The air was cool on her skin and it matched in even tones with the feeling deep inside her heart. Organ music as faint as a child's whisper coming from the long building behind her did nothing to calm her nerves, that were as distraught as could be possible. The man standing in the front had his head buried deep in the big, brown book, his white robe dancing in the wind along with the green scarf-look-a-like draped over the robe. Colorful leaves were dancing in the air, a dance so careless it was like a silent mockery to the blonde woman standing on the wet grass. At least it had stopped drizzling, yet the cold wind was still blowing furiously as a reminder of the autumn weather that lay above.

"The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want," the priests voice sunk deeply under her skin, the words he was saying sounded as bored and indifferent as if he had said them thousands of times.

The woman sighed and shifted on her feet. She did not really know why she was here. She had not nor wanted to be here. In the horizon the big, gray facility loomed above the few people standing under the trees like an ugly reminder of why they were here.

"He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters."

The feeling that had taken a hold of her heart did not dare to let go. But maybe, just maybe she did not want for it to let go. It was, after all, the only thing that reminded her of the person lying so still in the coffin in front of her. So still. As if she had never been alive. So fragile, so little. Never mind the dark lipstick someone had put on her, along with the eye-shadow and other make-up to make her look alive. Why make her look alive when she was so dead?

"He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake."

The wind rustled the sheets of the priest's bible and he paused, eyeing the mourners with deep, bored eyes. It was obvious in his eyes that he would have rather just dumped the coffin in the ground and left, instead of wasting his time on three people that had come. What kind of a sad life the girl in the casket had led he could not imagine and with tired eyes he continued.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."

Buffy Summers closed her eyes in a feeble attempt to keep the hot tears from burning their way down her cheeks. Tiny trails were all evidence that showed the tears had been once, but at least there was a reminder. As the blonde woman looked again at the simple coffin that did not display wealth or love like the expensive ones were supposed to do she realized there was barely a trace left of that girl that was lying still forever now.

I remember like it was yesterday. I remember everything concerning Faith like it was yesterday. I have never given up hope on Faith. I have never given up Faith. As corny as that might sound.

Although the heated argument Faith and I had had at Angel's, or more or less I had had while Faith stood watching willingly, had left its ugly marks on my heart. Even if I hadn't wanted to admit it, I missed Faith. Faith. The brunette slayer had received a life sentence in prison. A life was a long time. I visited Faith, a couple of times, a lot of times, hundreds of times. But who is counting anyway?

I have always known deep inside that all those things Faith did to me and I did to her were because we could not say what we felt. Because she felt like I betrayed her and then she betrayed me. I wanted to see her in jail, don't get me wrong, but after she had been in there for maybe a few days it just felt so wrong. My sister in carnage, The Chosen Two, Faith was gone and probably forever.

Every time I went to visit her one more piece of her was gone. Broken. Chipped off like pieces of a cinder block someone keeps throwing on the ground to break into tiny little parts. Deep inside we knew we loved each other, but there was always time to tell. Another day, oh sure, there'll always be tomorrow. Tomorrow I will, I swear. Dear Faith, I love you. Too bad there will be no tomorrow for Faith. No tomorrow and no yesterday.

After all those times we looked upon the face of death, fought the forces of evil and darkness and we survived every little one it is ironic how she did die. Faith wasn't a good girl. She was just a girl. It still scares me to think of it, but I guess the slayer bond and all did its cute little trick on me again. Though afterwards Giles mentioned that sometimes before someone you love dies you see them. Weird, huh?

They called me the next morning. Well and it was on the news. The girl that seemed to have been Faith's only Œfriend' in there, though told me everything with details. Like I needed those. Supposedly some women had started fighting, and not just your usually ripping-your-hair-out-scratching-eyes-out-biting-arms kinda fight. No a real, full-blown fight, with fists flying everywhere and blood running down the sterile walls. The girl told me that somehow she got caught in the middle of it, in the middle of this full-blown fight. Faith has always been one to fight for her friends, or whatever so I guess she stepped in. Must've caught some nasty blows too, nothing of course that would hurt her too much, given the slayer deal. Well to cut a long story short, Faith got to fighting with those women and probably was dishing out real well as I know her when the guards finally came and tried to pry the women apart. Apparently the guards in that place aren't real smart. One of them aimed his gun at Faith, but she wouldn't back down. He was supposed to shoot her in the shoulder or something but he missed and well...she was dead within a couple of minutes really.

