Act1

“Try again” Willow ordered firmly, hands on her hips.

Kennedy was laying on her belly at her feet. To Willow’s order, she rolled on her back and raised herself on her elbows. The young women was breathing heavily, her hair was disheveled, locks being glued on her face by sweat. She was obviously exhausted. In front of her stood Willow who was looking at her severely.

Casually leant on the wall of the training room, Buffy and Faith watched the scene. Both of them wore a training suit like Kennedy. Their disheveled and damped hair pointed the fact the chosen two had probably just stopped training.

“If I were a vampire, you would probably dead” resumed Willow while getting closer to Kennedy.

“And believe me” said Buffy, after swallowing a mouthful of water from a little bottle of water she held in her hand. “Her vampire self was not really nice”

Kennedy began to get to her feet and gave the hint of a mischievous smile.

“I’d love to meet her”

Willow rolled her eyes.

“I’m sure you’d have loved some things about her”

As soon as she was up, Kennedy threw herself forward with her fist raised on Willow. A light of surprise passed in the witch’s eyes when it hit her chin. But Kennedy did not even have time to began to think to celebrate her triumph as Willow’s reaction was dazzling. The redhead grabbed the guilty arm, pulled on it with full force, hinged on her side and threw the Slayer across the room. Kennedy landed without softness at several meters from there. She got with difficulty to her feet and came back toward Willow who was waiting for her.

“I think it’s enough Will” Said Buffy with slight hesitance. “I don’t really like to see you using too much magic”

Willow turned around to her friend and a sad smile played on her lips.

“Sorry. But, you don’t have to worry. It’s a really good control training for me too you know”

Saying this, she had left her place in the middle of the room and had come beside Faith and Buffy. The latter held her her bottle of water and Willow offered a thank-you smile while drinking. When she was done, she gave the bottle to Kennedy who had just arrived. She was welcomed by Faith’s trademark giggle.

“Pff…Beaten by Red, really you’re weakening Kennedy!”

The young woman wast her a dark glance as she seized the bottle.

“She’d kick your ass faster than I can tell. And, you can talk, you just spar with a retired Slayer!”

“Hey!” the chosen two protested.

“I’m still all on top form” Buffy defended herself.

“She’s still on top form” Faith confirmed.

“Spar with me then. And we’ll what you’re worth”

Kennedy put the bottle on the ground and came in front of Faith, a resolute look on her face, ready to fight.

“Hey, easy brat!” Faith said with an amused smile. “I’ll take care of you when you’re better. Will emptied you from all your strength. It’d be too easy.” She added with a fake sardonic look.

“Always something to duck out” Kennedy grumbled.

But Faith didn’t pay attention to her and turned to Willow.

“Well, respect Red. That trick is fucking amazing”

Willow smiled with modesty.

“It’s not that hard to do” she answered. “you just have to be all centered on what you’re doing”

“Since when do you train this way?” Buffy asked, frowning.

“Some months” Kennedy replied. “It’s really effective. A lot more than Watchers’ classical methods”

Buffy pooched.

“So, magic control is getting better?” she asked.

Willow shrugged.

“It’s getting better” She confirmed. Then “Slowly. There’re highs and lows… I’m still not entirely stable”

Buffy was now staring at her with a worried look on her face. Willow noticed and resumed immediately.

“But, no panic, I control perfectly that spell. I don’t do anything I’m not sure. I woudn’t make people take risks. You know that, right?”

Willow turned an anguished look to her friend, waiting desperatly for her to confirm. Buffy smiled and hugged her tenderly.

“I know Will. But you know, I kind of worry about anything”

They parted and Willow smiled back.

“I know”

Willow seized two towels hanging from the stretching bars running along the wall the four girls were standing by. She held one for Kennedy and mopped her up with the other.

“So, research? Any progress?” She asked.

“Research ? “ asked a puzzled Buffy.

“For Giles.” Willow clarified.

“You research for Giles?” exclaimed a dismayed Faith. “I hit you easy ‘cause you pretend to be retired and you do research for Giles?”

Buffy turned to her and cast her a fixed and annoyed glance, but didn’t bother to answer.

“Average progress” she told Willow. “Indeed, I was about to go and see Giles to…evaluate the situation”

“Evaluate the situation about what?” Asked Giles’ voice.

Buffy jumped when she heard her former Watcher who had just come in the room with Robin Wood.

