Violence! Doing violence against Vampires. This was what she was made for, made by some higher power to do, Faith thought as she rammed a stake into another one. God, Goddess, whatever, there was nothing like the feeling she got when she was going all out, her body becoming a lethal weapon!
Able to do things no other person on the face of the earth could, wow, but she felt good, as she kicked the knee out from under another Vampire. Dropping down to stake the disabled vamp on the floor of the abandoned warehouse, she then popped back up so fast a normal human’s eye never could have followed her.
She looked around disappointed to find the last few remaining vamps were already engaged in battle with the other slayer. Faith laughed, as she trotted over to the corner of the warehouse where Buffy was having her fun fighting five of them at once.
Faith wanted to be close by to back up the other slayer, the first half of the Chosen Two, but no way was she going to intrude on Buffy’s fun! Faith watched as the little slayer moved doing a sidekick to the gut of a vampire that towered over her causing him to fold in half. Before Buffy’s foot hit the ground she was backhanding another Vamp and then spinning around to stake the downed Vamp. Buffy moved with such a fluid grace her fighting looked like she was dancing, kick punch, block and stake—all without the appearance of effort. A stake flew out of Buffy’s hand and whizzed by Faith’s ear before the second part of the Chosen Two could move. Faith heard the thud of it landing in a vamp’s chest as she turned to see one of those funky swords bearing vamps turn to dust. The two swords, the long and short dueling swords, falling uselessly to floor, next to her feet, by all rights Faith should be a dead half of the Chosen Two. Instead she nodded towards Buffy—her sister in arms. Though Faith could think of things to do to Buffy that did not involve sisterhood.
Faith watched as Buffy staked the last vamp and then turned and winked at her. Her face flushed with the excitement from the fight. Faith let out a slow whistle, shaking her head in amazement both at Buffy’s grace in the fight and at her beauty.
“Well B. how did you know that last one was there?” Faith asked walking up to the tiny slayer.
Buffy waved her hands dismissing the question as she turned around in a circle her green eyes searching the dark corners of the warehouse for any missed Vamps. “Oh, you know Giles and his dumb blind-folded sensing games.”
Faith remembered. “Those stupid games where he puts a blind-fold on you and then he expects you to be able to hit him with that dumb ball?” Faith said, walking slowly towards where Buffy was still turning around looking at the shadows.
“Yeah,” Buffy answered her attention now focused on one corner. “Hey, come on out and I’ll make it fast, I’m tired and I don’t want to play.” She shouted at the corner in question.
The vamp charged. It was another one of those uniform wearing sword toting bad-asses. He reached Buffy in three steps already swinging his long sword at her head. She easily ducked under it dropping down in a crouch to sweep his legs, when he planted his feet and swung his short sword back towards her hacking her viscously on her arm. The little slayer cried out grabbing her badly bruised and cut arm as she rolled away from the second swing of his long sword.
When Faith saw Buffy get hit she immediately reacted with a flying kick to the vamps back knocking him flat on his face. She then followed it jumping on his back with both feet, snapping his spinal cord, then fell to her knees still on his back breaking his ribs. She pulled out a stake and slammed it as far as she could into his back and ended up kneeling in a pile of dust.
Faith kneeled as if praying her brown eyes locking with Buffy’s green and she felt a jolt of energy pass through her. Both of them taking deep breaths trying to calm their racing hearts at the near miss. The fear of losing Buffy making Faith’s heart hurt far worse than all the other disappointments in her short life. Finally, Buffy moaned in pain and slowly lay back on the floor panting. Faith sprang up and rushed over to her and watched as blood seeped out from between Buffy’s fingers as they clutched the wound and pooled on the floor under her. Faith, once again, kneeled, this time next the bleeding slayer.
“Hey B. let me take a look.” She said as she reached to pull Buffy’s hand away from the wound. Much to Faith’s relief the bleeding was already slowing down which meant that no major arteries were cut. But, the gash was nasty, deep, and long and would need numerous stitches to close so it could heal properly.
“Let’s get your coat off so I can bandage this.” Faith said, supporting Buffy around the shoulders as she pulled her into a sitting position to take off her coat. As gently as she could Faith pulled the coat off the tiny slayers good shoulder then eased it down her arm over the gash. Still with all Faith’s gentleness when the coat touched the gash Buffy drew in a hissing breath, her face paling, her eyes rolling up in her head as she fainted. Faith, lowered her to the rest of the way to the floor, pulling the sleeve of the coat all the way off and gasped as the gash opened further reveling the bone of Buffy’s arm.
