Rebirth
by Les

The sun poured down its rays on another pre-summer Spring day. Although two weeks from the Summer Solstice, the feminine all-pervasive sustaining power of life on Earth continued to support all its minions from amoebas to humans.

For some, their lives were only existences.

At the grave of Buffy Anne Summers was knelt her sister, Dawn. She, dressed in black with a large hat, knelt in front of the large grey gravestone that memorialized her sister, placed a large bouquet of flowers in front of it. Tears from her blood shot eyes stained the otherwise moisture-free Earth. Her words were silent: her thoughts screamed.

Beside Dawn was Spike. He, continuing to make good his promise to The Slayer to guard and protect Dawn at any and all cost, stood well back from her: far enough to give her privacy, yet close enough to react instantly should the need arise. He was dressed in his usual black, but had dark sunglasses and a hat slung low on his head, the better to protect him from the sun's rays.

At the Summers' house at 930 Ravello in Sunnydale, Willow and Tara were finishing laying table for dinner. They had insisted upon moving in with Dawn for the foreseeable future so that she would be spared the tortuous loneliness and emptiness of her life, now that her beloved mother and sister were no longer upon the Earth to share with her the wonder at every experience, so much of which was happening for the first time.<BR>

Earlier it was decided that not all of the Scoobys visit the graveside at the same time; and Willow and Tara awaited the return of Dawn and Spike before both of them made their way to the graveside to lay flowers, pray, incant and grieve.

"We have to communicate with Buffy's soul," said Willow. "We owe it to her just as much as owe it to Dawn."

"We have to do more than that," said Tara. "Remember when Dawn came to us when Joyce died and asked us to bring her back?"

"Of course," said Willow. "We agonized over the decision we made not to. I wish we took the chance."

"I told Dawn it wasn't right to alter the natural order of things; and that even if we did, it would be very dangerous because a portal would be opened that would allow demons to enter our dimension along with or in place of Joyce's spirit," Tara explained.

"I remember, Tara. I wish we took the chance then, but I know we have to take the chance now."

"You know that a blood offering is required," Tara reminded. I don't know how we can ask Dawn to shed her blood any more even minimally in a ritual. I think it might drive her to distration, Willow."

"The time will come when she'll ask us to communicate with Buffy's spirit; and when it does, I know what our answer must be," said Willow with finality.

In a visiting room of a prison in Los Angeles, Angel is speaking with an old-time enemy: none other than Faith Bowie. Pleasantries --- of a sort --- are exchanged between the two antagonists who are seated across from each other, yet separated by thick iron bars. They're talking to each other over telephones provided by the guards.

"Faith, I have to tell you something," said Angel.

"I'm a captive audience, Angel eyes. What is it, are you going soft on me?"

Faith always was one to put someone on the defensive verbally as well as physically right from the start. Her mockery fell on Angel's deaf ears.

"It's about Buffy."

Faith said nothing more and the smirk from her blood-red lips that was part evil and part allure faded. She stared blankly at Angel.

"Buffy's dead. It was a self-sacrifice. She was up against Glory, a demon god, who tried to unleash all the demon dimensions on Earth. Glory, whose full name is Glorificus, would have accomplished this if 'The Key,' Buffy's younger sister, Dawn, were to be blood-let. Buffy and the gang fought her and her minions; and Giles killed Glory by smothering her when she shaped-shifted into a male orderly named Ben, but the portal was already opened because Doc, another of Glory's worshippers, already started the blood-letting before Buffy killed him. Buffy couldn't let Dawn die; and so she jumped from the top of the tower Dawn was bound to. The portal closed and..."

Angel didn't have to finish. Faith put her head in her hands and fell to her knees. She said nothing. She hid her face and didn't cry so as not to let even this moment of vulnerability show.

There was a long-standing love-hate relationship between Buffy and Faith from the time they first met. If Faith had the love of family and wherewithal of Buffy, she might not have made the choices she did.

"Willow came to me with the news. She didn't have to say anything, really. It was all in her face. But she told me what I just told you before she went back to Sunnydale," said Angel. "We have to find a way to get you out of here."

"That's a way of committing suicide that I hadn't thought of," said Faith in a hushed voice.

Angel pressed on. "We need you to help bring Buffy back to life. Look, you can't be seen as you are and live any kind of life in freedom any more. So I'm making you an offer, Faith. If you promise to help us, we'll give you another face another body and another life."

"And just how long do you think I would live when you brought me to the Scoobys?"

