Forever, Always, and Then SomeChapter 65
Buffy sits as Faith is brought in. Faith is surprised to see her. Faith: Hello. Buffy: Hi. Faith: Is something wrong. Buffy: No, I just need to talk to you. I need to know a few things. Faith: Okay. I think. Buffy: I know your parole hearing is in few weeks and I want to know if you are ready to come out or not. Faith: Why are you asking? Buffy: Because if you are ready I am here to help, but only if you can handle the freedom. Faith: I don’t understand. Buffy: It is simple. Do you think you are ready to handle the outside world and the responsibilities that come with it. The responsibilities of being the slayer. Faith: I am. I know it is hard for you to believe, but B I have spent 2 years thinking of nothing else. But I am not sure it you are ready for me. Buffy: Well we need you, but only if you can handle the stress. Faith: Is something bad going down? Buffy: Not that I know of. Listen Giles is here too and I want you two to talk before I make any decisions. Faith: Giles? Would he be my watcher again? We never quite got along. Buffy: No, actually he is living in England. The council has felt I no longer need constant supervision. Faith: Really. So will they send someone new? Someone I can actually relate to? Buffy: Well before we go there, talk to Giles and he and I will have to make a decision. Let me get him Buffy leaves and Giles enters. Giles: Faith, how are you doing? Faith: Honestly Giles, I am coping. I just take it one day at a time. Giles: So are you ready to get back on the front lines. I need to know. Faith: Giles, I think I am, but I have to admit it is scary. Giles: It should be. You had more than a little laps in judgment. You were willing to let a lot of innocent people die. Faith: I know. I am not excusing my actions. I am trying to accept full responsibility. Giles: Well if you get out can you work with us. And adhere to our rules. Faith: If Buffy can give me the chance, I know I can work with her. We were a good team for awhile. Patrolling together. Well until I began resenting her. But I want to try and get back that combination we had. Giles: Faith, that is not what we need. We need you to be able to work alone. Buffy will not be in the field. She will be strictly your superior. She will be your unofficial watcher. Faith: Buffy? But I thought she and I. Giles: No. Just you. Do you still think you are ready? Buffy will be there to guide you but you will have to be independent when it comes to the actual slaying. Faith: Are you saying Buffy is retiring? Is it because of Conner? Giles: She is taking a leave of absence of sorts. Now please I need to know, can you do this without Buffy being with you. Faith: Yes, I can. Giles: Can you take orders from Buffy? Faith: I trust her. If she can trust me again I actually would prefer her to another watcher. Will there be another watcher? Giles: Not at first. But when Buffy returns to the field, we may have to assign someone else. Will that be a problem? Faith: I guess not. Giles: Fine let me get Buffy back. You two need to discuss things more. Faith: Okay Giles leaves and Buffy returns. Buffy: I spoke to Giles, he agrees with me. We are going to take a chance and help you to get out. Now I need to know a few things. Faith: Sure. Buffy: We are going to find you a job and a place to live. I need to have an idea what you think you would prefer doing. Waiting tables, sales clerk….what? Faith: Something outside. Something without walls. Buffy: That helps. Do you mind manual labor? Faith: Not at all. I like to use my muscles. Lifting and hauling. Anything like that. Buffy: Good. I can work with that. Now do you have any preferences on the apartment? Ground or upper level? Faith: Windows, lots of windows. Buffy: I am sensing a pattern. You are missing the outside. That is good. Because you will be spend many hours outside walking the streets of Sunnydale. Can get lonely. Faith: I understand. Giles said you will not be going out with me. Buffy: No, not for at least six months and then we will see. Faith: B, can I ask what is going on? This is not your style, to back off of your responsibility like this. Not that you don’t deserve some time off. Buffy: I have more processing responsibilities to take care of. Faith: Oh. Buffy leans back and places her hand on her stomach. Buffy: I have more important priorities right now. Faith: Huh? B? Are you going to have another baby? Buffy: Yes. Faith: Now it makes sense. Angel? Buffy: He is beside himself. He didn’t even want me to leave to come here. Faith: Is he here? Buffy: No he is with Conner. This is not his decision. It is mine and Giles. Now We need to get back before he sends a search party out. The council will contact you and I am sure they can weld their power and insure your release. But mind you, baby or no baby, if you fail me in anyway, I will have you back here so fast your head will spin. And you know I am serious. We can do this without you, but this is the easiest solution Faith: Thanks for giving me the chance. I won’t let you down. Buffy: You better not. Because you will be letting Angel down the most. Faith: I know. Buffy: Well I will talk to you later. Faith: Bye and tell Angel, way to go. I am still confused on how he can do it but hey he is not a normal va. Man. Buffy: You can say that again.
