FF::RoL II:: Revelations and Realizations (12a/?)

[keeper444@xxxxxxxxx]

Hi Guys,
Yep that's right I'm back at last. I'm really sorry it has taken so long
but RL attacked me full force and between doctors, hospitals, and the
rest of my pathetic life crashed on me all at once. 

To make up for this terrible affront to y'all I have an especially long
part twelve here. It has to be posted in four parts. It is something
many of you were asking for. 

Okay, I know I know shut up Alex and get on with so I will! On with the
show!
Later
Alex
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Full disclaimers can be found with part 1, at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/buffywantswillow/message/8661
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Revelations and Realizations (12a/?)
By: Alex P.
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Doctors Fallon and O'Bryan were just returning to the hospital after 
a long leisurely dinner. For Cheryl it was something highly unusual, 
in all her years at SDM she had never been out to such a nice 
restaurant in such good company and not been disturbed by either her 
pager or her other constant companion, the cell phone. Tonight 
neither had the audacity to interrupt her.

The food was perfect. The owner of the little Italian Restaurant had 
greeted Jeffery personally and had taken them to a very nice, and in 
Cheryl's hopes, romantic table. The waiters and serving staff fawned 
over them as if they were some important dignitaries. Finally when 
the Chef and owner's wife came to their table to ask to prepare them a 
very special meal, Cheryl's curiosity was about to explode. To add 
further fuel to the fire the owner's wife stopped just long enough to 
make a comment to Jeffery.

"How come you not bring this beautiful woman to see us before 
doctor?" the slightly over weight woman asked the embarrassed 
doctor "She is pretty and any fool can see she thinks highly of you, 
hang on to her you have been alone too long."

"Really Mama Lipari," Jeffery protested at her good natured teasing,
"she is my friend and colleague and does not 
harbour any feelings other than friendship for me."

The woman looked over at the furiously blushing young woman and a 
knowing smile crossed her face.

"Ah huh, you keep telling yourself that doctor." Mama Lipari 
quipped, "you keep that up but excuse me if I plan the wedding. Oh 
and your lady over there speaks Italian."  

"MAMA" Papa Lipari called out when he realized what his wife was up 
to. "These two have no need of a match maker so leave them to their 
food."

This entire exchange had taken place in Italian and until Mrs Lipari 
had said something about it Jeffery hadn't known Cheryl was fluent in 
Italian.

"I am really sorry about that Cheryl." he apologized when the two 
owners finally left.
"The Liparis kind of adopted me when they found out I was a friend of 
the Summers family, and that I was once a monk assigned to the Vatican. 
For devout Catholics they are very liberal about things like resigned 
monks who work with the metaphysical world, Slayers and Wyccans along 
with gays and gay marriages. 
They insist that all of us call them Mama and Papa, and are really 
great friends, that is once you get past Mama's matchmaking."

"Oh I don't know Jeffery," Cheryl returned, warming quickly to the 
conversation. "I thought it was very sweet and they care for you very 
much, and they don't want you to be lonely. To tell you the truth my 
dear doctor, I consider us far more than friends and I don't want you 
to be lonely any longer either."

The couple gazed deeply into each other's eyes for a long moment and 
stopped when they were interrupted by the arrival of their salads and 
some special appetizers made especially for them by Mama Lipari.

The meal was marvellous and was topped off by Papa Lipari's famous 
canollis and followed by a cup of rich, black espresso. 

It was over their coffee that Jeffery opened the delicate subject of 
how to handle Rupert Giles' unusual request. Although she had been 
living in Sunnydale at the time of the explosion that all but 
levelled the high school, she knew very little of what
happened then or the events leading up to the horrendous event.

At her insistence he explained to this woman that was becoming very 
close to him and was trusted implicitly by the Slayer and her mother 
everything he knew about the events leading to Mayor Wilken's 
ascension and the disastrous aftermath that had nearly destroyed the 
Slayer and, by extension, the Scooby gang. Including the story of the 
Rogue Slayer Faith Spenser. This was the first time she was privy to 
the actual accounts of what happened. Her bright green eyes shone 
with tears as Jeffery related the true story of the slender young 
woman that lay in a coma in the maximum-security wing of the hospital.

The experienced trauma surgeon had long suspected that the records 
that she and her colleagues had been given were either "sanitized" by 
someone or were completely falsified by someone by the time they saw 
them.

