“Good evening ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain, Stephan Lucas speaking. We’ll be ready to pull from the gate here as soon as we’re done refueling. The time is now 9:30pm and we should be on our way in about 15 minutes or so. The flight is about 4 hours and 45 minutes which will have us landing in Los Angeles about 11:32pm but the weather is a bit touchy at the moment out west. There’s a small storm moving West-Southwest of the Rocky Mountains, heading towards Arizona and Southern California so we’ll divert to the north and go around it if it gets too bad. The weather to the Rockies looks relatively clear so it should be a smooth flight from here to Colorado. I’ll be turning on the fasten seatbelts sign here in a minute so please make sure all carry-on luggage has been stowed in the proper storage bins. So, just sit back and relax and we hope you enjoy your flight.”

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Standing at the sink, Faith busied herself with the rinsing of the dinner dishes. She picked up the frying pan that she scorched, jumping when Robin’s low laugh sounded behind her.

Grinning in spite of herself, she turned to look at him over her shoulder, her ponytail swinging and brushing against her shoulders, her dark eyes twinkling in spite of her mild annoyance at being unable to do something as simple as making a grilled cheese sandwich.

Walking up to the dark-haired woman that captivated him from the moment that he met her, Robin slipped his arms around her waist, dropping a kiss on her temple as he surveyed the ruined pan she still held aloft in one hand.

Still chuckling, he murmured against her temple, “Just toss it hun. We can pick up another one tomorrow.”

“Yeah and the new one will be one of those non-stick jobs,” Faith responded embarrassed a bit still as she turned her head into her shoulder, placing the pan back into the sink and nuzzling up against the only man she’d ever allowed more than a week long association with.

“So, any thoughts yet as to what you want to do this coming Friday,” Robin asked softly, his voice muffled by the soft, dark hair of the woman in his arms.

“What’s Friday,” Faith asked, raising her head to look into the coffee coloured eyes of the man she was falling for in a hard way.

Raising his head, Robin’s eyes widened a bit in pretended shock before replying, “July 4th? Independence Day? You know fireworks and barbeques and all things patriotic?”

Blushing prettily, Faith said softly, “I’ve not really celebrated the 4th before, ya know? When I was a kid, my Mom was usually too out of it to do much of anything with me.” Lowering her eyes in shame, her voice softened. “Most of the time she was drunk before dinner. I used to wait for her to pass out and I’d sneak out and climb up on the roof and watch the stars and stuff. A couple of times we lived close enough and I was able to see the fireworks and stuff from the neighboring towns.”

“Hey. None of that,” Robin said as softly as she had spoken. Taking a hand, he caressed her cheek before sliding beneath her chin, using his knuckles to tip her head up.

“Look at me Faith.”

Afraid of seeing the pity in his eyes, she glanced up quickly, before looking away again. Not allowing her to bend her head back down, Robin leaned down, placing a soft kiss upon her lips before he straightened up, looking at her earnestly.

“Faith. Please look at me.”

Waiting patiently, he counted heartbeats before she glanced up shyly, old hurts shining in her eyes with unshed tears.

“That was then. You have nothing to be ashamed of. You were a little girl with a horrible mother and you didn’t deserve the life you were given. What she did, making you think you weren’t worthy of love, it’s not true.”

Closing her eyes, Faith turned her head away, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth, embarrassed by the tears that threatened to spill over onto her cheeks.

“Faith, it’s not true. You’re vibrant and strong and beautiful and you can pretend all you want that you’re this hard-ass, no-holds barred bitch, but I’ve seen a side of you that contradicts that. I know about chick flicks you’ve ordered on pay per view and when you sat up with Andrew half the night when he had a nightmare so he wouldn’t be alone. I know about how you always stop and look at the kittens at the pet store next door to the grocery store and let’s not forget the time that you rarely left my side and slept in the god-awful chair next to my bed when I was in the hospital.” Lifting his hand from her chin, Robin cradled her cheek, his thumb swiping at the lone tear that escaped from beneath her lashes.

Lifting his other hand to cup her other cheek, he cradled her face gently, leaning down to brush his lips across hers softly, once, twice before resting his forehead against hers. “The beatings, the isolation, everything your mother did to you, none of that touches you now. You’re stronger and better because of it.”

