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BtVS AU/AR › FemmeSlash - Female/Female › Buffy/Faith
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Adult ++
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Category:
BtVS AU/AR › FemmeSlash - Female/Female › Buffy/Faith
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
68
Views:
4,989
Reviews:
17
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BtVS), nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
XIX - Sounds of Silence (Part A)
XIX – Sounds of Silence
(Part A)
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Faith almost dumped the bike when her cell phone suddenly started vibrating against her breast. She pulled over quickly, and plucked the phone out of her sport's bra. At the time it had been the only place she could think of to put it where she knew without a doubt that she would feel it vibrate, because she sure as shit wouldn't have been able to hear it ring while she was riding the bike. 'Not too bright Faith,' she thought to herself.
"Faith we're okay! Faith?" Buffy voice rushed out to her over the phone before Faith even had a chance to say hello.
"Byousureyou'reokayDawn'sokayeveryonesokay..." Faith paused catching her breath, calming herself. "I... I... god... I was so scared for you, for Gamin. Are you really okay?"
"I am now. Now that I hear your voice, I miss you baby. God I wish you were here."
"I miss you too. I'm already on my way there. I ah... took Wesley's Harley." Faith smiled when she heard Buffy chuckle softly, "Want to tell me what happened this morning?"
"Well we were all, Willow, Tara, Dawn and I, we were at Tara's dorm room eating, talking..." As Buffy told Faith what happened that morning, she could hear Faith mumbling quietly. She knew that Faith was off on one her tirades. She could see it in her mind's eye, Faith pacing around the bike, throwing her free hand around gesturing, and mumbling to herself under her breath. It comforted Buffy in an odd sort of way.
"...if that truck hadn't come along I don't know what would have happened. I don't even know if I could have kept Glory at bay long enough for Dawn to get away, Faith..."
"We'll figure out something B. Don't worry I know we will."
"This is different Faith. This isn't a chaos demon, or the Master. We were made, called, chosen whatever the fuck you want to call it, to slay, defeat those things. Glory's an ex-god. It's like the difference between slaying a fledgling and Kakistos, only imaginat Kat Kakistos was a million times stronger. You understand what I'm saying Faith?"
"Yeah B, I do..." Only once since Faith had been called, had become a Slayer, when she had run from Kakistos, had she felt this type of deep down soul wrenching to the marrow of her bones fear. And now for the second time she felt that type of fear.
"They don't understand. No one else can understand, only you can...... This is the first time I've been afraid of anything I've had to face... I can't beat her... I can't beat Glory, Faith... I don't know what to do... what I can do."
"I don't know... B... I wish to the goddess that I did... Between Giles, the Scoobs, and us we'll figure out a way to take that bitch with the bad-hair down."
Buffy silently prayed that Faith was right. "You're right... How about you get back on that bike now, 'cause the sooner you get moving again the sooner you'll be here, with me. I'll call you if anything changes... For now we are going to stay here at Xander's and Anya's. Be careful on the bike please."
"I will, I promise. I miss you B. I can't wait to be with you, see you, hold you." Faith felt a little weird saying that given the situation with Glory, but fuck it, they were Slayers, since when had their lives even been remotely close to normal.
"Me too Faith... Me too..."
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Buffy stared out the window of Xander and Anya's apartment, her eyes scanning nervously for Glory and or any of her minions. Wishing that it would be Faith she saw roaring up on Wesley's Harley, but she knew even if Faith drove a hundred miles per hour that she couldn't make it here that quickly. She had finally gotten control of her fear, but just barely, hearing Faith's voice on the phone only a few seconds ago had a calming effect on her. Buffy's mind was racing a mile a minute, between yesterday and today she knew without any doubt that physically she could not beat Glory. Hell she could barely even hurt her, and the fear, which she thought she had conquered, began to nibble away again at her gut. Almost immediately she felt Faith surround her with calm, soothing thoughts, and Buffy leaned into those emotions, she idly listened to the conversation going on around her. Buffy participated half-heartedly her mind still working on a plan. She finally spoke when she made her decision.
"We can't fight her."
"W-well not yet, no, but..." Giles started, but Buffy cut him off.
"Not ever. She's too strong, Giles. We're not going to win this with spells or stakes or yanking out uranium power cores. She's a god and she's coming for us. So let's not be here when she starts knocking."
They all stared at her in surprise. Run? Buffy never ran from anything, not ever, not even the Master. Not even after she found out the Prophesy said it was her destiny to die when she went after the Master.
"Run away?!? Finally a sensible plan."
"That's not what she meant." Xander told Anya, before looking at Buffy and asking her, "Is it?"
Buffy was fried, tired, scared, she hadn't a clue what to do. One thing she knew for sure was they couldn't beat Glory, not right now, and she doubted if they ever could. "We can't stay here. Glory will kill us off one by one until there's nobody standing between her and Dawn."
"Buffy, we all understand the severity of the situation, but there must be another way."
"No! We stay -- we die! Show of hands for that option?" Buffy's voice was harsh, bitter and laced with a little bit of defeat. The room was still, the silence so loud it hurt her ears. "All right. Nobody goes home, nobody tells anyone we're leaving. We grab whatever supplies we can and that's it... we're gone."
"Cool. Won't have to study for that geometry test." Dawn tried to keep the fear out of her voice. The fact that her sister was scared and willing to run, frightened her more then facing Glory.
"What about wheels? I don't think everybody's gonna fit in the Xan-mobile."
"Just get your stuff together. I'll take care of it."
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"B..."
"Yeah, baby. We've got a plan..."
"What?"
"Run..."
"Sounds good to me. I've had a lot of experience at it." Faith laughed, but it was a sad laugh, because the truth was, she did.
"We need to get as far away from here as possible. There's that motel about an hour from here on the highway. It's a lot like the one you stayed at here in Sunnydale, you know the one I'm talking about?"
"Fraid so."
"Head there, get a room, some rest. We'll met you there or if you're not there when we get there we'll meet somewhere in-between where we are and you are. Faith don't come back here, it's too dangerous. Promise me Faith. Promise me you won't come back here and try and take on Glory by yourself." Buffy closed her eyes and concentrated on Faith, on what she was feeling from Faith. She was afraid that Faith would do exactly what she just asked her not to do. Would do it because she wanted to protect them, because she loved them and both of them knew it.
"I promise B."
"Swear to me Faith. I couldn't handle it if something happened to you."
"I promise. I swear I won't go after Glory." 'At least not right now,' Faith thought to herself. She heard Buffy's sigh of relief. Nope. Faith wouldn't go after Gloow, ow, she would wait until they could both kick the bitch's ass together, she wouldn't deny Buffy that satisfaction.
"Okay. Then I'll see you in a while. Be careful..."
"You too B."
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Buffy returned to her post at the window again after she got off the phone she stared out into the street, her arms wrapped tightly around her, and a slight slump to her shoulders. She was tired, she was scared, she felt very alone and wished again for the millionth time that Faith were here with her.
