FIC: "Madness Used To Be Mine" (10/12)

Willow swallowed as the door closed but then she turned around with a fearful gaze as she looked at Tara. She could see the hurt in the blonde witch's gaze.

"Tara." Willow swallowed again.

Tara looked down.

"Listen, all this doesn't mean-"

"Yes it d-does, Willow."

"No. I'm with you and I like it that way."

"You're with me because you c-can't be with h-her."

"No it's-"

"You're not over her." Tara stated firmly then softened her gaze, "Don't try and pretend, Willow. You're not."

"But Tara," Willow moved forward and took Tara's hands in hers, "I know that I feel very happy with you. And I want to stay with you."

"We s-slept together." Tara said very sadly. Willow squeezed her hands with a smile, "And it was wonderful and I loved it so much. I love it so much being with you Tara."

"But the next day you called the p-police and did? that."

"No, it doesn't? I just wanted. Faith she's... She's trouble and she's? She's dangerous and-and. I'm sorry. She just... She's not right for her."

"But you are."

"No Tara. I didn't-" Willow trailed off, "I'm sorry, but I swear I didn't pretend or fake anything. I love being with you and please, I want it to stay that way."

"I knew it was t-too soon. I knew and it shows so much. You're still not over h-her."

"Yes I-"

"I can't do that, Willow."

"No please, Tara. I need you. You're the only one who can make me feel better. I need you."

"I'm sorry but... You want what's best for B-buffy. You want to feel better yourself. You're still not thinking about me and I h-have to do that myself."

"No, I am thinking of you. I know I can be what you need now."

"I'm s-sorry but I just need to be alone for a while. I think we need some t-time apart. We went too fast."

"But I-"

"It's my decision. I w-want to stay alone right now, Willow."

Willow held back a tear and walked out of Tara's room. She looked dismantled.

Buffy was walking very fast in the corridor. She looked focused. She tried to forget about that talk. If she hadn't been so worried about Faith, she knew she'd have maybe been crying because it pained her to lose such an important part of herself by losing that friendship.

But now was not the time, Faith was in danger.

Buffy's phone rang. It was Riley. The young man had located recent money transfer from Great Britain to Sunnydale for the lease of a warehouse in the West side of town. It wasn't that far from the campus so despite Riley's warning and plea for her to wait, Buffy ran there, quickly losing Xander behind her.

She approached cautiously the warehouse Riley told her about.

She turned around it to try and locate an entrance. She saw a window easily accessible for a slayer. She jumped and hung herself on it. She pulled it open without noise and started creeping her way inside, waiting to see the English men first. She saw them in a shut office; they seemed to be in deep talk.

Buffy, before sliding down inside, tried to locate Faith but she didn't see her. She saw a huge truck that seemed to be armoured. It was probably with it that they?d smashed the cop's car. Faith had to be tied up inside.

Buffy slowly jumped on the floor and turned around to reach the truck without them seeing her.

"Faith??"

"Buffy?"

"Are you ok?"

Faith didn?t reply.

"Don't move, I'm coming."

Buffy looked at the door, she feared opening it would make too much noise.

"Faith. Are you tied up or can you walk?"

"Tied up, fists and feet."

Buffy knew it would probably be strong chains that would take time to break. She doubted she'd have time to take them off for them to run before the council team arrives.

"Faith, do you know where they put the keys of the truck? I need to open it without them hearing it."

"You need to go away, Buffy."

Buffy frowned, Faith sounded very down.

"I need to get you out of here."

"Leave me alone, Buffy."

"Faith, do you know what they're gonna do to you if we don't get out now."

"It doesn't matter, B. Go away."

Buffy looked around, she saw a piece of clothing that she took. She put it around the lock to try and stifle the noise. She checked on the left, the discussion seemed to be heating up a bit so she took that opportunity and broke the lock. She looked on the side again; the English men didn't seem to have heard anything. She breathed out, reassured. She broke the door's knob, still noiseless.

She climbed into the van and stared at Faith.

She immediately reached for her face as there was dry blood on her forehead, probably from the accident in the cop's car.

Buffy put some saliva on the piece of clothing she still had in hand and gently cleaned the brunette's forehead. Faith looked surprised but then her defeated look came back.

Buffy could see she had several bruises on her face; bruises caused by fists.

She made her look at her, "I don't care what they told you, Faith. You don't deserve this."

"Why? People I killed didn't deserve to die either. They're right; I'm a worthless piece of trash."

"Stop that." Buffy shook her a bit.

"I don't deserve to live."

"Who are you to decide? Huh? You the divine now? Cause sorry but, He the only one who can say who's to live and who's to die. If He'd wanted you dead, you'd be dead already. I think He wants you to live."

"He or you?"

"Both."

They stared at each other and Buffy looked at Faith's chains. She started pulling on the ones on her feet.

"We need to get you rid of these and get the Hell out of here."

They both pulled on it. It made quite a noise when it broke and they very fast got out of the truck. Buffy was holding Faith since she twisted her ankle pretty bad when the council truck hit the police car.

"Don't move!"

They both turned around. One of the council members was pointing his gun at them while the two others were rushing to them and soon pointing their guns at them too.

"You don't know what you're doing." Buffy firmly told them.

"We're following orders, but I don't presume you remember what that is, Miss Summers."

"Oh yes I remember, and I can see orders still suck as much as they used to. It's bad orders."

"Step away from her. We don't have any business with you."

"Yet." Added the thinner man.

"I won't let you do that. You're not taking her there."

"Actually, we're not taking her anywhere. Orders changed." Said the thinner one again.

Buffy's heart clenched. They were about to kill her.

