Disclaimer: Joss owns the BTVS series. I on the other hand own nothing other than the videos I brought from Amazon. Which in a sense helped his rather large fortune that he earning off his brilliant idea. That kinda puts a downer on my VHS's.

Title: Tired Hearts

A/N: WAHOO! I got my five reviews I asked for so now I'm gonna start writing, thank you to the five who reviewed and to everyone else who didn't review and read the story! Feeling rather thankful today, don't know why! Feel like I've been excluding Xander and Faith and Ted over the last few chapters so I hope this one will make up for it! Luv you all Mel xx

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            Faith woke up smothered by Ted, she never kissed him, and she never slept with him or relieved him in any way. But still when she woke up she would find herself being hugged tightly, and Ted's annoying snored that sounded like little hiccups and grating sighs. Slowly she slid away from him. The last few weeks he had been really strange, always touching her then leaving in complete silence, he seemed really interested in the case of that girl that was murdered as well. Though he never showed it. He would pretend to have no emotions then when Faith went to flick the T.V he would growl.

            Ted felt Faith move and felt he was missing his arm. She was everything to him. He couldn't believe when he had discovered she had cheated. And still she was meeting him, that black haired boy who was a cook in a diner in Purley. Oh he had followed them, watched them chat and laugh. He watch them make their way to his home, he knew what they were doing. She had stopped having sex with him long ago. Just to be with her was all he needed, but he wouldn't share her. He couldn't share her. He hated that boy using his Faith, how could he love her like Ted did. It wasn't possible.

            Faith got dressed in the bathroom and put on her make-up she was spending the day with Xander and was pretending to go shopping with her friends. She finished her lipstick and walked downstairs. Ted was standing in his boxers, the vision nearly making Faith sick. He walked towards her with his shoulders hunched and a bend in his knee almost imitating the way they walked in western movies! It took a lot not to burst out laughing or to be sick. His soft hands began to wander over her shoulders, which were bear due to her wearing a vest top.

"Faith, I want you, it's been so long." His voice sounded slimy and fake.

"I'm going out, and I can't be late, I'm meeting my mates, so later yeah?" her tone brook no arguments but Ted wasn't going to back down. She had been fooling around behind his back and still she wouldn't let him have his way, but if she wouldn't let him, he would have to make her. His grip tightened on the tops of her arms and he lifted her effortlessly off of the floor. Faith felt something take over her and her usual strong self-surge away from her, she felt empty and useless. He threw her roughly over his shoulder and carried her up the stairs.

"Ted let me go please." She begged. She began pounding against his back,

"Ted please, let me go" She began to cry feeling defenceless against him, surly he wouldn't rape her? Her mind began to go on overdrive. Ted on the other hand was becoming unbearably hard. He reached the bedroom and chucked her from his shoulder to their bed.

"Why won't you sleep with me? What have I ever done wrong huh?" The silent threat didn't go unnoticed. He began to undo his buckle and Faith saw it as a moment to escape. She lurched from the bed, and ran to the bedroom door, Ted noticed and ran after her.

"Faith come back!" he yelled as she reached the bottom of the stairs. Without grabbing her coat she ran from the house and from the street. She stood at the bus stop and saw Ted heading in her direction as the bus pulled in. she jumped on the bus.

"Go, Please Go!" She yelled at the old bus driver. He began to pull off slowly and Faith sat down, she got off the bus in Purley and walked towards the Bistro.

            Xander was frying an egg for a regular. The egg had to be well done and have extra salt on. As he put the egg on the plate he thought of Faith she had been so shy on their last meeting. She was holding something back from him, but he was due to meet her on his hour lunch break. He would make her spill then! He really did love her, and she had him whipped. Tara came flying into the door and shocked Xander that he nearly dropped the breakfast on the plate. She collected her breath for a moment then looked up into Xander's face.

"Umm Xander, the- there's a G- girl outside, she's crying and wants you." Tara nervousness rubbed off onto Xander

"Girl… what girl?" Xander was shocked, other than Faith who would be asking for him? And it couldn't be Faith; she didn't seem the sort to cry. He gave the plate to Tara and walked slowly from the kitchen.

            Sitting on the chair in Willows office was Faith, her face blotchy and red.

"Faith baby? What's wrong?" Xander couldn't believe that face could ever be this upset. How could she be? What could make such a wonderful girl be so upset? He inched towards her. He cupped her face with his hands and kissed her red lips.

"Xander…" she paused and sniffed and then looked under heavy lids into his eyes.

"Don't say anything, let me talk when I'm finished then it's your turn. Ok?" Xander nodded and felt like his world was about to collapse, maybe she was pregnant, no she said she was on the pill. Maybe she was gay like Willow, and had only just found out. No that couldn't be it either. He stared into her eyes wondering what was going through her mind.

