rolled off the bed and faced her, locking eyes. As Buffy's own voice reached out to her from the past:

"Thought I'd stop by."

"Is he dead yet?" Ghost Faith smiled at her, while Buffy's, Faith came up behind her and wrapped her arms around her.

She was listening too, could see this day as clearly as Buffy, could hear their voices from the past whispering to her too. They were once again sharing the odd echoing of emotions from each other. Faith knew now that coming here was the right thing to do, knew Buffy hadn't forgiven herself. Knew that Buffy didn't truly believe that Faith had forgiven her either.

"He's not gonna die. Good try, though. A for effort. Your plan?" Ghost Buffy's voice was hard, cold.

"Uh-huh. Mayor got me the poison. Said it was wicked painful." There was almost a gleeful sound to ghost Faith's voice.

"There's a cure."

"Damn. What is it?"

"Your blood." A flicker of surprise went across ghost Faith's face as she took in what ghost Buffy told her. Then a flicker of understanding was there. "As justice goes, it's not un-poetic. Don't you think?"

"You come here to get me? Gonna feed me to Angel?" There was almost the sound of relief in ghost Faith's voice. A knowing that it was finally going to be over. Ghost Buffy nodded at her. "You know you're not gonna take me alive."

"That's not a problem." Ghost Buffy said.

The Chosen Two watched and listened as the ghosts of themselves finish playing out the past. As they began to fight, exchanging blows, hurting, punishing each other. They followed their ghosts out onto the roof terrace, then over to the edge of the roof by the ledge where the last of the nightmare played out.

Ghost Faith moved ghost Buffy closer to the edge of the roof, she clearly had the upper hand. With sincerity she said;

"Man, I'm gonna miss this..."

Ghost Buffy wrenched her arm free with the knife and buried it into ghost Faith's stomach. She watched the shock spread across that beautiful face, a tiny stream of blood coming from her mouth, and she pulled the blade free and watched as ghost Faith clutched at her stomach as she started to sag, then threw an uppercut sending ghost Buffy halfway across the roof to land on her back.

"You did it..." There was both confusion and pride in her voice as she looked at ghost Buffy. "You killed me." The ghost of Faith looked over the side of the ledge. "Still won't help your boy, though." She smiled at ghost Buffy there was a numbness to it, a dead look in her eyes. "You shoulda been there, Buff. Quite a ride."

The ghost of Faith leaned back and in a slow, graceful, twisted way fell over the side. The ghost of Buffy ran over and heard a skull crushing impact, as she looked over the edge of the building she saw the twisted, bleeding, unnaturally still, body of ghost Faith laying on the bed of a moving truck.

"No..." She said in an empty small voice.


The Chosen Two stood holding each other as the memories faded. Faith could feel Buffy trembling in her arms. Heard her as she kept saying I'm sorry, over and over under her breath. Buffy pulled free of Faith and fell down to her knees, sobbing. Faith walked around her and knelt in front of her, she gathered Buffy's hands into hers, as her own tears fell to join that of the golden-haired Slayer.

"Buffy," Faith whispered softly, and Buffy looked up at her in surprise. Faith smiled at her softly seeing the surprise mixed in with all of the other emotions that Faith was all too familiar with herself. "Yeah B, I know your whole name."

And despite everything that she was feeling Buffy couldn't help but let out a soft laugh at that inane statement.

"I'm sorry Faith." It sounded so inadequate to Buffy. There would never be a way to express fully the guilt, the remorse she felt.

"I know that B. I'm sorry too. But you have to forgive yourself. You have to let yourself move past this. So we can move past t You You have to believe that I have forgiven you."

Buffy looked down at her hands that were clasped in the Dark Slayer's, and when she raised her eyes back up to Faith, Faith knew exactly what Buffy had seen when she was looking at her own hands. Faith saw it on her own hands everyday.

"I don't know if I can Faith. There's blood. I see blood on my hands... your blood. I feel dirty inside. Like something sick has moved in there and it's eating me alive. Hauntme. me. I hurt you, I tried to kill you. How can you ever forgive that? How can I?"

"I'm not going to lie to you. You did hurt me. You did try to kill me. And I have forgiven you. And you can forgive yourself. I know you can, because I've learned to forgive myself. I can help you if you'll let me. It's not going to be easy. You may forgive yourself, but you will never forget. It will be something you'll carry with you forever. But if you don't it will in the end destroy you, destroy us, destroy any chance for us. You'll carry the blood on your hands just like I do. The sickness you feel inside is the guilt and you're right it will keep on eating you alive if you let it. I know. I know what it can do to you. It's how I got the scars on my hands. If you'll let me I'll tell you about it."

Faith drew Buffy up to her feet. Holding her hand, salkealked them over to the other side of the roof terrace, where a blanket was spread out on the ground a small basket sat upon it. Faith silently thanked the witches for doing this for her. She sat down upon the blanket and opened her arms to Buffy. She waited, holding her breath, waiting for Buffy to decide. It came out in a whoosh of relief when Buffy came down onto the blanket and crawled into the waiting arms of the Dark Slayer.

"When I was in jail there was this woman Ridge..." Faith began softly.

Faith told Buffy the tale of how she began to forgive and heal herself. There were things she left out, things Buffy knew that went further back from before any one of them knew Faith. As Faith told her story of how she learned to forgive herself and to heal, Faith gave to Buffy the courage to begin to heal and forgive herself.

As the Chosen Two sat upon the rooftop dispelling the bad memories, creating a new one of trust, the sune ine into the sky, bringing with it the promise of hope for the new day. This time it also gave a gift to the Chosen Two as it crushed that last of the walls that separated them.

...Caught up in the touch ~ Slow and steady rush ~ Baby, isn't that the way that love's suppose to be ~ I can feel you breathe ~ Just breathe ~ I can feel the magic floating in the air ~ Being with you gets me that way - Faith Hill
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Continued in Chapter XIV –eel eel You