As they saw her turn back to the window, a little rough around the edges, isolated from them, a little bit of the hope they had been clinging to that they would all get out of this in one piece, died.
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Ben had changed into his own clothes, his body hurt from whatever had been inflicted upon Glory. One of the many perks of sharing a body with an ex-God. He made his way downstairs and was greeted by one of Her-Fucked-Up-Royal-Highnesses minions. Although this one looked like the rest, she was female. The minion, Gronx, Ben remembered, chatted with him, trying to get any information she could out of him. Slowly his anger rose until he couldn't contain it any longer.
"Glory! Her name is Glory. And she's your god, you little scab. Not mine."
"With all due respect and fear of sharp objects, you exist, sir, only because of her divine greatness."
"You mean her divine failure, don't you?" Ben was rewarded with an angry glare for his last comment. He got up and started pacing, still talking, "I didn't ask for any of this. I just want to be normal."
"We play the hand we're dealt."
"Nothing's mine, is it? This body, this life. It's all infected. The only thing I've ever cared about she's taken away from me." Ben paused when he saw his medical bag sitting on the end table. "You know why I wanted to become a doctor?"
"Flattering drawstring pants?"
"To be close to people. To witness their lives and their deaths. To be there, alongside them, a part of everyday humanity." Ben laughed bitterly and sighed, sitting again. "Or maybe it was the drugs." He got up again and walked past Gronx, she rose and followed him.
"Drugs, sir?"
"Find the right combination... keep her buried where she belongs..."
"Impossible! Her magnificence can never be fully contained! She is a perfect, all-encompassing light... one you should feel honored to be bathed in."
"Oh yeah, I'm thrilled. Especially with the part where she gets her Key back and I cease to exist."
"True, this oh so appealing form... will by necessity be shrugged off..."
"Not if I get to the Key first."
Gronx was stunned; she didn't think he had it in him. The boy was changing; she would need to tell Glory of this. "And if you did? What then?" She softened her tone before continuing, "But could you do it? Take a human life ... with your own hands?" She didn't miss the way Ben squirmed a little, as if he were fighting his own internal demons. She softened her tone a little bit more 'til it was almost cloying. "Oblivion is such a small inconvenience in the service of a deity. Accept your fate. I mean, you said it yourself. This life was never really yours anyway, was it?"
"It doesn't matter how I came by it. It's mine." Everything about him became darker, as if a part of Glory now existed within the part of their shared body that was just Ben's soul. "And I plan on keeping it."
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They had red thd their brother-in-arms from the hospital. Checking him out of the Psych Ward, the same ward where Tara had been kept overnight after Glory had brainsucked her. In fact, the nurses and the Doctors had been whispering amongst themselves over the influx of mental patients with the same symptoms. Dante and the other knight took their freed brother, Orlando, out to the woods where the rest of their brothers waited.
Impatiently he watched and waited for them. He was a very large man, his face weather beaten by the years. Numerous scars covered one side of his face forming an intricate spider web. There was a tattoo on his forehead like the others; only his was bigger, more ornate, signifying the mark of a commander. His name was Gregor, and he was the General in command of the Knights of Byzantium, Knights whose sole purpose in life was to destroy the Key.
Gregor spoke briefly with Orlando, offering him the comfort of one soldier to another. He turned and began walking away. He stopped abruptly, turning back to Orlando when he heard him say, "All shiny. Pretty little Key."
"The Key? You've seen it?!"
"Pretty little shiny girl..."
"The monks. They've made it human." Gregor practically spit it out, putting it all together.
"We know the Slayer is protecting the Key. If what Orlando says is true ..." Dante looked at the General while he spoke and saw that he had already put two and two together.
Gregor turned around facing the woods. "Prepare to advance," He yelled to the twenty plus men mounted on horseback at the edge of the woods. "We end this. Now." There wasn't the slightest hint of mercy in his voice.
Xander and Faith would have agreed that the Knights looked like something straight out of a slightly warped Camelot.
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They were driving along the outskirts of town in Spike's beaten, rundown Winnebago. It was dim and gloomy inside of the Winnie with all of the shades drawn. Tinfoil covered the windshield, reflecting the light back out. A small hole had been made in the tinfoil so Giles could see where he was going. After the initial protest by the others over Spike even being with them, which Buffy squashed by saying he was the only one right here and now, besides her, who stood a chance of protecting Dawn from Glory, they had all settled in.
Buffy was in the back of the camper, listening to them as they bickered like brothers and sisters. As odd a group as they were...
A hacker, a computer genius, who was also a powerful Witch in her own right, her best friend. A friend who chose to stay and fight the good fight, even though she could have gone far away from here. Did it because it was right, did it because she wanted to. A Witch whose powers grew stronger everyday, a Witch whose first love was a Werewolf, a Witch who was now in love with another Witch.
Another Witch, with a pure heart, who had sacrificed herself to keep the Key safe. Who had sacrificed herself to keep them all safe. The Witch who was in love with the other Witch.
A Watcher, a man of books, of learning, the scholar, an anchor in the storm. Who once had come close to belonging to the dark side, a Warlock in his own right and a man who had been and still was like a father to them all.
A twelve-hundred-year-old ex-vengeance demon, who had become human and found a family, a place, and love with another among them.
Her sister, who wasn't really her sister, who was the Key in human form. Sought after by a god who wanted her Key and by Knights who wanted to destroy both the Key and the god. A Key that cried real tears, bled real blood, felt love, and gave love in return. A Key, who was her sister, real or not. A Key that was as real to them as they all were to each other.
A mere human who had a heart of gold, and more courage then all of them put together and a soul so pure that even an ex-vengeance demon could love it.
A vampire with a chip in his head that kept him from killing but could not make him be good or love, they were things he had proven and done on his own. Making her wonder if he really didn't have a soul, or if it had been merely sleeping and had been forced awake after the chip had been put in his head.
A two-hundred-plus-year-old vampire with a Soul. Who had been her first love, who sought redemption, who sought peace, who had helped to save the other half of the Chosen Two, and had found a kindred spirit there.
The other Watcher who had learned that doing things by-the-book was not always the best way. And now worked with the vampire with a soul and had become more then just a Watcher. He had become a force to be reckoned with in the war for good.
The ex-high-school-cheerleader, who had learned there were more important things in the world than money. Whose pain-wracked visions helped to save the innocent, helped the vampire with a soul find his redemption, helped those who could not help themselves.
A street kid who had been fighting the good fight before any of them and now fought with them. Finding a place in the light, and like the other mere human had a pure heart and soul, and courage enough to rival the best among them.
Then there was her, one of the Chosen Two, who had started out as the Chosen One and now would not have it any other way. The protector of them all, a force for good, a force against evil, a woman whose first love had been a vampire with a soul, a woman in love with another woman.
Lastly, there was the other of the Chosen Two who wasn't here with them now. A woman had been told her whole life that she was a mistake, was second best, and not loved, but had proven them all wrong. A woman who stood, like her, for all that was good, a force against evil. The woman she was in love with and who loved her in return. She was a shining bright light in the darkness, and the keeper of her heart and soul.