"It's different now: but only if you make it different. Willow, Tara and I already discussed it, and they're telling the rest of the gang about it right now. Spike doesn't know you, so there's one less person who needs to be convinced. It's a different ball game now, Faith. I've seen you mellow while languishing here in jail. I've heard you tell about the time when you turned away from throwing down with the inmate who wanted to take you on in the exercise yard. You kicked her around until she stopped, but you didn't kill her. The old Faith wouldn't have done that. I can see it in your face, Faith. You're looking for redemption --- who of us aren't --- and I can offer you a way."

"Funny you should mention me throwing down with that chick...especially now."

"I'm serious, Faith. You're a Slayer. Fight for the ride side now and we'll support you."

"How are you gonna get me out?"

"I'll freeze time and take the door bars off their hinges."

"And what about the spell or whatever to bring back B?"

"Leave that to Willow and Tara. So what do you say?"

"Five by five!"

Dawn and Spike returned home to find the house darkened in the late afternoon. All the curtains were drawn; and the only light was coming from candles burning in a sacred circle that was drawn in the center of the living room. The Scoobys were all present. Willow and Tara were dressed in long, flowing black robes with hoods and matching black boots.

Willow and Tara were reading from a large, ancient volume called "Darkest Magick."

"We're ready if you are, Dawn," said Willow.

"What's this? Is it a spell for consolation?" asked Dawn.

"It's a spell to bring Buffy's soul back to us," said Willow.

"Will we be able to talk to her?" asked Dawn with greater anticipation.

"More than that...if all goes well," replied Tara. "And all of our lives as well as everyone living in Sunnydale are in jeopardy if this doesn't work," warned Tara. "All of us must be unanimous in our decision to proceed," she continued, "and there's a chance that Willow and I might become vehicles for demon possession. We've agreed to do this without question and without hesitation. But I must tell you this: if we succumb to demon possession, you must kill us both. All of you have to swear to us that you'll do that."

Dawn hid her face and stifled sobs. "You'd do that for me...and for Buffy?" she asked rhetorically. 

"We love Buffy and we love you," the powerful witches instantly answered, though one said "Buffy" and the other said "you" at the same time, but conveyed the same meaning.

"What do we have to do?" asked Dawn.

"We'll explain when Angel and company arrive," said Willow.

Just then, a knock at the front door was heard. Willow rose from her kneeling position and answered it. Standing in front of her was Angel and behind him, Faith.

"Bloody hell!" Who's that with you Angel? Are you lot going back to the Dark Side? blurted out Spike. 

"I thought you said things would be different," said Faith mockingly to Angel.

Giles and Xander did a little biographical sketch on Faith for Spike. "With friends like you, who needs..."

"No more, Spike," said Angel. 

"When did she slither out, Angel?" asked Anya. 

"Come in quickly and sit around the circle as we direct you," said Willow.

Willow and Tara were seated north around the circle; Dawn was in the center with Faith, Xander and Anya were on the east; Spike was at the south; Angel was on the west.

"We have to start now," said Willow. Everyone has to be completely silent and everyone has to join hands. If anybody has any hesitation or fear, close your eyes.

Everyone did as they were instructed. Willow and Tara chanted:

"Everlasting Spirit, Everlasting Light,
Cause of Daylight, Cause of Night,
Come in manner spiritual and right,
Invest in form protoplasmic with might,
Annoint the kneeling Faith with Buffy's soul
Banish all feelings of hate we implore,
Accept the blood of life from Dawn,
Self-same as Buffy was she spawned,
Invest Faith's body with Consciousness and Light
Let Buffy's new earthly form be re-born to Life."

At that point, Willow took a ceremonial dagger and made a small cut on both of Dawn's wrists. Dawn moaned and grunted, but didn't open her eyes.

Tara took the blood and wiped Faith's face with it.

A vortex started and there was a loud noise much as the wind makes when howling on a storm-laden night. Faith screamed in pain, but she didn't open her eyes. Neither did anyone else, except, of course, Willow and Tara who were reading and watching Dawn and Faith.

Silence cut through everyone's fear and dread. "Turn on the lights!" screamed Willow.

Shrieks and screams came from everyone except the figure of the person who asked where she was.

Buffy's soul, spirit and likeness were now in Faith's body, but the face and voice also were Buffy's.

"Where am I?" asked Buffy in a hoarse voice, soon to regain its full strength.

Dawn threw her arms around Buffy and kissed her over and over again, weeping uncontrollably. Tears were in the eyes of everyone; and everyone waited his and her turn impatiently to embrace and kiss Buffy and kneel before her in prostration and delirious happiness. Nameless joy was everywhere!

And so it was. Buffy was reborn!

Willow and Tara hugged and kissed each other. Anya and Xander did the same; Angel grabbed Spike's shoulders and the pair of them looked as if their favorite team had just won the World Cup!

"Your death is your gift," became "Your life is our gift."

END