Buffy's POV
I feel... good. I can't explain it and, maybe I don't want to but... I feel good. Maybe it's what Faith said, maybe it's that she put a knife to my throat and threatened to kill me, or maybe it's just all the sex. All I know for sure is that ever since last night I don't feel so focused on my pain anymore. I feel like... a human being, with friends, and family. I haven't felt that way in a long time. Since before I was dead. I feel, like I can live with where I've been, with what's happened to me.
And I think I can do it without hating my friends and family... or Faith, I think. Problem is I don't know why. I don't know what I want, or what I'm gonna do with my life. What if when I figure it out I wanna be alone? Or what if I have to be alone to figure it out? I don't want to string Faith along. I don't really know what is gonna happen between Faith and I, but I'm pretty sure I want her with me so we can find out together. I care about Faith, a lot. She's right, and so was Mom. I can't blame Faith for what Willow did, and blaming Willow won't do any good either. Faith was willing to commit murder to keep us from imploding. Why would she do that if she wanted me back so badly?
Mom must've been telling the truth when she said Faith wanted to kill herself to be with me. God that must've been so horrible for her. Maybe Mom was right about us, helping each other through this hard time. We both know what it's like to wish we were dead. Sharing our pain could bring us closer together, emotionally. God knows we're as close as two people can be in a physical sense. Maybe it's time to take it to the next level, emotional closeness.
For the longest time, all we ever were to each other was enemies. Then, all the sudden we were lovers, and we couldn't be enemies anymore. But other than an insatiable lust for each other and a tendency to slay vamps on a regular basis, Faith and I have all but nothing in common. We've never been friends, we've never confided in each other about anything. Maybe the best way to grow and move on from everything is to do that, confide in one another. Build something beyond just unquenchable animal lust.
Lust is all well and good but it doesn't build lasting relationships. What if all we have is lust? It doesn't mean we can't have something more does it? I mean for a long time all Angel and I had was lust, but slowly it became more than that.
I should have a talk with her. God knows I haven't been that nice to her since I've been back. It's time that changed. It's time we did something right. When I get home I'm gonna try and talk with her. Right now I gotta concentrate on patrolling, keep my wits about me in case some big ugly demon type jumps out at me. This is pretty much where Willow said she found the glowy ball thingy. Whatever put it there must be around here, or was recently. Maybe I could track where it went.
There's a loud bang nearby. I look around and there's another one.
Where the hell is that coming from?
Another bang rings out.
It doesn't sound like a gunshot, and it sounds like it's coming from a nearby factory so I know I'm not in any immediate danger. It almost sounds like someone trying to break down a door.
I start to walk toward the factory where the banging is coming from.
Whoever's breaking down the door must be pretty powerful. Maybe I should hold off on going up against this thing until I have Faith to help me. Then again, there could be innocent people in there that need my help.
I open the door to the factory and go inside. A loud crash comes from upstairs and I think the door has come down. Then I hear a scream and that pretty much settles any internal struggling I have about leaving it till later.
I gotta go do the hero thing.
The man screams out again. As I make my way up the stairs I hear a woman yelling.
"I want my key! Where did you put it?"
Geez all this over a key, what lame ass demon would do that?
I make it up to the top of the stairs and see a huge hole in the wall where a big metal door used to be.
Some big skanky looking blonde chick is beating up on some guy in a brown robe.
She picks the guy up by his robe.
"I... will tell you... nothing."
She throws him across the rather large room.
Well that can't be good.
"It doesn't even belong to you. You took it from me and I want it back."
I walk into the place, being sure not to get too close until I know what she is.
"Wow, a lover's quarrel over a stupid little key. And I thought I had problems."
The woman turns around and looks at me with a scowl.
"Who the hell are you?"
I cross my arms over my chest.
"People call me the slayer."
She rolls her eyes and scoffs.
"Ugh, a slayer? You've got to be kidding me?"
"Do you know what a slayer is?"
"Yes I do pint-size, and if you get between me and my key. I'll have to slay YOU."
Confident much?
"You think so do you?"
"I know so sweetie. Just leave me and monkey boy alone and I won't snap that pretty little neck of yours."
