Author: Gabs
Rating: R-for naughty language and what may come
Disclaimers: I don't own BtVS. If I did, a lot would be different.
Summary: I've taken an idea of Joss's and ran with it. Set two years after season 7.
Feedback: Yes please! Please let me know what you think. Of my writing, the plot, my characterization, the weather...would love to know
This is almost a draft, in a way, of an epic long fic I plan to write. For now this is what I have. There will be three-four chapters
. I would really apreaciate knowing what you think. Thanks guys, and I hope you enjoy
Gift
Chapter One
‘Has she earned it?’
‘How can you ask that…no other has suffered as much, has lost as much, nor worked so hard. We have felt her pain-this girl was ripped from heaven, and you ask if she has yet earned this gift?’
‘She received her true gift before now.’
‘And it was forcefully taken from her.’
‘This is a serious bequest we will give to her…she could wreak havoc with it.’
‘She has earned it. No Other made it this far-if they had, they would have received what we need to give. She deserves it. Torn from peace, denied that which every other being on Earth is allowed-it is time.’
…
‘Yes, it is agreed…it is time.’
*
Buffy Summers was tired. It was three in the morning, and it would still be hours until she could fall in to bed. She had thought her life could settle, that having so many new slayers would mean she could slow down, finally; at least a little. She sighed heavily as she sank into the kitchen stool-it just wasn’t to be. Things had gotten, if possible, even more hectic. Girls all around the world were in need of guidance, in need of knowledge and help. Giles had re-started the Council, with help from Willow, who hacked their very well buried funding. Ever since they had been trekking their way around the world, helping the girls they had awoken. Of course, there was also the slaying that they had to do; that never ended.
Demons were different in every part of the world, which was some new info she’d learnt. Just yesterday, a Demon in the country they were in presently (Sweden? Or was it Greenland?) had grown an extra limb, right between its’-
Buffy snapped out of her thoughts as she heard someone coming down the hall towards the kitchen. She felt herself smile a little as she saw Willow slouch in.
“Hey Buff,” Willow slid into the seat opposite her, “How did it go with the newest recruit?”
She grabbed a banana and started to peel it.
“Turned out we weren’t really needed-she’s got the slayer force in full, well, force. She was already out kicking demon ass. She tried to kick mine before I explained who we were.”
Willow’s eyebrows rose, “That’s better then the one who told you you were on drugs.”
“Yeah, but it turns out she was on drugs…at least slaying was entertaining while we were patrolling with that one.”
Willow laughed, “That’s right, she tried to stake a gargoyle in the cemetery, then insisted she was really Dracula before passing out cold in a crypt.”
The both laughed loudly, Willow half choking on banana in the process.
Buffy looked Willow over as they laughed. She was still amazed at the difference in confidence and happiness between this grown, confident woman and her shy, easily-embarrassed sixteen year old self.
As Willow choked on banana, the two girls laughed harder, and Buffy felt some of her tension sliding off of her. These moments with her friends were what kept her sane. Willow may have grown, have found herself and gained confidence the red head had probably never thought she possessed, but she was still the caring, generous and babbly sixteen year old.
As they settled, Buffy leant over and poked Willow in the arm, “Anyway, why are you up Will? You don’t need to be awake at 3am.”
Willow shrugged, “I was always a night owl, and with everyone else being up late, we’ve all just kinda slipped into this barely sleeping, awake at all hours kind of thing. Actually, I can’t remember the last time we all went to sleep at a reasonable hour…plus we’re always in a new country, we barely adjust to that time zone before we’re in a new one. And Xander, you know, he doesn’t really sleep anymore at all after Anya…”
Willows speech died at the mention of Anya. It had been a two years since her death, but it still pained all of them.
Buffy attempted a smile, “He still has us.”
Willow mirrored Buffy’s sad attempt, “That’s true.”
Buffy swallowed, trying to edge herself into bringing up something she had avoided mentioning for awhile.
Willow beat her to it, “I’m okay, Buff.”
Buffy searched Willows face, “Really?”
Willow attempted another smile, “Yeah...I mean, you know…yeah, I’m okay.”
Buffy sighed, leaning forward to put a hand on Willow’s arm, “Have you spoken much to Ke-youknowwho?”
