That Could've Been Me

Chapter Two: Memories and Breakfast

Buffy lay in the dark on her bed, listening to the others as they moved about the flat. Maggie was in the bathroom busily brushing her teeth, Giles was cleaning up in the kitchen, and Faith…

Faith was standing outside her door. *Go ahead and knock,* Buffy urged.

Silence.

She was still standing at the door, though.

Finally, there was a tentative tapping on her door.

“C’mon in, Faith.”

The door opened a crack. Light from the hall spiked in, making Buffy squint.

“Sorry,” came a small voice. “Did I wake you?”

“Nope. C’mon in all the way and close the door.”

Faith slid in sideways giving Buffy a glimpse of her sexy bod clad in a white tank top and loose-fitting, comfortable shorts. Her hair was loose and fell to her shoulders in soft, luxuriant waves, like warm satin. She closed the door and stood in the darkness with her hands clasped behind her back looking embarrassed and hugely adorable.

Buffy searched her brain for a greeting that was welcoming as opposed to smart-assed.

“Have a seat,” she offered to the young brunette. “So, what’s on your mind?” she asked quietly as Faith sat cross-legged on the end of her bed.

Buffy waited as Faith’s hands plucked nervously at the bedspread. Finally, “How long have you been The Slayer?”

“The Slayer? A year and a half, or so. And then I died a little over a year ago and Kendra was called. Since then I’ve been a slayer.”

“So for that year and a half it was just you.”

“In every generation…”

“What—what was that like? Being the only one I mean.”

Buffy cleared her throat. “Well…it was okay I guess. I mean when Merrick found me, Merrick was my first watcher. When he found me I was pretty much on my own. Mom had just died and I was crashing at friends houses trying to stay a step ahead of the state. So becoming the slayer gave me a place to be and something to do.”

“How did your mom die?” The question was soft and tentative and sympathetic.

“Look little girl,” Buffy bristled, “I know you’re the only other slayer and all, but we’re not gonna be swapping sob stories just yet. I’ve known you for, like, two minutes. You want some tips on slaying? Fine. But no heart to heart.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to—,”

“Forget it. Don’t sweat it, kid.”

Faith was silent as she studied the pattern on the bedspread in the moonlit bedroom. “I’m really glad you’re here, Buffy.” She said quietly without looking up. Buffy smiled. It was a soft, encouraging, gentle smile that had not graced her face for many years. It used different muscles than her usual smirk and felt a little odd against her cheeks. But it wouldn’t go away.

“The first Big Nasty I had to kill was called Lothos,” Buffy said, finally. “His favorite thing to do was kill slayers that had just been called. He was responsible for the death of my first watcher.”

The two slayers talked long into the night. Faith would murmur a question and Buffy would answer, giving as much detail as she could, sensing that the younger slayer needed reassurance. Reassurance that she was talking to a genuine badass. Someone who had gone toe to toe with death on more than one occasion.

There were giggles too. “You burned down your school gym?”

“Yeah,” Buffy answered with a laugh. “That was a fun night. Hemery High was hell. I hated that place. The cheerleaders were a bunch of slutty, catty bitches and everybody bowed down to them. It was nauseating.”

“Hmm,” said Faith. “You mean there was a high school where the cheerleaders were popular? Now that’s unusual.”

“Lemme guess,” said Buffy with a sardonic smirk, “you’re a cheerleader.”

“No. I’m on the gym team. Was.” She frowned.

“Well, slaying tends to eat up the extracurricular activities, doesn’t it?”

Faith smiled faintly. “I couldn’t explain to any of my friends what was going on. I couldn’t even tell my mother.”

“How did she find out?”

“When Kakistos killed Mary I was…I didn’t know what to do. I was terrified that he’d gotten to Mom. So I ran home. When I found Mom still alive, I just broke down and told her everything.” Tears glinted in the moonlight. “She didn’t believe me at first. I mean, who would?”

“How did you convince her?”

“I kicked the kitchen door off the hinges.”

“That’d do it.”

“It took her fifteen minutes to pack her stuff and my stuff. We were on a plane to LA in under two hours.”

“Whose idea was it to find me?”

“My watcher told me if anything happened to her to go to Sunnydale and find Buffy.” She sighed. “Poor Mom. She’s really freaking out.”

The two slayers were silent as their enhanced hearing picked up the sounds of the two adults softly snoring. Their eyes met and they chuckled. “I guess her freak-out is taking a break,” whispered Buffy.

“Yeah,” agreed Faith. “We were both really relieved when you showed up tonight. We got here and Giles was all flustered and British trying to explain that you hadn’t been seen for weeks.” She tilted her head as she regarded the older slayer. “Where did you go for all that time?”

“That is long story that falls under the category of ‘heart-to-heart.’”