...they were a family, her family, just like she was theirs.
Buffy looked out the rear window of the Winnie hoping to see a Harley flying down the road towards them, but all she saw was that they had left the outskirts of town, and had just turned onto a highway.
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Buffy could hear Tara in the main cabin of the Winnie becoming agitated.
"All the light... gone."
"No, baby. It's still light outside. Shh ..." Willow voice was soothing, comforting, and ineffective.
"...dark....... all dark ..." Tara continued to chant growing more agitated.
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In the Psych Ward of Sunnydale General Hospital, the patients began to stir. They all had the same glazed look as Tara, they were sweating, their bodies glistening palely, sickly in the hospital's harsh fluorescent lights. They were fidgeting against their restraints, murmuring softly to themselvto tto the empty air. Murmuring to an exiled god perhaps?
"Dark."
"All dark."
"Soon."
"Dark."
"Soon..."
"Soon... soon," murmuring together, over and over again.
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In Glory's apartment, the human-rat-like minion Gronx had drawn mystical symbols upon the floor in blood. Lit black candles formed a circle around the symbols. Gronx and Murk sat across from each on the edge of the circle of candles. Gronx cast Runic Stones into the circle. She looked intently at them, her face becoming rapturous.
"It's coming! ......The signs are in alignment. Soon victory will be in our grasp. All we need do is seize the moment... and squeeze until it bleeds." Gronx her pointy teeth flashing, smiled a very dark smile.
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They were on a dirt road that ran through the desert, surrounded by miles upoles les of nothing. In the far off distance the mountains rose up out of the ground, the peaks hidden by cloud cover, they beckoned to her, promising safety. She let the blind drop back into place throwing the rear cabin of the Winnie back into it previous gloomy mood. She leaned against the wall as she sat on the bed, she was tired, she had nothing left, she was spent, physically, emotionally. Buffy turned her head when she heard the door slide open, and saw her sister peeking in smiling at her shyly.
"Hey. I think Anya's gonna try to cook. Wanna come watch the tears and recriminations?"
"Maybe later," Buffy voice was listless, she smiled weakly at Dawn.
Dawn looked at her sister, who seemed so defeated, so bone weary tired, she turned to go, then hesitantly, softly, she said, "Thank you."
"For what?"
"You know. Pretty much... everything."
"Yeah. I'm doing a great job." Buffy's tone betrayed her feelings of incompetence.
"You are." Dawn tried to convey with those two words, that she believed in Buffy even if Buffy didn't believe in herself.
"I'm the Slayer. The Chosen one, well one of the Chosen One's of the Chosen Two, all mythic and defendery. Evil Nasties are supposed to flee from me, not the other way around."
"You're not fleeing. You're... moving at a brisk pace."
"Quaintly referred to in some cultures as the Big Scaredy Run Away."
Dawn sat down next to her sister, she looked her in the eyes, her expression was serious, her voice sincere. "It's the most amazing thing anyone's ever done for me."
But Buffy wasn't sure that she believed that anymore. Maybe now she understood why Slayers didn't have a long life span. The weight of slaying had taken its toll on her, making her feel years older then she actually was. "It just... keeps coming. Glory... Riley... Tara... Mom..." Buffy barely managed to get the word Mom out, she still felt like there was something she could have done. Still felt her Mom's loss, like it had only happened yesterday.
"I know," Dawn's voice was soft, soothing, as if she were the older sister, not the other way around. "But there's a bright side."
"There is?"
"Yeah. At least things can't get any crazier, right?"
They both jumped as an arrow came flying through the window less than a second after Dawn had finished speaking. lodglodged in the wall close to Buffy's head. Dawn looked at it in shock, her first thought was that it had just missed her sister. Buffy turned looking at Dawn, a smile, more of a smirk forming on her lips; she was a little amused by this, sort of.
"You know this is your fault for saying that."
Dawn shot her sister a look not finding the humor in her remark.
Buffy pulled aside a corner of the blind and saw about twenty Knights on horseback, they were a few hundred feet behind them but closing fast. Buffy let out a sigh and rose quickly, she rushed into the main cabin, Dawn right behind her.
"Giles!" Buffy yelled.
"I see them," he told her grimly, as he glanced once again at the side view mirror.
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Faith was pacing round and round the small hotel room. Patience was not one of her many endearing traits. She had made it to the hotel in record time. Now she had to wait. Wait and wonder, because she couldn't call B. Because B didn't have a cell phone, in fact none of the Scoobs had one. Something Faith decided was going to be rectified as soon as possible, even if it meant she had to use her last penny doing it!
She had been trying to block sending her anger, her fear, to Buffy. Instead, she had been concentrating on sending only her strength, comfort and love to Buffy. She could feel the sadness, the weariness that Buffy was feeling, and she understood it, understood it because she was a Slayer too. She remembered a word that described what it was that Buffy was feeling and what Faith had felt for most of her life. Ennui, it meant world-weariness, and sometimes being a Slayer did that to you.
Faith stopped pacing the minute she felt it. It was an adrenaline rush, and Buffy was having one, there was trouble. But this time she didn't feel any fear. Calmly she laid down on the bed and just let herself go with it, sending her energy, strength, and encouragement to Buffy. The Slayer in her calling out to the Slayer in Buffy cheering her on.
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General chaos ensued seconds after Buffy and Dawn busted into the main cabin of the Winnie. Buffy got Dawn down and under a table as arrows from the Knights riddled the Winnie.
'Fucking pointy flying wooden sticks! Hate them! Hate them! Bloody fucking HATE them!'
"Weapons!?" Giles yelled to everyone and anyone, after an arrow pierced the side of the Winnie just missing his head.
"Hello! You're driving one!" 'Bloody stupid Watcher!'
"Don't hurt the horsies!"
"We won't." Buffy yelled - 'Rightttt, Will, whatever you say!' - she leaned down and whispered in Giles ear, "Aim for the horsies," and Giles did swerving the Winnie hard to the left.
They were being bounced and tossed all over the Winnie as it sped down the bumpy dirt road.
Xander felt the nausea rising up in him again. Oh shit, he was going to be sick! "Did we shake 'em?" He asked jaw clenched, trying not to vomit. He jumped a half a foot when a broadsword pierced the roof inches from his head.
Everyone dove covecover as the Knight on the roof started thrusting the broadsword through the Winnie's roof in random spots. Everyone except Buffy, who yelled out needlessly, "Stay low! Watch out for..."
Spike lunged for the sword, grabbing it a second before it would have stabbed Buffy in the head. She ducked but she knew that if it wasn't for Spike she might be dead right now. He hung onto it for dear un-dead life, hissing in pain through his teeth. He continued to hold it as it sliced his hands, even as the Knight tried to pull it free.
"Now mibe abe a good time for something heroic." Spike hissed at Buffy.