Willow sighed, “Not much. I know I asked her to leave, but I didn’t want us to never talk again, you know?”
Buffy scrunched her eyebrows, “Will, why did you ask her to go? I thought you two were all with the happy-you know, holding hands under the table, escaping up stairs for…um, well, escaping up stairs. Or into bathrooms…”
Buffy smiled evilly as Willow blushed, “We so did not!”
“Will, please, I have slayer hearing.”
“Stupid slayers and your stupid sonic hearing…”
Buffy kept the grin on her face, “So…?”
Willow sighed again. “I couldn’t do it. I…”
Buffy’s smile faded and a look of concern washed over her features, “Why?”
Willow looked at the table, picking at the banana skin, “It was too hard, Buff. I tried. I tried to let myself feel for someone else…I’ve tried since…but it’s just too hard.” She raised her eyes up to meet Buffy’s, and the slayer felt her throat close up and her heart clench; Willows eyes were damp with sorrow, her face etched in pain. “I had my soul mate, Buffy. No one can compare to that. I know I shouldn’t compare…but…so, I asked her to leave. I couldn’t…pretend with someone who felt so much more for me then I could ever possibly for them. T-“ Willow pulled in a deep, shuddering breath, “Tara was all I could ever want. Now, I just try and get through each day.”
Silence echoed around them. Buffy didn’t know what to say. Of course she knew Willow struggled, that she missed Tara. God, Buffy missed Tara every day, so what Willow must feel…but she’d been too ignorant to realise the absolute pain that Willow still felt over her lovers death.
“Will…I…”
“Buff…” Willow shook her head, “You don’t need to say anything.”
Silence settled for a few more moments, when Buffy felt words slip past her tongue that she never said enough, “I kind of love you, Willow.”
Willow let herself smile, “I kind of love you too.”
And they sat, letting the morning rise around them in another day, in another country.
*
‘We will give her the gift tonight.’
‘Yes, tonight.’
‘Have you guessed how she will use it?’
‘I think there will be many things she will be torn about.’
‘Yes, there is no way to tell. How she will use it is yet to be known.’
‘It will be interesting.’
‘Now that’s an understatement, Dear.’
*
“I come with doughnuts!” Xander launched his way into the kitchen in his usual loud, comfortable way, “Or, as I had to bumble my way through at the bakery, I come with munkar.” He placed the sugary breakfast on the table throwing smiles at Buffy and Willow, and at Giles as he entered from the hallway.
Giles perked up, “Oh, doughnuts? I do hope you didn’t eat all the jam ones, Xander.”
“Chill, watcherman, I bought extra jam ones for you.”
Giles dove into the doughnut box with more enthusiasm then an aging scholar should probably show.
Buffy hid an amused smile, “You know, they aren’t going anywhere, Giles.”
Giles looked sheepish, but continued foraging into the doughnuts, a delighted grin on his face when he successfully found a jam filled one. Buffy sometimes worried they had ruined the Englishness of Giles.
“Oh! Tea! I think tea would do very well right now.”
And then he would say something like that.
Buffy gazed at Xander, unsure of what she saw. He smiled, he bought doughnuts, he laughed and made his appropriate (and inappropriate) jokes. Yet the laughter didn’t always reach his eyes. His cheeks were gaunt and shadows smudged under his eyes.
He was twenty five, yet like all of them, had gone through more in those short years then most people did in their entire lives.
“Hey Buff,” Xander smiled at her, “No sleep again last night? A slayer needs to keep up her strength.”
Buffy gave a wry grin, “You’re one to speak Xand.”
He winked at her.
Giles sighed as he drank his tea, looking more happy then a grown man should while holding a floral china teacup.
*
Faith sat in the cab on her way to the current Slayer Central (SC). She heaved a sigh and fell back against the seat. The rain fell thick and fast. She loved this kind of weather, always had. She’d hated California, so much sun. Too much sun. Leather was not fun when the heat was that intense.
She’d been avoiding Switzerland. When SC had moved on from Australia, Faith hadn’t gone with them. She’d taken names and addresses from Giles and had gone to Chili, New Mexico, South Africa-places she’d never dreamed she’d go to. White trash like herself didn’t travel to exotic places. People like her lived in trailer parks. They had kids at fifteen. Then they had fifteen kids. She snorted at the idea of herself having kids.
