FIC: Three Years in Hell, A Lifetime of Pain (16A/?)

["Bill Gopher" <asagiri@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Well between RL and everything else this last chapter has been long delayed,
but here it is :-). Enjoy.

Bill Gopher
V.P. of Monetary Embezzlement and Lawyerial Affairs
Card-Carrying member of GWBNS (Get Willow and Buffy Naked Society)
Middle-finger of the Hand of Chaos
Prince of Insufficient Light and co-ruler of HECK
Proud Papa to Matthew and Alex Gopher
=====================================

"Three Years in Hell, A Lifetime of Pain"

by Bill Gopher and Red Demon

Disclaimers - We don't own them and we're just borrowing them for a little
while. Buffy and Co. belong to Joss Whedon, UPN and whomever else. If you
don't like the idea of Beth and Faith together, then why are you even on any
of these lists? <G>
Setting - Set in a in an AU where Beth was sent to prison and then forced to
join the Marines for the murder of Wilkins in Season 5. Season 5 & 6 never
happened.
Rating - NC-17/R
Pairings - Beth/Faith
Distribution - Like Faith says; "Want, Take, Have. Just drop us a line to
let us know where it is please.
Feedback - Is like cookies to us! :-) You can reach us at
billgopher@xxxxxxxxxxxx
<thoughts>
==================================================

"Headhunter's nimrod! They don't hunt alone. Were you always this

stupid or did you take lessons??"

-Charlie Baltimore, CIA assassin



Chapter 16

Faith waited impatiently as she saw the orange smoke spreading out, but
there was still no sign of Beth. <Shit! Damnit B! What the hell are you
waiting for?? Get the hell out of there!!> Just as Faith was going to head
back in to get Beth, out of the smoke Faith saw Beth run out and stumble,
falling to the ground hard. Jumping up from where she had been crouched,
Faith ran over to Beth and dropped her rifle next to her as she reached out
to turn her over and see if she had been wounded.

Beth had felt her boot catch something as she ran out of the ruins and sent
her sprawling onto some rocks on the ground, knocking the air out of her. As
she fought to get her breath back, Beth felt a pair of hands touch her
shoulders. Immediately Beth knew it was Faith, she could feel the distinct
emotional 'flavor' that could only be Faith. Turning onto her side Beth got
back to her feet.

"Where's Kelly?" Beth asked.

"He didn't make it out B."

"What are you talking about?" anger colored Beth's voice.

"B, we don't have time for this. He's probably dead and we have to get out
of here, now!"

Faith grabbed Beth's arm and started to pull her away from the building when
Faith felt Beth pull her arm free of her.

"No! We don't leave our people behind?" Beth started to turn around to go
back into the barn when she felt Faith grab her shoulder and hold her.

"Beth, we can't go back for him. If we do we'll be killed. He's dead and
there's nothing we can do, so come on let's go!"

Beth turned to look at Faith, "Faith, he's a fellow Marine. I can't just
leave. You go and we'll catch up with you." Beth turned her back on Faith
and started to move back towards the ruined barn, she could see the smoke
was already dissipating.

"I'm sorry B." Faith whispered as she suddenly lunged towards Beth and
wrapped one arm

around Beth's throat in a choke hold, cutting off her air. Faith held on
tightly as she felt Beth struggle to free herself, but quickly her
struggling slowed and then stopped. <I'm not going to let you get yourself
killed going after a dead man> Faith gently let go and checked Beth's pulse
before she hoisted Beth onto her shoulder in a fireman's carry, leaning down
she picked up the rifle Beth dropped in her struggle and then headed quickly
up and over the ridge.

Away from the death and carnage.

*************************

Leaning back Faith rested against the tree as she waited for Beth to wake
up. <This is gonna be ugly Faith. B's not gonna be a happy camper when she
wakes up.> <Not gonna be happy? That's the understatement of the year.>
Faith's little inner voice nagged her.

<Well what was I gonna do? Leave her so she could get killed?> Faith asked
her voice back.