“Giles!” Buffy exclaimed. “You’re here. I was talking to evaluate the situation about this research, you know, this research we talked about before”

Saying this, Buffy had come closer to her former mentor and had her back to the other girls and had platered on her face a look which meant something like “you-better-say-nothing-or-I’ll-kick-your-ass”. But Giles obviously missed the message as he arched a questionning eyebrow in the blonde Slayer’s direction :

“Something’s wrong Buffy?”

Buffy almost let escape an exasperated sigh. She came resolutely toward him, seized him by his arm and pulled him with her toward the exit.

“I precislely came to you see” Giles mumbled.

“Perfect” Buffy said, still going to the door. “We have to talk”

When she reached the doorstep with her prisonner, Buffy stopped, turned back and gestured to the three others girls who were looking at her with a dumbstruck look on their face.

“See you later guys!” She said as she disappeared from their sight.

Kennedy, Faith and Willow exchanged a puzzled look. Kennedy shrugged, turned to her girlfriend and took her hand tenderly.

“Well, I think a good shower is in order” she said mischiously.

Willow smiled but turned to Robin who had remained aside and looked like he was waiting for someone to notice he was there.

“So, Robin, did you want something specific or did Buffy dreadfully kidnapp Giles from you?”

Robin smiled and answered in a slightly embarrassed tone:

“Well, to tell the truth, I came to see Faith…”

“See me?” Faith asked, taken by surprise.

“Ah… So we’re gonna leave” Kennedy said, pulling Willow with her toward the exit.

And the two young women dispareared in their turn, letting Faith alone with Wood.

***

Faith looked at Willow and Kennedy disapearing and found herself alone with Wood who stood his front of her with his arms crossed. Faith instinctively turned to the stretching bar and took her own towel to weap her forehead. Then, she took the water bottle forgotten by Buffy and slowly drank several mouthfuls. She seemed resolute to pay attention to anything in the room but Robin. The former Sunnydale highschool principal leant againt a wall and looked at her doing so, quite amused despite the silence fallen on the room.

Faith obviously waited to begin the conversation and explain what he had to say. But he seemed deciced not to give her satisfaction and just waited for her to be weary and to blurt out something. And he was right. Patience was not Faith’s main quality and Robin didn’t have to wait too long before she turned to him and asked in the most casual tone she could :

“So, Robin, what brings you here?”

“Obviously, you” he asked in the same casual tone, without leaving his amused smile.

“Ok” Faith said, smiling back. “I got that part”

She fell silent, thinking that Robin would go on. But he didn’t. Then, Faith started again, slightly annoyed this time:

“And ?”

Wood noticed the Slayer’s expression and eventually came to the point :

“Well, to make you comfortable” he began “it has nothing to do with your last nightly deeds and our little talk on the other day”

Faith rolled imperceptibly her eyes when she heard Robin mentionning the altercation she had with him and Buffy about how to behave on patrol with the young Slayers. That subject could only be conflicting. But knowing that Robin wanted to talk about something else did not reassure Faith. At least, she always knew how to react when it came to conflicts. And the last months had gave lots of various conflicts with Robin Wood.

“What else?” Faith asked. « If you wanna ask me any kind of advice about how to train the newbies, you’re talking to the good person. » she added quickly.

Robin smiled frankly this time and shook his head.

“No” He said. “It’s more…personal”

Robin couldn’t help but chuckle when he saw an embarrassed look appearing briefly on the Slayer’s face.

“Personal?” she repeated in a disbelieving tone she had wanted unconcerned and impassive.

“Yeah, personal” Wood confirmed.

They stared at each other for a while before Wood resumed quietly :

“It’s been a while you didn’t come back to Cleveland. I think we can take advantage of our presence in the same place to talk a little.”

He stopped, examined Faith’s face, searching here a reaction. Finding none he could read into, he resumed again :

“I thought we would talk about our…”

He looked like he was searching for the good word and finally said :

“…relationship?”

Faith leant against the wall in her turn and arched an eyebrow while repeating :

“Our relationship?”

“Yeah” Robin said. “You know, you and I share a kind of relationship?” he added while gesturing between them.

Faith mumbled something, which could have as well meant yes or no.

“What do you want to talk about?” She asked after a silence.

“I just told you: our relationship”

“I meant: precisely?” Faith clarified.

“I thought we could talk about this with a good meal” Robin suggested. “I know Slayers can get really hungry”

Faith was now looking at him with a look mixed with mistrust and disbelief. After a long time she looked like she was trying to figure what Robin meant, she eventually asked:

“Are you inviting me to a dinner?”

Robin got an amused smile.

“I am” he replied happily. “It’s been a long time since the last time I did and if I remember correctly, you never had an opportunity to say yes”

Faith did not answer and still stared at him.

