Chasing the Girl

Disclaimer - see part one

Like I said, you ask, you get. :)


Part 21

Faith fell on her bed trying to control her crying.

'Stop it. Stop it.' She told herself in her head.

She laid in the bed silently willing everyone to go to sleep. After she had stopped crying and figured she was unable to sleep, she crept out into the hall noticing all the lights were off.

'Good.' She thought, taking a deep breath, she went back into her room and began to pack.

Buffy was sitting on her bed listening to Faith in the next room.

She knew she should go in there, stop her from packing, she knew that was what she was doing. She had spent more than a few minutes crying on Willow's lap, until Kennedy had come back into the room.

"Giles and Dawn are going to bed. I gave him the pullout, I didn't think about not having enough room, that's never happened before." She smiled slightly at the two weary girls. "Dawn's in our bed, I figured I could sleep with Rose." Willow nodded to her.

"Faith, umm she hasn't come out of her room, so I guess we should just leave her alone?"

"Yeah, good idea." Willow looked down at Buffy's head, still lying in her lap, "I think I'll sleep with Buffy tonight, if that's okay?" Buffy nodded in her lap. "Just like old times huh?"

"Yes, thank you, Willow, I realize we're not through." Buffy said sitting up.

Willow looked at Kennedy who left the room.

"What you did, Buffy, it was incredibly brave. It came from the Buffy I know, not the one you had become, and everything I wanted to say, all of it, it was meant for that Buffy, not you. I don't know what to say now. I think sleep will help us."

"I do love Faith." Buffy said, after Willow rose from the couch. "I do." She whispered again softly.

"If I didn't learn anything else tonight, Buffy, I learned that."

Willow had gone to get ready for bed and Buffy was still sitting in the same place listening for Faith when she returned.

"She's leaving." Buffy said, getting up when Willow came in the room.

"I heard her. She did stop crying. But I think you're right. You need to decide what you want to do about that. I hate that it has to be right now, but I think it does. Faith is about to pull her famous escape routine and you have a chance to stop it."

"Do I want to?" Buffy asked.

Willow raised an eyebrow. "Do you?"

"Of course, but you see my point don't you, Will?"

"I see what you're thinking, yes. But I don't know if you should punish yourself. It may not be good to jump into anything with Faith, at least not right now, but I bet she knows that. But, by punishing yourself, you are also punishing her. My advice is to ask her. She deserves to be able to tell you how she feels. She's been you're only advocate, even when she didn't want to be."

Buffy sighed and crossed the room, sitting on the floor.

"Unfortunately, you don't have a lot of time to decide what to say. Cause I think she's about to bail."

"I know." They heard the door to Faith's room and Buffy began to look panicked.

"She'll check on Rose first." Willow said. "So you probably have a few minutes."

Faith walked into Rose's room to find Kennedy lying in bed with Rose.

"Hey." She said softly, turning towards the door as Faith entered.

"I didn't mean to wake you."

"Kinda waiting for you." She said looking at Faith and getting up. She put her hand on her shoulder. "I know we don't know each other that well. But I like you, and I care about you. I don't want to see you do something you'll regret."

"She doesn't want me here."

"She didn't say that. She's drained, and she may have been right about some things," Faith looked away from her. "but not all of it. She just doesn't want to hurt you. She's trying in her own way to protect you. I'm afraid if you leave, at least without telling her, you'll undo all the progress she's made tonight. Besides," Kennedy looked down and pointed at Rose. "you can't leave her without telling her. It would upset her. Where's Faithy? Where's Faithy? That's all we'd hear. You wouldn't want to do that to Rosie, would you?" She finished, smiling.

"Low blow, Ken." Faith smiled. "But you're right. I'll go talk to B."

She gave Rose a kiss on the cheek. "Such a low blow."

"I'm pretty good at that. Nighty-night Faith."

"Bite me, Ken." She said, shutting the door.

Buffy heard Rose's door shut and walked into the hall. Faith was standing there when she came out.

"Faith, listen, please don't leave, not like this. I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm trying not to, I'm sorry for that. Just you can't go, not like this, please." Buffy was holding both of Faith's arms.

Faith, staring at the floor, finally spoke.

"I was coming to talk to you. I'm not going to leave. Not like that. I was just...I was hurt. I heard the rejection, and you know, I told you years ago, that rejection and I are not mates. I was going to run, but I can't leave, not like that."

"But you're going to leave?"

"I have to at some point, B. You made your decision and I wasn't even given a choice in the matter. You didn't even ask me what I wanted. You assumed you knew," She saw Buffy catch her breath. "and you did." She said leaning her back against the wall.

"You have always known. But I didn't expect anything from you, Buffy, I never have. I just wanted to help you. I wasn't here to get into your pants. If that is what you were thinking." Faith moved from the wall and walked past Buffy. She turned around.

"There's so much I need to tell you. I should have been more honest. But I can't right now, I just can't. We should just go to bed."

Buffy nodded slowly and went back to her room. Faith made her way to her room and shut the door, then opened it again, then shut it.

'Ok, I need a smoke.' She thought, and made her way to the back door. Willow was in the kitchen. "Whatcha doin?" Faith asked.

"I can't stay. But I don't want to keep Buffy awake. I also don't won't to leave her alone. But I can't stay in there. It's...I don't know why. I really don't. She's already asleep, so I guess it doesn't matter. I'm so tired, but I can't sleep." Willow was close to tears.

"Look, we're all emotional here. And tired. And frankly, freaked. We can play musical bedrooms." Willow looked up at Faith. "Take my room, I'm not tired. Don't look at me like that. I'm not going to jump your bones, Red, Kennedy's a Slayer now, it'd be too fair a fight."

"Glad you want me, Faith, but we can't leave Buffy alone." Willow said.

"I know, I'm not sleepy. I'll sit with her."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, if you'll let me smoke in there?" Faith looked at her, smiling.

"Deal." Willow smiled back.

Faith walked into Buffy's room and sat across from the bed in the overstuffed armchair.

'You're cute asleep, Angel was right about that.' She thought, before lighting a cigarette. She pulled her knees under her chin.

'And just another freakin reason why I can't leave you.' She thought.


To be continued