But no response came. "That's the problem with having an argument with
yourself, you're never gonna win." Faith muttered as she looked over at
Beth's still form lying a few feet away.

Her patience was rewarded though as Faith heard Beth moan softly and start
to move. <Here

we go...>

Beth's first conscious thought was <Oh shit my head hurts>. Slowly she sat
up and put one hand on her throbbing forehead. "Faith," Beth whispered
softly.

As Faith moved closer, Beth couldn't tell which was worse; the headache she
woke up with or the pounding waves of worry she could feel coming from
Faith. But when Faith put her arm around her, Beth felt the tension ease and
the headache start to subside making it almost manageable.

"I'm here B," Faith said as she put her arm around Beth and pulled her close
against her chest.

Beth leaned back into the Faith's warm embrace and close her eyes, letting
the warm feeling of safety wash over her and take away the pain in her head.
After several minutes Beth leaned forward slightly, "What happened Faith?
The last thing I remember was someone grabbing me from behind and that's
it."

"Why don't we start before then B. What happened to you in the barn?"

"I don't know what you're talking about Faith," Beth answered defensively.

Faith felt Beth tense up in her arms. "B you promised you'd tell me why you
suddenly screamed in pain and almost collapsed." Faith gently rubbed Beth's
neck and back as she worked to get Beth to relax.

Beth felt Faith's hands massaging her back and started to relax some before
sighing nervously, "I'm not sure Faith, and it's kind of hard to explain..."

"B, you can tell me anything. Don't you know this by now?"

"I..I feel things,"

Faith's brow creased in confusion, " 'You feel things' B?"

"Yeah, like right now. I can literally feel your confusion beating on my
skin, sorta like I was standing in the water and you could feel the water
brushing against your skin." Beth sighed loudly this time and turned around
in Faith's arms, facing her. "I don't know how to really explain it.."

Faith saw the confusion and fear in Beth's eyes. Pushing her own uncertainty
aside, "So you can feel someone's emotions then, like an empath?"

"An em-what?" Beth asked not understanding.

"An empath B, it's someone who can feel the emotions of other people around
them."

"Let me guess..Star Trek right?" Beth asked with small smirk.

"Ha ha B. But seriously though, is that it?"

"I don't know. when I was a little girl I'd get little hunches or feelings
when I talked to people. When I was five or six I told my Dad about it, he
looked at me like I was a freak and he told me if I didn't stop imagining
things like that I'd get sent to a hospital for crazy people." Beth flinched
as the scene played itself out in her mind.

Faith stayed silent not wanting to interrupt Beth, it was something Faith
had the feeling that Beth needed to get out so she just waited for her to
continue.

"After that a little while later it seemed to go away, until you got me out
of 'there' and it came back again. Pretty soon it got to the point where I'd
feel how you were feeling right when I was nearby, sometimes I didn't even
need to turn around to see you were behind me for me to know you were
there."

"Tell me what it's like when you feel someone's emotions." Faith asked.

Beth closed her eyes and leaned into Faith's arms, snuggling close. "It's
weird really. It's like standing in the middle of a rain shower nude,"

"Naked B?" Faith interuppted.

"Yeah naked, cause you can feel it all over your skin. It's sorta like when
you're angry, I can feel it beat hard against my skin like little, sharp
pinpricks all over or when you're happy it's like feeling something soft
brush across my skin that..." The image of when she had made love to Faith
flashed thru Beth's mind suddenly and Beth blushed a deep red as she
remembered how she had actually 'felt' Faith's passion that night...

"Remembered something nice B?" Faith teased as she noticed Beth blushing.

"Mostly though it's confusing, sometimes it gets to the point where it's
hard to tell what I'm feeling from someone else. Other times it hurts..."

"Why didn't you tell me before now?" Faith asked, hurt at being shut out.

"What was I going to say Faith.."

Faith was quiet as she thought about what Beth had just told her.