“We have to talk” he said seriously. “8 at the restaurant?” he added quickly.

Faith hesitated. Being invited to a dinner was not her thing. But she did not have time to think about any protest and robin was already going away.

“See you tonight then” He said before exiting the training room, letting Faith alone and slightly bewildered.

***

Buffy was slouched in the armchair she had occupied some days before in Giles office as her former Watcher was settled in his own. Just like the other times they had met here in the previous days, he was nervously cleaning his glasses and stubbornly avoiding looking at the Slayer who was staring at him. The sun shining outside was bathing the room in a dim light and warmed the room where the ambiance was at least chilly.

“You still don’t change your mind?” Giles asked after a long silence and still avoiding Buffy’s glance.

The Slayer raised slightly her head when she heard her former Watcher’s voice and tried to catch his glance but did not succeed.

“Giles, how much will I have to tell you?”

Her voice was intended to be as calm as possible but the Slayer couldn’t totally hide some exasperation, even some anger. Giles did not answer, got up and turned to the window he leant against to look outside as the street had something fascinating to show. Hinging slightly to her side, Buffy could see Giles’ gaze reflecting in his cleanest glasses. And the young woman could read here a strange mix of severity, coldness, anger and more surprisingly, confusion.

“You could tell a thousand times” said Giles, stressing each word. “And it would still be hard to believe”

He fell silent again, and still looking outside he added in a lighter tone:

“And I think you’re not too far from a thousand times.”

Buffy couldn’t help but sketch a smile. She had actually spent the previous days displaying most of her energy to find good reasons to leave Dawn and Willow alone with Xander’s help.

And when Buffy disappeared this way, she looked for her surrogate father to try and convince him her intentions were valid. When he remained unobtainable or was busy in one of those council meetings, Buffy climbed to the library and plunged into old dusty books, hoping to find an answer to her problem. But she knew only Giles could really help her to find what she was looking for.

“We have to talk about this seriously” Giles said seriously.

This assertion shared the Slayer between entertainments and annoy.

“You think I’m not serious Giles?” she asked in the same tone.

“It’s hard to believe” He admitted coldly.

“But you should believe it” Buffy answered in a assured tone. “It’s serious and wisely considered”

“Wisely considered!”

Giles flip-flopped and found himself facing his Slayer, his hands pressed on the desk in front of him, his eyes severe and brightening with hardly hidden anger.

“Wisely considered! How can you talk about resurrection and tell me it’s wisely considered?” He asked in a hard tone.

But Buffy didn’t seem impressed at all by this fit of anger. Since the first time Buffy had talked about what she had in mind, Giles had mostly counted on mildness and reason to try to make her change her mind and Buffy wasn’t surprised that he finally lost his patience.

“It’s an impulsive resolution!” Giles resumed, as hectic as previously. “You’re deeply moved by Willow. And I understand… And…”

“Giles! Do I really look like to be the one all impulsive right now?”

Saying this, she pointed to her, showing her calm to her former Watcher. Calm which terribly contrasted with Giles’ nervous shaking.

“It can only be impulsive” Giles insisted.” You’re acting on blind impulse…”

“I’m not!” Buffy exclaimed. “I thought about this for a while. Don’t tell me I’m acting on blind impulse! “

This time, she stood up and began to pace in the room.

“It’s…It’s for Willow. I want something big for her. Big like the gift she offered me by freeing me from my Slayer’s loneliness. Big like all she did for me by being by my side all those years.”

“And how far will you go? You want to wrap a resurrected Tara and put her under the Christmas tree?” Giles asked in the most sarcastic tone Buffy had ever heard him use.

Buffy stood open-mouthed to that comment from her former mentor. Several withering answers crossed her mind but her mouth open and close several times without any sound going out. She breathed in once or twice deeply to calm down then stood in front of Giles with the same resolute look he displayed himself.

“Don’t tell things like that. We’re talking about Tara. And I have to repeat I’m all serious”

“Resurrection is indeed something serious. You have no idea how much magical power is needed. Finding a spell in a book is far from enough”

“Hum, I think you should close the door before talking about this.” Said a new voice. “We’re lucky that you’re misanthrope and your office is far from the rest of the world.”

Buffy turned around to see Xander standing against the door-frame, a smile but a serious look in his face. He came in and closed the door behind him before heading toward the desk and shook Giles’ hand when the Watcher finally held to him.

“Xander” he said simply.

