FIC: Cold reunion 1/?

["jend1205" <jend1205@xxxxxxxxx>]

I want to warn everybody that this one is very dark and should be 
read with caution. It does contain rape and not so nice things. I 
wrote the first part with some help from my ex-girlfriend Kim. She 
will be writing the second part, hopefully tonight. We are going to 
take turns and see what happens. Jen

Author Jen D and Kim
Rating: NC-17- Rape, Violence
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Believe me I have three boys, I own 
nothing.
Spoilers: Season 2
 

  
Xander quietly made his way down the dark alley. Ever since Buffy 
had disappeared last spring after her battle with Angel, the 
remaining Scooby gang (although you could hardly call Xander and 
Giles a `gang'), had tried to keep things together as much as 
possible by patrolling nightly. He sighed, unsure though how long 
that they could keep it up. He missed his two best friends and hoped 
wherever they were that they were happy. His thoughts were 
interrupted by the sound of rustling paper to his left. He turned and 
came face to face with a very pissed off looking vampire. Before 
Xander could even get his stake out of his back pocket he found 
himself being thrown across the alley. `Well this is it. I'm gonna 
die a virgin', he thought dazed, as the vamp approached him. He 
closed his eyes and waited for the pain that he knew was coming. And 
waited, finally opening them to reveal the face he wasn't sure he 
would ever see again.

"Buffy", he whispered and touched her cheek, afraid that she was a 
dream.

"Xander, what the hell are you doing out here alone?", she asked him, 
helping him to his feet. Xander jumped into her arms and hugged her.

"Buffy, god I'm so glad to see you, and not just because I was about 
to be dinner for that guy", Xander said and began to look around.  

Buffy watched her friend, the amusement clear on her face. "Lose 
something, Xan?"

"Not something, someone. Where's Willow? I missed her so much."

"Did you hit your head? Xander, what part of I just got back from 
running away, don't you understand? Why would Willow be with me", 
Buffy asked in confusion.

"She didn't go with you?", Xander said.

"No, what the hell is going on?"

"I think we had better get to Giles. Now! I can tell you about it 
there. Buffy, this is bad very bad", Xander mumbled and took off in a 
full sprint toward Giles house.

   



Buffy shifted from one foot to the other waiting for Giles to 
answer the door. The door opened and Buffy thought that the poor man 
was going to faint.

"Buffy, dear lord, I thought you were never going to come home", 
Giles said pulling her into a hug.

"Giles we have a bigger problem right now", Xander said collapsing on 
the couch.

"Where's Willow?", Giles asked.

"See that's the problem. Willow didn't go with Buffy", Xander said 
looking at the watcher, tears welling in his eyes.

"Oh dear god", Giles said and sat in the chair opposite Xander. He 
nervously began to clean his glasses with the corner of his shirt.

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?!", Buffy asked almost 
screaming at them.

"Buff, Willow disappeared the same time as you. We just assumed she 
was with you", Xander said in disbelief. Xander's fists now clenching 
tight, angry that he, Giles, and Cordelia had been so quick earlier 
that summer to assume the sweet redhead was safe with Buffy.

"Will's gone", Buffy asked the tears welling in her eyes.

"Damn it Giles! All this time we wasted not looking for her", Xander 
said putting his face into his hands no longer able to hold his own 
tears back.

"Have you guys been to her parents yet?", Buffy asked finally getting 
herself together enough to take control of the situation.

"Everyday since you left but no one is ever there. Two days ago I 
went by and there was a 'for sale' sign out front."

"Her parents haven't even tried to call and see if any of you have 
seen her", Buffy asked him, suspicions running through her head. It 
just didn't make any sense.

"No", Xander whispered, "And you'd have thought that if they didn't 
know where she was they would have asked at least me."

"Right", Buffy said.

"Oh my god, I am so stupid. I should have seen that one."

"Xander, don't blame yourself, I didn't think about it either", Giles 
told the young man.

"Giles, do you think they know where she's at?", Buffy asked, almost 
relieved at the possibility that at least Willows parents knew where 
she was.

"The more I think about it, the more I think you may be on to 
something."

"Ok Giles, you check with the office tomorrow and see if she's 
registered for classes. My mom has a meeting with Snyder in the 
morning about me going back. Now that all the charges have been 
dropped, there shouldn't be any problems. I'll check in with you 
after that. Maybe mom can shed some light on this."

Xander was the first to leave Giles house. He got up and walked out 
the door without saying a word. He was visibly trembling; sweat now 
pouring from his face instead of tears.

