TITLE : Lead Me to Peace
AUTHOR : TidalWave
FEEDBACK : TidalWave@wanadoo.fr
SPOILERS : Season 7
RATING : PG-13
DISCLAIMER : All these characters belong to God (Joss) and Co.
NOTE : My little twist on the end of "Empty Places".

Faith got out of the house very embarrassed,
"Hey look I swear I didn’t want it to go this way."

"Don’t,"

"I mean it, I-"

"Don’t... be afraid to lead them," Buffy said as she turned around, her cheeks wet with tears, Faith felt her heart caved in at the sight. Buffy went on,

"Whether you wanted it or not, their lives are yours. It’s only gonna get harder. Protect them, but lead them."

Faith replied, "No."

The word came out of her mouth without she’d even thought about it. Buffy frowned too, a bit surprised and Faith took her self confident look and added,

"No, I don’t agree."

Buffy sighed blasé, "Again."

"No, not to lead them but... you, going, I refuse that."

Buffy looked a bit stunned, she felt so tired right now, these past few days, the vineyard AND the trust she’d lost from her friends and them somehow kicking her out of the house, out of the lead had the impact of a thousands sleepless nights. She sighed exhaustedly,
"Faith, I don’t... wanna argue anymore."

Faith took her hand,
"And I think we have better things to do than argue if we wanna win, but we can’t do that without you."

She started pulling Buffy to her as she opened the door to go back in. Buffy stopped her in a last effort,
"Faith," she added, "They don’t want me inside."

Faith replied, "I do."

And she dragged her in. They looked at them when they entered the house. Dawn started, obviously feeling bad,

"Buffy I-"

But Faith gestured her not to speak, she opened the basement’s door and went inside with Buffy who avoided looking at the others. Buffy sat on the cot, Faith sat beside her and began calmly,

"It’s been hard for everyone Buffy, you have to understand them, they do want you, they don’t know it but you are the one they need to lead them. I came back to help you, to fight the right fight, I’m not here to take anyone’s place, most of all not yours, I came back here for you."

Buffy looked at her, the words she was using, the way she was telling them were unusual or maybe she was too tired and Faith was tired too, as Buffy finally thought. Faith went on,

"What I mean Buffy is that, we need to be here together, with all of them and we can make it. I can understand that you tried to cut yourself off from them, but after what happened at the vineyard, you can’t ask them that and certainly not like that."

Buffy said, "I know there is something in there I-... or I think I do."

Buffy took her head in between her hands and sighed.

"Look Buffy, maybe there’s something in there but it’s not the point th-"

"I blew it." Buffy said, raising her head as she added,

"I led them to death, and I did it just because I didn’t listen."

Faith sighed too and took the blonde's hands into hers,

"Look Buffy, you were probably right to want to do something and what's more I feel in my guts that you are right, I mean I know you enough to trust your instinct, right now I believe there is probably something in there, but that doesn’t mean we have to rush at it blindly. This is what you have to understand, this is what we did and seeing the result you could in no way asked them that and not expect that reaction from them. We should’ve known more about who the preacher was before going in and mostly taking the girls with us. We did a mistake in that, not in going at the battle, but going blindly at it."

Buffy bitterly said,
"You mean I did. I was the one in charge and I’ve been the one giving the order despite everyone’s advises, despite Giles’ just because I was mad at him... As a leader I rock."

Faith firmly told her,
"No, as a leader you said it earlier, you have to take the hard decisions, you’re right we’re in a war, girls are dying and girls will die, it’s not over till it’s over. Right, you made an error of judgment, don’t make a second one by leaving your troops when they need you the most, they need you now more than ever Buffy."

"That’s not what it looks like."

"Because you all stand firm, you have to put in common. Nobody’s getting out of here to go to the vineyard again, neither you, neither them. Right now, everyone will rest a bit waiting for Spike and Andrew to come back, and we’ll check the options that we have together, tomorrow, ok?"

Buffy stared at her asked with honesty, "Why are you doing this?"

Faith asked, "What?"

She still had Buffy’s hands in hers. Buffy squeezed them as she said,
"They’ve all given up on me tonight, all my friends, all that has been my support all these years, all of them and you got outside, I mean from all the people inside, sorry but, you’re the last one I’d have expected to get outside and try to convince me to stay, so why?"