Now that she knew the whole story, he related the story of his 
conversation with Rupert Giles, Jeffery explained to her the thinking 
behind the decision and the order was quite normal for the Watcher's 
Council. But how abnormal it was for Giles to display this kind of 
behaviour. 

No, it wasn't normal at all for a man that had broken all ties with 
that organization because of their methods and imperious manner in 
dealing with others. It was exactly the type of behaviour he 
displayed that had driven Giles to take such extreme measures.

Cheryl found it very easy to talk her "close" friend out of going 
along with Giles' orders, at least until he saw the man one more time 
to confirm that it was truly his intention to murder Faith cold 
bloodedly in her sleep.

She was also sure that there was no way that either she or Jeffery 
should be any part of this action unless there was incontrovertible 
proof that Faith was somehow involved in the prolonged 
unconsciousness of Cordelia Chase and Alexander Harris, without it 
what Jeffery was ordered to do was murder of the worst kind and she 
told him in no uncertain terms that it was also immoral and unethical 
and went against everything he had sworn to as a physician. She was 
pleased that her argument easily worked on him.

Then he confessed that the reason he had come to her with the problem 
was that he had hoped that she would have reasonable reasons for him 
to not follow through with the Watcher's deadly plan. On a sudden 
impulse Cheryl asked if it was possible to see the young patient that 
was at the core of her "friend's" professional and moral
dilemma.

That was the reason that the two highly regarded and influential 
doctors happened to be approaching the Security Wing of the hospital 
just as the running figure of an until recently unconscious Cordelia 
Chase raced past them headed for the securely locked steel door that 
blocked access to the room where the body of the youngest Slayer lay, 
also known as Faith Spenser. 

They saw Cordelia grab the handle on the door and twist, but the huge 
steel portal was securely fastened to the steel and concrete that 
surrounded it and it obstinately refused budge for the one time prom 
Queen.

"Open this damn door!" Cordelia snarled as she pounded on the door, 
her rage building with every passing heartbeat. "Let me in she will 
die if you don't let me in!"

"Cordelia?" Jeffery asked surprised at her sudden appearance, when 
last he heard she was still unconscious in her room. "Cordelia please 
calm down. Are you alright? Is there a problem I can help you with?"

The frustrated brunette spun on the two approaching doctors, 
obviously unaware of how exposed she was by the partially fastened 
hospital gown.

"Jeffery, thank the Goddess" Cordelia sighed at the sight of one of 
her Scooby friends. "Look Jeffery this sounds weird but you know me 
and you know what I've seen and what I know. So hear me out, alright?"

She waited for Jeffery's answer. As she accepted his coat to help 
cover herself she noticed that they weren't alone with Cheryl 
standing close but back out of the way.

"Ah...Jeff...er...Doctor Fallon, we need to talk alone now." Cordelia 
hissed upset with the unknown womans presence "I do not have time for 
long drawn out explanations right now. Just believe me I must be 
allowed to be with Faith right now or we lose to the Darkness again 
and this time for good."

Jeffery hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickered over to Cheryl as 
the idea of this solving his most pressing problem, came to mind, but 
he saw the look in the eyes of the woman whose opinion he valued 
most, and he dropped the idea and looked away, but not before 
Cordelia caught the looks that passed between them.

"Hey look DOCTOR FALLON" Cordelia snarled enraged by what her powerful
extra senses told her about that look "You get me in to see my Faith 
and RIGHT NOW, or I swear by the love of the Goddess, if something 
happens to her I will hunt down EVERYONE you care about and I promise
they will wish they'd never met you." 

She grabbed Jeffery by the shirt and backed him up hard against the 
wall. The sudden burst of strength of the young woman bothered him as 
much as the cold emotionless look that came to her eyes as she made 
her threat. He glanced quickly over to Cheryl and a chill of fear 
lanced through his heart. 

He knew that the members of the Scooby Gang as they called 
themselves, looked like typical teenagers and young adults, but 
Jeffery had witnessed them during their battles with the legions of 
Darkness and he was very sure that given the proper motive the 
innocent, if wild eyed, young woman that had slammed him into the 
wall and was now holding him against it was more than capable of 
killing him or anyone else she
believed necessary and never even blink an eye or break a nail.

"She is one of us now Cordelia," He said his voice deceptively calm 
trying not to reveal the bone chilling fear he was actually 
feeling "the threats are not necessary. I will gladly let you in to 
see Ms.Spencer, if you will release me."