His lips were barely a breath away and whispered over her lips with his heartfelt words causing her breath to catch in her throat. Squeezing her eyes shut even tighter, Faith tried her best to hold back the tears, telling herself in her head ’don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry’ and she was concentrating so hard she almost missed the last part of what he said.

“I’m falling in love with you Faith.”

Forgetting she was trying not to cry, her eyes flew open and her head flew back, looking at him as she stared in shock, not trusting her ears to be truthful with what she thought she just heard.

“Wha? You…huh?!?” she stammered, her voice rough with the emotions running rampant through her body.

Looking down at her, Robin’s heart twisted, his stomach falling to his feet with the look of naked longing in her hazel eyes. Feeling his own eyes moisten, he repeated himself firmly but gently, “I’m falling in love with you.”

Faith searched his face for any sign that he was joking, for certain she was once again on the butt end of some cosmic joke the universe seemed to like playing on her. Finding no hint of a smile, she searched his eyes for pity, thinking maybe he was throwing a bone to the ‘poor scared little girl’ that managed to escape the confines of where she was kept hidden deep down.
Robin held his breath, not sure of what she was going to think or do as her eyes roamed over his face almost frantically as if she thought any second now he was going to disappear.

10 seconds turned into 20 and she leaned back even further and Robin’s heart twisted again, fearing he might have said too much and any second she was going to bolt from his arms, from the room, from his life. 20 seconds turned into 30 when her breath suddenly exploded between parted lips and she launched herself against him, knocking him back against the stove and wrapping her arms around his neck, peppering his face with desperate kisses.

Releasing the breath he didn’t know he had been holding, Robin allowed his relief to wash over him as she kissed his chin and his cheeks moving quickly to cover every inch of his face she could reach.

Still holding her face in his hands, he pulled his head back to look at her, seeing the happiness shining in her eyes and he lowered his head and kissed her softly, pressing a small kiss to the corners of her mouth before settling his lips over hers, pressing small firm kisses against her mouth before he sealed his lips to her own.

Leaning into him, her body molded to his, her tongue slipping out to flick against his lips gently before he open his mouth to receive her kisses, his tongue sliding out to meet her own as she sighed softly into his mouth.

For minutes they stayed that way, kissing each other softly and gently until oxygen became an issue and they reluctantly parted, nerve endings sparking with small explosions and setting goose bumps to scatter over their bodies. Looking at each other, they both smiled, teeth flashing as the smiles turned to grins and they leaned in for another kiss.

Just then voices were heard, faintly, getting stronger by the second and the doorbell chimed throughout the cottage. Parting slowly, they glanced at each other again, smiling and leaning in for another kiss, quicker this time when the doorbell pealed again.

Taking a deep breath, Faith unclasped her hands from around Robin’s neck, reaching up and pushing her hair back from her face and wiping at her eyes.

“You want to run upstairs and freshen up while I get the door,” Robin asked her softly. At her quiet nod, he kissed her quickly on her forehead, feeling his breath hitch when she smiled at him luminously, thinking he had never seen her look more beautiful than at that moment. Stepping back, Faith smoothed her hands over her stomach, settling the t-shirt that had risen with her raised arms. Smiling at each other yet again, they both walked into the living room, Robin stopping at the front door as she turned to go up the stairs, their eyes lingering until she rounded the landing leading towards the bathroom. Turning towards the door, Robin opened it to find Andrew and Dawn, backpacks in hand and laughing at something only they knew about, before stepping aside and allowing the giggling teenagers to come inside and he grinned at them feeling all was right in his world and anxious for bedtime to come so he could wrap himself around the woman that was quickly taking over his heart.

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”Ooook. Why is it so dark in here,” Buffy asked, confusion marring her features, as she looked left and right, not seeing anything but the empty darkness stretching out around her.

“Hello? Hel-looooo?”

Hearing a snapping behind her, Buffy spun around, suddenly finding herself in the desert, the sand cool against her bare feet, causing her to shiver. In front of her, the fire danced, flames reaching up towards the sky as the sticks and twigs the fed it snapped and crackled, small showers of sparks drifting on the air and turning to ash before landing. Sitting on a boulder, Buffy waited patiently, letting the dancing of the flames lull her into relaxing.

“The fire, it burns you.”

