Buffy's POV

Thank god...

I squeeze Faith's hand as I listen to the steady beeping of Faith's heart rate monitor.

Thank god she's gonna be all right. I don't know what I would've done if she had died in that cave. She's all I have left. She's been with me through so much. We've gone through hell and back in the time we've known each other. It would be horrible and unfair for us to lose each other now.

I take a deep breath and watch her sleep peacefully.

Things were actually getting pretty good. I was starting to really feel okay with the fact that my mother was gone, and Dawn. I guess I should've figured that something bad would happen. I just never thought it would've been Faith's mother that was the bad.

Faith shifts in her hospital bed and I wait to see if she wakes up. She doesn't.

The doctors said it was really touch and go yesterday when I brought her in. There were a few moments where she almost died. They thought she might slip into a coma from all the blood loss. I'm so glad she didn't. If she had gone into a coma again, I probably would've gone insane. I still need her. She's my friend and I care about her. I need her to help me figure out what I'm gonna do with the rest of my life. And now, she needs me too. Finding out that her mother is evil will be really hard on her when she wakes up. She's gonna need someone to help her. She's gonna have a lot of questions. The gang and I will help her find the answers for her.

Again she stirs but doesn't wake up.

I'll be there to help her deal with those answers too. No matter what the answers are, she'll have someone with her. Someone to comfort her when she's sad, and have fun with her when she's happy. Just like I know she'll be there for me if I ever need her for something. We care about each other too much not to.

Faith moans as she slowly opens her eyes. She looks around the hospital room before her eyes fall on me. We smile at each other.

"Hey..."

"Hey B..."

There's a silence between us as we stare at each other for a moment.

"How are you feeling?"

She groans and throws her head back against the pillow.

"Like crap..."

I chuckle at what she says.

"Well, you probably should after what you've been through. You lost a lot of blood. The doctors said you almost didn't make it. I was really worried about you."

Faith looks down at her hands and sees the bandages on her wrists.

"So was I. I didn't think I'd make it either, after what she..."

She stops mid sentence and just looks at her wrists. Silence spreads throughout the room except for the beeping of the heart monitor.

"But at least you're alive though right? We survived."

She pulls her head up and smiles my way.

"Yeah, I guess we did. What happened though? How did we survive exactly? The last thing I remember is bleeding to death while you were chained to a wall."

"Yeah, when the cave started to shake I think it weakened the hold on the wall. I got some of my strength back then managed to break free and... save you."

She takes a deep breath.

"Oh, thanks..."

I squeeze her hand gently.

"No problem... it's not like you wouldn't have done the same for me."

She smiles at me and then lays her head back on her pillow.

"That's true."

We fall into silence together for a while.

I know she's going to ask.

Faith takes a long deep breath.

"What happened to...?"

She stops short of saying the words.

"Your mother?"

She nods my way.

"I... I stopped her."

Faith looks down at her feet with a sad look for a second.

"I'm sorry..."

Her eyes meet mine.

"For what? You did what you had to for the world, if anyone would understand that Buffy, it's me."

My gaze drops to her hand in mine.

"I guess you would. But I'm still sorry. She was your mother. Or at least, she said she was."

I feel her hand gently squeeze mine and I look at her.

"I know, but even if she was, she was trying to destroy the world, and I can't hate you for saving the world B. I would've done the same thing."

We stare into each other's eyes and I remember what's in my pocket. I use my free hand to take it out.

"Speaking of which, I wanted to give this back to you."

I hold out the necklace chain with Dawn's ring on it.

"I found it in your clothes when I was making pieces to stop the bleeding."

I put it in the hand I'm holding and she grips my hand, pressing it gently to both our palms.

"Thank you..."

I smile at her as I feel the ring between us. She takes a long deep breath.

"So... what happens now?"

Now?

"Well, I could go get a doctor, but I think they want you to get lots of rest and recover."

She laughs.

"Sounds good, but I was talking more about after that."

Oh...

"Right, well, I guess we just... try to get on with our lives. However the hell we do that exactly. Then we just wait for the next disaster to happen and deal with it."

We both chuckle this time.

"Way to stay positive B."

"Hey, at least it's a workable plan."

She smiles.

"True... I like it."

I put my other hand on Faith's and I gently close hers around Dawn's ring.

"I'm gonna go tell the doctors you're awake. Giles, Xander and Anya should be here soon."

I stand up.

"I'll be back."

"Okay..."

I make my way to the door.

"Hey B?"

I turn back and face her.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks..."

"For what?"

She smiles.

"For being here..."

I smile back.

"There's nowhere else I'd want to be."

I turn around and head out the door.

Everything really is going to be okay.

The End

Author's Note: So, this is where the story kinda comes to an end for me. Although not really... but I can't say why exactly. I did write what could be considered an epilogue to this story and then there's... well, the part I can't talk about. But... I do also have a writing challenge that I'd like to pose for my readers as well.

I have a few ideas for the challenge, but I'm more interested in a collaborative approach. Would you participate in the writing process? Maybe even do the writing yourself?

I'm debating posting either the challenge or the epilogue to the story as the next, truly final chapter. Or post the epilogue as it's own separate story. I'm leaning towards the challenge but it depends on if anyone would participate in it.

Which would you prefer?

If you want me to post both, I'm open to that too.