Buffy scanned the roof and spotted the hatch. Shit, she was too short to reach it! "Xander! Hatch!" Xander was lifting her up to the hatch almost before she had finished speaking. She smiled, feeling Faith cheering her on, feeling Faith wishing that she was there. Some things change, some things stay the same, and Faith always did like a good fight. Buffy punched out the hatch and scrambled up onto the roof.
She sneaked up behind the Knight, as he pulled his sword free, and Spike screamed bloody murder from the pain. The Knight saw her shadow as she crept up behind him; he swung his sword at her. Buffy ducked anckedcked away as he swung at her again, lowering her center of gravity, she swept his feet out from under him. She came down on top of him, blocking another thrust of the sword, popped him and the sword fell from his hand. She hit him with a few left and right crosses, finally he managed to block her and get in a punch of his own. They wrestled, he managed to kick her in thed and and Buffy felt herself falling over the side of the Winnie.
'Fuck me!'
She grabbed onto the railing, hanging there, another Knight approaching her on horseback. The Knight on the roof crouched low pulling back his arm to punch her. She sent him flying as she kicked upward, and then vaulted herself back onto the roof. They stood facing off aga eac each other. Using grabbling hooks another Knight began to climb up onto the roof; Buffy ignored him, concentrating instead on the one standing in front of her. She punched him hard, following up with a spinning roundhouse kick, sending him sailing off the roof screaming. She felt a Yay B! come to her from Faith.
She turned and faced the two Knights who had crawled up onto the roof. One had an axe, the other a morning star. Feinting at the one with the morning star, she hit the other Knight with a fist-hammer punch, following up with a front-thrust-kick at the Knight with the morning star. Then hit the first Knight with a spinning roundhouse kick, ducking and turning she took a blow on her back, and returned the blow with a fist-hammer punch. Steeling herself she back-flipped, then hit them both with a double jumping-front-kick to the face.
Bending down fast, she picked up the broadsword the other Knight had dropped, twirling it. The Knight swung the morning star at her; she blocked the swing with the sword and the chain from the morning star wrapped around it. Using that, she yanked the Knight towards her. The Knight with the axe tried to come up behind her, and she back-kicked him away from her. She spun the Knight with the morning star around using the sword, using a knee-strike, she kicked him the stomach, letting go of the sword and sending him off the roof of the camper.
She turned ducking, as the axe whistled harmlessly over her head, she hit the Knight in the chest with a hard kick. She grabbed the hand with the axe, and then hit him with a four-knuckle punch. She turned slightly hearing another Knight climbing up the side of the Winnie, the Knight with the axe grabbed her from behind. Swinging down she hit the hand holding the axe. Screaming in pain the Knight let go of the axe, which Buffy caught before it could hit the ground. Spinning she swung the axe at him, he barely ducked in time. She let go with a knife-edge kick, sending him too off the roof. Turning quickly she threw the axe at the Knight just topping the Winnie, it slammed into his chest knocking him from the ladder.
Buffy stood, her breathing rapid, erratic, hard. She looked down the road behind the moving Winnie and saw that the road behind them was empty. She had defeated all of the Knights. 'Yay me!' she thought as she tried slowing down her breathing. It felt good to have finally kicked some ass, instead of getting her ass kicked!
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Faith was lying on the bed, pillows propped up behind her. Her eyere ere moving rapidly behind her closed lids, almost as if she was asleep and dreaming.
"Ye fucking ha! Ride em' cowboys!" She mumbled to the empty room. Now that was weird, how was it that she knew there were horses... and... Knights? It seemed that their odd echoing was expanding, she was still feeling Buffy's emotions but she was also getting vague impressions too. It was weird, sort of. It was like the echo she was getting was not only what Buffy felt als also of what Buffy felt when she saw a horse and Faith couldn't explain it. These new types of 'echoes' were forming a sort of pattern. And Faith was getting the feeling of what a horse was rather then actually seeing it through Buffy's eyes, and her mind was creating the image for her. She couldn't read Buffy's thoughts but she was sort of feeling them now too. It was almost like watching an odd sort of cartoon in her mind. Whatever it was, she just went with it, not questioning the connection anymore.
"Woo Hoo! You go B! Kick their asses!" Faith yelled out like a little kid.
Buffy was kicking some serious ass, and loving every minute of it, and Faith felt it. The adrenaline rush, blood pumping hard and roaring in your ears, the satisfaction that came with executing a move perfectly, the way your body moved gracefully and sensuously, muscles tightening, flexing, stretching, reacting without thought, letting just pure instinct take over.
Faith threw a right cross then a left cross at the empty air. Then she kicked out, sweeping imaginary feet out from under the ghost in her head. Her actions a second behind what Buffy was doing, it was almost like being there with her. Ut-oh, there were two of them now, but Buffy wasn't sweating it, and neither was Faith. Damn but she wished she was there!
It was over almost as quickly as it started. Faith could almost feel the wind whipping through her own hair. She felt the satisfaction that Buffy was feeling, and she smiled knowing that some of Buffy's self-confidence had been restored, she sent B that smile.
'That was wicked cool. You rock B!'
Damn but she was hungry! And how fucked up was she? 'Cause she felt horny too, even though she really hadn't fought. Then again she couldn't be all that fucked up, 'cause Buffy was feeling that way too.
'Always knew B, that slaying made ya hungry and horny!'
The Chosen Two, one in the hotel room, the other standing on top of the moving the Winnebago, realized they were both feeling the same way, smiled in sync, and savored the moment.
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It was quiet inside of the Winnie, Giles glanced in the side view mirror and saw that there weren't anymore Knights behind them, he gave a sigh of relief.
He glanced back over his shoulder at the Scoobs and asked, "Everyone aightight?" He returned his gaze to the road smiling slightly it appeared that they were all, for the most part, no worse for the wear and tear. His eyes opened wide in surprise and horror when he saw what or rather who was coming right at the Winnie.
A Knight on horseback was heading straight for them. The Knight raised his arm and tossed a spear right at the front windshield, Giles twisted the wheel trying to avoid the spear as it came hurdling at him. It shattered the windshield and impaled Giles before he could get out of the way. He slumped over the wheel, passing out, and the Winnie went hurtling recklessly down the road of cof control.
The Winnie veered off the road, bouncing, and lurching over potholes; it hit the loose gravel hard and began to tilt, starting to tip over.
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Buffy was standing on the roof of the Winnie. [Faith shared Buffy's enjoyment of the wind blowing through her hair and their shared arousal from the fight.] She was struggling to stay on both her feet and the roof of the Winnie, as it swerved shitthitthitting potholes and jostling her. [Faith felt the confusion roll over Buffy, and her struggle to stay on the roof.]
Buffy leaped off the roof. [She felt Buffy's sensation of flying through the air.] Buffy landed hard, rolling, until she finally sat up, turning to look at the Winnie down the road from her. [Faith got 'echoes' of pain, and a jarring in her bones, as Buffy landed hard on the side of the dirt road.] Buffy watched as the Winnie careened out of control and tipped over, skidding in the dirt on its side. [An echo of fear for Dawn, Giles and the Scoobs streaked through Faith, and she shuddered in horror with Buffy, and felt as Buffy leaned into her seeking her strength.]
