FF: RoL II:: Revelations and Realizations (10b/?)

[keeper444@xxxxxxxxx]

Ok I told you I'd be right back, well here I am with part "b" as
promised.
Same as last time if you need to tell me something asap the it will have
to be off list.
I hope y'all are getting this and that you're having as much fun reading
it as I did writing it.
Later
Alex
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For full disclaimers see part 1
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Revelations and Realizations (10b/?) 
By: Alex P. 
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Begins exactly where 10a ended.
Sit back relax and enjoy the ride.:-)
~A~ 
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Cordelia gazed lovingly into those almost black eyes and felt herself
being drawn into their fathomless depths. She could feel the tears
stinging her eyes and her body trembling in fear as she knew that she
was about to gamble not only with their futures but also their very
souls. 

Faith's eyes took on that ready to bolt, fearful look, and Cordelia knew
she'd better speak quickly or they were dead before they ever got
started. 

"Faith? Are you alright?" the kneeling brunette asked her voice thick
with fear and other powerful emotions, "Please give us a chance. 
Open your heart and listen to me or we both lose. I promise I will
listen to everything you have to say, but we both have to set aside our
fears and suspicions, or we will be wasting our time. Can you do that? 
I'm scared Faith, I've never had so much at stake without being able to
be in control." 

She searched Faith's eyes trying to find the answer, the word or phrase
that would convince the wary young street child to let her in and let
her try to mend the fractures that were keeping them apart. 

"Faith, I know you have no reason to trust me and to be honest if I were
you I wouldn't give me the time of day." Cordelia decided to just be
straight with Faith, it was something no one had ever tried before. "I
promise to do everything I can to work all this out for us, but in the
end it's up to you. 
Can you trust me just enough to open those defenses and hear me, or
should I just give up and put an end to this right now. 
I'll abide by your decision Faith, no begging no whining. 
So what do you want?" 

Faith was taken completely off guard by the brunette's heartfelt appeal.
No one had ever given Faith the choice before. It was exhilarating, this
was a freedom she'd never felt. 

As she savoured the moment the youngest Slayer was struck by a
tremendous concept that was so foreign to her, that she almost refused
to believe even existed. The dark eyed woman suddenly realized that not
only had the once arrogant and snobbish Cordelia Chase given Faith the
freedom to decide the course her own life would take, the former prom
queen had just put her life and future in Faith's hands as well. 

Cordelia had taken the first step toward mutual trust and respect
between them. She had shown Faith in the only way possible that she had
complete faith in the girl with a well-deserved bad reputation. The girl
who had even once tried to kill her. 

Faith was in awe of this incredible woman, she felt a sudden powerful
wave of love and adoration wash over her. She found herself not only
willing to listen to whatever Cordelia had to say, but she was now
willing to make what concessions and sacrifices necessary to have
Cordelia in her life from now on. 

"I...ah...I..::achem::" her new found emotions had caused her to choke
up a little as she tried to express her intentions to this wonderful
woman. "I really do want us t-to see if w-we can w-work th- this out you
and I, okay?" 

As if a thousand suns had suddenly lit the skies as Faith found herself
captured and staring into the most blindingly brilliant smile she had
ever seen, come to Cordelia's lips. Faith was unable to move or speak as
she gazed into that amazing look on the gorgeous brunette's face and
even better that smile was for her, and the best thought was that Faith
had caused her to smile like that. 

<>Note to self<> Faith thought with a chuckle <>I gotta figure how to
put one of those on her face a lot<> 

"You know something, Faith?" Cordelia said brightly pleased that her
gambit had worked so well 

"Huh?" the still dazzled girl answered 

"We really do need to find a place to sit down." Cordelia continued
un-phased by her companions' monosyllabic answer "I think we both have a
lot to clear up and I don't think either of us want to just sit in this
fog." 