“Oh god, oh god, oh god,” Faith mumbled as she yanked the bottom of her shirt out of her pants and tore a big enough piece of it off to tie the gash closed. Faith then shed her coat, lifting Buffy into a sitting position she made a sling to tie Buffy’s injured arm against her chest.
Buffy groaned as Faith was finishing her make shift sling. Buffy’s green eyes opened and she groaned again. “Did you get the number of the truck that hit me?” She said as raised her hand to head. “What happened?”
Faith, still supporting the little slayer by her shoulders, smiled relieved that Buffy was awake and said; “you fainted.”
Buffy’s mouth quirked into a smile and she faced away from Faith, “did not, I’d never faint over a cut!” She proclaimed indignant.
Faith laughed, happier with the fact that Buffy was awake and talking than with her humor. “Yeah, yeah, well little Miss macho we need to get you to a hospital.” Faith said lifting Buffy to her feet and putting her arm around her small waist to steady her.
“No!” Buffy shouted in Faith’s ear and the younger slayer cringed. Buffy seemed to try to calm herself before she continued. Faith taking advantage of the pause to start moving them towards the front of the warehouse.
After a moment Buffy continued in a normal voice. “The hospital will call my mother and I’ll be grounded forever!”
The younger slayer thought about this for a moment as they reached the street. Right was her apartment slash hotel room left was the hospital.
She nodded, her apartment was only a few blocks away, and from there they could call Giles. “Fine, we’ll go to my place and then call Giles to come and stitch you up.” Faith said as she turned them right.
“No, Faith, we can’t call Giles either.”
****
“No, Faith, we can’t call Giles either.” Buffy said, as she thought frantically. It looked like it was still only around noon and Giles knew she had had a chem. test that morning. She knew Willow and Xander would cover for her—but she would be totally busted if Faith called him. Buffy noticed Faith had stopped, and she looked up at her. “Look B. that cut needs stitches, lots of stitches, so it’s either the hospital or Giles.” Buffy bit her bottom lip; she knew it made her look like she was pouting, but she couldn’t help it, Giles’ approval meant too much to her to risk over a cut that no longer hurt. Plus, Buffy had become aware that Faith still had her arm around her, supporting her, as they started walking again towards the younger slayer’s apartment. It felt so good to just lend up against somebody and to be held without guilt, without worry. Buffy knew she wasn’t gay, or at least she didn’t think she was gay.
She enjoyed it with Angel, and sometimes when Angel looked at her a certain way, she knees would nearly give out and she’d almost faint from the need to have him touch her. But, it was nice to feel Faith’s strong arms around her supporting her, to lean against the younger girl’s soft body; an extreme contrast of strength and softness Buffy found profoundly exciting.
What Buffy thought next made her jump away from Faith in confusion? The tiny slayer found Faith physically attractive, to the point of wanting to feel her warmth and strength and softness all at once. Pushing Faith’s supporting arms away was the wrong move for Buffy because with her first step her legs gave out and Faith once again had to catch her and pull her into an embrace to keep her from falling.
“Geese B, what caused that?” Faith protested at Buffy’s strange actions. The assault on Buffy’s senses as Faith pulled her to her was nearly overwhelming, as she smelled the muskie scent Faith always gave off after a fight. Well, she had claimed fighting made her hungry and horny, the older girl mused, cursing her enhanced senses, wondering at the same time what Faith’s skin would feel like or what her hands on Buffy’s skin would feel like?
“Not something I will ever find out.” Buffy whispered under her breath.
“What’s that B?” Faith asked, beginning to walk them towards her apartment again.
“Nothing.” Buffy said. Then thought, did I say that out loud? Buffy closed her mouth and enjoyed the last block to Faith’s place.
****
Faith helped Buffy to the bed and started to take off the make shift sling.
Buffy, sitting on the edge of the bed, noticed that the bleeding, while just a tickle, had soaked the cloth covering the wound and most of Faith’s jacket. The blonde slayer made a mental note to buy Faith both a new shirt and a new jacket on Saturday’s trip to the mall. After Faith had removed the sling she walked over to the phone.“What are you doing?” Buffy asked, panicked.