Yeah Faith, the evil vampire slayer, died because she tried to help someone. Who would've thought. The guard got tried for manslaughter 1 but since supposedly he was defending himself he got off. I didn't care much. It wouldn't've brought Faith back even if they had fried him on the chair. In the end I guess you can't control who death comes calling for.

The guards said that she died at 12:30 am, and I didn't really care for the time until I remembered my dream after what Giles had told me. I hadn't even been sure whether it was a dream. The images float in my head like it happened five minutes ago, still.

The blonde girl sat up slowly in her bed. Darkness surrounded her, but through the window on the side the moon was casting an eerie light into the room. She turned and looked at the clock on her nightstand. 12:27 am. She couldn't even remember what had woken her up. Buffy leaned back, her eyes fixated on the moon outside her window when a movement in the corner of her eyes made her jump. Reaching for the light switch the girl was ready to pummel anyone that dared enter her room without permission.

"Don't," came the soft voice from the chair across from her bed. The tone was so familiar to her, so soothing and calming, yet it couldn't be.

"Faith?" she whispered in awe and watched as the shadow came walking towards her, chuckling softly as she sat down on the edge of the bed. A cold finger was placed on her lips, but the touch did not feel like skin. It was like nothingness frozen into place, tiny particles tingling her flesh that yet weren't there.

"Shh, B. Can't talk," Faith whispered, her voice faltering, almost hollow and empty. The brunette girl cocked her head slightly and brushed the hair out of Buffy's face with a smile.

"Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you look in the moonlight?"

"Faith...what are you doing here?"

The dark slayer seemed almost invisible, her body just an outline of her real forms. "I've come to do something I should have done a long time ago," she whispered and brushed her cold lips against the blonde's gently.

Buffy's eyes were wide with fear, with the sinking feeling deep inside her heart that told her something was wrong. Faith smiled softly as she pulled away and got up.

"I should've told you something long ago, B. I've loved you since the first time I laid eyes on you in that alley. I love you and I forever will," the brunette whispered before Buffy sat straight up in her bed and awoke. If it had been a dream that is.

"Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over."

Buffy couldn't stop the tears that found their way down her face with ease, as if it had already been pre-determined. She lifted her eyes to the quiet girl standing besides her, the look of utter fear on her face, and the guard behind her with his hand steadily on his holster if she dared to make a run for it. The girl looked so free but yet wasn't. She was plagued with the thoughts of causing her only friend's death.

The blonde slayer smiled weakly at her and wiped some of the fresh tears off her cheeks. The priest almost sighed in relief as finally the casket was lowered into the ground, vanishing as if their thoughts had been wiped clean of the dead girl. Buffy stepped closer and looked at the lonely flower in her hand. Roses were cheesy yes, but after all everyone knew red roses meant love and there was nothing in her heart but love for the girl lost.

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."

The blonde sighed and shook her head. No matter how bad the pain she felt and no matter how bad she would miss Faith it was not fair to wish she was back. All her life Faith had had to endure pain and had suffered while everyone else was leading their wonderful lives. She had had no freedom. Locked away like an animal they had no cure for. Locked away for taking what didn't belong to her, after saving them all from being taken over by hell. Faith had always been in her own prison since day one. No way out, nowhere to run.

"Ashes to ashes," the priest mumbled and spread the ashes across the wood. "Dust to dust."

The priest closed his book and the coffin settled into the damp, cold earth. The lonely flower floated down upon the wooden lid, landing there with a thud that rang in Buffy's ears long after it had vanished.

"I love you, too Faith," she whispered before her legs slowly carried her away, as a realization hit her that made her smile. Faith was finally free.