Crossing The Line

Sunnydale after dark is definately not the best time to be wandering around unfocused, even for a vampire slayer. Buffy learned that the hard way.

She had been so distracted with her thoughts about Omega, that she'd completely missed the vampire that jumped out at her from around a corner. By the time she'd gathered her bearings, the vamnpire had layed a world of hurt on her, and she was pretty sure she was going to die, that was until Faith decided to catch up with her. She dispatched of the vampire, and helped her home, where Giles and the rest of the Scooby gang were already gathered.

"Hey, B, are you sure you're alright?" Faith asked, concern clear in her voice, her honey brown eyes going over the older slayer's body, searching for more injuries other than the bruises and scratches.

Buffy groaned, starting down the stairs with not so much enthusiasm. The last time she heard Omega and Sunnydale in the same sentence it came down to lots of pain, and confusion, and just plain chaos. Her mind was reeling, already thinking on how to destroy him, while another part of her, the part that wasn't the slayer, the part that was just Buffy, was hoping against odds that it was just a rumor.

"I'm...peachy." She said softly, entering the kitchen where everyone was already seated and waiting.

Xander smiled at her in the usual goofy way, he was perched on a stool next to Kennnedy, Willow sitting on her lap. Giles was standing by the sink, cleaning his glasses for what Buffy had not doubt had to be the millionth time in that day. She entered, making her way over to the empty seat directly across Kennedy. She noticed the two empty seats that were supposed to be occupied. She glanced around the room, not finding anything new, just Faith leaning against the door jam in her usual style.

"Where's Dawn?"

"Oh, she and Rayne went out to the movies, they should be back any minute." Willow informed her, shifting in Kennedy's lap to get comfortable.

"Okay so, what's the big emergency? It better be big if I got dragged out of bed at eleven on a school night." Kennedy grumbled.

Buffy took a minute to assesse her, so that's why she was wearing pajamas. She felt a blush creep up from her neck, and she smiled sheepishly at her. "Sorry about that, I must've lost track of time. So anyways, Faith and I got some information from a vampire tonight, and I think we should all start getting ready to avert another apocalypse soon. He said there's been rumors going around that the first had a plan b."

The room became shockingly silent, as if it were dead. Buffy squirmed in her seat, the mention of the first brought back painful memories not just to her, but to everyone currently seated in the kitchen.

Xander felt his eye twitch and his heart fall into his stomach, fear, fear and sorrow. He'd lost his eye to Caleb, but that was okay, he took one for the team, that he could live with. What he couldn't stand was that he'd lost Anya, his girl, in the battle as well. He'd been trying to get over it, telling himself that she'd sacrificed herself for the greater good, and that they'd spared the world from damnation thanks to that sacrifice.

But now, now Buffy was sitting here, telling them all that the first wouldn't be so easy to forget, the it was still in the game, that it had a plan b...that Anya had died for nothing.

Faith unconsciously clentched her fist, she had been hoping that the Scoobies would immediately launch into the discussion, and hopefully distract her from the dark abyss that was her mind. They'd all gone down memory lane as well, and had left her to ponder on the fear, the knots inside her stomach as her mind flashed her visions of that tragic day.

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Everyone was feeling it, the power of the slayer, the girls were kicking ass, and for once in the past couple of weeks since she'd been here, Faith felt a small flicker of hope ignite within her. Maybe, just maybe, they could win.

Suddenly Buffy started shouting orders amist all the chaotic fighting, and she felt a smile settle upon her, they were going to win.

Another Torak attacked her, and turned her back to fend it off. It took her less than ten seconds to beat him off, she was feeling pretty good, when she heard a painful grunt from behind her. Spinning around, she felt her heart almost stop, everything seemed to slow down as she spotted Buffy on her stomach, a pained expression on her face.

"Buffy!" She shouted urgently, shoving the vampires away and running to her side, kneeling before her.

She had never felt so miserable in her life, never felt so useless, and never felt so scared. The battle raging around her seemed to faded away as did the warriors in it, everything was irrelevant but her painfully beating heart, and the grimacing woman before her.

At that moment all hope faded away, it was over already, over for Buffy, over for her. She wasn't fighting anymore, what good would it do to win now, without Buffy around?

Buffy winced, extending the hand with scythe slowly out to her, "Hold the line." She whispered, her green eyes locked on her own. She nodded, wanted to make her proud the last couple of moments, at least pretend that she still cared.