He was looking into her eyes when the next vision hit her. Cordelia's 
eyes rolled up for a moment then she was back and the murderous look 
had returned to her eyes.

"The syringe," she snarled even more enraged then before "destroy it 
now or die here. NOW DOCTOR!!!

Her voice never really raised but the real menace in her words was 
very clear to the only one that heard them. Jeffery slowly reached 
into his smock that Cordelia was now wearing and carefully removed 
the small syringe letting it drop to the floor where he stomped on it 
destroying the glass barrel and plunger.

Seeing his real intentions and reassured by his willingness to do as 
she said by readily destroying the instrument of death. Cordelia 
released him and the earnest and worried young Scooby he knew 
reappeared.

"First of all Jeffery, I want you to know I am not sorry about any of 
this." Cordelia stated flatly as she followed him to the locked 
door "I think you should also know I will kill without hesitation to 
protect my Faith. Now I am serious here let me in to see my Faith and 
I will save her once and for all from the darkness the very nearly 
destroyed her before.  It was the result of a long term conspiracy by 
some minions of the darkness, but I have the assistance of a much 
higher more powerful entity, I am the only one that is capable of it, 
but I can and will bring her back. 
It is my destiny."

While she explained a few things, the two doctors escorted her 
through the steel security door, and walked with Cordelia to the door 
of the room where her destiny and her beloved Faith awaited her. 

Cordelia closed her eyes for a few moments and listened to the soft 
whirring and beeping of the machines that had kept Faith alive and
waiting for destiny to take a hand in her life for the last four 
years. A tear slid from the corner of the brunette's eyes as her 
heart broke with the knowledge that the only reason Faith was here 
like this was her own cowardice.

"Thank you Jeffery," Cordelia said so excited to be at last joining 
her soulmate in the physical realm she hugged the same man that only 
moments before she'd threatened to kill. "Thank you too 
doctor...ah...O'Bryan, right?"

Cheryl looked at this strange young woman and simply nodded not sure 
how she knew her name. "Jeffery, I ah...I want to trust you, can I?" 
Cordelia asked waiting for
conformation. "Please, I would appreciate it if you both would stay, 
I might need your help before this is over."

Cordelia noticed that the woman doctor was again up beside Jeffery 
and they both nodded to answer her question. Without another word 
Cordelia turned away from them and entered the room.

<>Please Goddess<> Cordelia prayed silently as she slowly approached 
the bed <>Let me give her the strength she needs to get through this.
Let 
me have the strength to get us both headed down the path set for us 
by destiny<>
===================
Cordelia stepped up to the side of the bed that held her true love 
and destiny. For a moment she looked down into that pale face that 
held all her secret desires. The girl was so still and quiet that 
Cordelia was afraid despite the supposedly reassuring whirring and 
beeping of the machines that were attached to the second Slayer.

The frightened brunette reached out with a trembling hand and 
cautiously touched the sleeping young woman's soft cheek. She let out 
a sigh when she felt the warmth of her beloved dark-eyed destiny's 
skin
 
To the beautiful brunette, the woman lying in the bed was like some 
fairy princess under an evil spell that held her there, suspended in 
time waiting for her soulmate and lover to arrive and shatter the 
powerful curse with a simple loving kiss.

A sad smile came to Cordelia's full, sensuous lips. Leaning over the 
side of the bed she moved her lips down next to Faiths delicately 
shaped shell like ear after placing a tenderly chaste kiss on 
the "sleeping beauty's" cheek.

"Well my love," whispered so softly that no one but Faith could have 
heard over the machinery that was helping to keep her volatile lover 
alive. "Here we are at last. It's ironic isn't it? If I'd have had 
the courage to admit I loved you back then, all this mess would never 
have happened. Then again that Cordelia would have been such a 
disappointment to you my love, maybe it is better that it is now.  
It's alright sweetheart we will get through all this together, that's 
right my love I want to be by your side the rest of our lives and for 
all eternity."

She straightened up and looked down at her Faith and was amazed. The 
emotionless relaxed face was gone and was replaced with that famous 
Faith amused smirk that Cordelia had always secretly thought was so 
sexy. Well she certainly wasn't going to keep it secret any more. 

"Doctors," Cordelia called out "you might want to see this. I believe 
my Faith is about to return to us."

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END 12a
TBC
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So what cha think? Remember I live for feed back and that there are 3
more parts to go yet.<bg>
~AP~