Beth pulled herself out of Faith's arms and stood up, turning Beth looked
down at Faith, "See, that's why I didn't tell you Faith. I can feel you
pulling away and shutting me out." Furious with herself for opening up, Beth
turned and started to walk away.

"Stop right there B!!" Faith stood up and moved so she was next to Beth. "I
wasn't pulling away from you, but I was thinking. Why are you so damn moody?
You're like a friggin light switch, one minute you're fine and the next
minute you're pissed off!"

Beth could feel Faith's anger slam into her and she winced as it washed over
her. <I don't know what's worse that fact that she's right and I'm wrong...>

Turning to look at Faith, "I lose all control around you, that's what!!"

Her anger suddnly drained away, "What are you talking about B?"

"Sometimes when I'm with you I feel myself slipping away in all your
emotions and I can't tell where 'me' is. All the carefully built barriers
I've put up to block everything out just crumbles and I'm scared Faith. I'm
scared that I won't be able to tell who's me anymore."

Faith wrapped her arms around Beth and held her close.

=======================

The Magic Box

"Willow, are you sure about this?" Tara asked worriedly. "I don't think we
should try..."

Willow looked up from the book she was reading with an annoyed/angry look on
her face,

"Yes I'm sure Tara. We've researched this for the last three weeks and we
know what the

glyphs on Beth's 'grave' are for. This spell I found should be able to break
them."

Tara walked over to Willow, "Will, that's not the point. We still don't know
'exactly' what else they're doing or what will happen when we break the
spell or how it could affect Beth."

Willow angrily slammed the book shut, "And want do you want to do Tara.
Wait? I've...we've

done that and I found what I need to break the spell and help Beth."

"Willow the spell you're using is black magic!"

Willow stood up and walked away from the table and over to the counter where
the herbs she

needed for the counter-spell. Grabbing them she dropped them in a worn
leather bag, "Tara this is not open for discussion. We've gone over this and
I've made up my mind. I'm doing the spell tonight with the full moon out.
Now I can do the spell with or without your help. I'm going to the cemetery
and get set up." Willow walked back over to Tara with the bag slung over her
shoulder, gently Willow cupped Tara's cheek and softened her voice, "I hope
you'll help me, but I'll understand if you don't come. This is something I
need to do to help Beth." Willow walked quickly out of the Magic Box and
towards the cemetery.

Tara sighed softly after she heard the front door close. <It's going to be a
long night> she thought morosely.

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

Faith sat on the ground leaning against a tree, Beth was lying between her
legs and had wrapped herself around Faith's body. <No wonder she's been
moody,> Faith thought as she softly rubbed her hand in circles on Beth's
back.

Beth slowly drifted awake and opened her eyes, beneath her Beth could feel
Faith's warm body and soft curves bringing a smile to Beths face. "Hi
there,"

Faith felt Beth stir and looked down to see Beth looking back up at her with
large smile. "Hi. Sleep well?"

"Yep, best sleep I've had in a while. Thanks for being my pillow."

"That's what friends are for B."

Sitting up with a frown on her face, "Are we friends Faith?"

"I'd like to think so after everything we've been through." Faith replied
cautiously, not sure where this converstation was going.

Beth's gaze turned inward, "Sometimes I'm not sure...I'm not even sure who I
am anymore. Am I Buffy Summers? Or am I the Slayer? Or am I Elizabeth
Summers the US Marine?"

"How about just being Beth?"

"What do you mean Faith?" A confused look filled Beth's face.

"Simple, just stop worrying about the lables. Slayer, Marine, none of them
matter..."

"So I should just forget the oaths I took when I joined the Marines, just
forget about the Corps?!" The confusion on Beth's face gave way to anger. "I
should just throw them away since I don't need them anymore? How can you
even suggest that?!?" Beth stood up suddenly.

"What are you talking about?! That's not even what I said B!!" Faith yelled
back angrily as she got up off the ground.

"I'm out of here!!" Beth yelled as she walked angrily out of their camp.

"Fine!!"

"Fine!!"

Continued in 16B