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The bus ride to Los Angeles was bittersweet. They had lost many of the now slayers in the battle, but what hurt down to the bone was the fact that they had lost one of their own...Xander,and,not to be forgotten, they�d lost Willow's lover, Kennedy....

"Buffy, catch!" Kennedy yelled as a Turok-Han began its attack on her. She was able to fend this one off with ease, but the next four turned out to be even harder. Not used to the full power of a slayer yet, one of them got in a good hit and then the two that were left cut into her with their long knives. She fell, crying out for Willow with her last breath.

As some of the Turok-Hans got past the slayers below, Andrew screamed that they were coming up the stairs..."THEY�RE COMING!!!"...."GOD WE'RE GOING TO DIE!!" He stood there pissing his pants watching Anya.

"Will you please stop that Andrew? I told you to use the bathroom before we came." Holding her weapon up, she waited on the Turok-Hans as they made their way to the front, swiping at them. She was yelling. Xander heard her screams and came running, just as a sword found its way into his chest.

"An."

"XANDER.....Nooooooooo."

Not stopping, she pictured bunnies and then she kicked the shit out of the Turok-Hans, cutting heads off, not taking the time to watch them fall to the floor into a pile of dust.

"YOU HURT MY XANDER...YOU HURT XANDER, YOU FUCKING PIECES OF SHIT...YOU HURT..XANDER!"

Andrew was watching and trying to stay alive, killing what came after him. Just as he was about to meet the end of a Turok-Han weapon, Anya killed the thing.

"Stay alive, dammit!" Tears were dried on her face as they continue the killing.

The chosen two were checking on the wounded. Since Willow would not let Buffy near by her at all, Anya was holding her as they both cried their eyes out.

"Hey Robin, how you feeling dude?"

"Like someone stabbed me, Faith. How are you doing? How many others are wounded?"

"Nice to see you still have that fire that I saw last night!" Smirking at him. "I can't complain about me,.. 'Sides, we lost some important people this time out. Some of the new slayers, Xander and Kennedy didn't make it." Stopping as a mist of tears came to her eyes, swallowing hard. "Sorry."

"Hey, it's alright. We're only human." He tried to smile to let her know that it would get better. As Robin was dosing on and off, Faith felt a hand on her shoulder. She knew who it was from the feelings flowing through her.

"Faith, how is he?" The hand didn't move.

They could both feel the heat from each other�s body. Turning her head slowly to look at the blonde, she saw blood on the white top Buffy was wearing.

"B, Robin's holding his own right now. But how are you doing? You're still bleeding!"

"I'll be fine, Faith. It's just a small knife wound; don't worry about me. We have so many others to worry about now." Tearing came to the original slayer�s eyes. "We lost so many, it just never stops...I'm gonna go and check on..."

"BUFFY!!!" the dark slayer yelled as she rose up to catch her. "B, come on, talk to me. Fuck, don't you die on me!" Turning around and seeing Red and Anya were looking at her, she made her way toward them. Standing before them, she tried to lean down and give Buffy to the redhead.

"I..I can't, Faith. Not right now...She would want you to take care of her. Please!" The redhead was turning an even paler shade of pale as the dark slayer stood there looking at her. She was pissed off, yet she understood.

"It's okay. I will take care of her." Faith moved off into the back to find an unoccupied seat to lay the blonde slayer down on. Turning around she saw one of the slayers that was not seriously hurt laying on one of the seats. The girl was taking up space that she needed for B right now.

"Get up the fuck up NOW!"

The once timid slayer started to piss and moan at her. But seeing the killer looking brown eyes that was worse than a hundred Turok-Han, she didn�t waste any time moving away. She would remember not to piss off the dark one.

"Okay, B, gonna lay you down. I don't understand the new ones at all." Shaking her head as the blonde's back touch the seat, she continued. "I need to get some bandages, and I'll be right back." Turning around, she came face to face with Dawn.

"Here, Faith, I saw her fall into your arms. I got some bandages and what nots. Is...is she going to be okay?...I can't lose her again." Dawn was trying her best not to break down and just start crying her eyes out.

"Why don't you go and see to Red and Anya. I'll take care of B here. Don't worry, I ain't gonna let her walk away just yet, Brat."

"Faith, don't call her that." Buffy blinked her eyes at them.

"Glad your back, sis. You really need to stop being a drama queen. Oh, gonna go see if I can do anything for Willow and Anya. Take care of her, Faith." Dawn walked off, trying to take her mind off of her sister, Xander, and Kennedy. Not to mention the loss of her hometown.