Faith tried to sound light,

"That’s not true, if Spike had been here, he’d done the same and you wanna know why? Because he and I are lazy AND cowards; if you leave, as the best fighters remaining we'd have even more work than we already have, that’s the reason why."

She got a smile from Buffy. She then added as she caressed gently Buffy’s cheek,

"That’s better."

The blonde slayer shivered a bit, Faith asked,

"You’re ready?"

"Not sure."

They got up and headed towards the door, Buffy was very tensed,

"God I can’t believe how scared I am, like I’m having a recital or such."

Faith put her hands on her cheeks once more,

"Don’t worry, I’ll handle this one, it’ll be quick and fine."

Buffy felt again this strange feeling as Faith stared at her. This hasn’t been an usual intimacy between them and she was disturbed by it. Faith opened the door, Buffy followed, they were all looking at them expectantly. Faith simply said,
"Well guys, it’s late, everyone should get some rest now."

Rona asked, "But what about The First? And Caleb?"

Kennedy added, "And Buffy?"

"And going to-?" Anya said in her turn before Faith cut her,

"No one is going anywhere tonight. Spike will probably come back tomorrow, no need to anticipate the problems, we’ll see tomorrow."

Scared shouts resounded as the lights turned off.

"My God, oh my God!"

Faith calmly said,
"It’s ok, it’s on all revello which means that the guys from the electricity are gone."

Xander headed to the chimney and opened Buffy’s weapons’ box. Willow told them, "We have candles over here."

"So that’s ok" Faith said.

Kennedy asked incisively, "No it’s not, don’t you think we have work to do before resting?"

Faith replied firmly, "Right now, no."

She went back from the window to her spot.

"Fine." Kennedy said going upstairs upset, the potentials started to follow with candles in hand and pocket lamps.

Giles told Buffy, "I’m glad you stayed Buffy."

Dawn smiled at her, they were both embarrassed. Xander started,
"Yes Buffy, we didn’t want you to leave we just-"

"-Wanted you to understand." Willow ended his sentence.

"Whatever." Buffy just said not in a mean way, but she really sounded exhausted and still not really back in the house as part of the group, they still didn' agree in fact.

"I just wanna sleep right now." She simply said.

Giles said, "Yes we understand, let’s go back upstairs."

She sighed as she looked at the stairs,
"Well in fact, I think I prefer staying awake than having to spend the night in a room full of people who don't want me in."

"Buffy that’s not what we, what they-"

"T’s ok" Faith said cutting any further argument, she added,
"Spike’s not here, you can sleep in the basement."

Buffy said as she headed to it, "Yes, good."

"Good night guys." Faith said as she followed her to their surprise and Buffy's one, as she turned around and saw her joining her at the basement's door. She looked at her, questioning, they both stared at each other, silently, like knowing, and Buffy finally entered the basement. Faith closed the door behind them. They went down and Buffy turned around, unsure, she finally spoke,

"Why? I mean, you don’t have to do that you know."

Faith gently said,
"Well I’ve had my share of squared inch rooms full of girls these past years you know, and this house, teenage girls, must say it's worse than jail, so here is better, larger and just one girl. Just the one, I mean, the only one I can stand right now."

Buffy felt a wave of accumulated emotions, fears, tiredness suddenly overwhelming her at these honest words, she broke down and cried. Faith took her in her arms instantly, letting her calm down a bit by caressing her hair softly,
"It’s ok, it’s ok Buffy."

"I don’t know, I’m sorry."

Buffy pulled apart a bit, ashamed of showing her distress. Faith took her back in her arms and locked eyes with her, "Hey Buffy it’s me."

She repeated again gently, "It’s me."

Buffy knew what she meant and just held her tightly, she meant that she, more than any others could understand what she was feeling. She could share, and she desperately wanted to share it. Buffy desperately needed someone who knew... Who wouldn’t look at her with questioning gaze, who wouldn’t ask why or what or when or anything, who would just know.

Faith moved closer to the cot and lied them both down on it. The cot was not very large but it didn’t matter since they remained close to each other. Buffy just needed to let go for a while, so she fell asleep in Faith’s arms and Faith kept on caressing her arms and hair falling asleep some time after. They had a complete and restful night for the first time in months.

THE END