The wind blew lightly at her hair causing a few strands to fall across her face. She wasn’t sure whether she should feel happy or sad looking down into the crater that used to be her home and life. Maybe one day this won’t feel so horrible and she’ll be able to see the good they did here. It’s hard knowing that not everyone made it out, but then again they made the ultimate sacrifice, one that she’s had to make herself before. Still she couldn’t suppress a smile at the new freedom she was feeling.

 

The earth seemed to spin in front of her, Buffy closed her eyes in an attempt to focus her vision but it didn’t help. Looking down she noticed the blood soaking through her shirt and remembered that she’d been stabbed. Her adrenaline had carried her this far but the blood loss was beginning to get to her. She swayed a little and her knees began to buckle underneath her.

 

‘Ummmm I think I need to sit.’ She mumbled before blacking out.

 

Faith was immediately at Buffy’s side, catching the slayer and picking her up into her arms. Turning around she walked quickly back to the bus, carrying her inside and laying her down in the last seat. The others had quickly followed behind.

 

‘Shit.’ She cursed under her breath as she lifted Buffy’s shirt to expose the wound. ‘We’re goneedneed to stitch her up and stop this bleeding.’ Turning Buffy over on her side a little she cursed again. Faith grabbed the bandages Kennedy handed her and covered the wound on Buffy’s back first. Gently she rolled Buffy onto her back and put pressure on the wound on her stomach. The others watched as Faith’s guard dropped and her fingers trailed down Buffy’s cheek gently. Her concern was evident and they were all a little taken aback..

 

‘We should probably take them to the nearest hospital.’ Giles spoke, breaking the silence.

 

‘How far is that?’ Dawn asked weakly, she was trying desperately not to cry.

 

‘Well…. I’m not sure. I could take a look at the map.’

 

‘Just start driving! Sitting here talking isn’t gonna help her any. Get this fuckin thing moving.’ Faith growled at them. She still had her back to them, one hand in Buffy’s hair at the top of her head.

 

‘Faith I think we should…….’ Giles started.

 

‘Just drive.’ She wouldn’t let him finish, she didn’t want to hear anything he had to say. Giles stood there a moment before walking to the front of the bus and starting the engine. ‘Xander go make sure everyone’s on the bus.’ He left without a hesitation. ‘Red, you stay here, everyone else go sit down and make sure everyone’s taken care of.’

 

‘Faith you can’t….’

 

‘Go make sure the other girl’s are all bandaged up ok.’ She cut off Dawn, but tried her best not to sound harsh. ‘Please, there’s nothing you can do for her right now.’ Faith finally turned and looked at the younger girl. Dawn was trying to wipe the tears from her eyes. ‘Don’t worry she’ll be ok.’ The young girl looked at her a moment before finally deciding to do what Faith said.

 

‘Think you can do anything. You know some kinda magic shit.’ Faith turned and looked at Willow. The bus began to move and they jerked forward slightly.

 

‘I…. I don’t know Faith, I mean I don’t know the extent of the wound. There could be organs and things and I don’t know if I can heal something like this. I mean I’ve never tried to do it before and I’m no expert. She would really probably be better off at a hospital where they can make sure everything is ok. I’m not a doctor and again I’ve never done something like this…’

 

‘Ok, ok just help me stop the bleeding would ya.’ Faith sighed as Willow’s babbling stopped. They cleaned Buffy’s wound and attempted to stitch them. The unsteady ride made things difficult, but they managed to sew the wounds shut. ‘You better go see about the others.’ Faith said sitting down and putting Buffy’s head in her lap. Willow looked at her a moment and could see something she hadn’t seen before. There was love and concern in the brunettes eyes. Willow wondered what exactly had happened between the two slayers in the last couple of days.

 

Faith watched the witch walk away and sighed. Her fingers traced down Buffy’s cheek, she felt like crying but wasn’t going to let a single tear fall, it wouldn’t help Buffy any. They really shouldn’t go to a hospital, too many questions. And then she remembered. There was one place they could go.

 

‘Hey someone give me a cell!’

 

 

************************

 

Mumbling in the distance brings me slowly out of the darkness. Hesitantly I open my eyes, not wanting the sun to blind me, but there’s no light. Ok, now I’m confused, I have no idea where I am. It takes a few moments for my eyes to adjust but I soon realize I’m in a hotel room. All my senses begin to focus again and I realize the mumbling was just the tv. It’s blue light casts shadows everywhere.

 

‘Grrrrrr.’ Pain shoots through my side when I try to sit up, so I don’t. ‘God that hurts.’ I mumble into the darkness.

