Take a Chance 6: Gambles of the Heart
Author: Lucinda
rating: pg/pg 13
sixth in 'Take a Chance' series
pairing: Faith/Bill Weasley
disclaimer: I hold no legal rights to any characters from Buffy/Angel or to any characters from the Harry Potter books.
distribution: TNL, Twisting the Hellmouth, Paula, anyone else just ask.
notes: probably AU-ish for Faith, set roughly season 3 A:tS/s7 BtVS, post book 4 HP, not in England.
Egypt had been... well, hot. They'd taken the time to learn more about each other, now that they could actually mention everything. Bill told her about growing up as a wizard, about going to a school that taught magic. Faith told him about discovering that she would be a Slayer, about loosing her first watcher to Kakistos. They gradually had shared almost everything about their lives. Faith had even told him a little bit about her time with Dick Wilkins, only sketchy details, but enough to know that he'd been on the wrong side of the line between right and wrong. And that she'd been right there with him.
She hadn't quite known how to handle it when he forgave her for that. He'd agreed that it had been a very bad thing to have done, but she wasn't the same person that she'd been a few years ago, she'd grown, and learned. That it was their pasts that made them who they were, both the good parts and the bad. While he didn't have anything quite that bad in his past, he accepted that she did, that she was trying to be a better person. With a smile, Bill remembered how she hadn't wanted to believe that he could still accept her.
Her eyes had been filled with pain, and her voice had almost trembled as she'd looked at him. "How can you still look at me like that, now that you know? When you know what I've done? That I killed... that I killed people? Just because they were in Dick's way?"
Bill had reached out for her, trying not to wince when Faith had swatted his hand away, her eyes shimmering with tears and pain. "Faith... It doesn't change who you are now. It just... it's part of your past, of what made you who you are today."
"I've done horrible things." She'd pulled her arms close to her, as if trying to hug herself, or maybe crush out the dark memories.
He put his hand on her shoulder, feeling the way her muscles had quivered. "We've all done things that we regret. Everyone's done things that they wished later they hadn't. It doesn't change how I feel. It doesn't take away from the fact that you're trying to help people, to make things safer."
"But how can you stand it? Knowing what I've done..." She'd looked almost lost. Apparently, Faith wasn't very confident about emotions, or counting on people.
Carefully, he'd pulled her close, as if she was incredibly fragile, a shape of spun glass. "I can stand it because you're you. Because... I love you, Faith."
She'd gasped then, looking up at him with this stunned look on her face, as if she couldn't quite believe what he'd said. "Bill? I could have sworn that you just... but you wouldn't... couldn't... could you?"
"I love you, Faith." He'd kissed her cheek, just a light touch, but it was intended to reassure her. "I'm not sure when it happened, or how I could fall for you so quickly, but it's true. I love you."
Her smile had been worried and hopeful all at the same time. "Not very wise..."
"Love isn't wise. It just... is." He'd sighed, leaning against her, breathing in her scent. "And I love you. I was sort of hoping... maybe we could build a future together. Maybe get married, maybe have kids. If you'd like."
"What, the whole white picket fence, nice lawn type thing?" She'd looked amazed, and a little happy. Wistful, actually, as if she'd never dared hope for something like that after discovering that she was a Slayer.
"I don't know about the whole picket fence thing, but... maybe a nice little cottage somewhere, some flowers, maybe some little kids with dark red hair..." He'd let his fingers start tracing over her hand. "I think my family would like you."
Her eyes had started to sparkle with hope, and a few tears had spilled out, looking like stars on her cheeks. "I think I'd like a nice little cottage with you."
Bill smiled, remembering that exchange. Faith was so worried about the future, about how his family would view her, if she would live long enough to have those children, if they could be happy together. She was standing next to him, her hand clutching his arm tightly, hard enough that a corner of his mind wondered if there would be bruises. "Don't worry, they'll love you."
"I hope so. I really, really hope so." Faith's words were no more than a nervous whisper.
A voice called through the air, catching their attention. "Bill? Bill, where are you?"
Smiling, Bill looked at Faith. "Time to introduce you to mother."
Faith gave a slightly trembling smile back, and took a breath, trying to calm herself. "Right… time to meet your mother. Here we go."
And with that, they stepped forward, ready for the future.