Blinking slowly, Buffy looked up to find the face of the First Slayer looking back at her from the other side of the fire. Confused, she holds her hands out to the fire, not feeling any warmth at all as she moves closer and closer, flames licking up around her hands and forearms as she raises confused eyes back to her sister slayer.

“I don’t feel anything.”

Standing upright from her crouching position, the First Slayer slings her dreadlocks backwards over her shoulder, moving slowly around the fire until she comes to rest by Buffy’s side.

“You feel the warmth and inside you is the answering spark. It will continue to grow until your body breaks with it but you are not alone. The spark has also been lit inside your sister. Everything she feels, you will feel too. The connection will unite you but the spark will bond you to your sister.”

Her brow furrowing in confusion, Buffy looked at Senaya, “I don’t understand. What do you want me to know?”

Looking out over the fire, the First Slayer continued, her accented voice speaking softly, almost dreamlike. “Your spark came from the darkness and the darkness makes you light. The spark inside you will be stronger for it.” Senaya lifted her chin, looking almost regal in spite of the mud and paint covering her features before she smiled, the upturning of her lips revealing her teeth and making her appear almost feral in the firelight.

“They will come and they will try to put out your spark and you will lose unless your demon becomes whole.” Stepping back, Senaya turned to the fire, gazing solemnly into it for a moment, watching as the flames danced over Buffy’s outstretched hands.

Pulling her hands back, Buffy was surprised to see her left hand on fire, not feeling any pain or seeing her skin burn when just like that, the flames licking around her hand was gone.

Looking up, she was surprised to find that Senaya was gone as well. Looking around worriedly, Buffy fell back when the campfire suddenly reared up, flames soaring higher than she stood.”

Gasping for breath, Buffy sat upright suddenly, no longer asleep in her seat.


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For some reason she couldn’t fathom, Faith found herself walking in the desert. She knew it was the desert because the land was almost barren except for patches of scraggly shrubs and various cacti, the sand beneath her feet almost white. She looked around her, searching for anything familiar. She didn’t know where she was going, but she walked as if she had a destination in mind.

In the distance, the darkness was pierced by an orangey glow and Faith started walking at a less leisurely pace, walking with the determination and assuredness that came from knowing that the campfire up ahead was where she was supposed to be.

Reaching it, she found the First Slayer standing across from her on the other side of the fire. Looking out over the desert, Senaya began to speak.

“You feel the warmth and inside you is the answering spark. It will continue to grow until your body breaks with it but you are not alone. The spark has also been lit inside your sister. Everything she feels, you will feel too. The connection will unite you but the spark will bond you to your sister.”

“What sister,” Faith asked, confusion marring her features. “Who are you talking about?”

Turning to look at her over the top of the fire, the First Slayer continued, her accented voice speaking quietly, almost hypnotically. “Your spark came from the darkness and the darkness makes you light. The spark inside you will be stronger for it.” Senaya lifted her chin, her eyes confident, looking proud in spite of the mud and paint covering her features before she smiled, her grin making her appear almost animalistic in its ferocity.

She stood for a moment, staring at Senaya as the First Slayer looked back at her unblinking before her gaze moved to the fire. “Your demon is incomplete. It fights for dominance within you seeking to be whole. Only when your demon is whole, can you let go and embrace the spark within you.”

Lowering her eyes, Faith gazed into the fire, watching the flames flicker and crackle in front of her, almost hypnotized by their dance as they reached towards the inky sky when they suddenly shot up even higher, seeming to explode upwards before dying back down just as suddenly as they shot up. Looking up, she was surprised to find that Senaya was gone.

Sitting upright in bed, Faith looked around in confusion before she realized it was a dream. Inside her head, the accent voice repeated softly.

the spark inside you the spark inside you

Turning to look at Robin, she was relieved her tossing about hadn’t woke him up and she got up quietly, grabbing his discarded t-shirt from earlier and pulled it over her head. Standing up, her bare feet made no sound on the carpeted floor as she made her way to the bathroom. Kneeling down, she opened the cabinet beneath the sink and pulled out a box of tampons. Opening it up, she reached for the smaller package she had hidden inside and un-wrapped the tissues she enclosed it in, moving to sit on the closed lid of the toilet as she did so.

Taking a deep breath in through her nose, she held it for a second or two as she tried to calm herself, letting her breath out in a whoosh, her hands shaking so badly she worried that she’d break it in two. Opening up the small book, she began to read.