Risen


Willow's POV

I hand my key to Xander and he rushes to the door of Buffy's home. I put my arm around Buffy's back to lead her up her walkway.

She's still in shock but she's walking, and I think she's aware of what's going on. She hasn't said anything but she seemed to respond when I said Faith's name which I think is a good thing.

We walk up the porch steps and Xander opens the door for us to walk in.

"See? Buffy? This is your home. You're home Buffy and everything is gonna be okay. See?"

She doesn't say anything. She just stops inside the door and looks around a bit. I stand beside her as Xander, Anya and Spike come in behind us. Tara looks up the stairs for a moment and then at Buffy.

"I, I think F-Faith is upstairs. I-if you want to go see her."

Buffy glimpses at Tara before staring at the stairs.

We should go upstairs and see Faith. They'll both be okay once they see each other.

"Come on Buffy. We'll go see Faith and things will work out."

She sorta nods at me and I lead her to the stairs. I stop at the bottom of the stairs and look back at the gang.

"You guys, you guys should wait here. I'll be right back when..."

I walk Buffy up the stairs to her and Faith's room. We stop in front of the door and I look at Buffy, who's staring at the closed door.

"Are you okay? Are you okay to do this?"

She doesn't do anything. She just looks at the door. I knock lightly on the door. We wait a few moments but no one comes to the door. I knock at the door again and the door flies open. Faith freezes at the sight of Buffy.

"I..."

She glimpses at me and then looks at Buffy, eyes wide, mouth open in shock. I look at Buffy and then Faith.

"I told you I'd make everything better Faith."

Buffy tilts her head slightly and finally speaks.

"Faith?"

Faith's eyes well up at the sound of Buffy's voice. Her lip quivers as she starts to cry.

"Buffy?"

Faith leaps forward, arms open as she hugs Buffy with everything she has.

"Buffy I... god Buffy I..."

Buffy slowly puts her arms around Faith. I take a step back to let the happy reunion happen.

"Faith?"

"Yes, Buffy it's me. It's me, it's Faith."

Faith pulls away from the hug and cradles Buffy's head to look at her.

"Is it you? Is it really you Buffy?"

Buffy doesn't say anything so I step in.

"It's really her Faith. I brought her back for you."

Faith pulls Buffy back into a hug again.

"Oh Buffy... I-I missed you."

This is a private moment. I should leave them to it.

I turn around and walk down the stairs to leave them alone. I get to the bottom of the stairs and walk into the living room where the others are waiting. Spike stands up as I enter the room.

"What happened?"

I don't know quite how to answer that.

"Stuff..."

"Stuff?"

"Well that's descriptive ain't it? Mind furnishing us with a few more details?"

"Spike just, shut up."

"Not bloody likely. Not until you tell me what the bloody hell you soddin' Scoobies were thinking, resurrecting the slayer like that?"

He stops pacing and growls at me when I speak.

"We did what we had to."

"You morons, you have no idea what this kinda mojo'll do."

"I know there are consequences Spike. We all knew that going into the spell."

"Bollocks! You couldn't possibly know how bad the consequences could... ARE gonna get now that she's back. We're all in for a world of hurt."

"We did it for Faith. We did it to help her."

He stifles a scream directed at me.

"I wanted to help her as much as any of you but I wasn't about to raise the dead to do it."

Xander gets in Spike's face.

"She tried to kill herself."

"So?"

"We had to do something."

Spike tries to get one up on Xander by arching up on the balls of his feet.

"People try and kill themselves all the time mate. But their friends don't generally resort to the black arts for counselling tips."

Xander pushes Spike and he stumbles back slightly.

"Why are we even talking to evil dead here? It's not like he cares about anyone but himself."

Spike pushes Xander back.

"I care about Faith..."

He gets this confused look on his face for a split second.

"Odd as that might sound to you lot. But she's a good person and you ponces just made her life infinitely more complicated and you know it."

No, we didn't.

"We made things better."

"How can you people be so blind? What happens if you find out later on that something went wrong with the spell? You all know there's only one of you Scoobies with half a shot of stopping Buffy. Do you really expect Faith to just let Buffy go after getting her back? The woman couldn't let her go when she was dead and gone. I don't see her giving up the live version any time soon, do you?"

"I..."

He's, he's not wrong.

"And if Faith won't stop her, who will? You fixin' to go up against two mightily pissed off slayers Red?"

"Well I..."

"Didn't think so. You better hope things don't go all wonky with..."

This has to stop.

"Shut up Spike! Things didn't go wrong. Buffy is alive and she's okay and she's gonna stay that way. Whatever happens we'll deal and we'll be okay."

"Fine... you people deny things all you like. I'll be leaving before the massacring starts."

Spike walks off in a huff out the door.

Screw what Spike says, we did what was right and everything will be okay... won't it?


Faith's POV

I don't know what to say.

I'm sitting on the opposite edge of our bed with the woman I love and I have no idea what to say. I look over at her just to be sure she's really there.

She's here, she's really here and there's so much I want to say but when I try nothing comes out. I feel like I should say something. I should tell her that I love her. That I never stopped loving her with all my heart but I just can't get it out.

I turn myself to look at her on the bed, she doesn't move.

"Buffy?"

She looks at me and my heart nearly explodes at the sight of her eyes staring blankly back at me.

She's really back.

"Buffy I... I want you to know that, that I l-love you."

I let out a deep breath.

That was easier than it could've been.

"I never stopped loving you. I want you to know that."

I look down at my shaky, sweaty hands.

"Before you there was nothing. I was empty. I was dead inside. I tried to fill it with so many things but nothing worked. And then there was you... even with everything I've done, you still found a way to love me. Then all of the sudden my life was okay. I was in love and everything was all right. You loved me and I loved you, I never had that before you, and then you were gone. You were gone and I tried to live with that. I tried to live with that like you asked but I couldn't. I couldn't live knowing I let the one thing... the only thing that ever made my life worth living die. I let the woman I love, the only person I've ever truly loved die, and I just couldn't live with that."

I look at her and I see a blank look back at me. She doesn't say anything.

"But... but you're back. You're back now and everything will be okay. You'll see, I'll make everything better. I know things must have been hard, with the being dead... and then with the not being dead. But I'll do whatever it takes to make things okay, whatever you need. If you want to go out, we'll go out. If you want to stay in, we'll stay in. You don't even have to leave this room if you don't want to. I'll bring you food or whatever you want."

"Faith?"

"What? What is it? What do you need?"

She reaches out and her hand touches mine.

"Just... hold me?"

"Of course."

I move closer to her on the bed and take her in my arms gently.

She's back, she's really back.

We lie down on the bed together as I just hold her.

"I love you B."

She doesn't say anything. She just stares into my eyes blankly.

She's here, she's here and everything will be fine. So why do I feel like she's not all there? Like her body is here but her mind is somewhere else. But she's here and I love her with everything I am. That's all that really matters.

She turns over, facing away from me as I hold her. I close my eyes and savour the feeling of her against me.

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