The Black Rose

Chapter 9

Faith sat at the dining table chewing the end of the pen, staring at the blank piece of paper in front of her. It had been hours since she had helped Buffy to bed, she had tried sleeping herself but the images of the slayer lost to the dark rage haunted her. The person Buffy so desperately wanted to hurt was sat right at the table chewing on the pen and for the first time in her life, regretting she had ever been born. Faith took a deep breath and put pen to paper.

Buffy,

          I can never ask for your forgiveness, I have done so much to hurt you. It is my fault Alex is no longer here in your arms. I watched you last night torture an innocent man, all the time knowing it should have been me sitting in that chair, taking what I deserve and more. I have hurt so many in my life, for what , greed, possessions? I have taken whatever I wanted form whomever I wanted for as long as I can remember I have so much power yet I cannot take away the pain I have caused you. Until I met you I felt nothing, no guilt or remorse for my actions. Last night I saw what my selfishness has cost you and I cannot let you become as lifeless and numb as me. I promise you this B, I will bring down my empire and everyone in it, including myself. In some hope that you will leave Sunnydale and try to forget all the darkness now in you and become the woman I met so many months ago. You make me want to be a better person and to do that I must be reborn in another life. So with what little good that’s left in me: Buffy I am sorry.

                            I wish I could turn back time.

                                                 Faith.

Faith stared at the words on the paper, finally sealing it in a plain white envelope, and left it propped up on the table for Buffy to read. At her offices she wrote a cheque to her secretary and quick note thanking her for her loyalty over the years, placed it in front of the computer screen for her arrival. Moving into her office, she quickly packed the stash of weapons from the secret compartment behind the bar, tucking her trusty blade into the rear waist band of her pants, and holstered one of her guns into the shoulder strap. She took a last look over the room she had used as a headquarters for her business.