Buffy and Giles head back to the hotel. They walk in and the others are sitting around chatting. Buffy walks over and sits in Angel’s lap. Angel: How did it go? Buffy: We are going to try and get her released. Giles is confident the council will have no problem. Angel: Good. I like your plan. Buffy: Uh were is my son. Angel: Taking a nap. Buffy: Good. I think I will join him. Angel: Are you admitting to being tired? Buffy: Yes, I promised. Now are you going to tuck me in? Angel: Yes, do you want snuggles too. Buffy: Do you have to ask? Angel: Lets go. Want a ride? Buffy: I am not that tired. Angel: No, I just like the feel of you in my arms. Besides pretty soon you may be too heavy. Buffy: Oh you will pay for that. Angel: I know. Now about the ride. Buffy: Take me to your lair my prince. Angel: That was a yes. He scoops her up and heads upstairs. Fred: Looks like they want to be alone. Giles: (wipes his glasses) It appears so.
In Sunnydale School lets out and Dawn heads to the cemetery. She enters a crypt and walks toward the back wall. She pushes open a door and heads down a flight of stone steps. Dawn: He thinks he can treat me like a child. Well I will show him. He will never look at me like that again. She heads through the underground tunnel and comes to a ladder. She climbs up and enters basement storage area. She pulls an old book from her bookbag and flips through the pages. Dawn: Here it is. Okay lets hope I can find everything. She gathers various items from the shelves, stuffing them in her bookbag. Suddenly she hears a noise from above and ducks behind a box. Anya: Okay where did Giles put that urn. I wish he would have left it upstairs, I knew it would sell. But no he thinks he knows best. Now I have to find it before the lady changes her mind. Anya searches amongst the supplies. She nears Dawn’s hiding place. But before she can discover the girl, she finds what she seeks. Anya heads back upstairs. Dawn: Okay, heart start beating now. Dawn gets the rest of the supplies and heads back to the tunnel and the cemetery.
At the house. Willow is waiting for Dawn. Willow: Come on. I told you to come straight home. There is a knock at the door. Willow: Since when does she need to knock. She opens the door. Willow: Riley? What are you doing here? Again? Riley: Hi, I just came to see Buffy. Is she here? Willow: No she isn’t. I think you need to stop coming around. She is married now and very happy. Riley: I just wanted to thank her for rescuing me that night. Willow: What night? Riley: The night at that creepy mansion. Willow: Creepy mansion? Oh you mean Angel’s. I never thought of it as creepy. Big, but not creepy. Riley: Not the hotel. The mansion here in town. Willow: Yes the mansion on Crawford Street. The one Angel use to live in when he was here. Riley: Angel lived there? Oh so that is why they were so comfortable there. I guess she spent a lot of time there huh? Willow: Yes, she did. Now Riley I like you a lot but you need to move on. She has. In a big way. Riley: I know, married with a baby. I get it. But I can dream. Well if anything happened to him, than well I would be willing to help her raise the boy. Willow: Riley, this fantasy has to stop. Besides there is not just Conner to consider now. There is now going to be two babies. Riley: Two? She is pregnant? Willow: Yes she is. Now can you see she is not coming back to you…..ever. I am sorry. Now please for all our feelings leave Sunnydale and LA behind you. Riley: I don’t have a choice do I. Willow: You really don’t. Now I need to go find Dawn. We were suppose to be on our way to LA, 30 minutes ago. Riley: Bye, and thanks for being honest with me. Willow: Didn’t tell you anything you didn’t know, well except for the new baby, but I mean about how Buffy feels. Riley: She never really loved me. I know. Willow: Bye. Riley leaves in his car and Willow gets in the jeep and heads out to find Dawn. She notices Crystal walking down the road. Willow: Crystal? Hey. Crystal: Hi Willow, what’s up? Do you need a baby-sitter? Willow: No actually Buffy and Conner are in LA with Angel. I am looking for Dawn so we can go see them. Have you seen her? Crystal: Not since we left school. She was heading down Madison toward the cemetery. Not sure where exactly she was going. Willow: Oh I do. Thanks.
