FF: Realms (14/?)

["sam stoltz" <shadowmage_draco@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Realms
By
Sam


Title: Realms (14?)
Words of praise: Special thanks to Coy, a most excellent beta reader 
and offer of like totally great advise, don't know what my poor 
twisted self would do without her help, but I do know that Realms 
wouldn't be what it is. 
email: shadowmage_draco@xxxxxxxxxxx 
Disclaimer: Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters 
associated with Buffy the Vampire Slayer (though I wish I did), they 
belong to Joss. I am borrowing them, taking them out to play for a 
while. 
Spoilers: None that I can think of, but everything is fair game 
Archive: Gary, Bill, Quin, Stephanie, all others just shoot me an 
email first.
Pairing: B/W, F/T, G/J
Notes: Evil is put on hold for this installment, there are some 
pressing Faith issues that need to be dealt with. Hope you enjoy.
Feedback: Is the life line that keep the muses going, it is greatly 
appreciated, do I have to beg here, I will it's not beneath me.
__________________________________________________________________

Faith stood out side Tara's room crying, she wanted to knock on the 
door, to hold the blonde in her arms, and tell her every cruel word 
the warlock had spoken, but she couldn't. Instead she found herself 
staring at the door, afraid to go inside, what if he was right, what 
if she was nothing but a feeble attempt by Tara to replace Red. Maybe 
they all would be better off without her. Faith tuned away from the 
door, hung her head low, and began to walk away.

"D-don't you want to see me?"

Faith stopped when she heard Tara's question, slowly she turned 
around and looked up at the blonde who was now standing out in the 
hallway.

Tara felt as if her heart was going to break when she saw the anguish 
that filled the brunette slayers eyes. She walked over to Faith and 
placed her hands on the girls shoulders, "What's wrong."

Faith looked at Tara through tear stained eyes, and managed to get 
out the one word that said it all, "Warlock."

Tara's mind filled with fear as she recalled the damage the Warlock 
had done to the brunette slayer, she took Faith gently by the arm and 
led the slayer into her room. Once inside she shut the door and 
began examining Faith for whatever type of injury that the vial 
warlock might had caused her.

A smile crept onto Faith's face as the blonde carefully ran her hands 
over her body, "Uh, Tara not that I mind the attention or anything 
but what are you doing?" huskily replied the brunette slayer.

"I-I'm checking to see if you're injured."

The tears once again began to roll down Faiths face, her voice filled 
with despair as she struggled to get the words out, "I'm not, he 
didn't even try to attack, guess I'm not worth the effort."

"Why would you even think something like that?"

"It's true, even before Buffy was transformed into this all powerful 
super slayer I was second rate compared to her and now I'm nothing 
but a hindrance. They're better off without me, you're better off 
with out me," sobbed Faith.

Tara wrapped her arms around Faith and pulled the brunette up against 
her, "I don't know what the warlock did to you but whatever he said 
isn't true. It doesn't matter that Buffy has become a warrior of 
light or that Willow is a mage, they still need your help more than 
you realize. And the part about me being better off without you, I 
don't know how you got that in your head but it's not true. I need 
you Faith."

"Why could you possibly need me?" wept Faith.

"B-because I l-love you."

"You do?"

Tara leaned into Faith until their lips where less than an inch 
apart, "I do," she softly replied before closing the rest of the 
distance and kissing the brunette slayer.

Tara gently pulled away from Faith and led her over to the bed, "Sit."

Faith sat down, and took a deep breath as Tara sat down beside her.  
She turned to the blonde, "W-what are we doing?" nervously inquired 
Faith.

"We're going to talk about what happened tonight with the Warlock."

Tara could feel the anger mounting inside her as she listened to the 
warlocks venomous words, and for the first time in her life she felt 
the urge to use her powers to destroy someone.

Tara rested her head on Faith's shoulder, and began to softly speak 
to her, "Everything he told you, was nothing more than lies meant to 
hurt you. You're a very special person, and your friends need you 
more than you realize. That's why the warlock did what he did. He 
knows how important you are to everyone and hoped that if he got you 
out of the picture everything would fall apart."

Faith tenderly kissed Tara on the cheek, "I don't know what I did to 
deserve you coming into my life, but I do know that I love you."
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Willow leaned up against Buffy as the two of them listened to Tara 
tell them what the warlock had said to Faith and reassured the 
brunette slayer that this was nothing but viscous lies.

Buffy looked over at Faith and smiled at her fellow slayer, "You know 
Tara's right, you're very important to all of us."

"But the two of you have become so powerful, what could. ."

Buffy jumped back into to the conversation cutting off Faith in mid 
sentence, "Listen to me, it doesn't matter if I'm a warrior of light, 
a slayer, or a pompom girl, your still going to be my friend, and I 
need that more than anything. Besides rumor has it that you're a 
pretty good slayer."

"She's right Faith, we both need you to be there, to support us, and 
to help us fight all the bad nastiness that are out there. Just like 
you always have," replied Willow.

"You mean it?"

"Yes," answered Buffy and Willow in unison.

"B, Red . . .Thanks."  

"Don't mention it that's what friends are for. How about if we get 
this patrol over with so we can figure out how to kick the warlocks 
butt back to whatever rock he crawled out from under," replied Buffy.

"Sounds good to me B." 
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

The Grey Demon clenched his fist as he stepped out from the tree line 
and watched the four young women walk away from the college campus.  
He tuned and glared at Ciarán then slammed his power fist into a 
nearby tree. "You failed," snarled Torin.

"I did as you asked, it's not my fault that the slayer didn't leave 
or come running to us."

"Do you know who you are speaking to?" growled Torin.

"Yes I do, and assassin demon or not it was your plan that failed.  
It was your plan that brought them all closer together instead of 
pulling them apart. If you're so afraid of the Warrior of Lights 
friend being able to stop your attempt on her life then I suggest 
that you let me deal with them."

"And what would you do?"

"I would annihilate them."

"That would alert her and the Mage to our plans," snapped Torin.

"Yes, but their allies and families would be dead and they would be 
alone."



TBC. . . . .