“Oh, that’s right. No mushy stuff for the tough-as-nails slayer,” said Faith, softening the statement with a small smile.

“That’s right,” Buffy answered with a smile of her own. She’d smiled more in one evening than she had for an entire year. “And I’m actually tougher than nails, I’ll have you know.”

Faith seemed about to say something when she was interrupted by a huge yawn. Buffy answered with a yawn of her own. “Well,” said Buffy tiredly. “I think it’s time for slayers to go to sleep.”

At the sight of Faith’s frown, Buffy asked, “What’s wrong?” in a gentle voice.

“I don’t know if I can sleep.”

“All this happened less than twenty-four hours ago, didn’t it?”

Faith’s chin quivered as tears started to roll down her cheeks. “Hey,” said Buffy softly as she scooted towards the weeping girl. When she got to her, she cupped Faith’s face and looked into her wet eyes. Then she gathered her into her arms she gave the new slayer something no one else on the planet could give. Faith sagged with relief and grief as she wept out the horrors and memories of the past day. Crying in the arms of the only person who made her feel safe.

Buffy stroked her hair as memories of the night she lost her watcher floated around in her mind. That feeling of loss and disconnection. The thought that she might actually be insane had crossed her mind in those dark days. She remembered that for a while she actually wished she were insane. Went so far as to check herself in to the hospital, telling people she couldn’t remember her name and was being chased by demons and vampires.

Faith extricating herself broke Buffy’s reverie. “God I’m so tired,” said Faith. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so tired.”

Buffy got off the bed and drew back the covers on one side. “Tuck yourself in,” she said. When Faith started to protest, Buffy put up her hand. “If you go back the other room, you’re just gonna wake your mom up. I don’t mind sharing for tonight as long as you don’t have cold feet. Or if you do, you don’t put them on me.” Faith smiled gratefully and crawled under the covers. “I’ve never had a puppy or a teddy bear so don’t freak out if I start to snuggle you in the middle of the night,” Buffy quipped, trying to lighten the mood.

“Yeah, well, I did used to have a teddy bear. I might actually try to cuddle with you,” murmured Faith sleepily.

===========

Maggie Lehane awoke with a small start. She glanced around, looking for her daughter. Her heart gave a little thud when she was nowhere in the room. She looked at the clock glowing softly on the nightstand. Four-thirty. The air was still with a slight chill so she wrapped a blanket around herself and headed for Buffy’s room.

The faint light of morning was not enough to penetrate the gloom of the hall. Maggie padded across the carpeted floor to Buffy’s door. She stopped and listened, not wanting to interrupt a slayer conversation. Hearing nothing, she opened the door as quietly as she could.

The meager morning light illuminated the two sleeping figures in the bed. Dark hair and light hair almost mingled as the two girls cuddled. Maggie leaned against the door frame watching the slayers slumber. Buffy had her nose almost buried in Faith’s dark hair. Maggie sighed with relief at the sight of her daughter safe and sound and resting.

She closed the door and went back to bed.

At the sound of the door closing Buffy stirred but didn’t wake. She pulled the sleeping Faith closer to her and sighed with something that may have resembled contentment.

===========

Faith woke slowly. Awareness slid in a piece at a time. She wasn’t in her own bed. She was laying on her side with something pressed all along her back. Something warm and comforting. Not something, someone.

Buffy. Buffy’s arms were wrapped around her, holding her firmly. Buffy was breathing sleepily into her hair and on the back of her neck. When Faith tried to move away Buffy’s arms tightened, pulling the brunette even more firmly against her and nuzzling her face deeper into Faith’s tresses.

A heat settled into Faith’s belly. A sort of faint gnawing hunger. She squirmed restlessly and the feeling moved lower. Too low.

She reached behind her and put her hand on Buffy’s hip. Shaking her gently, she said softly, “Buffy? Wake up.”

Buffy jerked and sucked in a mouthful of Faith’s hair. She pulled her arms away from Faith and batted at the intrusive strands while Faith snickered and snorted with mirth.

“What’s so damn funny?” said Buffy when she could talk.

“You’re making funny noises and you’re a cuddler.” Buffy was laying on her back pulling the last strands of hair out of her mouth. She chuckled at the truth of the statement.

“I didn’t grope you too much, did I?”

“I have no idea,” she answered, sitting and stretching, enjoying the feel of her spine popping and crackling. “All I know is, I haven’t had that good a sleep since I met my watcher.”

“Yeah,” said Buffy with an ironic chuckle. “Finding out that vampires are for real doesn’t make for restful nights, does it?”

Maggie chose that moment to walk in. “Oh good. You’re up. I’ve made breakfast. Come and eat.”