"Faith, I don't need those..need to save them for the others." The blonde kept trying to get up and see to the others.

"STAY THE FUCK ON THAT BENCH! You're bleeding, and you fainted on top of me. SO don't you fucking move Buffy!."

"Alright...already...sheesh. I'm laying still. You gonna get on top?"

"I ain't playing here, B. Don't ya move, and I don't think you want me on top of you right now. We would both get bloody, and if I remember right, you like me on the bottom."

"FAITH, sheesh..don't want everyone knowing that!" Her color was growing paler. She started to say something else, but as the words left her mouth, she passed out again.

"B...shit. That's enough talking. Let's see what hurt you that bad."

Looking around at the bus, the dark slayer took a deep breath before sighing and then taking the bottom of the soiled top into her fingers. Raising it up, she examined the sword wound. Pulling her partner up and looking at her back, Faith saw the wound went all the way through.

"FUCK ME!" *The bandages ain't going to help her. I have to stop the bleeding. I wonder? Fuck why not.* Yelling for Dawn, she explained what she needed now. "Dammit, B, why do you think you�re Wonder Woman all the damn time? You�re human, B. I just don't know what gets into that mind of yours at times

"Faith, I got what you asked for. An arrow, gasoline, and one of the strips from the white sheet. What are you planning to do to my sister?"

"Dawn, you are going to have to trust me. I would never hurt your sister� not ever again."

"FINE, but if she dies, I will find a way to hurt you."

"If she dies...that will hurt more than anything you could ever do to me."

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I need you to get two of the other slayers that are not hurt...well..let me add that are not seriously hurt, to come over here now."

"Just a second, I already asked two of them. Come on over here. I'll be right back, Faith, gonna go tell Giles to pull over."

"Smart, Brat!" Faith said shaking her head. "Alright, one of you get by her head and hold her hands up above her head." She watched one of them move into position.

"Ready."

"You hold her feet, after I move just a bit. Make sure that she doesn't move, cause this is going to hurt like a bitch."

"FAITH, GILES HAS STOPPED THE BUS!"

"Damn, I think they didn't hear her in Boston. Come here, Dawn."

Running down the short space, the girl asked, "Yeah, what?"

"I need you to open the gasoline can." ....the smell of gas filled the bus.

"GOD, SOMEONE OPEN A WINDOW...it smells in here." Windows coming down sounded like nails on a blackboard.

"Done, Faith."

"Good, now use the sheet and get some gasoline on it...That's right...just a bit...close the gas and hand it to anyone." The smell died down.

"God, that stinks."

"Now, take the arrow and rub it with the gasoline. Be sure to coat it fully. Hand it to me with the tip pointing down." She took the arrow and breathed heavily.

"Guys, turn her body till the wound is hanging off of the bench. Now hold on tight to her, keep her still. I am going to slide this arrow through her body at the wound."

Raising the arrow up to Buffy�s wound. "I'm sorry, B.".. With half her strength, she pushed the arrow though the wound.

"AW FUCK!! ...WHAT THE FUCK?"

"Hold still, sis, please," Dawn pleaded.

Tears were running down two faces.

"Dawn, come here, take this arrow."

"Eww." There was blood on it.

"Stop it! I need you to talk to her."

"Hey, Buffy, what say we go shopping once we get to Angel's? I so want a new everything. I need new shoes, new panties..."

The whole bus could hear the growing list of things that everyone would be needing soon. All except for a raven-haired slayer. She was pulling a match from her pocket, looking at the blonde as their eyes met. She saw fear, trust, and, unless she was way off base, love as well.

"HOLD HER!" The smell of sulfur rose up and then the smell of skin, blood and gasoline.

"FAITH....FAAAAITHHHHHHH.. .FUCKKKK!!!!"

The wound was now burning out, slowly. It wasn�t red anymore. The bleeding stopped. Buffy had passed out from the pain.

"You can move her back onto the bench now. Thank you girls, Go get some rest. Dawn you did wonderful."

Raising a hand, moving back hair from the blonde's face, the world came down to the two of them for mere seconds.

"Faith, thank you. I know that hurt you to do that to her... I'm gonna sit over here, so I can be close to her."

"Okay." Brown eyes stayed on the blonde slayer, a hand caressing the still face, the other hand holding a petite hand. Small tears ran freely out of brown eyes as time moved on for the whole bus.