She’d stayed longer in South Africa then she had needed to. She’d told Giles that the new slayers she’d found there needed more help.
Really she was avoiding Buffy.
Australia…what happened there, that was something you avoided talking about. That was something you ran off to random places in the world and avoided the other person for four month over.
That wasn’t something you discussed. Or confronted. Or thought about. That was too adult.
Right?
*
Dawn fell back on the couch, dropping the bloody sword onto the floor next to her. She sighed a heavy, tired sigh. She’d clean it up tomorrow. Her back ached, her neck was twinging and she suspected she had a cut on her thigh but couldn’t be bothered glancing down and checking.
“Damn demons,” she mumbled.
Buffy walked into the room, lively and energy filled. Dawn opened one eye and glared at her as convincingly as she could. Buffy’s hair was perfect, her clothes barely looked ruffled and she bounced over to the couch and sat next to Dawn, not noticing, or ignoring, the attempted glare.
“Damn slayerness.”
Buffy sniggered, “How ya feeling Dawn?”
“Like I just took on four Vardnik Demons and got thrown against a wall…oh, wait, I did.”
Buffy smirked, “I remember a time you woulda begged to come with, Dawnster.”
“Five years ago this stuff seemed exciting and easy,” Dawn said, finally opening both eyes. “Now...it’s still exciting, it just hurts more then I thought it would.” Dawn smiled, showing that she was just bitching. She groaned as she dragged herself off of the couch.
Buffy looked at her: her twenty year old sister. She loved that Dawn still managed to act fifteen sometimes. That may sound strange to most people, but she was so glad her sister had retained some of her youth. She’d had to grow up too fast. Sometimes her one her wish was that Dawn could have had a normal life. She’d missed so many experiences.
But if she was honest, she was glad she didn’t get to, as Buffy wouldn’t have made it through some of the battles without Dawn. Dawn could fight better then most of the newly awakened slayers. She could hold her own. She researched like a whiz. And somewhere amongst it all she’d grown up.
She even had a boyfriend. Not that Buffy was allowed to tease her about it.
Dawn stretched, “Okay, I’m off to drag my ass into the shower. I’ll be out in a year or so.”
Dawn walked up the stairs as slowly as she could. Her muscles resisted with each step.
“Ow…ow…ow…”
“Run into a mack truck, Dawnie?”
Dawn glanced up and saw Willow on the landing. She gave a wry grin, “I wish that was it.”
Willow scrunched her face up in concern, “Anything serious needing healing?”
Dawn looked down and saw the little bit of blood on her thigh that would have prompted Willow to ask that. She rarely offered magic to heal. “Thanks Wills, but it’s not that bad. I’ll be back to normal in no time.”
Willow smiled, “Okay. I’ll be coming on patrol with you tomorrow night. We’re taking Ashleigh and Sara, the newer girls, aren’t we? And you and Giles are going with them tonight?”
“Yeah, they’ve been before. Sara holds her own but Ashleigh is still too brash.”
“Brash, Dawnie?”
Dawn laughed, “Too much time with Giles. Turning me into a Watcher may have a bad influence on my vocab.”
Willow smiled, “If it’s any consolation, I think we’re having a pretty bad influence on him.”
Dawn leant against the hallway wall, “I know! I heard him say he would kill for a coffee last night. I almost fell over.”
As the two girls laughed, they heard the door bell. Dawn gave a wave and continued on to the bathroom to fall into the grace of hot water.
Willow was about to go down the stairs and get the door when she heard Buffy yell out that she had it. Instead she continued on to her room.
Shutting the door, Willow leant against it and let her head fall onto the wood panels. She pushed off and sat in the centre of her bed. Crossing her legs she closed her eyes and began to focus on her breathing.
She lasted five minutes before she gave up. She could force herself to settle, to just hear her breathing, and block out any other noise. She could start to feel the energy drift from the Earth. She could start to feel the energies of the people in the house. Those she loved and had known coming through strong, the newer girls coming in fainter.