“Calling Giles, that cut is deep, B.” Faith answered as she started to pick up the receiver.
“No!” Buffy shouted. “If you call him, I’m out of here!” She started to rise up and then sat back down heavily when she became dizzy.
Faith smirked at the smaller slayer’s struggles; she crossed her arms with the receiver hanging out of one hand and chuckled. “Yeah, right B?”
Buffy looked down and away, anywhere but at those knowing brown eyes. Faith was going to make her admit it. “Okay you know the real reason I don’t want to call Giles is because I blew off that test this morning. I don’t want to him to be disappointed in me!
You happy now!” Buffy’s voice rose after each word until she was shouting.
Faith just stood and stared at her, with a look of growing concern.
“I’m sorry, Buffy, I really am,” Faith put down the phone and walked over the older girl, placing her hands on the tops of her shoulders. “I know what it’s like to disappoint some one like Giles.” Faith said, turning her face so that she was hiding her eyes with her hair.
Buffy could always tell when Faith was thinking about her dead Watcher, Kate. Faith took a deep breath and continued, “But that cut is all the way to the bone. If it’s not cleaned out and sewn up it won’t heal.”
Buffy sighed, busted, she thought until she noticed the fading scar on Faith’s left arm and remembered that Faith had shown up one day with that nasty cut. Shown up with it already stitched because Giles had asked her about it.“Then you do it.” Buffy said on a hunch. Faith’s reaction was immediate; she dropped her hands from Buffy’s shoulders and turned with her back to her. Only because of Buffy’s enhanced hearing did she hear Faith’s reply, a very simple, “No.”
“Then I am so out of here!” Buffy said as she pushed up with her good arm to stand and started to walk towards the door using the bed as support. Buffy felt Faith’s hand on her shoulder before she made it two steps, the hand caused her to lose her balance and she plopped down on the bed again, this time at the bottom of it.
Buffy faced down so Faith couldn’t see the tears forming in her eyes. When she felt the gentle hand on her chin lifting her face up she squeezed them shut hoping that none of the threatening tears escaped. Faith whispered, her voce was as gentle as her hands, “Buffy look at me.”
And Buffy could not resist so she opened her eyes to see compassionate brown ones looking back.
With a heavy sigh, Faith dropped her hand, then turned around walking to the small nightstand next to the bed. “Okay, B. I’ll do it under one condition,” Faith said rummaging in the drawer of the nightstand. “If there is any sign of infection you go to Giles!” Relief washed over Buffy, she readied agreed. “Sure Faith!” The brown haired slayer grinned back then pulled an over sized tank top out of the drawer of the nightstand.
“Take off your clothes and put this on.” Faith said throwing the shirt at Buffy walking towards the bathroom. Dumbfounded Buffy just sat there and stared at Faith’s retreating back. Buffy looked up as Faith quickly returned with her arms loaded down with towels. Faith let out an exasperated sigh, “B, ya blood is all over your pants and top, I’ll put those in the tub to soak while we do the deed.” Faith waggled her eyebrows at the last word causing the Buffy to laugh. Faith put the towels on the bed next to her and returned to the bathroom. Mumbling something about body shy slayers.
Buffy took advantage of Faith’s absence and as quickly as she could without standing up, kicked off her shoes, took off her pants and started to change top confused by her own actions and shyness. But as she pulled her blood soaked top over her head all thought of shyness fled her mind, as for the first time since the warehouse, the gash protested. Pain shot from the gash down her arm to her fingers and then back up to her shoulder, she thought not just pain, agony. It was as if her entire arm had suddenly caught fire.
Buffy shut her eyes tightly from the pain and lay back on the bed, with her arms still over her head wrapped up in the her top, taking deep breaths trying to gain some relief. “Well, what a view.” Faith said returning. Buffy heard footsteps up to her and she felt something heavy put next to her on the bed. “Fuck-you,” Buffy said through clenched teeth trying to stay as still as she could.
“You wish,” Faith laughed. Then added seriously, “ looks like what ever it is that keeps us from feeling pain during the fight has worn off.” Buffy heard her walk away and then her little refrigerator door opened, “no, worries I have something that will take the pain right away.”
