The Courtship of Buffy Summers

‘Oh my God! What the hell is going on?’ Buffy thinks right after the doorbell wakes her up. She glances over at the alarm clock on her nightstand and just can’t believe that this is happening. ‘It’s two in the damn morning. Who the hell is coming over this late?’ She tries to go back to sleep, but then the bell goes off again. She sighs out of irritation and sits up in her bed. From the gap at the bottom of her door she can see that the hall light is one, which means her mother is already up and seeing who is downstairs.


Now that she’s awake the blonde is very curious about the mysterious visitor, so she gets up and heads down the stairs. She’s just in time to see her mother open the door. Before Buffy can ask who woke them up at this ungodly hour, a body falls into the foyer. The older blonde gasps and Buffy freezes. It only takes her six point three seconds to figure out who it is that’s lying on the hardwood floor, bleeding from their face and looking like they got run over by a Mac truck.


“Faith?” she says a lot louder then she intended. It only takes her seconds to run down the remaining stairs, and then she’s at Faith’s side. ‘What the hell happened to her? I told her not to go out tonight. I told her it was a bad idea. She probably got into a fight with some pig headed bastard at the Bronze. Some of those guys just don’t understand the meaning of the word no.’ “Faith, Faith can you hear me? Come on baby, open your eyes.”


“S-s-stop…” Faith tries to say, but not all of it would come out. Most of her face is swollen and it’s making talking very difficult. “S-stop yelling, B. I’m right…right here. You don’t gotta yell.” She slowly opens her brown eyes, pupils large from the lack of light. The blonde can’t tell if Faith is concussed or not and it’s now one of her main concerns. Faith’s eyelids are only half open and Buffy has a feeling that’s all the brunette can manage right now.


“What happened? Who did this to you?” she asks her voice full of concern and she’s trying so hard not to cry. Faith opens her mouth to speak but before she can she starts coughing. She turns her head to the side and more of the warm, sticky blood oozes from her mouth. ‘That means internal bleeding, right? When you cough up blood it means there’s something wrong with your insides. At least I think. Why didn’t I may attention in Bio last year?’


“Buffy, help me get her into the bathroom,” Joyce says, her tone is that of concern, but her voice is even. Even though it’s hard to see this she can’t panic or it’ll just make everything worst. She has to be in charge right now, she has to be the mom yet again. She looks over at her daughter and sees that she’s on the brink of losing it. She reaches out and puts a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Buffy, we need to get her to the bathroom so we can get her a little patched up. Then I need you to call Faith’s house so I can talk to her parents.”


“I don’t know the number to her house. I only have her cell phone number.” Buffy gently lays a hand on one of Faith’s swollen, bruised cheeks and slightly turns her head so she’s looking into her eyes. “Faith, I need to call your foster mom and tell her where you are. What’s the number to your house?” The brunette doesn’t respond, so Buffy tries again, a little louder this time. “Faith, what’s the number to your house? We need to call your foster mom.”


“No,” she says and shakes her head. “No, don’t call her.” She slowly gets to her feet and is able to remain standing. Now that she’s had some time to rest she feels a little stronger. The only real problem is going to be talking since her face has been beaten very badly. “Don’t call her I’ll be fine.” She uses the back of her arm to wipe the blood away from her mouth. She tries to take a step towards the stairs to go to the bathroom but the pain in her ribs forces her to stop and wince.


“Faith, we need to get you to a hospital. You might have a concussion and I’d guess a broken rib or two,” Joyce says and very gently strokes the side of Faith’s head. The younger girl isn’t put off by it, she doesn’t cower away from it, and she doesn’t want it to stop. What Joyce is doing to her is just such a mom thing to do, and she just wants to enjoy all the motherly love she can. There’s nothing like getting the crap kick out of you to make you realize how much you miss your mommy.


The three women make their way up the stairs. Buffy tries to support as much of Faith’s weight as possible, but it’s a little difficult since she can’t stop shaking. They go into the bathroom and Buffy is shaking so bad that she has to sit down on the edge of the bathtub. Seeing her lover like this is hard. Her once pretty face is littered with bruises and cut marks. It’s swollen and barely recognizable. ‘Why would someone do this to her? I just don’t understand it. What did she do that was so bad?’


With Faith’s permission Joyce grabs the hem of the black Godsmack t-shirt and very slowly lifts it up. Buffy tries not to blush at all of the good memories that are running through her mind now at the sight of her lover’s semi-exposed upper half. ‘I shouldn’t be thinking that stuff right now. She’s hurt and in pain and all I can think about is what it was like to feel those soft breasts in my hands. Ok, I really shouldn’t be thinking like that with Mom in the room. It’s just weird.’


