FIC: Three Years in Hell, A Lifetime of Pain

[William Labarbera <asagiri@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Author: Red Demon & Bill Gopher
Email: reddemon33@xxxxxxxxx or kerrison29@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Disclaimer: Buffy and Company belong to Joss, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox
and UPN.
Pairing: Buffy/Faith, Willow/Tara
Rating: PG13 for now
Distribution: E-mail me and I'll let you know.
Feedback: Must Have. Makes me write much faster. Thoughts, opinions.
Summary: In an Alternate Universe where what was right is now wrong.

Three Years in Hell, A Lifetime of Pain

PART ONE

"Sir. Lance Corporal Summers reports as ordered. Sir." The Lieutenant
looked up from the file at the young Corporal. She was a hard worker,
always doing what he asked one step better than the rest without hesitation.
She should have made Sergeant by now but she'd been giving a raw deal.

"Summers sit down."

"Did I do something wrong sir?" She sat in the chair across from his desk.
She was nervous but she wouldn't show it.

"Summers you're one of my best soldiers. But I understand you're restricted
from seeing your family."

"Yes Sir."

"I'm going to be giving you a one week leave with the rest of your unit.
You are restricted from taking any military transport to any base within 100
miles of your home. Summers if you use civilian transport, well we don't
have any jurisdiction over where you go."

"Sir. Permission to speak freely." at his nod she continued. "I appreciate
this but I do not want to jeopardize the corps. or my unit."

"That's why I'm giving you this warning Summers. This is your first leave in
two years. And if you want to stay here then you can. I can't stop you.
This is a reminder to you that you cannot see your family without breaking
the terms of your parole agreement but you should go see your family. This
is the only chance you'll have Summers. Don't pass up a good thing."

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>

She entered the gym, sweat was already starting to pour off her from her
five mile run in the afternoon heat but she needed to work off some
frustration and worries. Her mind drifted back to her meeting with the
Lieutenant.

In a way, she didn't want to go home. How would her family react? Would they
forgive her? Yet she was given a chance to see her family and she longed to
hang out with Dawn. And maybe, just maybe she could convince them that she
was innocent.

"Penny for your thoughts Summers?" She spun twisting his arm behind his back
and bringing her foot into the back of his knee. He slipped to the ground
but pulling her with him. He flipped causing her to tumble across the mat.

"Taylor!"

"You owe me a buck Summers." He held his hand out to her but she just looked
at him and grinned. Suddenly he found himself upside down.

"Looks like you owe me that buck."

"I don't think so." He pointed at her. "You're going down Summers." He
lunged but she ducked.

When finally Beth tripped Taylor and held him. Both of them were sweating
heavily, "Okay, you win." Beth moved to let him up.

He tossed her a towel before wiping his face. "What's up?"

"Nothing. Why does something have to be up?"

"Because you were hitting harder than usual. And you had that look."

"I don't have a look."

"Yes you do... when you're pissed off, or when I beat you. And you
especially have that look when you think about your family."

She sighed and he knew something was definitely up. In the two years that he
knew her, he'd only heard 'The Corp' as they called her sigh twice. Once,
when everybody in the unit got leave and she had to stay on base and the
second when her sister turned sixteen. But Elizabeth Summers never sighed
when it was just nothing.

"I'll walk you home and you can tell me about it."

> > > > > > > > > > > > > >

She tilted her head back letting the breeze brush over her face.

"What is it Summers? And don't lie I know something big is going on. "Your
not worried about the war are you?"

She looked at him, really studying him. He was the only one that she could
talk to on a big brother basis. He was her confidant, her best friend and
her brother.

"It's not the war." She sighed, picking at her jeans. "You know that leave
you
guys are getting?

He nodded but it was more than that. "I'm sorry you can't go. I could put
you
in my duffle if ya like?"

"Well the Lieutenant is letting me go home."

"That's great Beth. Isn't it?"