I guess I'm gonna have to get in a scuffle with this demon chick to save monk man.
"You think you can take me?"
I take a few more steps toward her.
"Don't make me lower myself to trading blows with a slayer. All I want is my key."
"Well if you have to beat up robe-y guy to get it, I'm gonna have to stop you."
"Fine."
I blink and she's right in front of me.
Wait, what?
She punches me in the face and I fly across the room and crash into the wall.
Ow!
I fall to the floor and barely manage to make it up on my elbows.
What the hell kinda demon is this chick?
"You lie on the floor and I'll find my key."
I make it to my feet and take a deep breath to regain focus.
I gotta stay sharp if I'm gonna take this girl apart. Time to lie my ass off.
"Is that all you've got?"
God I hope I can take this bitch.
"Oh how cute, you got up. I guess I'll just have to put you down again."
She comes at me again and this time I'm ready for her. I dodge her first four punches and come back with five of my own. None of which connect so I try for a roundhouse kick and it only barely makes her stumble.
Okay... I guess I'll have to put a little more force behind my punch.
I punch her right between the eyes and follow it up with a gut shot. I repeat this motion twice more to get her on the ropes and then hit her with a spinning back fist to the face.
She just takes everything I throw at her and it's like it doesn't even faze her.
I try for a lot more power behind my fist and she grabs it.
"Okay, that's enough of that."
She squeezes my fist and I feel like all the bones in my hand are cracking. I hit her on her inner elbow with my forearm and it breaks her hold.
It could be time for a hasty retreat.
I try for a roundhouse kick to get her off balance long enough to escape, but she grabs my leg and spins around before she lets me go. I fly across the room and land next to the bleeding monk. I pull myself up on my hands.
"Help... me..."
This guy is in need of some serious medical attention.
I look over at the big bad demon chick that is walking slowly this way.
I don't know if I can get away with her following us, but I have to try.
I crawl over to the monk guy and put his arm over my shoulders as we get up.
My leg is killing me from when she threw me across the room with it, but I have to make it to the window.
"HEY! Hands off my holy man!"
If we can make it out the window maybe we can get away.
"He's mine! Bring him back here!"
She stomps her foot and the floor shakes. She stomps her foot with every word.
"Bring! Him! Back! Right! Now!"
The ceiling starts coming down around her. We make it to the window as the demon chick gets buried under the concrete ceiling. I put my arms around the monk and throw myself out the window. I brace myself as we fall from the second story window.
Ow!
He lands on top of me as we hit the ground.
God that hurts.
He rolls off of me, coughing up blood.
I have to get him to the hospital and away from that THING, whatever she was.
I pull myself to my hands and knees despite the throbbing, mind numbing pain of falling out of a second story window. I pull him up with me to our feet.
"Come on... we have to... get out of here."
"My journey is, done... I think..."
No we can't s-stop.
"We have to, keep going..."
He falls to the ground.
"I'm dying..."
"You're not going to die, I'm gonna..."
"It is... up to you. You must protect... the key..."
The key? What is it with this key?
"The key, what is it?"
"The key is... energy. It opens the door. For centuries, it had no form at all. Then the beast came..."
The beast? That demon woman?
"We had to... hide, the key. For fear of... what she would do. My brethren, we moulded it... gave it form, made it human and sent it, to you..."
What?
"What do you mean? Who?"
"Your love... brought it forth..."
Our love?
"Faith?"
"No... your sister..."
Dawn?
"What? What does Dawn have to do with anything?"
"She's, the key..."
How? But...
"She can't be... I, remember... my memories, my Mom's?"
"We built them, to give the key, meaning..."
I, I don't believe it. I can't believe it.
"She's, an innocent in this. You must keep her, safe. Your... love... the love... of the slayers... brought her forth... your... love... will keep her, safe."
"Our love?"
"Her form, was taken from, a piece of each of you. She was born, from the love you share."
Dawn's my, daughter?
"Keep... her... safe..."
He lets out the last of his breath and...
Oh god, I think he's...
I feel his pulse and it's not there.
"I'm sorry..."
I hear cracking and moving from the rubble in the factory.
She must still be alive up there.
I stand up.
Dawn... I have to get to Dawn.