End Take a Chance 6: Gambles of the Heart
Author: Lucinda
rating: pg/pg 13
sixth in 'Take a Chance' series
pairing: Faith/Bill Weasley
disclaimer: I hold no legal rights to any characters from Buffy/Angel or to any characters from the Harry Potter books.
distribution: TNL, Twisting the Hellmouth, Paula, anyone else just ask.
notes: probably AU-ish for Faith, set roughly season 3 A:tS/s7 BtVS, post book 4 HP, not in England.
Egypt had been... well, hot. They'd taken the time to learn more about each other, now that they could actually mention everything. Bill told her about growing up as a wizard, about going to a school that taught magic. Faith told him about discovering that she would be a Slayer, about loosing her first watcher to Kakistos. They gradually had shared almost everything about their lives. Faith had even told him a little bit about her time with Dick Wilkins, only sketchy details, but enough to know that he'd been on the wrong side of the line between right and wrong. And that she'd been right there with him.
She hadn't quite known how to handle it when he forgave her for that. He'd agreed that it had been a very bad thing to have done, but she wasn't the same person that she'd been a few years ago, she'd grown, and learned. That it was their pasts that made them who they were, both the good parts and the bad. While he didn't have anything quite that bad in his past, he accepted that she did, that she was trying to be a better person. With a smile, Bill remembered how she hadn't wanted to believe that he could still accept her.
Her eyes had been filled with pain, and her voice had almost trembled as she'd looked at him. "How can you still look at me like that, now that you know? When you know what I've done? That I killed... that I killed people? Just because they were in Dick's way?"
Bill had reached out for her, trying not to wince when Faith had swatted his hand away, her eyes shimmering with tears and pain. "Faith... It doesn't change who you are now. It just... it's part of your past, of what made you who you are today."
"I've done horrible things." She'd pulled her arms close to her, as if trying to hug herself, or maybe crush out the dark memories.
He put his hand on her shoulder, feeling the way her muscles had quivered. "We've all done things that we regret. Everyone's done things that they wished later they hadn't. It doesn't change how I feel. It doesn't take away from the fact that you're trying to help people, to make things safer."
"But how can you stand it? Knowing what I've done..." She'd looked almost lost. Apparently, Faith wasn't very confident about emotions, or counting on people.
Carefully, he'd pulled her close, as if she was incredibly fragile, a shape of spun glass. "I can stand it because you're you. Because... I love you, Faith."
She'd gasped then, looking up at him with this stunned look on her face, as if she couldn't quite believe what he'd said. "Bill? I could have sworn that you just... but you wouldn't... couldn't... could you?"
"I love you, Faith." He'd kissed her cheek, just a light touch, but it was intended to reassure her. "I'm not sure when it happened, or how I could fall for you so quickly, but it's true. I love you."
Her smile had been worried and hopeful all at the same time. "Not very wise..."
"Love isn't wise. It just... is." He'd sighed, leaning against her, breathing in her scent. "And I love you. I was sort of hoping... maybe we could build a future together. Maybe get married, maybe have kids. If you'd like."
"What, the whole white picket fence, nice lawn type thing?" She'd looked amazed, and a little happy. Wistful, actually, as if she'd never dared hope for something like that after discovering that she was a Slayer.
"I don't know about the whole picket fence thing, but... maybe a nice little cottage somewhere, some flowers, maybe some little kids with dark red hair..." He'd let his fingers start tracing over her hand. "I think my family would like you."
Her eyes had started to sparkle with hope, and a few tears had spilled out, looking like stars on her cheeks. "I think I'd like a nice little cottage with you."
Bill smiled, remembering that exchange. Faith was so worried about the future, about how his family would view her, if she would live long enough to have those children, if they could be happy together. She was standing next to him, her hand clutching his arm tightly, hard enough that a corner of his mind wondered if there would be bruises. "Don't worry, they'll love you."
"I hope so. I really, really hope so." Faith's words were no more than a nervous whisper.
A voice called through the air, catching their attention. "Bill? Bill, where are you?"
Smiling, Bill looked at Faith. "Time to introduce you to mother."
Faith gave a slightly trembling smile back, and took a breath, trying to calm herself. "Right… time to meet your mother. Here we go."
And with that, they stepped forward, ready for the future.
End Take a Chance 6: Gambles of the Heart