In The Eyes

Disclaimer: See Part 1
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~Faith~

She's finally asleep. On the bed, her bed, beside me.

When she first drifted off I wondered how she did it. I couldn't sleep next to someone who tried to kill me, at one point in time. Tied to the damn bed or not.

But I don't mind watching, or waiting. Hell I could watch B every second of everyday for the rest of my life, and die happy.

Her breathing is even and deep, kinda lulling me as I lie here beside her, breathing in her scent. Sweat, vamp dust, and something uniquely Buffy. It's kinda making me hot.

Oh come on you try sleeping for 8 months, then end up tied to the girl of your dreams bed with her asleep, half lying on you, and try not to get hot.

It's impossible. And I'm loving this.

The house has been quiet since I woke up with her staring down at me. Onhe she sounds of the outside night filter in and keep it from complete silence.

I close my eyes and clear my mind, one, breathe in, two, breathe out, 3 relax. Ah there they are. Three heartbeats besides B's. Two of them are almost beating in unison, with like a milisecond in between.

Then she sighs and I lose my concentration. The girl really knows how to capture ones attention, even in her sleep. Then again I've always had trouble taking my eyes off her.

I think she's drooling on me.

Oh well, that's my B.
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~Willow~

I can't believe she put that bitch in her bed!

Why would you put a psycho in the same bed as you.

I peek into the room and jump back.

Faith's awake. And she was staring right at the door.

She heard me coming, damn slayer hearing.

I might as well go in. She already knows I'm here.

I try to walk like I'm not nervous. I make my way to the bed and lay two fingers on Buffy's neck.

Her pulse is strong and nomral.

"I won't hurt her"

Faith's voice kinda gravelly, like she hasn't used it in a while. Well yeah 8 months in a coma, duh Willow.

Automatically I pour her a glass of water from the pitcher on the nightstand. I can't help but giggle when her eyes cross as she watches the water flow up the straw.

Buffy moans in her sleep and burrows further into Faith's shoulder.

Faith freezes, she looks from Buffy to me and back again. Letting the straw fall from her lips she gives me a look that would have normally made my blood run cold. But she 'is' tied down with chanted bonds, and her eyes are... not quite her eyes anymore.

Not a trace of insanity, or that black harrowing hatred I grew used to seeing when she worked for the Mayor.

She was just a little angry.

"Don't wake B up. She's exhausted" she hisses softly.

Buffy shifts again and drags her arm across Faith's torso. It would be cute, I was asleep on Tara the same way not 20 minutes ago, but this is Buffy, and psycho slayer Faith!

But not quite psycho slayer Faith.

"If there's a mark on her, just one mark, that you've caused, in the morning. I'll beat you to death with your own arm" I threaten in the softly whisper I can manage. I've put on my resolve face. I'm serious. I will not allow Faith to hurt Buffy again.

She presses herself flat to the bed, I look in her eyes again and the first thing I notice is the fear.

"When did you get so scary Red?" she asks in a soft voice.

"When you stopped being so scary. Good night Faith"

I slowly walk back to my room, wondering how I could possibly leave Buffy alone with Faith, and not worry about her well being.
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~Buffy~

Xander managed to steal us a wheelchair from Sunnydale General. We told him in was for a plan Willow and I had devised. He'd of freaked if we told him to was to push Faith in so we could hide the bonds on the hands and legs.

He didn't know Faith was back, and I planned on keeping it that way. For the next hour anyhow.

I push her up to Giles' front door, Willow and Tara are behind me, holding hands, worried.

I'm beginning to think there's something going on there, with all this hand holding and whispered conversation.

I knock on the door, Giles answers it a moment later, ushering us in. I wonder why he didn't freeze when he looked down at Faith. Then I notice that she's fallen asleep in the chair, her head hung low, dark hair covering her face.

"Come in, come in" Giles moves out of the way.

I push the chair through the door, Willow and Tara close behind me.

Giles hurries back to the phone 'Y 'Yes I understand! If we see her you'll be thrst rst to know. Of course, she tried to 'kill' my slayer man, do you think I'd honest endanger her safety to protect a wanted fugitive?"

Shit. Quickly I turn Faith's chair around so it's facing the couch, and I sit down before her. I can tell she's not asleep anymore, just sitting there, being quiet and still.

"Yes, I know. I assure you we are agreed" Giles finishes his phone call by slamming down the reciever.

"Giles? I found Faith" I start. But her shoulders stiffen "But I'm not giving her back to the council. You said they'd kill her!"

"I do not intend upon giving her back to the Council if she can be rehabilitated" Giles says smoothly. He's got that fatherly look on his face. The same look he had when I told him about us and Alan Finch in the library a year ago.

Faith's head shoots nd snd she stares at me, her eyes wide with wonder.

"Well Faith? What do you say? Are you going to take your second chance?"

Faith turns as far as she can to look at Giles, her mouth moves but no words come out.

"I'm trusting Buffy's judge of character here. If she believes you can be helped. I will help you. But if you hurt her, I'll kill you myself" he gets this strange look in his eyes, that tells me he's serious.

"You'd have to take a number. Red threatened to beat me to death with my own arm last night. She's got dibs" Faith says calmly before looking back at me. "Are you sure B? 'Cause some people take attempted murder pretty seriously"

"Do you plan on doing it again?" it's all I want to know. If she wants help, I'll make sure she gets it.

"No. Just demon killing" she bites her lip and won't meet my eyes.

"Good, then I'm sure" I nod at her.

"I'm watching you" Willow says in her spritely voice, but her eyes look anything but.

Faith glances at her then ducks her head "When did she get so scary?"

"She's always been scary" I can't help but laugh softly.

Faith looks up and meets my eyes.

There are tears in her's.

"Thanks Buffy" they slowly make tracks down her cheeks.

"For what?" I brush them away with my thumb.

"Not giving up"

"It's gonna be harder on you than mI teI tell her with an evil grin.

The look in her eyes says it all.

'Oh Shit'
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