Crossing The Line

AN: To my two cool reviwers:


Mikey: Thanks for the review, and you really think so?

animism: okay that's twice I've heard it, so I'm guessing I should start with the longer chapter right about now. So here's one I think is longer. Thanks for reading.
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UNLEASHED...


Rupert Giles observed his slayer quietly, with an eagle's eye, stealthy and graceful. For the past three hours the ex watcher had remained silent, allowing the young girl he'd come to know as his daughter lean against the wall, staring blankly at the dull patterned tiles underneath her feet.

He'd been through this once before, when Joyce Summers had been in the hospital prior to her surgery, but even then Buffy had not been so affected by it. Giles knew the slayer loved her sister far more than anything or anyone else, so much in fact that the girl had died for her. He knew she was taking too hard, pinning it on herself, but how could she have known Angel's intentions? Even with somewhat of a warning, nothing had been clear, not until it was too late.

"Geez, why are they taking so long?" Xander was fidgeting in his chair, squirming, doing everything in his power to make it obvious that he was worried and very jumpy.

Giles rolled his eyes, removing his spectacles and commencing the task of cleaning them for lack of anything better to do. He was trying to be patient, trying to be optimistic, supportive. Unfortunately with all the edgey young ones around him it was proving very hard to do. "Xander, I am quite certain you are repeating yourself too much." he admonished.

"Okay. Well, gee british man sorry if I don't carry a piece of glass around to stroke for calming techniques. Are you sure we should have left Faith and the others at home? They're injured, are you sure we should leave them all vunerable to Angelus?"

Giles replaced his near perfect glasses, tucking his rag into his back pocket. Much as this need no out loud statement, Xander's worried were valid. "I'm sure they'll be alright."

"Yeah," the on eyed man, scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. Dawn was in surgery fighting for her life, Kennedy and Faith had more than a few bruises, and Buffy was totally zoned out. Things were pretty far from okay, and here he was, being sarcastic and adding unwanted stress to the situation. "Um, look, sorry about that Giles. I'm ganna go get a cup of coffee, you want anything?"

"Coffee would be jolly good thank you."

"Buffy, you want anything?" He waited for an answer, trying to bring the girl out of her shell shock but to no avail. He barely even caught the slightest movement of her head indicating no. "Alright, I'll be right back."


(Buffy)

I'm at a loss... I can't understand what is happening. Or more like I don't want to understand what's happening. This is it. This is why I was so upset when I was ripped away from heaven. I was through with all the slaying, through all the pain, the suffering, the constant agony. I was free, from all burden, from the weight of the world.

Dawnie...

She'd better be okay, that way I can kick her ass when she gets better. And then when Rayne gets better I'll kick her ass for not saying anything. Then I'll just go ahead and kick everyone's ass because I feel like it.

"Ms.Summers?"

I think by the time this week is over I'll have cardiac arrest or high blood pressure. I stand up for the first time since we arrived and my back screams in protest as I feel a tearing sensation, I must have torn the scab open, ouch.

The doctor, Dr. Cadena, is an older man in his mid fourties, with sandy brown hair greying around the edges and sttel blue eyes. There is look to him, which despite his age, makes him look way too mature, too old. No doubt it is the fine lines that result from such a job.

I give the doctor a good look, painfully aware of his somber look, his defeated eyes. I find myself hoping it's just from a lack of sleep and not something else.

"I'm Ms.Summers. How's my sister?" I demand, no time for plesantries. I've been sitting here for hours, convincing myself not to jump out the second floor headfirst, or threaten the entire staff until they do something a little faster because I'm impatient.

Dr.Cadena takes a moment to lick his dry lips, making them chaped, wringing his hands jerkingly. "Ms.Summers perhaps I should speak to the mother-"

I can't listen to this legal shit right now. I move quickly, fluidly, with the grace of a professional dancer, and ball the material of his coat into my hands. Shoving him backwards into the wall, I lift him off his feet until I have to strain my neck to meet his eyes.