 

‘Huh wha?’ Faith bolts upright next to me. I didn’t even realize she was there asleep. ‘Are you ok?’ She asks with urgency. Her eyes seem to be glowing at me, but it’s probably just the light from the tv.

 

‘Ummm well I’m alive so I guess so.’ She looks relieved. ‘I am alive right?’ Hey I’m not taking any chances.

 

‘Yeah B you’re alive.’ Faith’s trademark grin shows itself.

 

‘Where are we, where’s everyone else.’ She helps me into a sitting position so I’m leaning against the headboard of the bed.

 

‘We’re in L.A. This is some swanky hotel Angel set up for us. Everyone’s got rooms.’ She’s looking at me intently. ‘You sure you’re ok?’

 

‘Yeah I think so, what happened?’

 

‘Well lets see, you passed out and I caught ya before you hit the ground. Me an Red tried to fix you up best we could. Giles thought we should take you to a hospital but I thought it might kinda be a bad idea. So I called Angel, told him the deal and he said he’d take care of everything. We got you a real good doctor who fixed you up and the others.’ She stopped a moment. ‘Couldn’t save Wood though. Angel paid for the hotel, food, clothes, anything else we need till we can get where we’re goin. He also said he’d see what he could do about the cops, find a way to take care of the whole breaking outta prison thing.’

 

‘Well……… a lots happened, how long have I been out?’

 

‘Five days.’

 

‘What?’

 

‘Yeah, scared us, didn’t think you were gonna make.’ I can see the pain in her eyes. I really did scare her.

 

‘I’m sorry.’

 

‘For what?’

 

‘For scaring you.’ Faith doesn’t say anything, just looks away for a minute.

 

‘Just don’t do it again.’ She says looking at me with a grin. I can’t help but grin back.

 

‘Ughhhhh.’ I clutch my side. ‘So much for slayer healing.’ I also notice I have an IV in my arm. ‘What’s this for?’

 

‘You lost a lot of blood and everything, it’s fluids or some shit cus you know you’ve been ummm unconscious. It was pretty nasty, if you weren’t a slayer you wouldn’t have made it.’ She leans forward and kisses my forehead. I smile slightly. So is this the real Faith? ‘Hey lemme get you something to drink.’ She gets up from the bed and opens a small fridge at one end of the room. After a second she closes it and returns, handing me a bottle of coke and then sits next to me.

 

I turn my eyes to the TV. It’s Robin Williams, an old HBO special. We sit in silence for awhile. ‘What happens now?’ I ask and I’m actually a little afraid of the answer. If Angel takes care of the police I’m sure she wants to leave.

 

‘I dunno, you’re not going to be doing anything till you’re healed.’ She looks at me with a serious expression.

 

‘Don’t think I could if I wanted to.’ Faith’s eyes turn back to the TV and so do mine. ‘What happens………….’ I don’t really know if I want to ask this. ‘What happens with you, with….. us?’ Are we really an us, I mean I don’t know exactly what we are right now. There’s a moment of silence and both of us keep our eyes on the TV.

 

‘I guess that’s up to you. If you want me around I’ll stay, if you don’t I can leave.’ She breaths in deeply. ‘But it’d be hard to leave.’ I don’t think I can let her run away from me again. I guess I should give this a chance now that we have so much more to live for, it’s like we’re free.

 

‘I want you around.’ I look over at her and she’s grinning back at me.

 

‘Good cus I don’t think I’d leave anyway.’ She leans forward and kisses my lips softly. It feels so good and I realize I miss her lips. Faith pulls away a little and looks at me. ‘I think the others know about us.’

 

‘Wait, did they really hear me scream?’ Oh my god, I can’t believe they heard me scream. Faith begins to laugh and she sits back. Why does she find this so funny? Of course she probably wouldn’t care if anyone heard her, but this is me we’re talking about.

 

‘I don’t think they heard, well no ones said anything. No they kinda looked at me weird when I was taking care of you and everything.’

 

‘You took care of me?’ I smile at her.

 

‘Of course I did, you’re kinda you know, my girl.’ She looks back at the TV and I can tell she’s blushing.

 

‘You’re too cute Faith.’ I grin at her.

 

‘Shut up.’ She smiles a little but doesn’t look at me. I turn my attention back to the TV. I feel Faith’s hand slowly slide over to mine and grab hold of it. She squeezes it a little and I feel so safe right now here with her. Just me and Faith watching TV in the dark. Faith begins laughing hard at the TV and I’m trying my best not to laugh, it hurts just to breath right now. She’s so happy and that just makes me even happier. I don’t remember the last time I saw her like this, I’m not sure I ever saw her like this. She scoots a little closer and rests our hands on her thigh. Well I guess tonight is the beginning of my, no, our new life. I think I like how it’s turning out already.