As those words left Cordelia's mouth the air behind Faith began to
shimmer and with a minor flash of blue light a big gazebo appeared.
Cordelia stood stunned as she stared slack jawed at the structure. 
She couldn't believe it, that was the exact replica of the gazebo that
had sat in the center of her grandparents huge gardens at their estate
in Georgia. 

She hadn't been there in years and looking at this some very nice
memories surfaced, bringing a smile to her face. Her grandmother had
spent many warm summer nights sitting in that old structure just sipping
tea and talking to her favorite grandchild. 

Unfortunately there were 
sad memories too. 
Like the last time she had seen her much beloved grandparents there had
been a huge fight between her father and her grandfather, over money as
always and they'd left in the middle of the night. 
Then came word that they had died. 

She recalled that night vividly. She was very upset with her parents
because they refused to allow her to attend the funeral. She remembered
sitting at the top of the stairs, tears of anger and grief flowing
freely. Listening to her father rant and rave about something her
grandfather had done. 
********* 
"I can't believe that vindictive old bastard did that to me." her father
had roared and she heard her mother mumble something drunkenly "I don't
care if he was right. He even changed the wills and gave MY inheritance
to HER. I can't believe it." 
*********** 
After that night her relationship with her parents went rapidly down
hill. In public they were coldly civil to each other, in private they
were openly hostile. She had never understood why but she just pushed on
through the pain and then the IRS showed up and took everything they had
except for a few bags of clothes. 

Then her father went to prison and her mother went into her drunken
seclusion while living on an adequate stipend from her family that she
never offered to share with her daughter. Cordelia was more than happy
to sever all ties with them and bust out on her own. 

She hadn't thought about any of that until just now and to be honest it
shook her up a little. Seeing the brunette's confusion Faith reached out
and gently took Cordelia's hand and with great care led the silently
weeping girl into the big white structure. 

As they entered Cordelia closed her eyes and inhaled deeply and smiled. 

<>Just as I expected, honeysuckle and magnolia, with just a touch of
roses<> She thought reveling in the long forgotten scent<>Just like
Grans' place<> 

She opened her eyes and looked through her tears at the woman that had
already won her heart and soul. 

Faith led her to a comfortable looking chair and helped the reminiscing
brunette to sit, then she took a seat in a similar chair across a small
table from Cordelia. On the table was a tea service and two fine china
cups with saucers and a plate of scones, all of Cordelia's favorites. 

Cordelia poured each of them a cup of the aromatic beverage and offered
Faith one. She shook her head and sat there nibbling on a scone.
Cordelia looked into Faith's bottomless dark eyes and saw confusion, and
fear in those nearly black orbs. 

"What's wrong Faith?" the ex prom queen asked the concern evident in her
voice. "You look like you're about to face a firing squad instead of
having a talk with a woman that cares very deeply for you." 

Faith's eyes went wide with surprise at Cordelia's words, she froze
momentarily, not sure she'd heard correctly. 

She was terrified that she had wanted to hear the beautiful one time
debutante say something like that so badly that her imagination had
twisted the brunette's words until they sent the message she wanted to
hear. 

"Uh...what did you say?" the often rejected young Slayer asked
stammering slightly as all her doubts, insecurities, and fears suddenly
came out of nowhere and assaulted the dark young woman causing her to
doubt herself and the woman that she was sure destiny had meant for her.
"I-I...hum...d-don't th-think I heard y-you right. You do remember who
you are talking to, right? I'm Faith remember, the bad seed, servant of
the Darkness, the demon Mayor's enforcer, th...." 

Her speech was cut off when Cordelia came over and placed two fingertips
gently against the babbling young woman's full soft lips. Both women
were jolted by the electricity that passed between them at their first
tender touch. The older brunette was the next one to speak. 