"Listen doc," I snarl, my teeth clentched, and my voice a few octaves lower, probably very scary right about now. "I don't care what you think, I just want to know how my sister is."

Dr.Cadena shakes in my grasp, probably flabberghasted at the idea that a twenty year old girl is holding him up a good two feet of the ground with not even the slightest bother. He jerks his head yes, whimpering something under his breath.

"What's that?" I sneer at him, clutching the material tighter.

"I said okay. Please put me down."

I give him a look, a warning, before setting him down, fixing his coat for him. "I'm sorry, it's just, she's-"

"It's okay, really. I'm sure I can expect more later on." He coughs, breathing loudly.

Giles steps in, looping his arm through mine, pulling me back a ways. I don't get the opportunity to glare at him and watch him squirm as the doctor starts speaking.

"There was major damage to the Transverse and to the Anterior Jugular, I've honestly never seen such ferocity. I thought I could repair it Ms.Summers, and I did."

I can honestly say-

"But..."

But? There's a but? I don't want there to be any buts. "But what?" I whisper, almost like it's a major secret and noone but us should hear.

A flitter if panic shadows his face, then it's replaced, replaced by something I rather not see. Sympathy, disappointment, resignation. "But the External Jugular was destroyed as well, I was able to tie of the artiries, but she had already loss too much blood... I'm sorry Ms.Summers. There was nothing else I could do for her."

Nothing...else...

"Dawn..." I can feel my eyes trying to catch on fire, the strain, I won't cry, he's lying, it's not true. "Where is she?"

"Ms.Summers please-"

"Where is she? Where is my sister?" I see him about to say something, I stare at him hard, making him think that option over, he shuts his mouth, and points to a door behind himself.

"In there. I truly am sorry Ms.Summers."

I ignore his apology, stomping down the corridor, ignoring Giles' calls and pleads, Xander's questions as he arrives. My slayer hearing picks up on Giles informing Xander that Dawn has 'passed away.' No she hasn't. Not if I can help it. I refuse to accept that.

Reaching the doors and shoving them aside, I stride into the dimly lit room. There's a team of meds around the table, unhooking wires, shutting off machines, and disposing of bloody tissues. A young man stops in the frenzy, finally noticing me approach the surgical table, my eyes glued to Dawn's closed eyes, her body unmoving.

"Ma'am I don't think you should be here." He makes a move to grab my arm. What's with people grabbing my arm? It's not supportive, it just aggravates me further. Not thinking twice, I backhand him, launching him through the air to land in a slide by the doors. He sits up holding his wrist, wide eyed.

"Get out of here." I order to the rest of the now jaw slackened medics. "Now!" I scream at the top of my lungs. The inhabitants of the room scatter, all eventually running out of the room, at long last leaving me alone with my little sister.

God she looks so pale...so frail lying there with gauzes wrapped around her neck, blood staining the sides of her face. I take her little hand in my own and resist the urge to flinch, she's so cold.

"D-Dawnie...Dawnie talk to me." I plead, leaning over the side of the cold steal table, my face hovering inches above her own, my free hand stroking back her limp slightly bloodied hair. I'm waiting for her, she's just sleeping.

But seconds pass, and then minutes and still Dawn doesn't answer me, doesn't even move...doesn't even breathe.

"D-Dawn, please!" I scream at her, expecting her to smack me for shouting in her ear while she was sleeping. "Dawn...DAWN!!!" I'm getting desperate. I start slapping her face, gentle at first, then hard enough for the connection to echo in the room. "You can't do this to me Dawnie!!!" I roar, pounding on her chest, willing her to move, her eyes to flutter, anything, anything at all is fine. "GET THE FUCK UP!"

Whirling around I lift the steel table with all the instruments on it and chuck it at the swinging doors. The clatter is loud and it startles me, causing me to gasp. Then a flood of emotions bombards me, settling on rage.