Buffy opened her eyes as Faith took a little glass vial out of her refrigerator and walked back over to the bed. She started rummaging around in what appeared to be a huge tackle box. The pain lessening, Buffy slowly sat up clutching her injured arm next to her body and finished removing her bloody top. She started to ease the tank top on over her injured arm and hissed when another fiery wave of pain shot down it. Faith looked up, “B just sit for a minute.” The brown haired slayer said, then pulled a disposable syringe from the box and opened it. When Buffy saw it, the bottom dropped out from under her, and the hurt in her arm was replaced with another kind pain. She started to hurt like she hadn’t since the night Giles told her he had been poisoning her. She struggled to get the words out but all she could manage was a frightened gasp as she stared at the needle.
With a growing fascination she watched as Faith plunged the needle into the vial, filling the syringe, she watched as Faith shot some of the liquid out of the needle, a drop or two forming at the end of the long sharp needle, just like the one Giles said he had used…. Faith picked up an alcohol wipe, the kind Giles always used, Giles poison, syringe, Faith was going to poison her, Buffy thought her mind beginning to shut down in protection. Buffy sat struggling to make her mouth work or her legs or arms, do anything, but sit there and watch as Faith cleaned a small area on her thigh with the wipe. Faith looked up at Buffy with the needle, the long sharp needle filled with poison, poised over her leg. Buffy could tell Faith was saying something, but she couldn’t quite make out the words, it was as if Buffy was caught in one of those dreams where the dreamer was paralyzed, unable to move.
Faith’s words finally made sense, she said or Buffy thought she said “…lay back this stuff is wicked strong…” When Buffy didn’t react Faith shrugged and pushed the needle all the way into Buffy’s thigh; the blonde slayer saw all of the liquid flow into her, still unable to move, to cry out, to defend herself, then she was laying on the bed and she felt an unstoppable urge to close her eyes.
****
“Two New Yorkers, a Family size order of bread sticks…” Buffy woke to Faith’s voice.“Yes, you idiot I want cheese on those.”
Buffy’s body felt heavy, weighted down. It was an impossible effort to open her eyes.“Yeah, two, two liter decalf cokes.” Why was she so weak? The memory of Faith sticking her with a needle flooded back into her mind. Oh, god, Faith had poisoned her like Giles, she felt so weak because she had lost her strength again. Buffy redoubled her efforts to move her arms, open her eyes, but her body just wasn’t responding. She whimpered, struggling to sit –up, get up, escape. “Right, I gotta go. An hour, right by.”
She felt someone get on the bed. Strong arms pulled her into an embrace so that her head lay on a soft shoulder. “Shh, shh, what’s wrong?” Faith’s voice softly asked right above her ear. She felt a soft kiss placed on the top of her head. “I’m here, B, nothing can hurt you.” Faith reassured her.
Buffy fought with her mouth to make it work, “strength lost, poisoned, so weak.” Buffy’s voice sounded slurred, drugged. “It’s the morphine I gave you.” Faith answered. Buffy heard Faith take a deep breath, then the younger slayer continued.
“Kate always said there was too much pain already in my life. So she always used the strongest painkillers when I got hurt. I guess I didn’t want you to hurt while I fixed up your arm.” Faith’s chest rose again, as she sighed. “I used the same dose Kate would use on me and I was always up in an hour,” Faith paused, “I guess with your blood loss and being smaller it may take you a little longer.” Faith lightly stroked Buffy’s face, pushing her hair behind her ears. “But, I promise, B, you are safe and you did not lose your power.” Another sigh, a tear splashed onto Buffy’s forehead, “I would never hurt you.” Faith confessed.
“Not hurt.” Buffy forced out. Finally able to open bleary green eyes. Faith smiled down at her. “Yes, not hurt. Never hurt.” She said then reached to the nightstand beside the bed and grabbed a glass full of a green liquid. “Feel up to a drink of Gatorade?” Buffy suddenly realized she was terribly thirsty, she nodded against Faith chest. The brown haired slayer helped her rise up a little to drink; the cool fluid easing the dryness in her throat that she hadn’t known was there. The effort to drink exhausted her. By the time the glass was empty Buffy’s eyes were drooping, threatening to close on her against her will. Faith put the glass back on the nightstand and pulled Buffy into a tighter embrace so that she was snug against her side. Buffy could feel Faith’s heart beating, with her enhanced senses Buffy could feel it vibrate along her body, starting under her hand. She could hear the steady intake and out take of breath, “so different from Angel,” she mummered. Faith’s body was so hot, compared to Angel’s cold one, she felt like Faith’s could her warm up her frozen heart and that thought felt so good. “So safe,” Buffy whispered.