The cemetery. Dawn approaches the side of the Spike’s crypt and peeks through a small scratch in the paint covering the window. She kneels down and begins combining the ingredients. She looks once more at Spike. Dawn: Here goes. This better work. She looks once more. Dawn: To love be a slave For the next woman you’ll crave May all that you be Belong to the next that you see She blows the powder from her hand. Dawn: Well here goes. She heads around to the front of the crypt only to walk slam into Willow. Willow: Dawn what are you doing here? I have been looking for you. We need to get on the road. Dawn: Uh, I uh, I wanted to check on Spike.. Well because he was upset last night. Willow: We don’t have time. Let’s just get in the jeep and go. Dawn: I want to see Spike first. Willow: Dawn! Dawn: It will only take a minute. Willow: Dawn, you need to stay away from here. Buffy would not like this. Dawn: I don’t care.! I need to see Spike! Willow grabs her arm as she heads to the door. Willow: No! Spike suddenly opens the door and stands just far enough back to avoid the daylight. He looks at the two of them and his eyes become dark for a mere second. Spike: What the bloody hell is going on here? Dawn: Hi Spike, I was just coming to see you but Willow here is trying to stop me. Willow: Because we have somewhere to be. Dawn: I just wanted to make sure you were okay before we left. Spike: I am fine. Why don’t you come on in and we can visit. Willow: I don’t think so. Spike tell the girl you are okay and we can leave. Spike: I am fine little bit. Willow: See. Now lets go. Bye Spike. Dawn: Fine. Bye Spike. Spike: Bye sweety. Dawn and Willow walk toward jeep. Spike stares after the departing figures. Spike: Damn she is sexy. How come I never noticed that before? He closes the door and sits back down. Spike: Ah hell, I just let her walk away. Am I nuts. Bugger. He heads down stairs. Spike: Harmony, get up and get dressed. You can wait for dark upstairs, I need some sleep before sunset. Harmony: Where will I go? Spike: I don’t know and I really don’t bloody care. Just get out of my crypt and don’t come back here again. Harmony: Fine. I can do better than you anyway. Spike: Out. Harmony scurries upstairs. Spike lies down and is soon asleep.
At the mansion. Riley slips in the garden door. He slips around and confirms the place is empty. Riley: So Buffy this is where you and the great vampire go it on. How could I ever compete with this? Riley starts looking around and begins pulling things apart. He trashes the remaining furniture in the living room and heads to the other rooms. He discovers the master bed room. Riley: This must have been the his room. The room her made love to her. He made love to my Buffy. She lost her virginity to him in here. He starts throwing the contents around. The ripped up mattress ends up on the floor and the box spring against the window. Riley: He won’t do her in that bed again. He falls on his knees in tears. He collapses onto the mattress. And lies there in agony. He slowly looks around the room. Riley: This didn’t make me feel any better. He rolls over and his eyes notice a small corner of a piece of paper peaking from behind a dresser. He crawls over and flips the dresser on its face. He picks up the paper. Riley: (reads) My dearest Angel. You were sleeping so soundly I couldn’t bear to wake you. I have to get home before mom wakes up. Do not need her worry more than she does already. I will meet you at the Bronze tonight at 8. Forever and Always, love, Buffy. Riley balls the note up. Riley: Why couldn’t she love me like that? He collapses back on the floor.
In LA Buffy is alone in bed sleeping. She jolts awake and looks around. She reaches toward Angel’s side of the bed and discovers it empty. She looks around and checks the crib. Her eyes are filling with tears. She runs toward the door and downstairs. She enters the lobby with tears streaming down her face. Cordy: Buffy, what is wrong? Buffy: Where is Giles? I need to talk to Giles. Cordy: He is in with Wesley. I think they are looking at the scroll. Buffy why are you crying. Buffy: Oh, I’m not. My eyes are just watering a little. I need to talk to Giles Angel walks up. Angel: Buffy, what is wrong. Buffy: I had a dream. Angel: A prophecy dream? Buffy: I think so. I just need to talk to Giles. Angel: He is in the office. Buffy: Thanks. Don’t worry, no one is dying. Cordy: Glad to hear that. She heads into the office. Giles: Buffy? Buffy: Uh I need to talk to you. Wesley: Do you want me to leave? Buffy: No I think you both should here this, but please close the door. Wesley shut the door. Buffy: I had one of my dreams. And I know everything. Well almost everything that matters anyway. Giles: You think it was a prophecy. Buffy: I know it was. Wesley: I know you have these in the past. And you are sure this is another one? Buffy: I have learned to know the difference. Giles: Well do you want to tell us? Buffy: Yes but a lot of this will never leave this room. Do you understand? Never. Giles: Is it that bad? Buffy: No. Wesley: Sit down. Do you want some water? Buffy: I just need both of you to listen and not repeat any of this to anyone. Not even Angel Especially not to Angel. |
© 2005 Tara