Faith's POV
"Faith?"
Thank god she's all right.
"It's me Buffy, I'm here."
"Faith..."
She coughs.
"... are you all right?"
Am I all right? What kind of question is that?
"I'm fine I'm... I'm more worried about you. Are you okay?"
She sits up on her elbows and grimaces in pain as she grabs her lower ribs.
"I've had better days."
You should apologize, that's the right thing to do right?
"I-um... I'm s... I... are you gonna be okay?"
I couldn't get the words out. I can't remember the last time I apologized, for anything. Well, when I had a memory anyways.
She massages her ribs a bit as she sits up a little more.
"Yeah, I don't think you did any permanent damage. Plus hey, I heal quickly."
"Right, slayer healing is a hand skill. I still... I'm still... I..."
"Faith... is everything all right?"
"Yeah um... everything's fine."
"Everything doesn't sound fine."
"Well I'm better than you right now."
"I'm good, it's not like you put me in a coma or something."
No I didn't.
"No I didn't but I wanted to do much worse. Right up until you passed out I was ready, willing and able to kill you then and there."
She reaches out and takes my hand, pulling me up and I sit down on the edge of her bed.
"But you didn't and that says something about you."
"Yeah it tells me I don't have any guts."
She leans in closer.
"No, I think it means you're not as horrible a person as people want to believe."
I'm not quite sure how to take that.
"That you do care about someone other than yourself. And I'd like to think that maybe one of the reasons you couldn't kill me was because you care about me."
She reaches out with her other hand to touch my face and I pull away.
I'm not ready.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm... I don't mean to... it's just, my head is kinda messed up right now. I need some time to figure it all out. Buffy I, I don't fall in love. I just don't. So I mean, I'm not sure how it's supposed to feel or... or what I'm supposed to do about it. I do feel something for you, I just need time to figure out what it is and work things out."
"Are you gonna stay in town?"
"Yeah, I probably am."
I don't wanna make any promises, especially since I have a habit of breaking them.
"Then I guess I can live with that, Just, just do me one favor."
I smile at her.
"Depends on the favor."
She moves over to one side of the bed.
"Stay here... with me tonight. Just sleep next to me tonight."
"I'm not sure that's such a good idea. It could get kinda confusing."
"You're right, I shouldn't have asked. You need time, and asking you to do that isn't giving it to you. I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
There's an awkward silence between us as we sorta avoid each other with our eyes.
I did not need this.
Finally, she breaks the silence.
"What time is it?"
"I dunno..."
I look over at the clock on her nightstand.
"One o'clock at night."
"Oh... well that explains it."
"Explains what?"
"Why I'm so tired when I just woke up, I was only out for an hour."
Now that I think about it I'm pretty tired myself.
"I'm kinda tired too."
A lot happened today.
"Well we've been through a lot today."
"I guess."
"We should go to bed."
"Sounds like a plan."
I get off the bed and slip between my sheets on the floor. I lie on my side facing away from B and close my eyes. After a few moments of her rustling around it finally gets quiet and then...
"Good night Faith."
I'm trying to sleep.
"Un-hun."
Silence follows and I drift off.
Innocent Victim's POV
I hate walking home at night. You know you'd think a college campus would be safe at night, what with all the money we pay them. I should've gone home with that guy who was flirting with me at the party, at least then I wouldn't have to walk home alone like this. Then again I went home with the last 3 guys I just met at a party. I think 4 in a row might make me a slut.
I hear a rustling nearby and I turn around just in time to see a shadow disappear behind a far away tree. I start walking faster.
Ah screw it, next time a guy hits on me after dark I'm going home with him. Either that or I'm getting home before dark. No more of this walking home alone where any psycho with a gun can come kill me crap.
Another rustling, closer and louder than the last one. I start running.
I don't wanna know. I don't care who it is, I don't care what it is. All I care about is getting home to my dorm without being axe murdered to death.
I hear someone following me. I look behind me and a dark ominous figure is following me.
I don't wanna know.
I speed up my running, desperate to get away.
I don't wanna know, I don't.
I look back again and it's even closer.
I don't wanna know. I have to get back to my dorm room, I'll be safe there.
I see a sign at the corner of a four-way sidewalk.
Stevenson Hall this way. I'm almost there... it's just a little further.
I look behind me and there's nothing there.
That's bad.
I turn my head back to see where I'm going to just in time to get knocked down. I push my blonde hair out of my face and look up at what I ran into.
"W-Who are y-you?"
"My name is John..."
He puts out his hand to help me up and I take it.
Well at least he doesn't LOOK like an axe murderer.
"But who I am isn't important, what's more important is who you are. What's your name?"
"Betsy, Betsy Sanders... what, what are you doing out here in the middle of the night?"
It's kinda creepy after being chased by that thing, whatever it was.
"I could ask you the same question."
I look down at my clothes and they're kinda dirty. I start to dust them off.
"I just came from a party over at Lowell House. I was on my way back to my dorm."
I finally get the dust off and I readjust my skirt.
"You live over at Stevenson?"
"Un-hun."
"Great."
Hun?
"What do you mean great?"
I look up.
"Oh god, don't!"