[Reviews - 41]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 1646 times

- Text Size +




10:00pm

And nothing had changed.

Buffy, Spike, and Giles sat in the waiting room of the hospital, each with grim looks on his or her face.

As soon as Giles had told them the news, the three had rushed to the hospital, and had been waiting for a change in Faith’s critical condition since.

Faith had felt so guilty about Buffy taking drugs that the brunette had gone out and gotten drunk.

In a moment of drunken ignorance, the young teen had gotten in the car to drive home.

Before she made it three blocks from the bar, she ran off the road and into a tree.

Now the three were just waiting. Waiting for a doctor to give them the news: good or bad.

“Mr. Sheldon?” A doctor asked as he appeared in the doorway.

Giles stood up and walked over. “We couldn’t find Faith’s father,” Giles explained. “Is Faith okay?”

The doctor hesitated as Spike and Buffy stood up, walking over to them. “Is she?” Buffy asked, near tears again.

“She’s alive. Still in a bad condition…but we’ve done all we can. Would any of you like to see her?”

“Buffy…you can go first,” Spike said suddenly, knowing she’d want to. The blond teen surprised him by giving him a caring hug. Smiling, she pulled away and walked with the doctor to Faith’s room.

And there she lay. Asleep on the cold hospital bed, looking battered and bruised.

Walking slowly, Buffy went to Faith’s sleeping form and ran a hand through the resting girl’s hair. “Faith…what did you do?” Buffy cursed herself for the tears that were falling. “It wasn’t your fault that I went back to get the drugs. God, Faith…I know I haven’t known you long…but God, you remind me so much of my Dawnie. I needed her…and then you came. If you die…” Buffy’s hand flew to her mouth the second these words had left.

With wide eyes she shook her head violently and started backing up.

Only to find herself backed into a large figure. Turning around, she found herself in the comfort of Spike’s arms as he tried to sooth her. “Oh, God…Spike…please don’t let her die!” Spike cringed and held his eyes shut at the agony he heard in her voice.

“Sshhh, it’s okay,” he soothed. “Come on, pet.”

Keeping an arm wrapped around her, Spike slowly walked her out of the room.

---

Giles had finally dropped Buffy off at her house when she assured him that her uncle wouldn’t be a threat.

Walking through the front door, Buffy locked it behind her and went to the kitchen.

There was no way she could sleep tonight.

---
A few hours later Angel woke, feeling sick. He had for a few days now. He hadn’t touched alcohol since he heard the news about Darla’s pregnancy, and it had been making him pretty sick.

Getting out of bed, he tried to calm his shaking down as he walked to the lower floor of the house and to the kitchen. And he froze slightly when he saw the blond teenager crying at the counter. “Buffy?”

Shooting her head up, Buffy quickly wiped her tears. “Sorry…I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t. What are you doing up?” Buffy was very surprised at the lack of coldness in his voice.

“Um…just something that happened…it wouldn’t matter to you.”

Angel knew he deserved that blow, so he masked the amount of hurt he felt, by sighing and sitting at the counter also. “Wanna try me?”

“Faith…a friend of mine. She’s hurt.”

“What happened?”

“Car wreck,” Buffy answered bitterly. Angel winced at her tone, knowing what was bothering her. Her mom and sister died in a car crash, and now she might lose her best friend. “That’s the second time I’m responsible for a car crash.”

“How are you responsible?”

“She went out and got drunk because of what I did. I took drugs; she felt guilty. She got drunk and crashed.”

“And you really think you’re to blame for it?”

Buffy sent him a cold glare before returning her stare to the counter.

“You think you’re to blame for your mother’s and sister’s deaths also?” He asked.

Buffy shot her eyes toward him in a death gaze and nodded her head slowly. “I know that I am. But don’t you dare mention my mother’s name again. You don’t deserve to even think about her.”

Standing up, the angry teen slammed the barstool back into its place and hurried up the stairs.

---

Buffy walked into the lunchroom the next day, gaze downward as it had been all day. Before she even had a chance to look up, she felt a strong grip on her upper arms.

“Hey, Spike,” she mumbled weakly as she looked up again. As he enveloped her in a hug, she gulped back her tears.

“How are you doing?” He asked her once he’d pulled away.

“Better…but…still not good.”

Giving her a knowing smile, he tucked some hair behind her ear. “You don’t have to hang with me just because of Faith,” Buffy said weakly.