Nodding she reached for the scythe, brushing her hand over Buffy's before leaping up in a swing and taking down a few vampires that were too close.

A few seconds felt like an eternity, was that how it felt when she'd finally given up everything, abondoned all hope? She struck down a few more vampires in a rage, but she failed to noticed she was surronded, and before she knew it, a good number of toraks were dragging her down.

"Rona!" She shouted, tossing the scythe at the girl, a peacefullness entering her as she caught it. Just because she no longer had the will to fight, it didn't mean the other girls didn't, it didn't mean they had to die to, they could go on without her.

Another torak leapt into the fray, and as they took her down and piled on her, the last thing she saw was Buffy looking straight at her, yet somehow through her.

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Faith swallowed, trying to get some moisture into her all of a sudden cottondry mouth. Imagine her surprise when through the horde of vampires, she saw Buffy stand and continue fighting. It had been a horrible battle, but they came out on top, and here they were now. All she needed was a reminder of how close she'd come to dying when she thought Buffy was dying. Pushing back her pride, Faith swaggered her way to Buffy's side, wrapping her arm around her slender waist.

Buffy smiled despite the air to the room, she looked up at Faith, catching her eyes, rewarded with the show of the dimples she loved so much. Now she didn't feel quite as afraid. She cleared her throat, knocking everyone out of their flashbacks.

"So, um, the vamp said the first ressurected Omega."

"Bloody hell," Giles swore, earning collective gasps all around.

"That's not all. He said the first brought him back the way he was supposed to the first time around. I'm thinking that means that if the same rules apply for him as they did for Glory, well, on the way here last time he lost most of his powers and his magic...he'll be coming back full scale, with all the power he has in his dimension...i'm guessing that's not good."

"Yes well...does anyone want to join me in a cabin by the lake in New York with a stock pile of chocolate and curly fries by any chance?"

"Xander," Buffy warned.

"Alright alright, just making suggestions, ones that gurantee our survival." he chuckles, stnading in order to pace.

Willow leaves the comfort of Kennedy's lap to join Xander in his destruction of the tile. "Oh boy, this cannot be good Buffy. I-I I mean we had a hard enough time destroying Omega when he wasn't two fourths as powerful as he should be, him at full strength. I'm getting a feeling of deja vu deep in my gut, like the one I got before graduation."

Buffy felt the arm around her waist tense instantly, then relax just as fast. No matter how many times she told Faith that all was in the past and that all was forgiven, the girl just couldn't forget, couldn't stop beating herself up over it. She grabbed Faith's free hand, lifting it and placing a kiss on her knuckles before getting back to business.

"So what do we do guys? I'm open to suggestions. No Xander."

"Okay. Just sa-"

"No."

"Okay. Good." He backed off, hiding behind Kennedy.

"I say we go find whoever's hiding this sucker and we kill it. End of deal." Kennedy pitches in, her arrogance on display, annoying Buffy and Faith.

"Hey junior, what part of hellgod don't you get?"

"Well, Faith, seeing as a group of toraks gots the best of you back in the fight, I would see why you're all with the avoidance." she snorts, glaring at the slayer, her posture daring her to do something.

"Fine Kennedy, why don't you go ahead and do that?" Buffy never really did like Kennedy, and now with her dissing her girlfriend, it makes it even harder not to give her ass a good whooping, remind her who's on top. Although she's pretty sure Faith wouldn't mind having a go at her too.

"Look Buffy, I don't think there's really anything we can do at this point. We've researched Omega already, know all there is to know about him, the only thing we can really do is wait." Giles spoke up.

"Wait? Wait for what? For him to attack? For him to kill us?" Buffy snapped.

"B, he's right. I don't know much about this Omega person, but I'm sure he has followers. We can patrol, we're bound to run into them at some point, get information from them and then take it from there." Faith offered, squeezing her waist a little to shoe she meant no harm.

As much as she hated to admit it, Giles was right, there really was nothing they could do at the time being, and even if there was, she wasn't in the best of shape at the moment. She stiffled a yawn into her hand, standing, about to head upstairs. "I guess we'll wait then. Alright, well, I'm heading off to bed." She told them, grabbing Faith's hand and leading her up the stairs.

