DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything!! BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon and the Heroes characters to Tim Kring. I don't make any money out of this and neither does this site.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: No particular timeline for Heroes. I'm just guessing somewhere between season 1 and season 2. In chapter 11 I took a small piece of text from Revelations and altered it just a little so it would fit my plot. I'm messing a little with the time thingy... 'Chosen' happened around June 2006 and 'How to Stop an Exploding Man' was around May 2007.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
Heroes And Slayers
By Raven Morbisk
Epilogue
I have to die before you tell me you love me. Faith shot up in her bed, breathing heavily and sweating intensely. She inaudibly got out of her bed and changed her soaked shirt, because Micah was sleeping in her bed she was forced to wear something to avoid feeling like a paedophile. She stared in the mirror, getting angrier by the second.
"Why didn't you just stay here?" She whispered harshly, pretending she was talking to Jessica. "She was supposed to stay here, she was-" She slammed her fist in the wall next to the mirror, crying softly. She turned around hearing the little boy whimper in his sleep. She crawled back in the bed and pulled him close to her.
"It's okay, buddy. I'm here." She whispered to the sleeping boy. She cried almost inaudible as flashes of last week's event flowed through her mind.
--Flashback—
When Willow saw the lifeless body of her ex-lover on the ground she boomed through the building for all the girls to get down. The demons were so confused by this act that they didn't realize what was happening until it was too late. Willow began shooting flames and lightning from her hands, turning every demon that was still standing to crisp. She didn't stop until Claire pulled her down, holding her as the tears cascaded down the redhead's cheeks.
"We gotta get everyone to the hospital." Buffy shouted then saw Faith crying on her knees. She rushed over to her sister Slayer and tried to get the brunette up on her feet. When she didn't move, she went to feel Niki's pulse.
"Faith, she's gone, sweetie." The blonde Slayer carefully put her hand on Faith's shoulder.
"No, she's not. Don't say that, she's gon' wake up." Faith pulled away from Buffy's touch and pulled her lover in her arms. "Wake up, baby. I need you, I love you, wake up, please."
Four days later the graveyard had eleven new definite guests. The autopsy report said that she slipped and hit her head, killing her on impact.
'Slipped, yeah right. Some asswipe demon crushed her ribs and sent her flying for cryin' out loud.' She snorted inwardly.
The priest was going on and on about these people he didn't even know. He talked about how strong they were, and how they'd always be in their hearts. Faith was fuming on the inside. She wanted to scream at him, tell him that he didn't know her lover, that he didn't know any of them. The only reason she kept her mouth shut was because of the small hand she held in hers.
Micah, what was she supposed to do now? He lost both his parents in barely over six months. She knew Niki wanted her to take care of Micah, but she knew it was going to be hell fighting for custody against his grandmother, even his aunt. She wasn't sure if she would win but one look at the boy next to her and she was determined to never let the boy go.
--End Flashback—
Six months after the fight. Thanks to her friends, mostly Buffy and Peter, Micah was now hers. Court was doubtful about Faith's parenting but Peter had pulled some strings, thanks to being the brother of a Senator, and they had won.
Buffy was as big as a hot-air-balloon. Fortunately the blows she had received weren't too severe to jeopardize the baby. She and Peter had moved out of the mansion two months earlier into their own cosy little house. Peter worked at the Retirement Home for War Veterans and Buffy was going to start a self-defence class.
Willow and Claire weren't together, like Claire hoped. Willow thought it was too soon and that Claire was just too young for her. The young Slayer reluctantly accepted this and sulked over it for a few weeks but then she started dating a guy who she had saved from a vampire. He was three years older than Claire and apparently knew all about the supernatural.
Faith was sitting on her bed in her room. The music was blaring loudly but she sat emotionless staring out in front of her. She acted like she let it go; everyone thought she had let it go but whenever she was alone she would break down. It didn't take long for Micah to realize that Faith was hurting as much as him. Sometimes they would lie hours in bed together, listening to Faith's music and not saying a word. Micah was at school now. Faith had said that she didn't want Micah following classes in the mansion but that she'd rather have him go to school with kids his own age.
At night she would patrol alone. She was the only one patrolling the place where their friends, sisters and lovers were buried. After a few weeks vampires and dangerous demons became aware of the Slayer that first beat them to near death then made them run for their lives before killing them. Only newcomers would go through her patrolling area now.
"Wish I could see you for one last time. Wish I could say goodbye to you. It's hard to deal with you dyin', it's time to say goodbye to you. Bloody faced, kissing death, walking through barbed wire." The voice on the stereo cried. Faith felt tears run over her cheeks but made no movement to wipe them away. She tentatively touched her wrist where she had a two week old tattoo on it saying 'Niki' and on the other side 'Jessica'. She had Micah's name tattooed just below her neck on her back, but nobody knew about that yet.
"I love you." She whispered in the empty room. She let herself fall back on her bed and closed her eyes, drifting off to a restless sleep.
Alternate Epilogue
I have to die before you tell me you love me. Faith shot up in her bed, breathing heavily and sweating intensely. She inaudibly got out of her bed and changed her soaked shirt, because Micah was sleeping in her bed she was forced to wear something to avoid feeling like a paedophile. She stared in the mirror, trying to calm herself.
"Faith?" A sleepy voice called out. The brunette took a deep breath and turned around.
"I'm here, baby." She smiled at the blonde in her bed. Even now, six weeks after they attacked Jack Lehane and his demons, the bruises were still visible on Niki's face and yet she still looked like the most beautiful woman in the world to Faith.