"I don't know. I really don't know." She looked up at him. "I want to go
home but I'm... I'm scared Steve."

"Why? If they're half as great as you say then they'll except you."

"I failed them Steve."

"You didn't kill that guy Beth." he tapped her head. "You know it here." he
picked up her hand and placed it over her heart. "But you have to believe
it here."

She stood up suddenly, pacing in front of him. "It doesn't work that way
Steve. I failed in my duty and that's all that matters. One mistake and I
ruined my families life."

He reached out and grabbed Beth by the shoulders stopping her pacing, "It
was a mistake Beth. You said so. But if you don't go back and talk to your
family, then that will be a bigger mistake than how they railroaded you. You
can't change what happened, but you can try to make amends with them."

"But what if they..."

"No buts Beth! You can do this, you have to settle things with your family
or it'll eat at you till you can stand it anymore. And then one day you'll
become a little slower and you'll make a mistake and it'll be over Beth."

Her shoulders slumped in defeat as she realized that he was right, "I know,
but I'm scared though."

"It's all right to be scared you're entering their lives after two years.
It's not going to be easy but you can do it, I know you."

Pulling her into a hug for a moment he then stepped back. "Enough of this
life stuff Mary has dinner ready by now. Let me treat you to a night among
friends." He grinned, "besides, with Mary's good luck meatloaf how can
anything go wrong?"

A lopsided smile crossed her face, "Are you sure that's really good luck?
I've had Mary's cooking before."

"Keep that up and I'll tell her you said that tonight at dinner besides you
can't leave without saying goodbye to Sammy."

++++++++

"Flight 452 to Chicago non-stop is now boarding, Flight 452 to Chicago
non-stop is now boarding." Beth looked up at the swarm of people before
dropping her head down into her hands.

"Hey things are never as bad as you think, and if they love you fraction as
much as you do them everything will be fine. Trust me. Your a Marine now
Summers. We don't let anything bug us and we come out on top. Keep your
head up and aim for the sky.

A quick smile flashed across her face and she snickered. Taylor told the
worse jokes but she had to admit they could usually lighten her mood.

"This is the last call for Flight 452 to Chicago."

She stood up grabbing her carryon. "So this is it huh?"

He reached into his pocket grabbing an envelope and shoved it into her hand.
"What's this?" She looked at it quizzically, hoping that it wasn't one of
Taylor's bad poems.

"Don't you have a flight to catch? You can read it on the flight, now hurry"
As he moved her towards the gate attendants he took her ticket and handed it
to the gate attendant who looked it over and tore the stub off the ticket.

"Ah, Miss Summers. You're in Coach at Seat 23B, It's a window seat."

"Taylor..." Beth started but he interrupted.

"Beth I know. You have my cell phone if you need to talk. I'm here day or
night, except during sex."

She threw her arms around Taylor hugging him. "I'll see you soon" and she
headed down the ramp to her flight and her past.

TBC....

Comments, thoughts, anyone still conscious out there? <grin>

Bill Gopher
Vice-President of Monetary Embezzlement and Lawyerial Affairs
Dark Jedi Knight & Member of the Dark Jedi Council
Resident Gopher of the Sunnydale Forest Woods Outback
Proud Card-Carrying Member of the Kill Captain Cardboard Club and GWBNS (Get
Willow and Buffy Naked Society). Hey, it's a Way of Life!
Member #3 of the Hand of Chaos
Proud Papa Gopher of Matthew Timothy Gopher
Member #5 of CSWCS and Director of Conversions

and

Sensei Ferret, co-president of TOTW (Take Over The World)- I'm not only a
president, I'm a member for life, worshipper of Koala Feet and Fruit Bats
everywhere, videographer of the Intergalactic Sexcapades and Strip Tango
companies, co-founder of CSWCS (Can't Spell Worth Crap Society) It's not
just my passion, it's my life, and Samurai Ferret Extrodanaire.