Buffy was next to leave, deciding to follow Xander home. He was in no 
condition to protect himself from they always pending danger that was 
Sunnydale after sunset. She wouldn't lose another friend.
She quietly ducked behind a large tree when she spotted Xander, 
thirty yards in front her, stopping to vomit in a group of bushes. 
She continued behind her friend, her presence still unknown to him, 
waited until he was safely inside his house, then headed home herself.

*****

Buffy walked into the library after her meeting with the 
principal. Buffy thought her mother was going to explode when Snyder 
had at first denied her re-admittance to school. It had finally taken 
the threat of legal action and the school board before he had finally 
relented.

"Hey guys did you come up with anything?", she asked and sat down 
next to a very deflated looking Xander.

"Yes and I'm afraid it's bad news. Apparently Willow's mother phoned 
the school yesterday and said that Willow was being schooled 
elsewhere, and didn't know if or when she would be back to Sunnydale 
High. I called the realtor that is selling the Rosenberg home and he 
said that they where moving out of the country", Giles told the pair 
with sadness. Sadness not only because Xander and Buffy had lost the 
daily presence of another friend, but also because he had come to 
love Willow as a daughter and would miss his bright research 
assistant.

"So that's not all bad then. She's probably going to some nice 
private school somewhere", Buffy said relieved for her friends 
safety. Buffy moved to look out the window, "Where ever you are 
Willow, I hope you're happy. I love you." She missed the redhead 
fiercely, but at least she was safe and apparently far away from the 
Hellmouth. 'This is a good thing, this is a good thing, this is a 
good thing' she thought silently, trying to convince herself as she 
turned toward the window shedding a silent tear.

She was tired of losing her friends. Xander told her upon her return 
that next full moon after Willow 'ran away' Oz, in his werewolf form 
had escaped from the book cage and hasn't been seen since. She had 
never been that close with Oz, but she liked the quiet musician 
because he was so good to Willow. Xander and Giles had received a 
post card from Oz in late June, letting them know he was okay and 
touring with the Dingoes, and not to worry. He was gone and so was 
Cordelia. Although she and Queen C had never been close, Buffy did 
appreciate her wit and after all, she did risk her life more than 
once to fight for the good. Xander said that she had been accepted to 
a performing arts and modeling school in Los Angeles. Xander had been 
disappointed to lose his girlfriend, not that they had gotten too 
serious, but he was happy that she had the opportunity to follow her 
dreams. And having to send a souled Angel into a hell dimension was a 
thought more than she could bear. 'I am not even going there' she 
thought. Again her thoughts turned back to Willow. Her sweet Wills, 
so naive and shy when they met. 'God I hope your happy and safe 
Wills'.

*****

Across the country, the brunette walked into the dayroom and 
looked around. She watched for a moment as two male nurses tried to 
calm the large man who was convinced he was God. 'Crazy bastard' she 
thought. Then she spotted the redhead in the corner. Her knees pulled 
up to her chest, rocking slowly. She was rubbing her wrists, still 
red and sore from the restraints that the night nurses had started to 
use on her. The first time the brunette has seen the young girl, she 
had been mumbling about vampires and slayers and the like. It wasn't 
long before she had broken into the file room to find out everything 
she could. The red head was Willow Rosenberg from Sunnydale 
California, committed to Oakwood Sanitarium in late May by her 
parents. She was seventeen and had been seriously injured at her 
school library, and after telling her parents that vampires attacked 
her, it was mere hours after her release from the hospital that she 
was admitted to 
Oakwood. The raven-haired girl flipped through several pages of file, 
still studying intently. She looked at a doctor statement on the last 
page. 
'Willow Rosenberg has become increasingly violent since her arrival. 
She was found carving a pointy wooden object with a butter knife. 
Presumably a weapon to use for possible escape or attack. I recommend 
moving the patient to the Violent Criminal ward.' The brunette 
carefully placed the file back and slipped from the room. And after 
only three weeks at the Sanitarium, 
Willow had been moved and placed on heavy drugs. The brunette guessed 
correctly that when the drugs fully hit the red heads blood stream 
that she would indeed become violent from the side effects. And she 
knew once the red head was under the full effects of the drugs, it 
wouldn't be long before the night nurses, all male in the violent 
offenders ward, would begin to take advantage of being allowed to 
restrain her at night. The brunette had experienced the same hell 
herself since being admitted. But she had super strength and after 
fighting the nurses off nightly, they had finally given up on giving 
the brunette anything more than her meds. The only other female 
patient in the ward was in her late sixties. She frowned knowing that 
the red head would be taking most of the brunt from the testosterone 
charged nurses. Still staring at the smaller woman, rocking now 
fiercely in the corner, she knew that the redhead would not be able 
to fight off the sadistic attacks. She walked towards Willow deciding 
to introduce herself.