But she could never achieve the meditative state she had once learnt to reach. That she had found easy. That she could stay in for hours.
The one that Tara shown her how to reach.
*
Buffy opened the front door. And almost closed it again.
“Hey, B.”
“Faith…hey…”
Faith stood, switching her weight from one leg to another. Her hair was long and loose, her clothes as dark as ever. Yet all Buffy could see was Faith’s lips.
“I uh…I meant to call. But you know, figured that either way I’d be showing up, so…”
Buffy realised she should move aside and stop staring. She did both. Casting her eyes anywhere but Faith’s lips, she moved to one side and let Faith in.
“I wondered when you’d next appear, Faith. The last time I saw you was…well, it was months ago.”
“Yeah, well, there was work to do, places that needed slayers.” Faith shut the door and dumped her bag.
Buffy couldn’t help it, “You mean people to avoid.”
The second it was out of her mouth she wished she hadn’t said it.
Faith, for the first time as far as Buffy had seen, looked like she had nothing to say.
“I-I meant,” Buffy tried to cover, “It’s just…you know what…and…with the stuff…and how we…and then I…and you left and…”
Faith didn’t know what to say. Buffy was fast ruining her whole plan of avoiding the emotional talk and pretending nothing had happened.
Buffy wished she knew how to shut up when she needed to. What happened in Australia, no one knew about but her and Faith. Faith then ran off the next day to lands unknown. That was four months ago, plenty of time to forget and go back to being the kick ass slayers and just fighting alongside each other.
But then there were the words Faith had said before the kiss.
And the fact that it wasn’t really just a kiss, but lots of kisses. Or one really long kiss. No, it was definitely lots of kisses.
And Buffy wasn’t good at forgetting scary words and kisses.
They loved Australia. In some places the weather was hot, humid and skin tanning. In others it was cold, windy and storming. The beaches were huge, white sands in some states and yellow in others.
The vampires were cocky. Australia hadn’t seen a slayer since 1872.
Cocky vampires put up a great fight.
They’d gone dancing. The usual thing after a slay.
After a great fight, Faith nor Buffy could just go home and sleep. Dawn didn’t want to either, the then nineteen year old was pumping adrenaline and full of energy. Willow had made excuses and gone back to base. Buffy’s eyes had followed her sadly. Xander had decided to stay and attempt some dancing.
The club had crap music, but a great dance floor and a cheap bar. Dawn was beyond happy with the legal drinking age being eighteen. Buffy let her enjoy it, but watched her closely. She was surprised to find she didn’t need to shoot Dawn warning looks or take drinks off of her.
Her sister was creepily responsible. Why was she only just noticing that?
Dawn had lasted three hours until she decided to taxi it home. Buffy was going to go with her, not liking the idea of Dawn alone but her sister had insisted Buffy stay and keep dancing. Xander offered to join Dawn. Buffy had been secretly glad, she was wide awake and her fruity cocktails had done nothing to stop that. All they had done was make the music overtake her more.
Faith and Buffy saw Dawn and Xander into a taxi and made their way back in. They threw themselves back into the dancing. Buffy didn’t remember much in detail about the next few hours. She remembered the music had overcome her and Faith. That while both girls had several people move in and join them, neither had moved away from the other. They’d ended up dancing close, sweaty skin against sweaty skin. Faith had smelt sweet, a product of the bourbons she’d been knocking back. Her leather pants had felt amazing under Buffy’s hands. Before Buffy had known what was happening, Faiths lips were pressed against her neck. And before she knew what she was doing, Buffy had placed her hands against Faiths cheeks and pulled her up and pressed her lips against Faith’s.
When she did realise what she was doing, Buffy had stepped back. Her eyes wide and alarmed, she took in Faiths, a mirror of her own. Buffy turned and ran outside.
Faith had followed. She’d called her name. Buffy had stopped, still able to hear the music outside in the cool air. Buffy turned to see Faith. They were both so drunk. So drunk and alive and taken away.
Faith had told Buffy not to worry about it, to forget about it. To pretend it didn’t happen.
Buffy had blurted out that she didn’t want to forget about it.
And then she didn’t know why she said that.