'What the fuck just happened?' Both Slayers thought in sync.
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Continued in Chapter XIX – Sounds of Silence (Part B)
(Part A)
Faith almost dumped the bike when her cell phone suddenly started vibrating against her breast. She pulled over quickly, and plucked the phone out of her sport's bra. At the time it had been the only place she could think of to put it where she knew without a doubt that she would feel it vibrate, because she sure as shit wouldn't have been able to hear it ring while she was riding the bike. 'Not too bright Faith,' she thought to herself.
"Faith we're okay! Faith?" Buffy voice rushed out to her over the phone before Faith even had a chance to say hello.
"Byousureyou'reokayDawn'sokayeveryonesokay..." Faith paused catching her breath, calming herself. "I... I... god... I was so scared for you, for Gamin. Are you really okay?"
"I am now. Now that I hear your voice, I miss you baby. God I wish you were here."
"I miss you too. I'm already on my way there. I ah... took Wesley's Harley." Faith smiled when she heard Buffy chuckle softly, "Want to tell me what happened this morning?"
"Well we were all, Willow, Tara, Dawn and I, we were at Tara's dorm room eating, talking..." As Buffy told Faith what happened that morning, she could hear Faith mumbling quietly. She knew that Faith was off on one her tirades. She could see it in her mind's eye, Faith pacing around the bike, throwing her free hand around gesturing, and mumbling to herself under her breath. It comforted Buffy in an odd sort of way.
"...if that truck hadn't come along I don't know what would have happened. I don't even know if I could have kept Glory at bay long enough for Dawn to get away, Faith..."
"We'll figure out something B. Don't worry I know we will."
"This is different Faith. This isn't a chaos demon, or the Master. We were made, called, chosen whatever the fuck you want to call it, to slay, defeat those things. Glory's an ex-god. It's like the difference between slaying a fledgling and Kakistos, only imaginat Kat Kakistos was a million times stronger. You understand what I'm saying Faith?"
"Yeah B, I do..." Only once since Faith had been called, had become a Slayer, when she had run from Kakistos, had she felt this type of deep down soul wrenching to the marrow of her bones fear. And now for the second time she felt that type of fear.
"They don't understand. No one else can understand, only you can...... This is the first time I've been afraid of anything I've had to face... I can't beat her... I can't beat Glory, Faith... I don't know what to do... what I can do."
"I don't know... B... I wish to the goddess that I did... Between Giles, the Scoobs, and us we'll figure out a way to take that bitch with the bad-hair down."
Buffy silently prayed that Faith was right. "You're right... How about you get back on that bike now, 'cause the sooner you get moving again the sooner you'll be here, with me. I'll call you if anything changes... For now we are going to stay here at Xander's and Anya's. Be careful on the bike please."
"I will, I promise. I miss you B. I can't wait to be with you, see you, hold you." Faith felt a little weird saying that given the situation with Glory, but fuck it, they were Slayers, since when had their lives even been remotely close to normal.
"Me too Faith... Me too..."
Buffy stared out the window of Xander and Anya's apartment, her eyes scanning nervously for Glory and or any of her minions. Wishing that it would be Faith she saw roaring up on Wesley's Harley, but she knew even if Faith drove a hundred miles per hour that she couldn't make it here that quickly. She had finally gotten control of her fear, but just barely, hearing Faith's voice on the phone only a few seconds ago had a calming effect on her. Buffy's mind was racing a mile a minute, between yesterday and today she knew without any doubt that physically she could not beat Glory. Hell she could barely even hurt her, and the fear, which she thought she had conquered, began to nibble away again at her gut. Almost immediately she felt Faith surround her with calm, soothing thoughts, and Buffy leaned into those emotions, she idly listened to the conversation going on around her. Buffy participated half-heartedly her mind still working on a plan. She finally spoke when she made her decision.
"We can't fight her."
"W-well not yet, no, but..." Giles started, but Buffy cut him off.
"Not ever. She's too strong, Giles. We're not going to win this with spells or stakes or yanking out uranium power cores. She's a god and she's coming for us. So let's not be here when she starts knocking."
They all stared at her in surprise. Run? Buffy never ran from anything, not ever, not even the Master. Not even after she found out the Prophesy said it was her destiny to die when she went after the Master.
"Run away?!? Finally a sensible plan."
"That's not what she meant." Xander told Anya, before looking at Buffy and asking her, "Is it?"
Buffy was fried, tired, scared, she hadn't a clue what to do. One thing she knew for sure was they couldn't beat Glory, not right now, and she doubted if they ever could. "We can't stay here. Glory will kill us off one by one until there's nobody standing between her and Dawn."
"Buffy, we all understand the severity of the situation, but there must be another way."
"No! We stay -- we die! Show of hands for that option?" Buffy's voice was harsh, bitter and laced with a little bit of defeat. The room was still, the silence so loud it hurt her ears. "All right. Nobody goes home, nobody tells anyone we're leaving. We grab whatever supplies we can and that's it... we're gone."
"Cool. Won't have to study for that geometry test." Dawn tried to keep the fear out of her voice. The fact that her sister was scared and willing to run, frightened her more then facing Glory.
"What about wheels? I don't think everybody's gonna fit in the Xan-mobile."
"Just get your stuff together. I'll take care of it."
"B..."
"Yeah, baby. We've got a plan..."
"What?"
"Run..."
"Sounds good to me. I've had a lot of experience at it." Faith laughed, but it was a sad laugh, because the truth was, she did.
"We need to get as far away from here as possible. There's that motel about an hour from here on the highway. It's a lot like the one you stayed at here in Sunnydale, you know the one I'm talking about?"
"Fraid so."
"Head there, get a room, some rest. We'll met you there or if you're not there when we get there we'll meet somewhere in-between where we are and you are. Faith don't come back here, it's too dangerous. Promise me Faith. Promise me you won't come back here and try and take on Glory by yourself." Buffy closed her eyes and concentrated on Faith, on what she was feeling from Faith. She was afraid that Faith would do exactly what she just asked her not to do. Would do it because she wanted to protect them, because she loved them and both of them knew it.
"I promise B."
"Swear to me Faith. I couldn't handle it if something happened to you."
"I promise. I swear I won't go after Glory." 'At least not right now,' Faith thought to herself. She heard Buffy's sigh of relief. Nope. Faith wouldn't go after Gloow, ow, she would wait until they could both kick the bitch's ass together, she wouldn't deny Buffy that satisfaction.
"Okay. Then I'll see you in a while. Be careful..."
"You too B."
Buffy returned to her post at the window again after she got off the phone she stared out into the street, her arms wrapped tightly around her, and a slight slump to her shoulders. She was tired, she was scared, she felt very alone and wished again for the millionth time that Faith were here with her.
As they saw her turn back to the window, a little rough around the edges, isolated from them, a little bit of the hope they had been clinging to that they would all get out of this in one piece, died.
