Electricity flows

Chapter Six-In the Dark

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Buffy kept her eyes closed and her head resting back against the wall and she tried not to shiver because it hurt all over. Her brain felt like it was swimming away with the fishes. She could hear Faith rustling around beside her.

‘Please don’t let her be taking her t-shirt off.’ The blonde thought uneasily. She opened one eye half way and peeked. It took a second for her vision to clear, and then she couldn’t see Faith at all.

‘Okay so is no Faith preferable to a topless Faith.’ She wondered and couldn’t make up her mind.

Her eye closed all the way again, it wasn’t worth the pain of peeking if there was nothing to see, and weakly called out. “Faith.”

“I’m right here, Twinkie, keep it down a bit yeah.” It sounded like Faith was somewhere in front of her, but with the topsy-turvy her head was pulling, Buffy couldn’t be sure.

“Why’s it so dark in here?” She asked.

“It’s not that dark.” Came Faith’s reply. “I can’t light any candles, cause we’re supposed to be hiding.”

It seemed pretty dark to Buffy. The darkness seemed oppressive against her closed eyelids. She wet her dry lips with an equally dry tongue. “Why are you all the way over there?”

She heard a little thump. Faith jumping to the floor? And then footstep coming towards her. “I was just scoping out the situation. The window’s up there are pretty filthy and the rains still coming down pretty heavy so its difficult to see stuff, but I can still make out them searching, so – looks like we’re stuck here for a while.”

Faith’s voice seemed to be getting quieter even though Buffy had just felt the dark Slayer sit down next to her. Close enough that they could share body heat. Buffy let her head slump sideways onto the other girl’s shoulder. “Okay.”

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“Buffy! Buffy! Stay awake, will you.”

Someone was shaking her roughly and the blonde Slayer thought she might be sick.

“I’m awake, jeez what’s you’re problem, Mom.” She groaned out.

“Very funny, B. Now sit up properly. It’s not safe for you to go to sleep.”

It finally filtered through to Buffy that it was Faith that was annoying the hell out of her. She pulled away from the rough shaking and hissed in pain as she did so.

“Cut it out Faith, I’m awake. What’s the drama; anyway, I was only having a nap.”

“And you don’t think that you falling asleep while we’re in the middle of a hostage situation is inappropriate?”

“Hostage situation?” If she didn’t hurt so much, Buffy would have laughed. “They don’t even know where we are. They’ll get bored soon enough and then we’ll be free to go. Until then I just need to close my eyes.” She tried to snuggle back onto Faith’s shoulder, but the brunette shuffled out of the way.

“B, you’re concussed, you have to stay awake. Please?”

Buffy compromised. “Okay, talk to me and I’ll talk to back. Just… just my head is really dizzy and I need to rest it. Can I?”

She waited until Faith shifted back towards her before leaning into her side and laying her head down. She felt an arm go around her back and another around her middle keeping her there and she relaxed into the offered warmth.

“See, that’s better.” She murmured.

“Stay awake.” It was said softly, right next to her ear, and it made Buffy smile.

“Am.”

“I don’t think they’re gonna get bored any time soon.” Said Faith. “They seemed pretty intent on taking us out, you out especially, and there were tons of them. They just kept coming.”

“We can get Giles to look into it tomorrow. It’s probably another Hellmouth Holiday thing, a couple of times a year it gets a little jumpy. What time is it?”

She felt Faith move her arm so she could look at her watch. “Nearly two.”

“It’ll be light in a few hours. They’ll have to leave then.”

“With this rain, that’s not definite. This storm keeps up past sunrise then they’ve got no reason to leave.”

Buffy could feel the cold shivers leaving her, chased away by the warmth in Faith’s arms. “Well, okay, people can live on candle wax, can’t they? And the undead can’t hang around forever. Well I guess they could in theory.” Her voice trailed off, aware that she was babbling. She rubbed her cheek against the damp material of Faith’s shirt and fell silent, listening to the steady drumming of the rain on the top of the crypt and Faith’s breathing. It was all pretty peaceful really.

“How are you feeling?” Faith had turned her head to speak directly into Buffy’s ear again. The hand that was resting across her stomach began to lightly rub her side. “Staying with me?”

Buffy nodded against Faith and swallowed thickly. “A bit light-headed, it hurts, guess the Slayer healing hasn’t kicked in yet, but I’m warmer now, less likely that I’ll die of hypothermia, so thanks.”