"Well, I fancy some sleep as well. We'll regroup here tomorrow, and decide on a course of action." Giles concluded, he too heading out the back door, leaving Willow, Kennedy, and Xander in the kitchen.

Willow sighed, somehow Kennedy always managed to rub Buffy the wrong way and if not Buffy then Faith. She knew both the girls could contain themselves, but one day her girlfriend was going to push them too far, and when that happened there would be no stopping them.

"I still don't get why we can't just go after this Omega thing and kill it." Kennedy huffed, leaning over the table to retrieve a banana.

"It's not that simple baby, Omega he was, well, when he came along everything seemed to go downhill for all us. It took alot to destroy him, and Buffy was hurt really bad afterwards. It's just, it brings back bad memories, and if anything the vampire said was true, then he's coming back ten fold stronger, and he's coming to finish off what the first started."

"I don't think that's possible." A deep, husky voice drifted from the hallway. All heads turned towards the entrance to see Dawn come into the kitchen with Rayne, a young girl she'd met at the mall some three months ago. It turned out Rayne was a vampire, but not the average run of the mill type. "Hey." She waved at them, taking an empty stool, and pulling Dawn closer.

"Hey Rayne, nice jacket." Kennedy complemented. She liked Rayne, she was an okay girl and she'd taught her alot in last few months since her arrival in Sunnydale.

"Thanks Kennedy. So what's this about Omega I hear?" she asks, shrugging off her jacket, coal black bangs waving about wildly with the smallest movement.

"Omega?" Dawn squeaks, squeezing Rayne's hand. "He's here?"

"No," Willow shakes her head, "but he will be. Apperantly the first had a back up plan, and Omega is in it."

"Well it can't be a big deal. The first was trying to open the hellmouth, as far as I'm concerned, the hellmouth is closed really good, like, it would take more than a crazy vampire to open it. It takes a serious deal of black magic to even crack the seal a tiny bit. And with the school collasped on to of it, well, I don't think the first was thinking straight." She concludes, her hazel green eyes flying from one end of the room to the other, seraching for something. "So where's the slayers?"

"Upstairs," Kennedy rolls her eyes, "probably sucking each other off."

"That sounds about right." Xander tears through the refrigerator.

"Good for me then," Rayne grins, yanking Dawn hard enough to make her fall into her arms, she nuzzels her cheek playfully, "that way big sis won't kick my ass for bringing you home so late."

Dawn giggles loudly, making Willow and Kennedy laugh as well, "Yeah well, she'll get over it."

"It's worth it." Rayne sets Dawn down, grabbing her jacket from its spot on the stool, "Well I'd better get going, patrol a little before I head home. Maybe I'll hear something about Omega."

"I'll walk you to the door." Dawn follows behind her, slipping her hand into hers. Rayne opens the front door, stepping out into the cool night air, a breeze bringing the scent of the night to her. "So, I'll see you tomorrow?" Dawn tippy toes to place a peck on her cheek.

Rayne smirks, a long milky white fang curving over her lip, making Dawn chuckle, she loves how Rayne has all the qualities of a vampire, minus the ugly face and yellow cat eyes, she truly is a beautiful creature of the night.

"You know I will Dawnie." She embraces her, playing with the little hairs at the back oh her neck. Sighing she pulls away, leaping off the porch and onto the sidewalk in record speed. "I'll be here first thing in the morning. Sweet dreams." she calls over her shoulder, quickly disappearing into the shadows.

Faith looks down on the sleeping Buffy on her cradled against her side, absently running her fingers through the soft blond hair, gazing into her sleeping face. She looks peaceful, and she's found out that she looks so much more innocent, so childlike when she's sleeping.

Too bad she can only achieve such state when she's unconscious. The weight of the world can do that to a girl, destroy her innocence, corrupt her, break her, make her into something she doesn't want to be. She knows this all to well, she's been there, done that, lived it, breathed it. She doesn't want the same thing for Buffy, not her beautiful girlfriend, not her fellow slayer.

A long exhasperated exhale resounds from her chest, and carefully, so as to not disturb the sleeping slayer, she gets off of the bed, already equipped with the knbowledge that sleep will not come to her tonight as the night before that and the one before that and so on. Creeping out of the room, she closes the door quietly, and makes her way downstairs, whre she can hear Kennedy and Willow still talking in the living room.

Another night of staying up, thinking and drowning on the memories.