Ben had changed into his own clothes, his body hurt from whatever had been inflicted upon Glory. One of the many perks of sharing a body with an ex-God. He made his way downstairs and was greeted by one of Her-Fucked-Up-Royal-Highnesses minions. Although this one looked like the rest, she was female. The minion, Gronx, Ben remembered, chatted with him, trying to get any information she could out of him. Slowly his anger rose until he couldn't contain it any longer.
"Glory! Her name is Glory. And she's your god, you little scab. Not mine."
"With all due respect and fear of sharp objects, you exist, sir, only because of her divine greatness."
"You mean her divine failure, don't you?" Ben was rewarded with an angry glare for his last comment. He got up and started pacing, still talking, "I didn't ask for any of this. I just want to be normal."
"We play the hand we're dealt."
"Nothing's mine, is it? This body, this life. It's all infected. The only thing I've ever cared about she's taken away from me." Ben paused when he saw his medical bag sitting on the end table. "You know why I wanted to become a doctor?"
"Flattering drawstring pants?"
"To be close to people. To witness their lives and their deaths. To be there, alongside them, a part of everyday humanity." Ben laughed bitterly and sighed, sitting again. "Or maybe it was the drugs." He got up again and walked past Gronx, she rose and followed him.
"Drugs, sir?"
"Find the right combination... keep her buried where she belongs..."
"Impossible! Her magnificence can never be fully contained! She is a perfect, all-encompassing light... one you should feel honored to be bathed in."
"Oh yeah, I'm thrilled. Especially with the part where she gets her Key back and I cease to exist."
"True, this oh so appealing form... will by necessity be shrugged off..."
"Not if I get to the Key first."
Gronx was stunned; she didn't think he had it in him. The boy was changing; she would need to tell Glory of this. "And if you did? What then?" She softened her tone before continuing, "But could you do it? Take a human life ... with your own hands?" She didn't miss the way Ben squirmed a little, as if he were fighting his own internal demons. She softened her tone a little bit more 'til it was almost cloying. "Oblivion is such a small inconvenience in the service of a deity. Accept your fate. I mean, you said it yourself. This life was never really yours anyway, was it?"
"It doesn't matter how I came by it. It's mine." Everything about him became darker, as if a part of Glory now existed within the part of their shared body that was just Ben's soul. "And I plan on keeping it."
They had red thd their brother-in-arms from the hospital. Checking him out of the Psych Ward, the same ward where Tara had been kept overnight after Glory had brainsucked her. In fact, the nurses and the Doctors had been whispering amongst themselves over the influx of mental patients with the same symptoms. Dante and the other knight took their freed brother, Orlando, out to the woods where the rest of their brothers waited.
Impatiently he watched and waited for them. He was a very large man, his face weather beaten by the years. Numerous scars covered one side of his face forming an intricate spider web. There was a tattoo on his forehead like the others; only his was bigger, more ornate, signifying the mark of a commander. His name was Gregor, and he was the General in command of the Knights of Byzantium, Knights whose sole purpose in life was to destroy the Key.
Gregor spoke briefly with Orlando, offering him the comfort of one soldier to another. He turned and began walking away. He stopped abruptly, turning back to Orlando when he heard him say, "All shiny. Pretty little Key."
"The Key? You've seen it?!"
"Pretty little shiny girl..."
"The monks. They've made it human." Gregor practically spit it out, putting it all together.
"We know the Slayer is protecting the Key. If what Orlando says is true ..." Dante looked at the General while he spoke and saw that he had already put two and two together.
Gregor turned around facing the woods. "Prepare to advance," He yelled to the twenty plus men mounted on horseback at the edge of the woods. "We end this. Now." There wasn't the slightest hint of mercy in his voice.
Xander and Faith would have agreed that the Knights looked like something straight out of a slightly warped Camelot.
They were driving along the outskirts of town in Spike's beaten, rundown Winnebago. It was dim and gloomy inside of the Winnie with all of the shades drawn. Tinfoil covered the windshield, reflecting the light back out. A small hole had been made in the tinfoil so Giles could see where he was going. After the initial protest by the others over Spike even being with them, which Buffy squashed by saying he was the only one right here and now, besides her, who stood a chance of protecting Dawn from Glory, they had all settled in.
Buffy was in the back of the camper, listening to them as they bickered like brothers and sisters. As odd a group as they were...
A hacker, a computer genius, who was also a powerful Witch in her own right, her best friend. A friend who chose to stay and fight the good fight, even though she could have gone far away from here. Did it because it was right, did it because she wanted to. A Witch whose powers grew stronger everyday, a Witch whose first love was a Werewolf, a Witch who was now in love with another Witch.
Another Witch, with a pure heart, who had sacrificed herself to keep the Key safe. Who had sacrificed herself to keep them all safe. The Witch who was in love with the other Witch.
A Watcher, a man of books, of learning, the scholar, an anchor in the storm. Who once had come close to belonging to the dark side, a Warlock in his own right and a man who had been and still was like a father to them all.
A twelve-hundred-year-old ex-vengeance demon, who had become human and found a family, a place, and love with another among them.
Her sister, who wasn't really her sister, who was the Key in human form. Sought after by a god who wanted her Key and by Knights who wanted to destroy both the Key and the god. A Key that cried real tears, bled real blood, felt love, and gave love in return. A Key, who was her sister, real or not. A Key that was as real to them as they all were to each other.
A mere human who had a heart of gold, and more courage then all of them put together and a soul so pure that even an ex-vengeance demon could love it.
A vampire with a chip in his head that kept him from killing but could not make him be good or love, they were things he had proven and done on his own. Making her wonder if he really didn't have a soul, or if it had been merely sleeping and had been forced awake after the chip had been put in his head.
A two-hundred-plus-year-old vampire with a Soul. Who had been her first love, who sought redemption, who sought peace, who had helped to save the other half of the Chosen Two, and had found a kindred spirit there.
The other Watcher who had learned that doing things by-the-book was not always the best way. And now worked with the vampire with a soul and had become more then just a Watcher. He had become a force to be reckoned with in the war for good.
The ex-high-school-cheerleader, who had learned there were more important things in the world than money. Whose pain-wracked visions helped to save the innocent, helped the vampire with a soul find his redemption, helped those who could not help themselves.
A street kid who had been fighting the good fight before any of them and now fought with them. Finding a place in the light, and like the other mere human had a pure heart and soul, and courage enough to rival the best among them.
Then there was her, one of the Chosen Two, who had started out as the Chosen One and now would not have it any other way. The protector of them all, a force for good, a force against evil, a woman whose first love had been a vampire with a soul, a woman in love with another woman.
Lastly, there was the other of the Chosen Two who wasn't here with them now. A woman had been told her whole life that she was a mistake, was second best, and not loved, but had proven them all wrong. A woman who stood, like her, for all that was good, a force against evil. The woman she was in love with and who loved her in return. She was a shining bright light in the darkness, and the keeper of her heart and soul.
...they were a family, her family, just like she was theirs.