"Willow, my names Faith", she told her in a calm voice.

"You're a slayer? Aren't you? You took Kendra place or maybe Buffy's 
place. Is Buffy dead"?

"I don't know. I think I probably took the Kendra girl's place 
though. The dates match up. How did you know I was a slayer", Faith 
asked?

"When they brought you in the other day, you kept yelling that it was 
vampire that did it not you. Did what?"

"Those damn drugs", Faith mumbled and continued, "They think I killed 
my watcher. I came in one night and found her in a pool of blood and 
a vamp waiting on me. I managed to kill him, but then the police 
rushed in. 
They thought I did it and well here I am. How do you know about 
slayers and things like the council?"

"My best friend was....is a slayer. We used to help her. We 
researched and things."

"We?", Faith asked confused.

"The scoobies", Willow laughed. The laugh scared the dark slayer 
worse then any vamp or demon ever had. Faith didn't know anything 
about what had happen to this girl while she was here but the laugh 
was so cold and empty.

"What are the scoobies?"

"Me, Xander, Angel, Oz, and sometimes Cordelia. We helped Buffy. I 
wish I knew why they haven't found me yet. When I first got here the 
only thing that kept me going was knowing that they were going to 
come through that door any minute and rescue me but they never came 
and I don't think they ever will." 

Faith started to tell her not to give up hope but before she could a 
nurse came over.

"Willow its time to take your meds", he said and handed her a cup and 
water. 

Faith really wished she had more time to talk to the red head but 
knew it wouldn't take long for the pills to kick in and take away any 
coherent thought Red might have. Faith saw the combination of meds 
that they had her on in her file and was surprised that the young 
woman was able to function at all.

"Willow", Faith said gently and pulled the red head into her 
arms, "We'll figure a way out of here. I promise."


*****

Over the next month Faith began to slowly build a friendship with 
the red head. Willow would make her sit for hours, talking about her 
life before she had been called as a slayer. Faith found that it 
helped to talk about the things that she had to survive growing up. 
Willow never said anything when she talked, she would just listen. 
Faith found a comfort in being able to talk and not be judged for the 
things she had to do to survive her fucked up childhood.

"Will", Faith asked as she sat and watched Willow rocking back in 
forth in the same corner that she had found her the first day, "Do 
they come to you at night."

"Yeah", Willow answered stopping her rocking for a minute.

"Can you fight them? Have you tried?"

"Once", she said and started to rock again.

"What happened?"

"Faith can we not talk about this please."
"What happened", Faith asked a little more firmly.

"I hit him with everything I had but he just laughed and got some 
restraints."

"Is that when they started to restrain you at night?"

"He told them I hit him for no reason and they believed him. Remember 
I'm the crazy one?"

"You're no crazier then I am", Faith shrugged and pulled her closer. 
She felt Willow stiffen at her touch, "Shh, it's ok. I'd never hurt 
you."

"Faith why haven't they come for me", Willow whispered.

"Your parents, Buffy, Xander", Faith asked?

"Yeah", Willow said and fought the urge to snuggle deeper in Faith 
arms.

"I don't know, baby."

"I don't know how much longer I can hang on here. I think about what 
I was like not that long ago. I was just some shy, computer geek and 
now it `s a struggle just to keep what sanity I have left. I was at 
the top of my class and now I have problems just doing simple math."

"It's the drugs. Why don't you just pretend to take them, like I do? 
I showed you how to do it."

"Sometimes it's easier if I don't feel anything", Willow said and 
pulled away from the comfort she was beginning to seek. Faith sighed 
and went back to watching her rock.



*****
"Red, wake up", Faith whispered and shook Willow.

"What", the sleeping red head asked?

"Come on we're getting out of here", Faith said grabbing a blanket to 
wrap 
her up in.

"How?"

"There's a delivery truck parked out front to pick up the laundry, we 
can hide in it", Faith said and led Willow out the door, after 
checking the hallway. The pair made it as far as outside before three 
orderlies grabbed them from the back.

"Going somewhere, girls", one asked. Faith was able to get a good 
kick in on one of them before she turned to make a run for it.

"Faith", Willow yelled stopping her getaway. Faith turned to see the 
other orderlies holding her down. One got in a good blow across 
Willow face before Faith pulled him away.

"Leave her alone", Faith yelled.

"I let her go when we get back inside, Faith. Come on be a good 
little girl and I promise we won't hurt her to much", he said with a 
smirk. Faith started for him ready to rip his head off when Willow 
yelled at her, 

"Faith stop, he's human."

"I don't care", Faith growled.