"Xand, hunny. I haven't told you the complete truth. You see…" Again she sniffed and sighed, "I live with some-one, or I did. You see I moved in with Ted after a one-night stand, he became my boyfriend and it seemed right…" Sticking to his promise he kept quiet, mostly it was because he was to stunned to talk. He thought that she was with him, he made love to her and he loved her and now she was telling him she had a boyfriend! It was unbelievable, it was a joke, that's it, it was joke she was pulling, but she wasn't laughing she was crying. She still had silent tears streaming down her face.

"But it wasn't I know that, I knew it before I met you. Then I met you and my world became bright, it was a laugh again, I could enjoy myself with you. I can enjoy myself with you. Your amazing, I've never met anyone like you…" Again she began to cry this time though on Xander's shoulder. He hated her for lying to him, but the love for her overwhelmed him.

He would forgive her anything just to stop her crying, but keeping to his promise again he stayed silent, she cried herself dry in his embrace. She didn't want to continue, she wanted to stay like this forever, in his warmth and kindness. When her sobs subsided he gently moved away and sat in the chair opposite her, he needed to know the rest. He still didn't understand why she was crying so much. He nodded his head to urge her to continue with her story.

"Ted, that's his name. He's weird always has been. But Xander believe me when I say I haven't slept with him, not while I've been with you… I didn't sleep with him before you came along so please believe me." And strangely enough he did. Xander believed her because if he didn't his whole world would collapse around him. Now he looked back he knew she hadn't he would have known surly.

"I never ever loved Ted… but you I feel something, something real, amazing and possessing. Every time I think of you I feel unstable, my stomach swells, my bits contract. Xander you do things to me that I've never felt before…" Xander was becoming quite proud that he did these things to her. He felt similar things when he thought of her.

"I don't have a job either. Sorry but I thought you'd think I was a slacker which in a sense I am, but I'll change, I promise…" Once again she sniffed softly. "I wanted to leave Ted but I had no where to go. No money to get a place, I had nothing. So I felt I had no choice. Which was so stupid I know! But this morning…" She began to trail of into another loud burst of crying, as her head fell to reach her breasts Xander caught it and made her look up to him, he kissed her lips in a soft tender loving kiss. One that astounded her, he wanted to talk but if he reassured her he'd begin to ask her questions and he wanted her to tell her everything before he needed to ask things. She smiled softly and he smiled back.

" Ted tried to rape me this morning." The bluntness was unreal. Xander could not believe what he was hearing, his dark queen, someone tried to hurt her. It couldn't be.

"I was coming out to meet you. I was going to walk. Then he dragged me up... Up... Upstairs and he chucked me on the bed. He kept asking why I wouldn't be with him and that's when I ran." She was in quiet hysterics now. Her eyes stung and her mouth was dry. She had finished now she didn't want to say anymore. She had told him what was important and that was as far as she was going today. It was as much as she could handle. Xander kissed her hand and everything else, when he got to her ear he whispered softly:

"I love you Faith." With that Faith's crying suddenly stopped, she turned her neck so fast it could have snapped,

"What did you say?" she asked very quietly, so it was almost inaudible.

"I love you." He smiled lazily and they kissed passionately. He stood up and gave her his keys to his apartment.

"Go back to mine, get showered, I brought you a few things I thought they'd suit you, I was gonna give them to you tonight, they're under my bed. Put them on even if you hate them. Then get some sleep and then I'll get tomorrow off and we'll go shopping. And we'll get a spare key cut… if that's ok with you?" he smiled again and she threw herself onto him into a tight embrace when Xander felt himself going blue he tapped Faiths shoulder and pointed towards his mouth.

"Oxygen… kinda need it!" Faith burst into giggles and kissed him on the cheek. They said their good byes and Faith got a cab to Xander's apartment. Once in she jumped straight into the shower and washed her hair with Xander's shampoo, she felt like she was in heaven.

            Once dry she walked over to the bedroom and jumped on the bed. She switched on the telly and instantly fell asleep. When she woke up she heard the door shut and jumped. She looked at the clock and thought that Xander would be home yet. She walked to the front door and around the studio flat and saw nothing was missing. The in the kitchen on the wooden cutting board was a note. Scribbled in crimson that was still wet were the words.

"Got one whore, where is the other?"

Faith changed and ran back to the Bistro. By the time she was there Xander was walking out of the door. He saw her and smiled but it soon disappeared when she told him about the note.

A/N Hey write a review! Please! Please write a review. I'll be eternally grateful! Please. I want another five at least. Until then no more chappys! Love you all Mel xx