Buffy looked out the rear window of the Winnie hoping to see a Harley flying down the road towards them, but all she saw was that they had left the outskirts of town, and had just turned onto a highway.
Buffy could hear Tara in the main cabin of the Winnie becoming agitated.
"All the light... gone."
"No, baby. It's still light outside. Shh ..." Willow voice was soothing, comforting, and ineffective.
"...dark....... all dark ..." Tara continued to chant growing more agitated.
In the Psych Ward of Sunnydale General Hospital, the patients began to stir. They all had the same glazed look as Tara, they were sweating, their bodies glistening palely, sickly in the hospital's harsh fluorescent lights. They were fidgeting against their restraints, murmuring softly to themselvto tto the empty air. Murmuring to an exiled god perhaps?
"Dark."
"All dark."
"Soon."
"Dark."
"Soon..."
"Soon... soon," murmuring together, over and over again.
In Glory's apartment, the human-rat-like minion Gronx had drawn mystical symbols upon the floor in blood. Lit black candles formed a circle around the symbols. Gronx and Murk sat across from each on the edge of the circle of candles. Gronx cast Runic Stones into the circle. She looked intently at them, her face becoming rapturous.
"It's coming! ......The signs are in alignment. Soon victory will be in our grasp. All we need do is seize the moment... and squeeze until it bleeds." Gronx her pointy teeth flashing, smiled a very dark smile.
They were on a dirt road that ran through the desert, surrounded by miles upoles les of nothing. In the far off distance the mountains rose up out of the ground, the peaks hidden by cloud cover, they beckoned to her, promising safety. She let the blind drop back into place throwing the rear cabin of the Winnie back into it previous gloomy mood. She leaned against the wall as she sat on the bed, she was tired, she had nothing left, she was spent, physically, emotionally. Buffy turned her head when she heard the door slide open, and saw her sister peeking in smiling at her shyly.
"Hey. I think Anya's gonna try to cook. Wanna come watch the tears and recriminations?"
"Maybe later," Buffy voice was listless, she smiled weakly at Dawn.
Dawn looked at her sister, who seemed so defeated, so bone weary tired, she turned to go, then hesitantly, softly, she said, "Thank you."
"For what?"
"You know. Pretty much... everything."
"Yeah. I'm doing a great job." Buffy's tone betrayed her feelings of incompetence.
"You are." Dawn tried to convey with those two words, that she believed in Buffy even if Buffy didn't believe in herself.
"I'm the Slayer. The Chosen one, well one of the Chosen One's of the Chosen Two, all mythic and defendery. Evil Nasties are supposed to flee from me, not the other way around."
"You're not fleeing. You're... moving at a brisk pace."
"Quaintly referred to in some cultures as the Big Scaredy Run Away."
Dawn sat down next to her sister, she looked her in the eyes, her expression was serious, her voice sincere. "It's the most amazing thing anyone's ever done for me."
But Buffy wasn't sure that she believed that anymore. Maybe now she understood why Slayers didn't have a long life span. The weight of slaying had taken its toll on her, making her feel years older then she actually was. "It just... keeps coming. Glory... Riley... Tara... Mom..." Buffy barely managed to get the word Mom out, she still felt like there was something she could have done. Still felt her Mom's loss, like it had only happened yesterday.
"I know," Dawn's voice was soft, soothing, as if she were the older sister, not the other way around. "But there's a bright side."
"There is?"
"Yeah. At least things can't get any crazier, right?"
They both jumped as an arrow came flying through the window less than a second after Dawn had finished speaking. lodglodged in the wall close to Buffy's head. Dawn looked at it in shock, her first thought was that it had just missed her sister. Buffy turned looking at Dawn, a smile, more of a smirk forming on her lips; she was a little amused by this, sort of.
"You know this is your fault for saying that."
Dawn shot her sister a look not finding the humor in her remark.
Buffy pulled aside a corner of the blind and saw about twenty Knights on horseback, they were a few hundred feet behind them but closing fast. Buffy let out a sigh and rose quickly, she rushed into the main cabin, Dawn right behind her.
"Giles!" Buffy yelled.
"I see them," he told her grimly, as he glanced once again at the side view mirror.
Faith was pacing round and round the small hotel room. Patience was not one of her many endearing traits. She had made it to the hotel in record time. Now she had to wait. Wait and wonder, because she couldn't call B. Because B didn't have a cell phone, in fact none of the Scoobs had one. Something Faith decided was going to be rectified as soon as possible, even if it meant she had to use her last penny doing it!
She had been trying to block sending her anger, her fear, to Buffy. Instead, she had been concentrating on sending only her strength, comfort and love to Buffy. She could feel the sadness, the weariness that Buffy was feeling, and she understood it, understood it because she was a Slayer too. She remembered a word that described what it was that Buffy was feeling and what Faith had felt for most of her life. Ennui, it meant world-weariness, and sometimes being a Slayer did that to you.
Faith stopped pacing the minute she felt it. It was an adrenaline rush, and Buffy was having one, there was trouble. But this time she didn't feel any fear. Calmly she laid down on the bed and just let herself go with it, sending her energy, strength, and encouragement to Buffy. The Slayer in her calling out to the Slayer in Buffy cheering her on.
General chaos ensued seconds after Buffy and Dawn busted into the main cabin of the Winnie. Buffy got Dawn down and under a table as arrows from the Knights riddled the Winnie.
'Fucking pointy flying wooden sticks! Hate them! Hate them! Bloody fucking HATE them!'
"Weapons!?" Giles yelled to everyone and anyone, after an arrow pierced the side of the Winnie just missing his head.
"Hello! You're driving one!" 'Bloody stupid Watcher!'
"Don't hurt the horsies!"
"We won't." Buffy yelled - 'Rightttt, Will, whatever you say!' - she leaned down and whispered in Giles ear, "Aim for the horsies," and Giles did swerving the Winnie hard to the left.
They were being bounced and tossed all over the Winnie as it sped down the bumpy dirt road.
Xander felt the nausea rising up in him again. Oh shit, he was going to be sick! "Did we shake 'em?" He asked jaw clenched, trying not to vomit. He jumped a half a foot when a broadsword pierced the roof inches from his head.
Everyone dove covecover as the Knight on the roof started thrusting the broadsword through the Winnie's roof in random spots. Everyone except Buffy, who yelled out needlessly, "Stay low! Watch out for..."
Spike lunged for the sword, grabbing it a second before it would have stabbed Buffy in the head. She ducked but she knew that if it wasn't for Spike she might be dead right now. He hung onto it for dear un-dead life, hissing in pain through his teeth. He continued to hold it as it sliced his hands, even as the Knight tried to pull it free.
"Now mibe abe a good time for something heroic." Spike hissed at Buffy.
Buffy scanned the roof and spotted the hatch. Shit, she was too short to reach it! "Xander! Hatch!" Xander was lifting her up to the hatch almost before she had finished speaking. She smiled, feeling Faith cheering her on, feeling Faith wishing that she was there. Some things change, some things stay the same, and Faith always did like a good fight. Buffy punched out the hatch and scrambled up onto the roof.