"Fuck! Dawn wake up!" I lift the top half of her body against my chest, cradling her, watching tears fall and soak into her hair. "WAKE UP DAMN IT, PLEASE!!!"

The doors fly open again and Giles, Xander, and a few doctors including Cadena step into the large room. The doctors start preparing a bag, and another man walks in, a coroner.

"STAY THE FUCK AWAY OR I SWEAR I'LL RIP YOUR HEAD OFF!"

The coroner along with the doctors jump back looking rather shocked and intimidated. Giles and Xander are the only ones who dare and take a step closer to me. I shiver, I feel sick to my stomach. Snapping my head to the side I empty my breakfast onto the floor, revulsion it what it is.

"Buffy," Giles' voice is so soft, so soothing, I wish my mother was here, she sounded like him. I hate that.

"Piss off Giles." I start shaking, it's sinking in. Dawn's still in my hands, still unmoving even with all the racket...she's really dead isn't she? I look up at Giles, and I give him the most pathetic look, and the most hopless whimper ever.

"...Giles..."

"Oh Buffy." My watcher rushes to my side, gently lifting Dawn from my trembling hands and laying her back on the bed before wrapping his arms around my shoulders, pulling me to my feet and out of the room.

"We'll come back later." I hear Xander tell Dr.Cadena.

"Yes. I'm terribly sorry, I did all I could."

"Th...thank you."

Xander's crying. Giles is crying. It's not all in my twisted head. I can't go to sleep and wake up to find everything alright. It's real... Dawn's dead. Angelus killed her... I killed her.

"She's-she's dead..." I mutter into Giles' neck.

"Buffy-"

"No. No Giles." I pull away from him, I know what he's going to say, and it's not true. I won't get over it, Dawn was my little sister, all I had left. It's too much. "I'm...I'm ganna kill Angelus...God I'm ganna kill him."

"Buffy you need to calm down," Xander tries.

I whirl on him, making him yelp and stumble back, tripping over a table. "Do NOT, tell me to calm down!" I look around the waiting room trying to remember which way the exit is. I spot it as another team of medics bring in another victim.

I know Giles knows what I'm thinking, I can see it in his eyes, the sheer and utter look of desperation making him look wild. Oh yeah he knows.

"Buffy don't do it."

"Just try and stop me watcher."

I can see the flash of pain in his wrinkled face, his mouth dropping open, thunder struck. Not waiting for him to recover I seize my opportunity and use full slayer speed to zap through the door and out into the approaching dawn. I need weapons, I can take Angelus out right now, while it's daylight. I know that if I do manage to stake him, his little pals from last night will come after me after dark.

I stare down at my hands, a spot of Dawn's blood still fresh on my palm. I clamp it shut, my nails and fingertips cutting in deeply. If I can stake him, nothing else will matter, not the minions, not Omega, nothing. It'll be worth it.

-------------------------

"I can't believe we didn't notice him. I mean, we're slayers for god's sake, vampire slayers not vampire snacks. Ooooh, ouch."

Faith glances at her, rolling over on her side of the bed. They decided to bunk down together, safety in numbers. "Stop beating us over it, it was an accident, a slip, it happens okay? As long as kiddo over here doesn't die and Dawn's good, it's good." She flinches, it hurts to breathe too deeply.

"Uh huh, you were saying oh righteous one." Kennedy rolls her eyes, and Faith wonders if she likes to workout her eyeballs since she does that often enough.

The girl she irks her now a day. At first when she'd barely arrived in Sunnydale, she had immediately found a liking to Willow's girlfriend, she was tough, spunky, a little rebel, and oh yeah she had some spankin' leather jackets. The two had hit it off right away, especially since they both seemed to share the same hobby, ticking Buffy off. Apperantly Kennedy had a thing with authority, she didn't like it and she made it loud and clear.

Faith really didn't want to become enemies with the girl, or rivals, but Kennedy had over stepped it when she was trying to lead them, and she had to put her foot down. After that she got why B was always so fustrated with the young potential.