"No don't not for me. Let's just go back inside, please", Willow 
begged. 

Faith took one look into the red heads eyes and lowered her head. The 
three orderlies lead the pair through the halls of the hospital and 
through a set of double doors that lead to the padded rooms that were 
reserved for the most violent of offenders. They paused outside of 
one of the rooms and Faith found herself being handcuffed to the 
door. She looked inside the room and found herself looking into the 
coldest eyes she had ever seen.

"Faith I would like you to meet Tom. Tom has been with us for quite a 
long time now. I'd say going on ten years now. You see Tom has a 
thing for pretty girls. Usually he likes them a little younger then 
your friend over there but beggars can't be choosy, huh Tom." Faith 
stared at the eyes for a second before the reality of what they where 
about to do hit her. Faith thought she was going throw up all over 
her shoes, "No don't please. Don't put her in there please. I'll go 
but not her. You fucking bastards don't you think you put her through 
enough already."

"Yeah but it's so much fun to see her hurt and I think it will make a 
much better point to you. I want to see your face when he has his 
fun. I want you to know what's going to happen every time you try to 
escape", he said as he put the key in the door, "Now Tom, if you want 
me to do this you have to step back from the door." Faith saw him 
step back and then the orderly threw Willow into the room.

"Oh god", Faith whispered as she saw him approach her friend.

"Now I want you to watch, if you don't I'll leave her in there 
longer." 

Faith had to fight to keep her eyes on the window, the last thing she 
wanted to do was prolong the hell that Willow was going through. 
After what seemed like hours of watching him do unspeakable things to 
her friend the orderly finally looked at her, "Learned your lesson."

"Yeah get her out of there", Faith cried. He nodded his head at the 
other two guys in the hallway and they went in and pulled Willow out. 
Faith helped her stand as they threw them into the room across the 
hallway. 
Faith pulled the crying red head next to her and tried to soothe her.

"Willow, oh god, I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you."

"Not your fault, you were only trying to help me", Willow whispered.

"I love you", Faith said before she could stop herself.

"NO", Willow screamed and pulled away, "You can't love me. Everyone 
who loves me leaves me. I can't lose you, Faith. Please don't leave 
me."

"Never, I promise you", Faith said and pulled back into her arms.


*****


The nurse led Faith into a conference room where a man in a suit 
was sitting, "Faith do you know who I am."

"No should I?"

"My name is Quinton Travers, I'm the head of the watchers council."

"Well it's about fucking time. What the hell have you been doing over 
there"?

"I apologize for the delay but we couldn't just come storming in here 
and take you out. There were certain things that needed to be done 
first. 
I assume you are ready to leave then."

"Hell yes", Faith told him.

"Then shall we", Travers said getting up.

"Right now", Faith asked her promise to Willow echoing in her head.

"Well yes, is there a problem"?

"The other slayer's friend is in here."

"Yes we were aware of that."

"And", Faith asked frustrated.

"There's nothing we can do about it. Willow Rosenberg is still a 
minor and therefore she is her parents problem."

"Do her friends know where she is at", Faith asked.

"No, I believe the story that Rupert got from her parents was that 
she was studying abroad this year and that Willow never wanted to see 
them again."

"That's why they haven't found her, they haven't even been looking 
for her."

"No it would seem not but that is not my problem is it. Besides from 
what my contacts here have said she is in the right place anyway. 
Shall we", 
Travers said pointing to the door.

"Can you get her out when she's 18", Faith asked coming between him 
and the door.

"Yes once she is an adult we can get her release. So why don't you 
come with me and we will see about Miss Rosenberg in a couple of 
months on her birthday."

"No, I'm staying until then. I promised her I wouldn't leave her. She 
won't survive without me"

"Faith, I understand your concern for the girl but this is ridicules. 
You have a job to do, now lets go."

"If I go she goes", Faith said walking out the door.

"If I leave I won't be back. You can rot in here."

"Yes you will. Red says you can't control the other slayer. That's 
what you want isn't. You want someone you can control", Faith said 
and walked away.





"What was that about? Who was here to see you", Willow asked when 
Faith came through the door to the room they shared.

"The council, the head of the council actually."

"You're leaving", Willow asked and tried to scoot away.

"Nope, I told you that I wasn't leaving you. I told him that if he 
wanted me then you went too."

"Faith you can't give up your chance to leave because of me."

"Can and did. Don't worry about it, he'll be back. He told me that 
your friends found your folks. They told them that you were in 
boarding school and you didn't want anything to do with them."
"And they believed them, they're never coming, are they."

"No I'm sorry, Honey", Faith said and pulled the red head into her 
arms, 
"Come on they brought the dinner trays up and they have that nasty 
green jell-o you like so much"

"I lo?thanks", Willow said running out the door away from her 
feelings.



