Replacement

PAIRING : Faith/Spike, Faith POV

RATING : PG14 (friendship)

SPOILERS : "The Gift"

DISCLAIMER : I do not own these characters.

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She's gone and I'm not really sure how to react to that. She's gone and I'm not sure if I'm happy, sad or indifferent. She was my sister, even if only for a brief time. I open the door to find them all there. They look up and I don't find pity. Good. I don't want it. I don't need it.

But their expressions are still too much for me to handle and I run out. I just run and run and I'm not sure where I'm going because I'm not sure what I should feel right now. I find myself in front of her grave instead.

Buffy Anne Summers.

"B?" I ask, as if I'm expecting an answer. "I don't know what to do here, B. Angel told me that you died and that they need a slayer on the Hellmouth. And I'm it. And I'm scared." I don't know why, but I start to cry.

"I can't be half the slayer you were, B. I'm no good at it. The title of hero was never mine to have. You wore it too well. But they expect me to be here and your friends hate me."

"Hello?" I spin around and find myself looking into the sad and red eyes of William the Bloody. "Who the bloody hell are you? You a vampire come to destroy her grave?" He growls at me and shows fang.

"Relax. I'm Faith. You probably don't remember me."

"Faith?"

"Vampire slayer. The crazy one. We met in the Bronze while I was in B's body."

He thinks for a minute until I see recognition. "They sent you for the Hellmouth?"

"Yeah. I was just… there was a lot of bad blood between B and me. There was a lot unsaid."

"Tell me about it." He looks so sad as he kneels down beside me and places a rose over her grave.

I'm curious to ask why a vampire would be placing a rose on a slayer's grave. But I don't. He's near tears and he obviously has a good reason and it would be wrong of me to ask. It's none of my business. We all have issues with B's death. Apparently even the vampires do.

After a few minutes he stands up. "There's a meeting tonight."

"Yeah, I was there but I left. I'm not really welcome."

"Well, lets go together. They don't like me much either."

We walk in silence and I'm thankful that there aren't any vampires or demons to fight on the way. It's been a long time since I used my supernatural strength and I'm not sure I want to. I wish B were here.

He opens the door to the magic shop and they all look up before looking back down. All except Dawn. She walks over to him and he holds her for a few minutes.

He whispers something to her and he sits down before she crawls into his lap. There's a girl on Xander who I don't know. The blonde with Wills looks familiar. I think I met her in the Bronze, wasn't particularly nice to her, if I remember right.

No one looks at me so I just stay by the door. I didn't expect a warm welcome. I look around. It's nice, Giles' shop. "Ah, Faith, you're here." I turn around and Giles walks in. "Angel called and said you were on your way."

"Yeah…" I look to the floor. I can't look at him. I failed him.

"Have you done any slaying recently?"

"Not since I left… before…"

"Then we'll start training again tomorrow afternoon. Come sit." I follow him and sit down on a crate near the register. I shouldn’t be near them after I've hurt them so much.

"Why don't you sit here, Luv?" I look up and Spike's moved over on the bench. I shake my head but he points to the bench and his eyes are insistent.

I sit next to him. "Thanks." I play with my thumbs beneath the table.

"All right." Giles says, taking his place at the head of the table. "We're all aware of Faith's presence. I think we should get our feelings out on the table; because Faith is the slayer and she'll need our help."

No one moves. No one says anything. I briefly look up and find Xander's hateful eyes looking at me.

"I don't…" I cough and clear my throat. "I don't wanna cause trouble. I don't even wanna be here."

"Then leave." He says coldly.

"Xander." Giles warns. "As much as we would like things to be different, they aren't. And we need a slayer on the Hellmouth."

"Fine." I say. "I'll slay and find an apartment or something and stay out of your way. I know you all hate me. I don't blame you. Maybe if I'd been here, B would still be here."

"No sense being all noble now, Faith." Xander snaps.

I'm about ready to leave when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn to face the person who dares touch such filth. It's Dawn. B's little sister. The one that I scared numerous times. The one that watched me punch their mother. "It's not your fault." She says. "I'm happy you're here. I think Buffy would like that. And you can stay with me at the house."

My eyes fill with tears and I look away. She stands up and hugs me.

I don't know what to do. I don't think anyone has ever really hugged me.

"All right. Spike, can you patrol tonight?"

"Sure thing, Rupe's."

"Faith, I want you to get some rest. We'll start training tomorrow."

I nod and everyone stands up. Xander just walks out the door with the girl I don't know. I stand awkwardly by, waiting for Dawn. I won't disrespect her when she treated me like an actual person.

"Faith?" I turn around ready to take some new comment up the ass but I find Willow looking at me with a smile. "I wanted to introduce you to my girlfriend, Tara."

"Pleased to meet you." I shake her hand and they seem to have forgotten how I was completely rude to them. But I haven't. "Look, I'm sorry about…"

"Don't worry about it, Faith." Willow says. "We were going to get some pizza, Tara and I. You and Dawn are welcome to join us."

"Good." Dawn says.

"I *am* kinda hungry." I say quietly.

"Great."

I'm walking Dawn home. I escorted Willow and Tara home. Dinner was actually pleasant. I mainly listened and answered questions they asked. But it was nice.

We're almost there when a pair of vampires jumps out in front of us. One grabs Dawn and I scream and lunge at it. I tackle it to the ground and punch it a few times. I don't have a stake. Shit!

I hear her scream again and look back. The other has her, ready to bite. "NOOOOO!" I scream and snap the neck of one I'm on top of before making my way for the other one. I kick it twenty feet and Spike stakes it when it lands. He throws the stake to me and I stake the one on the ground.

"Are you okay?" I ask Dawn.

"Yeah. Thanks."

"You alright, Luvs?" He asks us both.

"Yes. Faith saved me."

"I didn't have a stake." I say. "I'm so stupid."

"No. You're not." She says. "I'm tired."

We all get to her house and she says goodnight to Spike. She kisses him on the cheek and runs upstairs. He turns to me and I hand him the stake back but he doesn't take it. "Keep it. Consider it as a gift."

"Thanks." I put it in my coat pocket and watch as he flops on the couch after pulling the curtains closed.

"Make yourself comfy." He says.

"I shouldn't stay. I… I shouldn't be here."

"Sure you should. You're the slayer. *I'm* the one who shouldn't be here, but I promised the Sla-Buffy."

"Why?" I ask as I sit down in front of the couch.

"Cause I loved her." He says and I don't say anything. "You and me, we gotta protect her friends. We gotta take care of Nibblet. For Buffy."

I lean my head back and turn my head so I can look at him. For some reason, I feel close to him. Maybe cause we both don't belong. Maybe cause we're both sorry replacements for the best person we ever knew.

~El Fin~

Onto the next part : Visitor

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