And even now, Kennedy still managed to piss them both off. Well, mostly Buffy, because she really didn't care what the brat had to say, she could brush it off like dust on her shoulder, without much trouble.

And still there was times when Faith found herself glad that Willow and Kennedy had decided to move in with her and Buffy, despite being a total brat and rubbing the chosen two the wrong way, she was good company and at times fun to have around. She certainly kept things interesting.

"You think Rayne will be okay?"

Faith rolled back over, locking eyes with Kennedy, the girl surprised her more often than not. Just when she thought she had her figured out she dropped a bomb on her.

"Why are you so worried about her?" Faith knew why, it was for the exact same reason she was, but still, it was getting too serious and she wanted to see if she could ruffel her feathers a little, even if it ended with her being sore a little longer than usual.

"Will you quit your shit?"

"Oh. Don't tell me you're two timing Willow?"

"Shut up!" Kennedy tosses a pillow at her, satisfied at Faith's whimper.

She knows Faith's just teasing, and she's glad for that. The situation is getting ugly fast. It's good to have that oner person on board that tried to lighten up the mood. That used to be Xander's job, but as of late hardly anyone can find a reason to make Xander smile, much less have him be the Shaggy to the Scoobies. She understands that he's healing, not just physically, but from the wound at having lost Anya.

So that leaves herself and Faith. Most of the time they're bickering, but it's all in good fun, at least most of the times. There's the occasional arguement where Willow has to pull her back to keep her from getting Faith's fist imprinted all over her face. But most of the time they get along.

"Jeez, I'm injured here." Faith's voice dips with each word, creating a whiny, annoying voice.

"Yeah says the girl who landed on top of me. I'm sure your ass must be in great pain. Maybe you should Golden girl to rub it for ya." Kennedy smirks, she knows Faith hates when she calls Buffy Golden girl, something about a restuarant.

"Maybe I should get Red to rub it for me. From what I heard the other night, she has very good hands."

Kennedy feels a mad blush coming up. Instead of retorting she rolls over to watch Rayne, Faith's already one the verbal bitch slap, but she'll get her later.

"And as to your first question, yeah, she should recover. But take it from me, punctured lungs hurt like a bitch, and they take longer to heal. Might take her even more time what with the her not drinking blood for the past few months."

"Yeah," the ex boarding school student draws out, her ego giving way to concern. "She must really love Dawnie huh? I mean, I know vampires, and I know one like her can't just give up the feed so easily."

"So I've heard."

"She's like you."

Faith holds her breath as she props herself up against the wall of pillows Willow made for them on the second bed. Taking a deep breath she looks questioningly at Kennedy. "How's that?"

"Well," she scratches at the back of her neck absently, rocking her heels on the bed, "the girl was a major deal, not a good deal might I add, I mean she was internationally known, demon and human world. She comes to Sunnydale, she's Dawn strolling through the mall with me. They chat a little, become friends, next thing you know she's spilling to Dawn and boom! Dawn says 'show me you can change' and the girl goes Date Movie on her ass. Next thing you know, she's a changed woman, all for the one she loves. It's the exact same thing, but I think the thing were you kissed Buffy gives you extra points. And also she didn't try to kill Dawn so she gets bonus for that."

"You know, in all my time of knowing you, just when I thought you couldn't possibly get any worse, you go out on a limb and say that...Date Movie?" Faith looks perplexed.

"What? You've never seen it? The one where that girl dates this freaky dude and her dad's all weird and-"

"Oh yeah." Faith's features brighten up, "Hey! That chick kinda looks like-"

"Say it and I'll hurt you."

"Yep, didn't say anything...But...you really think-"

"Absolutely. Buffy's a lucky girl, she has a hell of woman."

"So does Willow."

Kennedy offers her a smile, broadening when it's returned with dimples. Yep, she and Faith could be called friends, even best friends.

The dark slayer starts feeling umcomfortable after a moment too long of silence. "So, where is Red anyways? Shouldn't she be playing doctor with her injured honey?"

