Shifting to the right, I avoid a headstone while walking through the cemetery.
Lying to Dawn just feels wrong, even if I know it's the right thing to do. It's the only thing we could do with what we found out. Dawn's been lying to us for we don't really know how long. Confronting her about it would probably end badly if we tried it right now. She's too powerful and there's no telling what she might do with it if we did. Better to wait and figure out exactly what we can do and how we can counteract anything she would try. But it's hard.
I don't like lying, whether it's to Dawn or anyone else. I learned that in the worst way when I kept Angel's return from my friends and family after my own return from LA. Keeping things from people never ends well, no matter why you're doing it. What's worse is that's something I've tried to teach Dawn more than once over the years. So not telling her things is betraying my own rules, and that's not something I feel good about.
Then again, Dawn's been doing it to me and everyone else since she did what she did. Keeping the truth from all of us and who knows what else. I guess it kinda balances out in the end. Still doesn't make me feel good. Although I'm not entirely sure if that's my own feelings or because Dawn wants me to feel that way. Which is the most confusing part of all of this.
I look over at Faith who is walking not far from me in the cemetery before focusing on the patrol again.
Okay, maybe not the most confusing thing ever. More confusing is what's going on with me and Faith. What does it mean that our memories seem to come back when we touch each other? Are we connected in some way in this other universe? Did something happen between us? Was something happening between us? Is that why this all happened? Did we betray Dawn by having feelings for each other and that destroyed her? There's just no way to know for sure.
From the way Connor describes it though, it doesn't sound like it. We were just friends and what was happening wasn't something we chose. As if it was happening to us rather than what we wanted. But how do I know that? I mean, I know from experience with Spike that feelings can develop even if you don't want them to. Maybe that's what was happening between me and Faith. Whatever was going on between us may have created feelings neither of us wanted or saw coming.
Or maybe I'm just reading into things and it wasn't anything like that. Neither of us could have chosen this or be developing feelings for each other. There's no way to know for sure. The only thing I can know for sure is that Dawn did something and I have to figure out what it was before we do anything. But the question is just how far will we have to go to figure it out?
My focus turns to Faith again.
And will Faith be willing to go along with it?
"Everything okay B?"
I stop and so does she, turning to me from a few feet away.
"Because you've been kinda focused on me for a while."
She noticed? Of course she noticed.
"Yeah, sorry about that. I'm just... trying to figure this out."
There's a long silence from both of us for a moment before she shifts in place.
"Right... it's kinda weird isn't it?"
That's probably an understatement.
"Not sure weird really covers it."
Again we don't say anything for a while.
Maybe I should ask.
"Have you, remembered anything else? About... whatever this other place was?"
She takes a deep breath and looks around, keeping an eye out for anything.
"No, it's just that one memory. You?"
"Same... kinda makes you wonder though, doesn't it?"
My sister's girlfriend gives me a curious look.
"Wonder?"
I walk a little closer to Faith as I speak.
"What else we could remember. You know, if we tried it again?"
She takes a few steps towards me too.
"Tried what exactly? Touching hands?"
Another few steps are closed between us.
"It worked before."
She moves close enough that she holds out a hand to me and I look down at it. It takes me a minute, but eventually I reach out and take her hand in mine. At first, nothing happens but when I look up at Faith to tell her that, the tingly feeling starts. When our eyes meet, I can see that she feels it too.
"Wow, that's..."
Suddenly, a flash of something goes through my head.
"You want me to believe you? Gotta give me something better than that."
I pull my hand back from Faith.
"Did you see that?"
She doesn't respond right away.
"Yeah, it was... different."
She's not wrong about that.
"It wasn't like the other one."
"A different memory maybe?"
We should try it again.
I hold out my hand to her again. This time it's her who looks at my hand and hesitates, before grabbing my hand. Almost instantly, something comes into my head.
What the heck is that?
In the memory, I reach out to touch Faith like we just did and the feeling goes into overdrive. I grab her and pull her to me. An intense desire to kiss her comes over me but mostly I just paw at her, with her pawing back at me.
Something happens. It's like an explosion between us but it doesn't hurt. Whatever it is sends us flying from each other. I hit the ground and feel the first real pain from the explosion.
Ow!
When I open my eyes, I see Faith leaning over me, her eyes full of tears. A sinking feeling comes over me. I feel myself speak but it sounds like someone else is saying it.
"Faith..."
She speaks back to me.
"Buffy..."
"Are you... okay?"
Everything about it feels very familiar even though I'm seeing it for the first time.
"Faith..."
I try and stay conscious as the sinking feeling gets worse.
"Ssh B, don't talk... it'll hurt less if you don't talk. You've gotta hang on."
"Faith please just... just kiss me."
She lean down and kisses me gently.
"Buffy?"
"Tell me you love me."
"I love you B, with all of my heart."
"Then it was all worth it, every last moment."
Almost as quickly as it started, the whole thing disappears.
What the heck was that? Why does it seem so familiar?
I take a deep breath to try and calm down.
"Faith?"
There's no response from her, so I try and get up, managing to pull myself to my elbows. Looking around, I can't see Faith.
As I pull myself up to a sitting position, I see Faith does the same. The sight of her makes her expression during the flashback come back into my head.
God she was so emotional in that moment. What was that?
She's the first to speak.
"Any idea what that was?"
"I don't know. It felt like a memory though, didn't it?"
It takes her a moment to answer.
"Totally, except... it felt like a different type of memory."
She's not wrong about that.
"More real."
Slowly, I make my way to my feet, while Faith does the same. I check myself out for any kind of damage.
Looks like I'm good. Nothing wrong with me.
Our eyes meet while we finish dusting ourselves off and it's like a light goes on in my head.
I... I remember...
"I remember everything. Faith... do you...?"
"I do... I remember what Dawn did. The person I used to be."
"So do I... do you remember the plan?"
"I do."
We have to get everyone together.
"We should get everyone together... fast."
Faith and I turn back the way we were going.
We have to stop Dawn.
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