“What?”

“You know…you don’t have to be seen with me here at school just because of what happened.”

“Buffy…” He lifted her chin up firmly with his hand. “I’m not doing this because of pity. Besides…my friends don’t mind. That’s what they are. Friends.”

“Why are you doing it then?”

“Because…” Spike had to stop himself from finishing. Because he realized he was about to say ‘because I care a lot about you’, or ‘I may like you more than I thought’, or something like that.

He knew that he shouldn’t feel this way about a girl he’d only met a few weeks ago, but he couldn’t keep these feelings down.

But he felt something more than just ‘like’ or lust.

But he was too young to really love…

Right?

“Because…?” Buffy waited.

Instead of answering, Buffy found her lips covered by his in a soft, comforting kiss that turned more demanding.

Buffy pulled away when she remembered that they were standing in the middle of the cafeteria. Some people were looking at them, but most didn’t care.

“Oh…” Buffy said, a little confused, but didn’t have time to think about it as she felt herself being pulled by the arm. “Spike?” She almost squeaked out as they found themselves in an empty hallway. “What are you--”

Buffy found herself being softly pinned against the lockers as the blond male’s lips once again found hers. “Spike…what…are you…okay, stop for a second,” she said in between kisses before she finally got him to stop. “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like?” He asked with a smirk and raised eyebrow.

“Okay, why are you doing it?”

Sighing, Spike looked down and then raised his gaze to meet hers.

---

Buffy walked slowly out of her last period, head once again lowered. When she did look up, she smiled when she saw Spike. “Hey.”

Spike and Buffy had talked earlier while in the hallway, both expressing that they felt something…they just didn’t know what.

It was amazing to Buffy how easily he was willing to open up, and she couldn’t help but open up to him as well.

“Want a ride?” He asked.

“To my house? No.” He smiled and nodded.

“My place then?” Buffy was surprised by the invite and surprised herself by nodding in agreement.

---

Buffy and Spike had arrived at his place with comfortable silence in the air.

Once inside, Buffy sighed and sat down on the couch. “Thanks for letting me come over…I really didn’t want to have to deal with Angel or Darla.”

“No problem, pet,” he assured her, sitting on the empty seat next to her.

He couldn’t explain the rush of emotion that hit him when she shifted and let her head rest on his shoulder. “Still…thanks.”

He knew she was doing everything she could to stay awake, hell, so was he. “Buffy.”

“Hmmm?” She asked, struggling to keep her eyes open.

“Go ahead and go to sleep, luv. Dad’ll be home soon. You can eat here and then I’ll drive you home.”

She smiled, though he couldn’t see, in appreciation and then closed her eyes, letting the sleep take over her.

---

Giles walked into his house, feeling tired from being in the hospital so much the previous night. The older man froze when he saw the scene in his living room.

Spike was asleep, his head fallen back on the couch. Buffy had her head on a pillow that was propped up against Spike’s leg, was fast asleep, and had a blanket thrown overtop her.

Clearing his throat, he was about to walk into the kitchen when he heard his son. “Oh…didn’t know you were home.”

“Just got here.”

“Buffy was pretty tired,” Spike explained, making Giles smile.

“It’s okay. It’s been rough for the both of you, I understand.” He paused for a second. “Is she staying for dinner?”

“Yeah.”

Nodding, the older man left the room and Spike looked down at the sleeping blond, running his fingers through her hair.

He was surprised when she started talking, since her eyes were still closed. “Spike?” Her voice sounded weak, small, and like she was half-asleep. “I’m cold…”

He gulped slightly, since she did have the blanket on her small form. Bringing his hand down, he felt her forehead and cheeks. She was burning up. Lifting the blanket up slightly he brought his hand down to feel her arms, and sure enough they were hot also. He knew it was the stress and grief from these past few days that was causing her to feel like this.

Sighing, he pulled her into a sitting position before bringing her into his lap.

She shivered a little, but didn’t open her eyes. Bringing the blanket back over her, Spike wrapped his arms around her and held the blond like a baby, knowing she needed comfort now.

“Go back to sleep, luv. You still have a while longer.”

A/N: Okay, I'm getting a mass of reviews begging me not to kill Faith. I can't make you that promise, sadly. This story is far from over. The BIG angsty, more primary, plot is coming up soon. And in order for that to happen...well, other bad things have to happen. Just stay with me. :-3





You must login (register) to review.