“I know this is probably unnecessary, but I need you to tell me if this hurts,” Joyce says in a very gentle voice. Then she reaches out and gently touches the darkest spot on Faith’s ribcage. The brunette winces and holds back a scream. She’s broken a bone before but it didn’t feel anything like this. Faith tries to pull away from the woman causing her even more pain, and that’s when Joyce backs off. “It’s ok, Faith. I won’t touch it again. I just needed to know how bad it is.” She opens up the cupboard under the sink and pulls out some gauze and bandages.


“Here Mom, let me do that,” Buffy says and gets up off the tub. She doesn’t know why but the thought of her mother touching Faith right now is very upsetting. ‘No, not just Mom, I don’t want anyone else to touch her. God what is wrong with me? I’m probably just freaked out by this whole thing,’ she thinks and takes the stuff from her mother. Buffy gets a clean washcloth out from under the sink and runs some warm water on it. Then she kneels down in front of Faith.


“This is going to hurt a little bit,” she says and starts to clean the drying blood off of Faith’s face. The slightly younger girl doesn’t move, but she winces in pain at very touch. The blonde has tears running down her face by the time she finishes cleaning off the blonde. She doesn’t draw attention to it though. She simply wipes at her eyes every time the tears blur her vision too much. “I’m almost done, sweetie, I’m sorry it hurts so much.” The rest of her words are cut off when Faith puts a hand on Buffy’s cheek.


The blonde looks into the dark brown eyes that are both swollen and bruised. But right now she doesn’t see any bruises, or swollen skin. She only sees Faith and the look in her eyes is breaking Buffy’s heart. There’s so much pain and regret and Buffy wants to just take the brunette in her arms and kiss it all better. But she knows she can’t do that. She quickly unwraps a bandage and gently puts it across the cut on Faith’s cheek. She picks up the ace bandage and looks a little lost. She’s never wrapped anybody’s ribs before and she has no idea what to do.


“I’ll do that sweetie,” Joyce says and steps forward. She had been watching from the corner of the room, and seeing her daughter being so gentle and loving just reassures her that she’s done a good job raising her daughters. “Why don’t you go put some older sheets on your bed? The one with the nail polish stain will do fine.” Buffy gives her mom a strange look but does what she’s told. She goes to the linen closet in the hallway and pulls out the old sheets. ‘I guess she doesn’t want my new ones getting all bloody,’ she thinks and looks up when she hears a door open.


“What’s going on in there?” Dawn asks in a whisper so her mother won’t hear her. Buffy doesn’t answer her with words. She motions Dawn to follow her and they go into the blonde’s bedroom. She turns on her lamp on the nightstand and sits down on the edge of the bed. “Buffy what happened to Faith? Is she going to be ok? How bad was she hurt?” The older sister shrugs her shoulders and wills herself not to cry.


“I don’t know, Dawnie. She hasn’t said anything about what happened. Mom thinks she has a broken rib, but other then that it’s just black eyes and bruises. Someone beat her up, but she won’t tell me who.” The brunette looks a little confused but Buffy doesn’t ask why. ‘If Dawn really wants to know then she’ll ask. I know she’s going to anyway,’ she thinks and strips the bed of the blankets and sheets. Dawn helps out a little, but she’s too distracted by whatever is going on in her mind.


“But I thought Faith was really strong, and tough? I mean, she beat up that Percy guy really bad when he hit you at a school dance. That’s what Janice told me.” Buffy’s eyes go wide with fear and shock. “What is it? What’s wrong?” She drops the unfolded sheets onto the blanket and starts walking towards the door.


“Will you finish changing the sheets please? I need to go talk to Faith really quick.” She rushes across the hallway and doesn’t bother with knocking before she opens the door. What she sees makes her stop in her tracks and all she can do is watch. She sees her mother sitting on the floor leaning up against the bathtub, and she’s cradling Faith in her arms as if she were a small child. Faith is crying her eyes out, sobbing so hard that her entire body is shaking from them. She knows that Faith wouldn’t want to be seen like this so she quickly backs out of the room and shuts the door.


She waits a little impatiently in her bedroom for forty-five minutes before she hears the door open. She looks up and sees her mom helping Faith walk into the room. ‘She must feel so weak. I know she hates not being able to do things by herself. This has got to really suck for her. Then again she’s still a little drunk so she probably doesn’t really care right now,’ she thinks and jumps up and helps the brunette walk over to her bed. She sits her down and doesn’t quite know what to do.