“Where does it hurt?” Asked Faith.

“My ankle. Pretty much everywhere. My side mostly, across my ribs.” Faith’s wandering hand moved up slightly too gently trace over the painful area. “Yeah, about there.” Buffy hissed. “I think, I don’t know…He had a knife, maybe he…”

“He stabbed you?” Suddenly Faith was up on her knees, holding Buffy away from her so she could check her over, but it was to dark to make out more than outlines and shades.

“I don’t know. I don’t remember him stabbing me, but then I don’t remember you rescuing me either.” There was enough light to see Faith smile at that.

“You realised it was me then?” The teasing note was back in the brunette’s voice.

Buffy smiled sheepishly. “Yeah.” She said softly.

Faith looked at her for a real long time without moving or saying anything. Long enough for Buffy to start slipping away again, even in the uncomfortable position Faith was holding her in.

Finally the brunette spoke. “Are you bleeding?”

Buffy came around again at the sound. “Um, I don’t know I can’t tell.”

“Well, are you wet?”

“Faith, now is hardly the time for those kinds of thoughts.” Buffy tried to chuckle, but it turned into a cough which made her sit forward in pain.

“Buffy, see what you get for trying to be funny, I keep telling you to leave it to me before you hurt yourself. Now, are you wet anywhere other than there?”

Buffy rolled her half-closed eyes. “Faith, I’m drenched all over.”

“Heh, always knew I was good.”

Buffy managed to summon the energy to thwap Faith on the arm and the brunette chuckled, delving inside a pocket for something. She pulled out a Zippo lighter.

“Open the coat, I wanna see if there’s any blood.” She instructed.

“What if someone sees it?” Buffy asked, but did as she was told.

“Then I’ll have to fight them. Better that, than sit here with you until you bleed to death. It’s bad enough sharing with the dead body in the coffin thingy, without two.” Faith flicked the lighter on and held it close to Buffy’s shirt.

“Sarcophagus.” The blonde could feel the heat of the flame across her tummy.

“Guzuntite.” Offered Faith. She pulled a face. “Hard to tell with the mud-coating, can you open your shirt.”

It was Buffy’s turn to look at Faith for a real long time in the light of the flickering Zippo, looking for anything in her expression that was more than honest concern. She didn’t find anything, but she wasn’t to sure she could trust her own instincts at the moment.

“If you’re stabbed then I need to check the wound.” Faith told her matter-of-factly and she had to admit the dark Slayer was right.

Buffy made her decision and slowly began un-buttoning her shirt, wincing every time the wet material rubbed against her ribs. “And I can do this, because I did remember to wear a bra today.” She joked to hide the slight embarrassment at showing said bra to Faith. At least it was one of her nicer ones.

Buffy looked into the darkness over Faith’s shoulder as she opened her shirt to reveal her chest, tummy and ribs, but her eyes darted back to the brunettes when she let out a long low whistle.

“Yeah I know, nice rack.” Buffy huffed sarcastically, trying to pull her shirt closed again.

Faith stopped her. “No…” Off of Buffy’s look of offence she quickly swept her eyes across her covered breasts. “Well, yeah, actually I guess, but I mean…”

“You guess?” Buffy was still feebly trying to close her top back up.

“Buffy, will you focus.” Faith slapped at her hands to get them out of the way before she burned herself on the lighter. “He got you good. He didn’t stab you he sliced you, about three inches long, and deep too. It would be worse, but it looks like it scraped over your ribs. Still pretty deep.”

“Oh.”

Faith pulled off her other boot to remove the sock she was still wearing. “You’re gonna have me naked soon, B.” She said with a wiggle of her eyebrows as she wadded the sock up and held it to the long cut.

Buffy grimaced as she applied pressure to it. “Yeah you wish.” She muttered.

“For fucks sake Buffy, you have fucking wonderful lovely delicious looking breasts. Now will you stop sulking like a little baby?” Faith laughed.

“Like I care what you think?” Buffy muttered under her breath.

Faith heard loud and clear. “Well if you don’t care so much then why are you…” The brunette’s words died in her throat and she flipped the lid of the Zippo shut. “Damn.”

She put a finger to her lips to silence the blonde, but Buffy had heard the sudden commotion outside. Running footsteps, splashes, raised voices. It sounded like a rave meet outside the crypt. All that was missing was the music.

“How many.” Buffy breathed.

“Fuck knows.” Faith breathed back.

The both jumped a little when the serious pounding started on the door.