She sneaked up behind the Knight, as he pulled his sword free, and Spike screamed bloody murder from the pain. The Knight saw her shadow as she crept up behind him; he swung his sword at her. Buffy ducked anckedcked away as he swung at her again, lowering her center of gravity, she swept his feet out from under him. She came down on top of him, blocking another thrust of the sword, popped him and the sword fell from his hand. She hit him with a few left and right crosses, finally he managed to block her and get in a punch of his own. They wrestled, he managed to kick her in thed and and Buffy felt herself falling over the side of the Winnie.
'Fuck me!'
She grabbed onto the railing, hanging there, another Knight approaching her on horseback. The Knight on the roof crouched low pulling back his arm to punch her. She sent him flying as she kicked upward, and then vaulted herself back onto the roof. They stood facing off aga eac each other. Using grabbling hooks another Knight began to climb up onto the roof; Buffy ignored him, concentrating instead on the one standing in front of her. She punched him hard, following up with a spinning roundhouse kick, sending him sailing off the roof screaming. She felt a Yay B! come to her from Faith.
She turned and faced the two Knights who had crawled up onto the roof. One had an axe, the other a morning star. Feinting at the one with the morning star, she hit the other Knight with a fist-hammer punch, following up with a front-thrust-kick at the Knight with the morning star. Then hit the first Knight with a spinning roundhouse kick, ducking and turning she took a blow on her back, and returned the blow with a fist-hammer punch. Steeling herself she back-flipped, then hit them both with a double jumping-front-kick to the face.
Bending down fast, she picked up the broadsword the other Knight had dropped, twirling it. The Knight swung the morning star at her; she blocked the swing with the sword and the chain from the morning star wrapped around it. Using that, she yanked the Knight towards her. The Knight with the axe tried to come up behind her, and she back-kicked him away from her. She spun the Knight with the morning star around using the sword, using a knee-strike, she kicked him the stomach, letting go of the sword and sending him off the roof of the camper.
She turned ducking, as the axe whistled harmlessly over her head, she hit the Knight in the chest with a hard kick. She grabbed the hand with the axe, and then hit him with a four-knuckle punch. She turned slightly hearing another Knight climbing up the side of the Winnie, the Knight with the axe grabbed her from behind. Swinging down she hit the hand holding the axe. Screaming in pain the Knight let go of the axe, which Buffy caught before it could hit the ground. Spinning she swung the axe at him, he barely ducked in time. She let go with a knife-edge kick, sending him too off the roof. Turning quickly she threw the axe at the Knight just topping the Winnie, it slammed into his chest knocking him from the ladder.
Buffy stood, her breathing rapid, erratic, hard. She looked down the road behind the moving Winnie and saw that the road behind them was empty. She had defeated all of the Knights. 'Yay me!' she thought as she tried slowing down her breathing. It felt good to have finally kicked some ass, instead of getting her ass kicked!
Faith was lying on the bed, pillows propped up behind her. Her eyere ere moving rapidly behind her closed lids, almost as if she was asleep and dreaming.
"Ye fucking ha! Ride em' cowboys!" She mumbled to the empty room. Now that was weird, how was it that she knew there were horses... and... Knights? It seemed that their odd echoing was expanding, she was still feeling Buffy's emotions but she was also getting vague impressions too. It was weird, sort of. It was like the echo she was getting was not only what Buffy felt als also of what Buffy felt when she saw a horse and Faith couldn't explain it. These new types of 'echoes' were forming a sort of pattern. And Faith was getting the feeling of what a horse was rather then actually seeing it through Buffy's eyes, and her mind was creating the image for her. She couldn't read Buffy's thoughts but she was sort of feeling them now too. It was almost like watching an odd sort of cartoon in her mind. Whatever it was, she just went with it, not questioning the connection anymore.
"Woo Hoo! You go B! Kick their asses!" Faith yelled out like a little kid.
Buffy was kicking some serious ass, and loving every minute of it, and Faith felt it. The adrenaline rush, blood pumping hard and roaring in your ears, the satisfaction that came with executing a move perfectly, the way your body moved gracefully and sensuously, muscles tightening, flexing, stretching, reacting without thought, letting just pure instinct take over.
Faith threw a right cross then a left cross at the empty air. Then she kicked out, sweeping imaginary feet out from under the ghost in her head. Her actions a second behind what Buffy was doing, it was almost like being there with her. Ut-oh, there were two of them now, but Buffy wasn't sweating it, and neither was Faith. Damn but she wished she was there!
It was over almost as quickly as it started. Faith could almost feel the wind whipping through her own hair. She felt the satisfaction that Buffy was feeling, and she smiled knowing that some of Buffy's self-confidence had been restored, she sent B that smile.
'That was wicked cool. You rock B!'
Damn but she was hungry! And how fucked up was she? 'Cause she felt horny too, even though she really hadn't fought. Then again she couldn't be all that fucked up, 'cause Buffy was feeling that way too.
'Always knew B, that slaying made ya hungry and horny!'
The Chosen Two, one in the hotel room, the other standing on top of the moving the Winnebago, realized they were both feeling the same way, smiled in sync, and savored the moment.
It was quiet inside of the Winnie, Giles glanced in the side view mirror and saw that there weren't anymore Knights behind them, he gave a sigh of relief.
He glanced back over his shoulder at the Scoobs and asked, "Everyone aightight?" He returned his gaze to the road smiling slightly it appeared that they were all, for the most part, no worse for the wear and tear. His eyes opened wide in surprise and horror when he saw what or rather who was coming right at the Winnie.
A Knight on horseback was heading straight for them. The Knight raised his arm and tossed a spear right at the front windshield, Giles twisted the wheel trying to avoid the spear as it came hurdling at him. It shattered the windshield and impaled Giles before he could get out of the way. He slumped over the wheel, passing out, and the Winnie went hurtling recklessly down the road of cof control.
The Winnie veered off the road, bouncing, and lurching over potholes; it hit the loose gravel hard and began to tilt, starting to tip over.
Buffy was standing on the roof of the Winnie. [Faith shared Buffy's enjoyment of the wind blowing through her hair and their shared arousal from the fight.] She was struggling to stay on both her feet and the roof of the Winnie, as it swerved shitthitthitting potholes and jostling her. [Faith felt the confusion roll over Buffy, and her struggle to stay on the roof.]
Buffy leaped off the roof. [She felt Buffy's sensation of flying through the air.] Buffy landed hard, rolling, until she finally sat up, turning to look at the Winnie down the road from her. [Faith got 'echoes' of pain, and a jarring in her bones, as Buffy landed hard on the side of the dirt road.] Buffy watched as the Winnie careened out of control and tipped over, skidding in the dirt on its side. [An echo of fear for Dawn, Giles and the Scoobs streaked through Faith, and she shuddered in horror with Buffy, and felt as Buffy leaned into her seeking her strength.]
'What the fuck just happened?' Both Slayers thought in sync.
Continued in Chapter XIX – Sounds of Silence (Part B)