"Hush now silly." she scolded softly beaming a sunshine bright smile at
the obviously stunned woman across from her then she became serious
"Honey we have all done a lot of things we aren't going to be bragging
to the kids about, with less reason than you had. 
The way we treated you it just isn't any wonder that you turned to the
first person that treated you with any kind of affection and respect. 
We all know how disarming and persuasive the mayor was, he was a master
at convincing people that he was concerned about them, that he had only
their best interests at heart, and we all know he didn't have one of
those." 

Faith nodded silently remembering how the mayor had treated her and how
he actually been using her all along. The Goddess had taken her through
step by step covering her entire life showing her how the agents of the
Darkness had tracked her down, and knowing the prophecy about the two
Slayers, they interfered so that when the time came they could easily
lead Faith down the path to the Darkness after she became an active
Slayer and set her against the greatest warrior of the Light. 

Then the Goddess proved that while the mayor may have cared for her in
his own way, he too had used her to further his own agenda. How he had
set up that last battle with Buffy by making sure Buffy and her allies
knew that Faith was on her way so they could set a trap. 

He may even have thought she could eventually prevail but he really
didn't care as long as she lasted long enough to provide a distraction
to keep Buffy and company away from the mayor's ascension until it was
too late to stop it. 

Then she was shown that when the council had showed up to try to take
Faith's unconscious body away to no one knows where, and do what to her
no one really wanted to guess. 
How all the Scoobies had stood up to them, and demanded that Faith be
left alone in the hospital and that if she ever came out of her coma the
Dark Slayer would be allowed to go her own way and that the council had
no choice. 

They were finally convinced when Joyce showed up and displayed the
guardianship papers and threatened to take them to court and expose them
to the world for the murderous cowards they were. 

Now the two young women were getting another chance to meet once more
only this time as friends. Cordelia took her fingers from the soft
sensuous lips and gently caressed the Slayer's warm soft cheek trying to
convey her feelings even before she said them out loud. 

The affection starved young woman leaned into the gentle touch, latching
on to the warm feeling rising from the touch. A deep sigh escaped Faiths
mouth as she reveled in this new set of feelings. 

"Faith," Cordelia began softly, "do you trust me? I so want you to trust
me with your precious heart Faith. 
Just as I trust you with mine. 
All that separates us now is a lack of honesty, straightforward honest
trust between us. I'm drawn to you my love, I always was. 
Only fear and prejudice kept me from your side the first time we met.
We've been given a second chance by the Goddess, and Faith, I really
want us to take advantage of it. 
Can't we try my love, please?" 

The dark Slayer waited a few heartbeats, taking the time to study the
woman in front of her. This wasn't the same Cordelia she had known
before. 

That Queen C. (as Faith had called her) was mean spirited and cruel. A
snotty hateful rich bitch that was quick with a put down to anyone or
anything that was different. She would not have been willing to
associate with the like of her. 

This new Cordelia was kind and compassionate as well as forgiving and
nurturing, and Faith was at a loss for the words to express her joy and
willingness to do whatever this Cordelia wanted of her too so they could
be together forever. 

"Faith?" Cordelia whispered her voice cracking with fear
misunderstanding the others hesitation, "honey, I know you were told
you'd have to talk me into this relationship, and it wasn't all that
long ago I probably would have turned you away, and not cared what
happened, but something happened. 
I'm more worried about hearts and souls now than opinions and
appearances. 
I have to admit the Goddess opened my eyes to a lot of things, the most
important of which are my true feelings for you. 
Now that I know the truth in my heart I'm not fighting it any longer and
I'm not giving up on us. 
If you are willing to work with me, 
then I promise to stand at your side, 
to give you love and support, 
when you need it. 
I will be your partner, lover, defender, and best friend for as long as
you'll have me. So, Faith, what do you say? 
Do you still want me? 
Even though I was such a vindictive and arrogant bitch to you before?" 

The two women stayed frozen in place, the anticipation weighing heavily
as their eyes were locked in a gaze that made the very air around them
crackle with the energy flowing from them. All was silence as if the
universe itself was awaiting Faith's final answer.

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END 10b
TBC in part 10c 
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