“Wh-What?” Buffy asked with a distraught air. “What did you say?” You heard us talk?…”

“Almost from the end of the corridor” Xander confirmed. “But it’s okay, I was all alone” he added quickly in front of the horrified look on Buffy’s and Giles’ faces.

They both exchanged a brief relieved glance. Then Giles’ gaze came to Xander and he foresaw another way to get onto the subject.

“Xander…” He began.

But Buffy had followed his train of thoughts and interrupted him short.

“Don’t waste your time to try to convince Xander I’m wrong. We talked together and we agree”

Giles had an annoyed look and for the time being only found one thing to do : he took his glasses off and began to clean them again.

“I can’t believe you’re following Buffy in this, Xander” Giles eventually said.

“Well, I think you mostly have a hard time to believe that Buffy choose to do this” Xander replied.

Giles threw up his arms.

“I have a hard time to believe that BOTH of you actually think this is the thing to do. Have you thought about the consequences?”

“Giles!” Buffy snapped, finally loosing her temper. “I answered that question at least a dozen times! And the answer is still we did! We did give it a lot of thinking, we did think about the consequences, about what it means. We are aware of what we’re doing. How can you just ask this to ME?”

Giles sighed and let himself fall in his armchair. There was a silence during when he tried to decide how saying what he was about to say as diplomatically as possible. Finding nothing satisfying, he finally simply said:

“Buffy, being resurrected yourself doesn’t give rights of life and death over the others”

“No” Buffy answered coldly. “I don’t have that kind of rights. Neither do you. Though, when it came to kill for reasons you thought were right, you didn’t hesitate. And you’d have wanted I did the same”

Giles opened his mouth to answer but chocked by Buffy’s words, he hesitated long enough for Buffy to resume:

“It’s not about killing anymore Giles. It’s about bringing back a life too soon ripped out, a life no one was ready to let go. One life Giles. I’m talking about granting myself the right to bring back everyone I miss. It’s just about Tara”

The Slayer’s voice was now shaking slightly and emotion could be clearly read on her face. It so disturbed Giles that he even forgot his anger.

“Buffy…” He began in a softer voice, like a father soothing a child.

“Giles” interrupted Xander calmly but firmly. “You know Buffy as well as I know her. You’re afraid of that kind of magic and so do I. I saw it once and it’s not my favorite memory. I did hesitate; I did have doubts about this. Just like you do now. But I know Buffy for years now. And I know she never makes inconsiderate decisions when it comes to others. I know I can trust her. Facing an important decision, I can trust her. Facing THAT decision, I think she knows better than anyone what can be done or not. If she feels we can do it, then I believe we can do. Because she’s the one telling so. And because I trust her”

Buffy couldn’t help but smile when she heard Xander’s statement of belief. The carpenter didn’t hide his doubts and skepticism when she had told him about her plans for the first time. And he had not hesitated to clash with her – and sometimes hard – when he disagreed with her. And now, he was claming his full faith in her and what she felt was a good choice. Having his support gave even more force to the Slayer’s resolution.

“You have no idea what forces you want to use” Giles whispered.

“That’s the reason why we’re asking for your help Giles” Buffy explained. “Our decision is made anyhow. It will just be faster if you help us, that’s all”

“And it will probably be safer too” Xander added in a lighter tone.

Giles sighed and looked up. Then he stared at them one after the other. Finally, he turned his to his desk and his eyes fell on the photographs that never left him.

One of them pictured all of them, sat down at table at Buffy’s : Buffy and Dawn, Xander and Anya, Willow and Tara, Joyce and himself. He remembered it was for the Thanksgiving Day following Tara’s twentieth birthday. Before… Before too much things to name all of them.

On the next photo, much younger Buffy, Xander and Willow were smiling to the lens with an annoyed smile, trademark of bored teenagers waiting impatiently for Giles to press the trigger.

On the last one, Buffy, Dawn, Willow and Tara were obviously playing cards in Revello Drive living-room. Dawn was looking at her sister with an annoyed look on her face. Willow was sat on Tara’s knees and the blonde witch was looking at her with utter affection. The redhead had been shot in one of her trademark babble fest, and beside her, Buffy was laughing heartily to her friend’s funny face. Giles couldn’t remember exactly when this one had been shot but for a second he thanked whoever had come up with photography to allow instants like this to be captured and remember they had really happened, that they were not only desperate dreams.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” He asked finally, taking regretfully his eyes off those happier times.

Buffy and Xander exchanged a look. Then they both looked at Giles again and together just said “We are”.

Giles stared at them seriously again and seemed to weight his words before saying :

“I’m going to help you”