"Come back to bed, I say Christmas isn't 'til at least 6a.m. so stay away from your presents." Faith chuckled at her blonde lover and crawled in the bed next to Micah, who was snuggled up very close to his mother. Niki insisted she slept on the side of the bed where her cast couldn't hurt anyone in her sleep. She was thankful that in a few days her cast would be coming off.
"Niki?" Faith whispered waiting for the blonde to indicate she was listening "I love you."
In a few hours it would be Christmas morning. There would be lots of presents going around the mansion and a party at the end of the day. Fifteen girls out of the plus-seventy, including Kennedy, that had battled in that warehouse were not going to be receiving any of it.
The funeral had been hard for everyone; they all lost a sister, a friend or a lover. Molly took it the hardest, it was the second time she lost her godmother but this time it was definite. She had gone back to New York City with Mohinder after the funeral but she stayed in contact with Micah through emails and phone calls.
The huge dining hall that they had never used before was now fully decorated in the Christmas colours. Several large tables were set and on the wall farthest from the entrance hung pictures of all the fallen girls that had lived in the mansion.
It was early evening and the people that had not gone home for the holidays occupied the chairs around the table, waiting for Andrew and his helpers to bring out the feast.
"Can I have everyone's attention, please?" Buffy called out standing up from her seat. "First of all, Merry Christmas." She smiled when the room was filled with the same greeting retorted at her. "I have an announcement to make," she slipped her hand in Peter's "Peter and I are going to have a baby, which" she laughed softly at the surprised gasps "which means, I'll be out of your hair soon because we're going to buy a house and thus move out." Most of the younger Slayers bursted out in applause and delight. Buffy laughed with a slight shocked expression and sat back down.
"I don't think they'll miss me." She said to Peter.
On the other end of the table sat Willow, she was smiling at her best friend, happy that she could start a normal life at last. She knew Claire was watching her from the far side of the table. The two of them hadn't shared a word since that day in the warehouse.
"Are you gon' stop torturin' that girl?" Faith whispered sitting on the chair next to her.
"She's torturing herself." Willow answered in a whisper.
"Then tell the girl already, she's just waitin' for you to say somethin', good or bad." The brunette stated.
"Kennedy,"
"Kennedy died, Red, and it wasn't like she was as important as Tara." Faith interrupted "Kennedy loved you, with all her heart but she told me she didn't wan' stand in your way if ya ever fell in love again."
"But I'm not in love with Claire." Willow countered "She's just a kid."
"You don't have to be in love to go on a date." The brunette winked at Willow then turned her attention to her lover on her other side.
After dinner was ended Claire rose from her seat. The room went quiet, waiting for Claire to say something.
"Uhm, as most of you know, Peter's my uncle. What you don't know is that before we knew we were related, he saved me from having my head sliced open. He came all the way to Texas to save me and six months ago, he and my biological father saved the world" Peter wanted to protest but Claire cut him off "by not having a bomb explode in New York, which would've cost the lives of millions." She waved at one of the Slayers across the room and then looked at Peter "So this is for my hero." She walked to the front of the room with the other girl who was carrying an acoustic guitar.
"You know I try to be all that I can. But there's a part of me I still don't understand." She started singing with her eyes closed, pretending it was just her and not the entire household looking at her.
"Why do I only see what I don't have? When my reality shows things are not that bad…" She opened her eyes and smiled at the shocked faces staring at her.
"Your faith has shown me that…" She braced herself and went all out "When my world goes crazy, you won't let go. When the ground gets shaky, you give me hope. When I try to push you away, you never move," She smiled as she looked in the young man's eyes.
"Now when I start doubting you help me see, there's a strength, and a light, and a power in me. Believe me there ain't nothing I can't do. My hero is you, my hero is you" By now some girls had stood up and walked their way over to Claire, standing behind her and Shelley, who played the guitar professionally.
"I never saw the way you sacrificed or knew the price you paid. How can I make it right? I know I've gotta try." Peter had tears in his eyes. Buffy was smiling at her just like the others but Buffy's smile was proud, like a sister.
"When my world goes crazy you won't let go. When the ground gets shaky, you give me hope. When I try to push you away you never move," The girls behind Claire and Shelley were forming some sort of a choir, singing in the background.
"Now when I start doubting you help me see, there's a strength, and a light, and a power in me. Believe me there ain't nothing I can't do. My hero is you, my hero is you." She took a deep breath as her eyes began tearing up.
"And I hope that you can see… You're everything that I wanna be," Peter now had tears running down his cheeks as he looked at his niece. "When my world goes crazy you won't let go. When the ground gets shaky, you give me hope. When I try to push you away you never move,"
"Now when I start doubting you help me see, there's a strength, and a light, and a power in me. Believe me there ain't nothing I can't do. My hero is you, my hero is you" Claire grinned when Buffy pulled Peter to his feet and dragged him over to Claire.
"My hero is you." She finished and hugged her uncle. "I love you." She whispered a second before the dining room bursted out clapping.
"I love you, too, Claire." Peter whispered back. He pulled away and wiped his tears before wiping hers "And you're just as much my hero." He looked over his shoulder then turned back to Claire "If there ain't nothing you can't do, then ask Willow on a date instead of kissing her. I'm pretty sure she'll say yes." He winked at his niece before leading her back to their table.
"I thought you couldn't read her mind?" Claire asked confused.
"Who said anything about mind-reading? I just asked her." He grinned and pushed her to the redhead.
"Uhm, hi, Willow." Willow shot the blonde a half smile "Doyouwannagoonadatemaybe?" She rushed out.
"Sure. That is if you asked me on a date." Willow chuckled when Claire vigorously nodded her head "Alright, we'll go on a date."
The End