“Faith, I really need to call your parents and let them know where you are,” Joyce says and gently strokes the side of the broken girl’s head. Faith shakes her head no, and the other gives out a long sigh. She takes a step back and watches as her daughter sits as close to Faith as possible without actually touching her. “Is there anyone else I can call, your brother maybe?” The two blondes watch as Faith thinks about it. Then the brunette nods her head yes and lies back on the bed.


“Here,” she pulls her cell phone and drops it on the bed. “He’s in room number three.” Buffy picks up the phone and turns it on. She starts scrolling through the numbers until she finds the one for the motel her brother is staying in. She hits send and then hands the phone over to her mother. ‘Her brother doesn’t like me. He’ll probably get pissed if I’m the one waking him up this late.’ She watches her mom leave the room and when the door is closed she instantly turns to Faith.


“Faith, I know you’re in pain, but we need to talk about this,” Buffy says and lies down next to the brunette. “Who did this to you? What happened tonight while you were out with your friends?” Faith makes a little grunt noise and then closes her eyes. Buffy gently touches the other girl’s cheek and her brown eyes fly open and she winces in pain. The blonde gives her a sympathetic look. “I thought you were just having a couple drinks? What changed?” Listens to make sure her mother isn’t about to walk in the room but she doesn’t hear anything.


“I can have a drink if I want one,” Faith mumbles and she sounds mad. “Just ‘cause we’re dating it doesn’t mean you can tell me what to do. I can have a drink if I can have a drink.” ‘Great, and now she’s not making much sense. I guess that’s what happens when you get drunk. Wait a second.’


“You got drunk because I said I didn’t want you drinking?” she asks, and there is anger in her voice. “So what, you got drunk and then picked a fight at the Bronze?” Faith shakes her head no and she tries to sit up. “No, baby, don’t get up. You need to lie still or you might hurt your ribs even more.” Even her anger at the brunette can’t stop her concern, and the love she has for her.


“The Bronze was closed so we went to the beach. I walked back ‘cause I had to see you. I don’t wanna fight. I don’t like fighting with you. You’re my baby B.” She giggles a little bit after she says that, but then stops because of the pain. “Then I ran into a dick wad, and I was gonna make him pay.” All the talking is starting to get to her and she starts coughing. She grabs her at her ribs and Buffy tries to comfort her, but she’s too afraid to touch her.


“Faith, who’s the dick wad? Who did she try to fight?” She has an idea, and she’s praying that she’s wrong. ‘Faith wouldn’t act that stupid, right? Then again she is drunk so anything is possible.’ She watches as Faith’s eyes close, and then flutter open. ‘I hope she doesn’t have a concussion. Concussions can kill people right? Or they can put them in comas, or cause permanent brain damage? Why didn’t I pay attention in health class?’


“Baby I tried to get him back. But I’ll try again. Nobody hurts my girl and gets away with it.” ‘Oh my God, she tried to beat up Percy? Is she psychotic? No, she’s just drunk. See, this is why I didn’t want her going out and drinking with her friends. I knew something like this was going to happen. Before the blonde can say anything, her mother walks into the room, interrupting their moment and making the blonde slightly irritated.


“Your brother isn’t at the motel, I left a message with the desk clerk, but there’s no telling when he’ll get back.” Buffy looks down at her hand when she feels something move. She smiles one of those little half smiles when she sees Faith trying to be sneaky about holding her hand. ‘Even when she’s drunk and beat to hell she’s still really sweet,’ she thinks and then looks into the brunette’s eyes.


“Faith we need to get you to the hospital.” When the brunette starts to protest the older woman’s maternal instincts kick in. ‘Uh oh, she did it now,’ Buffy thinks and glances over at Faith with a little bit of fear, and a lot of sympathy in her eyes. “Faith, you are going to the hospital and you are going to get checked out by a doctor and that’s final. Do you understand me?” When Faith doesn’t respond Joyce steps forward with her hands on her hips, and a look of steel in her eyes. “I said: do you understand me?” Her tone is stern but not harsh.


“Yes ma’am,” Faith says and holds onto Buffy’s hand a little tighter then before. Buffy smiles a little bit. ‘Aw, she’s afraid of my mom. Well she should be. Mom can be damn scary when she wants to be and she knows it.’ “Are we leaving right now? I just wanna sit and sit with B.” ‘Awww, she’s so damn sweet. Wait, you’re supposed to be mad at her remember? Percy is a psychotic freak. She could have been killed for God’s sake! But it’s so hard to be mad at her when she looks so broken, and she’s being so sweet. I guess I’ll be mad at her later.’