"Spppft! I wish. She went to check on the others, probably ganna relieve Xander or Giles from duty."

"I don't thing that's ganna be happening anytime soon," Willow rushes into the room, looking frightened, sad, the whole deal.
Behind her are Giles and Xander, both looking pale and defeated.

Faith leaps out of bed, all of a sudden forgeting about her physical limitations at the moment. Kennedy mirrors her actions, but actually stops to hiss. "Willow," she grabs Red from around the shoulders, looking deeply into her eyes, "What happened? You guys are back, is Dawnie home, everything's okay?"

Willow looks stares down at her feet, the witch do not want to be the one to tell Faith her girlfriend's sister is dead and her girlfriend ran off into the night.

"Willow please." Faith begs her, unable to hide the tremble in her voice.

"Faith...Dawn. she's...she didn't make it. And-and...B-Buffy ran off."

"What? What are you playing at Red?"

"Nobodie's playing Faith!" Xander sobs, his eye bloodshot and moist.

"Oh my god," Kennedy faces Faith, feeling torn for her. Everyone knows Buffy is Faith's kite string, without her, Faith is lost.

"W-w-where d-did she g-go?"

"Faith I think you should sit down." Giles suggest. He knows the slayer, any second now she's going to spring out of the room like a loose cannon. And god only knows they can't offord to have to slayers disoreinted and on a rampage, espeically not with Angelus on the prowl.

"I-I can't sit down, I n-need to find B." Faith resists, until Kennedy pushes down on her shoulders, making her fall onto the bed.

"Faith calm down,"

"b-but who's going to find-"

"I will."

Faith slowly turns her head, Rayne is divesting herself of her bandages, carefully putting on her jacket, favoring her left side. "How much did you-"

"Everything!" The vampiress howls, kicking at the foot of the bed, snapping it in half, inconsiderate of Faith sitting on it. Lucky for her Kennedy manages to keep her upright. The hazel eyed girl reaches into Buffy's weapons chest, bringing out four stakes, a dagger, and a pair of bronze knuckles blessed with holy water.

"Rayne I don't believe that's the best course of action." Giles trys to reason, a voice of sanity among the chaos. Before he can blink another time, he finds himself tossed on the broken bed, a stake over his heart.

"Fuck. You. Giles. I really don't care about a right course of action, and unless you want to be my course of action I suggest you stay out of my fucking way."

"Rayne-"

"You too Willow. And Kennedy, I don't care if you're a slayer or a god, I'll kill you if you try anything." She takes a second to let the news actually sink in. Her girlfriend's dead, dead because she was too afraid to step up to Buffy. She could have said no, dragged Dawn out and gotten away, they would have understood.

Her head starts pounding, and she can feel a tear trying to slip out. It hurts for vampires to cry, but the intense ache in the pit of her heart is overpowering it. Finally the tear breaks lose, a painful, slow, bitter, bloody tear.

"I'll kill him," She holds back no longer, her eyes flash silver, her fangs breaking out to graze the bottom her chin, nails becoming claws, and with two swift strides she leaps through the window with a snarl, glass and splinters of wood raining about all over.

"Fuck, we're fucking screwed." Kennedy blanches, feeling Faith tear away from her grip. "Oh no slayer, not you too."

"No, not me, us. Lets go. We need to find B and Rayne before something worse happens."

Giles finds it hard to hide his surprise, of all the people, Faith is the last he would have thought to retain a voice of reason in her head. A small smile breaks free, admist all the problems, his slayer gives him a reason to smile.

"Jolly well. I say we start at the mansion." He takes the remaining weapons from the chest, handing them out to the group according to their skills.

"His home away from home." Faith tells herself out loud, a glint in her eye as she examens the scythe. She never did get a chance to use it, not really. The second she got her hands on it, she'd had to give it away. Now she was going to use it to her pleasure, and the excrutiating pain of Angelus. "I should have killed him when I had the chance."