Faith and Buffy padded out to the kitchen. The smell of bacon was heavy and rich and Buffy’s mouth watered. Her eyes widened at the sight of pancakes and eggs piled on the table. She plopped down in a chair and filled her plate. “Wow, Maggie. This looks great. Giles hardly ever cooks breakfast.” She dug in with gusto.

“Looks great, Mom,” said Faith, smiling at her mother.

Maggie sat at the table with a cup of coffee and toast and watched the two slayers make short work of breakfast. “Giles has been on the phone all morning with the Council getting as much information on Kakistos as possible.” The girls nodded. Their mouths too full to speak. After a few moments of silence, Maggie asked Buffy, “So what will happen next? How do we do this?”

Buffy’s eyebrows raised. “Umm. Dunno exactly. I’ll want to know as much as possible about this assho—umm jerk. I’ll want to talk to Faith about him. Y’know. His fighting style and whatnot. And then we’ll probably spend some time sparring and training. Since this guy is a major badass, we can’t just send Faith back into battle without preparation.”

“So, Faith will be going up against him again?”

“Mom!” said Faith, flushing with embarrassment.

“Well, Faith, he’s beaten you before. Do you really think you should be fighting him again?”

Buffy answered that question. “She’s a slayer. It’s her job. She may have been beaten this time, but she survived it. Now she has to finish the job that was started.”

“But she’s only fifteen!” Faith rolled her eyes and sighed.

“So was I when I was called. It’s a whole destiny thing. She has the strength and skill to fight. So she’ll fight. But she won’t be alone.”

The doorbell chose that moment to ring. Buffy got up and opened the door to see Willow and Oz. “Hey gang. Here for the latest Big Nasty?”

“Yep,” chirped Willow, merrily. “He mentioned something about researching that needs doin’.” She spotted Maggie sitting at the table. Her eyes got wide and she leaned towards Buffy and whispered, “Does Giles have a new lady-friend?”

Buffy laughed and stepped aside to allow the two entrance. “No Willow,” she said loudly, “Giles isn’t having sex with Maggie.” Willow gasped and turned bright red. Buffy laughed harder as she shut the door behind them. Maggie caught her eye, giving Buffy her best disapproving-Mom look. Buffy actually and the good grace to feel a little chagrinned. “Sorry,” she mumbled. “I was just funnin’.” Willow looked back and forth between Maggie and Buffy, stunned by the power the older woman seemed to have over the slayer. Buffy cleared her throat and said, “These two are part of Giles’s Scooby Gang. This is Velma.”

“Willow,” Willow corrected as she stepped forward to shake Maggie’s hand.

“And Scooby Doo,” said Buffy.

“Oz.” He shook Maggie’s hand smiling a little.

“Nice to meet you two,” said Maggie warmly. “This is my daughter, Faith.”

“She’s a slayer,” piped up Buffy.

Everybody, except Buffy, looked surprised. “I thought no one was supposed to know,” said Maggie.

Faith put her hands up. “I was supposed to keep it a secret. Mary told me never to tell anybody.”

Willow quickly jumped in. “Oh we’ve known about slayers since Buffy first got to Sunnydale. She saved me and Xander from being eaten by vampires. Now we’re part of Giles’ research team. I’ve even been doing some spell work.” At Maggie’s blank look she added, “Magic.”

Faith looked at Willow. “Mom just found out about all this yesterday.”

“Oh,” said Willow, sympathetically. “It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” she said faintly.

“Well, you sit down, Ms. Lehane, and I’ll get you some more coffee.” Buffy and Maggie took their seats as Willow went into the kitchen.

“Please, call me Maggie.”

“So,” said Buffy to Oz as she resumed her meal, “where’s Shaggy and Daphne?”

“Xander’s grabbing some sugar breakfast and Cordelia is probably still getting her beauty sleep.”

Willow came out of the kitchen with a pot of coffee. “Something I’ve always wanted to know, Buffy. If I’m Velma and Oz is Scooby and Xander and Cordelia are Shaggy and Daphne; who’s Fred?”

“That’s easy, Velma. I am.”

Willow rolled her eyes while Oz nodded with understanding. “But you like boys!” protested Willow.

“So does Fred.” Willow’s brow furrowed in consternation. “Oh, c’mon. Everybody knows Fred is gay. And I am way more butch than he is.”

“Huh, I guess I never thought of that. I was always so caught up in the mystery. I never paid much attention to Fred’s orientation. I always thought that since Oz has a van, that he should be Fred.”

“Nope,” said Buffy firmly. “He has to be Scooby ‘cause he get all furry and howls at the moon three nights a month.”

At Maggie’s and Faith’s confused looks, Oz said, “Werewolf.”

Maggie looked a little pale and Faith stared at Oz.

“Welcome to the Hellmouth,” said Buffy around her last bite of breakfast.