Title: While you were Sleeping

Author: Kaylee's Teddy

Rating: PG

Spoilers: Set during Faith's coma in season 7. Spoilers for Buffy Season 7 and Angel season 4.

Summery: Buffy's reaction to Faith's final coma. Mildly angsty, mildly fuffy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy, Faith or anything else BTVS related. Joss said let there be scripts and they were good, they were very, very, good.

Note: Words in bold are quoted directly form graduation day part 2. They were written by Joss not me.

Buffy isn't worried. That isn't why she's here at three in the morning sitting in the dark corner across from Faith's bed, just like she's been for the past three nights. She isn't worried. Buffy strains to hear Faith's ragged breathing, afraid that this will be the night that the sound stops altogether, but she isn't worried.

Aren't these things supposed to take care of themselves?

Buffy listens briefly to the muttering from next door, someone apparently has rolled over into someone else's space. Too many girls crammed into too little area, made worse by the emptying of Faith's room. Nobody wants to sleep near the girl who may not wake up.

They are never going to fix this.

Buffy remembers the first one for its silence. Faith in real life always had some kind of background noise, the TV, loud music, tapping a pencil against the table in the library. Dream Faith is so quiet, a lot more like Faith now, actually.

Sorry, it's my head. A lot of new stuff.

Buffy remembers the second one mostly for its colors. Twelve straight hours of sitting next to Faith in the back of a greyhound watching purple swirls crawl along the walls and ceilings. "Don't drink the cool-aid." Faith had whispered and laughed. "Do you need me to drive?" Buffy queried hours (days?) later. Faith had shaken her head revealing two puncture wounds hiding near her collar, "We'll be getting a ride soon." And she'd grinned. Buffy had woken with a start, coated in sweat, sheets knotted around her ankles and wasn't surprised when Wesley called three hours later asking for Willow.

Scar tissue. It fades. It all fades.

Buffy walks to one of the windows, ostensibly to check on the girls camping in the back yard, but really making sure that Faith's chest is still rising at appropriate intervals, she isn't worried.

Human weakness - never goes away.

Buffy can just make out the lumpy shapes on the ground below, including one larger Xander shaped lump. Buffy smiles to herself, she's glad he volunteered for the position, they needed someone to stay with the girls and, as he put it, he's had a lot of experience being voluntarily evicted into the backyard.

There's something I'm supposed to be doing.

Buffy turns away from the window and steps closer to the bed, stares down at Faith, her face looking unnaturally pale in the low light. This time there's nothing, no empty apartments, no cryptic messages, and no colorful patterns against dingy grey upholstery.

Is this your mind or mine?

Buffy lays down quietly next to Faith, face down on top of the sheets, her head pillowed against her crossed arms. Buffy stares at the wide expanse of fabric that stretches between them. They've always needed so much space.

I'm pretty sure that's not what I meant.

Buffy knows she needs to rest, she wonders if she'd even notice if Faith stopped breathing, after all it's been a while since she slept near anyone who needed air.

You ready?

Buffy reaches across the bed to lay a hand on Faiths bicep, the warmth seeping into her hand is comforting and she tightens her grip slightly so she can feel the pulse just underneath the skin.

Just take what you need.

Buffy sneaks her hand back and climbs off the bed. The sun is just starting to come up and she feels ok leaving Faith alone in daylight. Buffy leaves the door open a crack and sneaks downstairs to crawl into bed with a still sleeping Spike. She isn't worried, but the blankness of her dreams is becoming increasingly disturbing.

Miles to go - Little Ms. Muffet counting down from 7-3-0.

Buffy closes her eyes and settles deeper into the mattress. She only has a couple of hours before she has to be up again. The scythe has given them a chance and they have to move fast to keep their advantage, every moment counts. She could use a full nights rest but even though she's tired Buffy knows that the next night will find her back in Faith's room, keeping watch over Faith's involuntary slumber. Because, Buffy finally admits, drawing Spikes arms around her for comfort, she's worried.