******



"Faith", Willow whispered slipping into bed with Faith, "I don't 
even know if I know what love feels like anymore. I not sure if I'm 
even capable of loving anyone but I need you."

"I will always be here for you. I made a promise to you that I intend 
to keep. Willow, I not going to lie to you and I know that you don't 
want to hear it but I love you. I think I might have fell in love 
with you the first day I saw you sitting in the corner. I know that 
you may never say it back."

"Hold me", Willow whispered.

"For as long as you let me."



*****



Faith and Willow where sitting on the bed in the room that they 
shared. Faith still was unable to stop Willow's nightly visitors but 
at least was able to be there to hold her and comfort her after. 
Somewhere along the way the Faith had fallen in love and she couldn't 
imagine what would have happened to her in here if not for her red 
headed lover. They had given up on trying to escape after the first 
time they had been caught and 
Faith had to endure watching Willow being beaten and raped alone in 
the dark solitary confinement room. After that Faith wouldn't do 
anything that would lead to Red being hurt. Faith to this day could 
still hear the way that they had taunted her Willow. Faith shook her 
head and put her smile back on her face, she was going to do 
everything in her power to make this a good day for her Red. Today 
was her girlfriends 18th birthday and she wanted it to have at least 
a few minutes of it to be happy memories for her. She dug a paper out 
of her back pocket and handed it to Willow.

"Happy Birthday, Hon", Faith said, "I couldn't bake a real one so I 
drew one in that stupid art class that they make us take." Faith 
looked into her eyes waiting for a response. Willow studied the 
picture tears sliding down her face.

"I know I'm not Xander or Buffy but I love you", Faith said seeing 
the look of disapproval on her lover's face, "I know, I know I'm not 
supposed to tell you things like I love you but I do. You don't have 
to say it back."

"I know, Faith. I like the picture."

"I promise when we get out of here I'll bake you a real one", Faith 
said and smiled when the red head laughed. Laughter wasn't something 
that either of them had done a lot of over the last six months.

"Faith can you even cook."

"Yup, well kind of as long as it comes out of a box, I'm good to go", 
Faith said and settled Willow head in her lap.

"Well, well look at the dykes in their natural environment. You both 
have a visitor. Come on", the nurse who ran the day shift said.

"Faith, do you think it's the council", Willow asked and stepped 
closer to Faith.

"I don't know but we might as well see who it is." Faith held Willow 
close to her and they made there way to a conference room. When the 
nurse seemed like he was making no move to leave the man in a suit, 
who Faith 
recognized as Quinton Travers, cleared his throat, "You may go now."

The man scowled, "These ladies are very dangerous and I really don't 
think it would be a good idea for me to leave them alone with you."

"Oh I don't see either of them being a problem. Ladies, please sit 
down", the guy in the suit said. He took one last look at the 
nurse, "Leave us, now." The nurse gave them one last scowl and left 
the room.

"Willow, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Quinton Travers; 
I'm the head of the watchers council. We found that we had to wait 
for Willow birthday for her release and Faith made it very clear that 
she would not leave you alone."

"We're getting out", Faith asked, fear, happiness, relief and 
confusion all showing in her face.

"Yes, under a few condition of course", Travers said.

"What conditions", Faith asked her suspicions rising.

"We want you to return to England with me. Faith you will return to 
slaying after six months of retraining. There will also be some 
therapy to help you deal with the things that have happened to you 
while you have been in this hellhole they call a hospital. Willow you 
are free to return to your friends in Sunnydale"

"No, I told you I go, she goes", Faith growled.

"Very well then but you must keep up on your training."

"That's all", Willow asked finding it hard to believe.

"After those six months you will be assigned to be kind of a clean up 
crew. The hellmouth is still very protected, so we would like you to 
move to different location and clean up things there. You know take 
care of the stragglers, maybe before they make it to the Sunnydale to 
cause them problems."

"So Buffy's still alive", Willow asked not sure if she really wanted 
or cared to know.

"Yes Miss Summers is very much alive as are the others. They have a 
tough fight going on there dealing with a demon mayor but they seem 
to be holding their own. They have my confidence that they will take 
care of that problem."

"Before we say yes I have one condition of my own", Willow said.

"What would that be", Travers asked her.

"Under no uncertain terms do I want the Sunnydale team to know that 
I'm alive or working for the council."

"Deal, even though it may be difficult to keep you secret from 
Rupert,"

Faith looked at Willow who nodded her head, "Well old man what the 
hell are we waiting for. Lets get out of this hellhole as you called 
it."