Faith touched Buffy’s chin lifting it slightly. “Time to go back to sleep?” She asked.
Buffy answered her with a long sleepy blink, then snuggled deeper into Faiths shoulder. The little slayer then felt Faith’s hand stroking her forehead, using her thumb to lightly trace small circles starting between her eyes and working out towards her temples. One stroke Buffy’s eyes closed, two and her whole body relaxed, on the third one she fell into a soft dreamless sleep.
****
"Cool, thanks." Buffy sat up wide-awake to the wonderful smell of fresh pizza. She blinked her vision clear and saw Faith closing the door with her hip while she balanced three Pizza Hut boxes in one hand and a bag with two cokes in the other.
“Oh, good you’re awake.” Faith said as she walked over to the plop the boxes on the bed in front of Buffy. She winked at Buffy, “I kind of figured food would do the trick!” Both girls laughed as Buffy’s stomach let out a long loud answering roar, growl not beginning to describe the noise it made.
As Faith turned and started walking towards bathroom she said, “go ahead and start without me,” she turned and waggled her brows at Buffy again. “I want to throw these things in the wash, I’ll be right back.” Faith gathered up an armload of blood stained towels and clothes. Her clothes Buffy saw and then looked down to see what she was wearing, noticing for the first time she was under the covers of the bed and wearing only Faith’s over sized tank top.
No panties, no bra, just the top. With the realization that Faith had finished undressing her Buffy blushed a bright deep red, at the same time wondering at her own reaction. She got undressed in front of Willow all the time, and changed clothes before gym class. Why was she so shy in front of the other slayer? Because in all the times Willow held her or they shared a bed, never once did Buffy think that Willow’s warmth could heal her heart.
Faith paused at the door, noticing the blonde’s discomfort, and with a smile said, “Hey, don’t worry B, I didn’t look.” She opened the door and walked out, then as she turned back to close it, she looked Buffy in the eyes and added, “much.” She quickly closed the door laughing, as the older slayer’s blush deepened.
****
Faith lay on the opposite side of the bed from Buffy, watching the little slayer doze. Faith honestly hadn’t known that the morphine would so thoroughly kick her ass. Faith raised up a little from her comfortable position to glance at the clock on the table beside the bed. Close to five and last time Faith looked, Buffy’s eyes were still slightly dilated from the drug. But, then again, Faith thought, Kate would always make her go to bed when she used the drug, even though Faith would be awake and wanting some action an hour later, so maybe it was normal after all.
Faith sighed, and got up off the bed and began to gather up the discarded pizza boxes and empty coke bottles. “You miss her.” Faith looked at Buffy from where she was picking up one of the boxes. The blonde slayer was awake again and from the look in her eyes her system had finally burned off the last of the morphine.
“You miss her, don’t you?” Buffy asked again sitting up. Faith looked away from her, sometimes Buffy’s hunches were wicked accurate.
“Yes, I miss her sometimes.” Faith admitted to Buffy and to herself. Buffy nodded at her and gave her a shy smile. Then asked, ‘Why don’t you ever talk about her?” Because I really don’t need the pain, to rehash how I failed her. The younger slayer thought to herself. Then decided on the offensive, “why don’t you ever talk about Merrick?”
“Touché” Buffy whispered and looked away from her and Faith felt an ambivalent sense of relief that she knew Buffy was going to drop the issue.
For now, Faith knew that later Buffy would ask again, and again, until Faith told her about what she was thinking or feeling. Buffy was really the only person in her life that could get Faith to talk, or Faith thought that cared enough to try.
The tiny slayer then did something totally unexpected; she threw the covers off her, and jumped out of bed laughing. “Well, we dusted about twenty vamps this morning,” Buffy said checking the pile of folded and clean clothes stacked on the Television set, “I say we go to the Bronze and party!” Buffy then grabbed her clean clothes and sashay towards the bathroom swinging her hips in an exaggerated fashion. When she got to the door, she abruptly turned catching Faith watching her. “Busted!” Buffy shouted, and smiled at Faith then closed the door. Faith just laughed her heart still in her throat because she just knew Buffy had put on that show for her.