Buffy kept a self confident look, "Like I said; bad orders."

"And like we said; we have no business with you so step away from her and walk away from here."

"So that you can murder her? It won't happen."

Buffy felt Faith trying to push her aside, "Go away, Buffy."

"No!"

Faith struggled to push her but Buffy slapped her and blocked her against her chest.

"I didn't do all this to watch them kill you!"

?We won't say it another time, Miss Summers. Get out now. This is your last warning."

One of them loaded his gun.

"I'm pretty sure your orders aren't to kill me."

Buffy moved on the side to pin Faith against the truck?s door so that she was covering her as much as she could at least.

"Orders change fast. Besides, we don't always have time to take orders before acting."

"Drop the weapons!"

Two of the council directed their weapons on the left from which the call was made.

Riley was standing there, dressed in military outfit and holding his gun at them.

"Who are you?!"

"Us government. I said dropped the weapons or I fire."

The English men looked hesitant.

They didn't want a diplomatic incident but Riley was alone. He could easily be taken care of, but their mission usually supposed less people involved and less ?innocents? killed. That was their only hesitation.

"It's just her boyfriend, the one who tracked us down."

They kept their guns pointed at him and at the slayer.

"Go back, this doesn't concern you. You have no idea what your girlfriend dragged you into kiddo."

Riley looked mad, "She might be my girlfriend but you're talking to an agent of the US forces here, and this is my last warning. My unit is on its way."

Buffy kept holding Faith tightly and protecting her by herself.

The thin man still looked distrustful.

Riley loaded his gun and so did the two other members of the council.

"Stop, stop that. Put me on the phone with Travers." Buffy ordered.

"No."

They heard cars pulling over outside. The soldier seemed to have been right.

"Put me on the phone with him now!" Buffy exclaimed.

The one that seemed to be the boss took his cell phone and dialed up a number.

"Yes, seems we have a bit of trouble here."

"Drop the weapons!" A dozen of soldiers burst in, holding them at gun points.

Buffy knew Travers had probably heard that.

The man held the cell phone to Buffy, "Mister Travers. Yes herself. Well, me and a dozen of US soldiers. Situation doesn't seem bright for your boys. Right now they don't have much choice but I know it won't stop you. Yes, I do know you well. I want your word that you won't go after Faith again. Oh yes you can and you will. Listen she's not a threat anymore." Buffy stopped talking.

She was listening attentively to whatever Quentin Travers was telling her.

Faith looked down again. But Buffy held her tighter.

Riley kept observing them.

The three English men lowered their weapons in the meantime but Buffy gestured Riley not to 'arrest' them, for now at least.

The soldiers kept their guns pointed at them though.

"I hear your concerns and I understand rules have been broken. I'm ready to make up for that."

Faith frowned and Buffy went on, "Yes sir, that's what I'm saying. I want to be part of the council again. But you have to reinstate Giles, you know it won't work any other way. I'll follow orders, any orders but Faith stays here. Like I said, she's not a threat anymore. Yes you can trust me. You can even send someone to watch us for a while but Giles stays our watcher. Ok."

She gave the cell phone back and the man listened, "I hear you. Understood."

He hung up and put his gun on the ground, gesturing his colleagues to do the same.

Buffy looked at Riley, "It's fine. They're going to leave the country today. Everything's worked out."

Riley sighed. He didn't like the idea of not arresting these guys, not doing his duty. But he knew there was much more in game. He knew about the watcher's council and that thing could be big. It was probably better that everyone leaves on his own.

"We're done here."

The soldiers all lowered their guns and started walking out. Riley moved closer to Buffy, he checked out Faith too.

"Are you sure, Buffy?"

"Yes, it'll be fine. They won't try anything."

Buffy knew Riley meant more than just the council, but she wasn't ready to talk about Faith with him yet.

"I'm gonna drive you to the hospital then."

"No," Faith just said, looking at Buffy, not Riley.

"We'll be fine, Riley. I'll call you later tonight, ok?"

He reluctantly nodded.

"Thank you." She added.

The young man left the warehouse with a perplex look. The council team was already in the truck and starting the engine.

"Alright, let's get you home." Buffy took Faith in her arms.

"I can walk, B. Ok, actually I can't but?" She trailed off at Buffy's look and just put her arms around the smaller girl's neck.

Buffy started walking quite fast.

"So? you'd quit the council? When?"

"When they refused to help Angel."

Faith swallowed a bit, she didn't dare to ask, "Is he?"

"He lived."

Faith nodded bitterly, "You made him drink you, didn't you?"

"I wasn't going to let him die, not more than I would have let you die today."

Faith looked at the sky for a while.

"I can understand for Angel? but me."

"You're gonna have to stop that now, Faith."

Faith frowned a bit.

"Stop with the low self esteem and the self pity."

"I just don't understand why I should-"

"Because you don't have any other choice, period. So you're gonna kick your sorry self in the ass and make up for it instead of trying to find reasons why you should give up. There are no easy way out of the pain and the guilt. They're none, Faith. The only way is to fight and try to make up for it."

Faith was in deep thoughts.

"It's gonna be hard and it should be. Because life of a slayer is hard. Hell life is hard so ours? even harder. But there's no other way to live it so? At least now we can share it. For real this time."

Faith stared at her, "Do you really believe in that? I mean, that I can do it, like before?"

"No. I know you can do it better than before."

They stayed silent for a while.

"That guy? Really your boyfriend?"

"Yes." Buffy replied without looking at her.

"I preferred Angel." Faith casually told her.

Buffy couldn't help but smile. That somehow sounded more like the Faith she knew.

Faith smiled too.

They stayed silent after that.