Faith had paused. She had almost looked like Buffy had slapped her. Faith had asked her why, why wouldn’t she forget it about. Wouldn’t she want to forget about it?
Buffy couldn’t answer.
Faith had stepped closer. And Buffy had found herself against her again. Had found Faith’s lips again. And again. They’d murmured to each other.
She’d heard Faith say this was all she’d ever wanted.
She’d heard herself say things she’d never let herself realise she felt.
They ended up leant against the door in a shadowy doorway of an old antique shop. The kisses were intense, fuelled by something Buffy had only once felt. Faiths lips were soft and sweet, her tongue was hungry and gentle and Buffy had moaned against her.
And then she’d pushed away and ran.
And the next morning Faith had gone.
And now Faith was saying to forget it.
Buffy couldn’t. She’d never been one to let things go. Yet she should let it go. She should be wanting to let it go.
“Faith. What you said-”
“B, I said nothing okay?” Faith swallowed her shame, she didn’t need Buffy patronising her, didn’t need to be let down easy. Forget, that was the way here. “I said nothin’.”
Buffy didn’t know why she said what she said next. “Bullshit, Faith. Why is it always bullshit with you?”
Anger flickered across Faith’s face, “Bullshit with me, Buffy? What about you, huh? Flicking me aside the past six years, when apparently that whole time you’ve felt what you said you felt?”
“I’m not the only one who apparently felt things, Faith. Or was what you said just to get you where you wanted? Just words, to get something you wanted while you were drunk?”
Buffy regretted it instantly. Faith turned away from her.
“If that’s what you think of me.”
Buffy swallowed. “Faith I-I…I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. I just…you left, you know?”
Faith turned around, and Buffy reeled at the ocean of emotions in Faith’s eyes, “Yeah, and you ran, B.”
Buffy went to step forward, to step towards Faith, but stopped herself. “I don’t know why I ran. It was too much, all of it. Just-I’ve not let myself feel that in so long.”
Faith shoved her hands in her pockets, and tried to look nonchalant. “So…you did feel…what you said you felt.”
“I…I dunno.”
Buffy leant against the door and stared at the ground.
She heard Faith clear her throat, “I-I’m not good at, you know, talking and feelings and shit…”
Buffy almost smirked.
“It’s not, ya know, like I know how to put that stuff out there…I’ve always dealt with this stuff in one way…”
Buffy expected, with that, for Faith to turn and run. It would appear that that’s how both of them did things these days.
Instead she felt Faiths fingertips sneak around her waist, felt her breath trickle along her skin and suddenly, blissfully, Faiths lips on her own.
The two of them sank into the kiss, fell into it, they ran head first into it and didn’t come up for hours.
*
Willow lay in bed, sleepless. She felt sodden in emptiness. She could hear the laughing and sighs of love making from Buffy’s room. Giggles and happiness and noises she’d rather not think too much about. She half smiled to herself as she pulled a pillow over her head to block it out. She’d seen this happening between the two slayers since Sunnydale had engulfed itself. Heck, maybe she’d seen it a long time before then, too.
Glancing at her clock from under the pillow she looked at the time. Nine at night. The earliest any of them had been in bed in a long time. The sisters had dealt with the only demonic activity they were aware of in the arvo. Giles was Watchering with a few of the new Slayers, with Dawn in Training alongside him. So patrol was taken care of.
It was nine at night. Willow curled into another pillow and tried to block out the night.
She tried to make herself sleep. Alone.
*
Faith was in the shower and Buffy was grinning like an idiot to herself on the bed.
It was just before midnight and she was about to get up and join Faith when she heard it.
Whisperings.
The hair stood up on the back of Buffy’s neck. She stood bolt upright in the middle of the bed.
The Whisperings became words.
Hear us, Slayer.
We hold a Gift for you.
From the same beginning as your first Gift.
You have given and lost much, and survived more then you realise.
So take this, Slayer.
A Gift.
A Wish.
Just one.
We will return in one day, to fulfil what you choose.
Choose wisely, Slayer.
Buffy sat on the bed, her hand tingling from where it was clenched to her chest.
She raised it to her face, opening the fist.
Emblazoned in blue-white light upon her palm, were the words:
One wish.
/End Chapter
