Note: Just another little clue to the mystery.

Chapter Twenty-Eight -- Prisoner

"You know, I really didn't order a headache today. Come back tomorrow." Looking around the cell, the woman didn't know where she was being held. She just knew that her head hurt.

"Room service?" she quipped, but no response. She tried prying the bars open, but they wouldn't budge. Her arms felt tired. The rest of her weary. She wanted to stay awake, feeling like she'd been asleep for a long, long time.

Wanting a shower was on the top of her list at the moment. It had been weeks it seemed and blood still matted her hair.

"Yuck," she cried out as she pulled her fingers through her hair. "Hey, could I just have some water here, fellas. Getting a little rank." No response.

Although the next day, someone did respond. Two huge creatures led her up a dank corridor into a blank room. As soon as a demon closed the one door, another slid open.

"Welcome, Ms. Summers. And how has your stay been so far?"

Faith tried to cool it with Wesley, but she just couldn't keep her hands off of him. Even as they were loading the SUV to take off, she'd touch his back, his arm. And he hadn't said anything about it.

When she had first started touching him after the both of them were injured, she could tell that it sometimes bothered him. Was it because of being alone for such a long period of time or was it her?

But he gradually became more comfortable around her. Now though with the mind reading thing getting stronger, would it just freak him out that she wanted to touch him, to read him about his feelings?

Her mother had only touched her to hit her. On those rare occasions that she did hug her, Faith had thought that she had won the lottery. It never lasted that long. Faith's mother would go back to her old ways much too quickly. And Faith would have to hide again when her mother would come home in a drunken rage.

But she wasn't hiding this time, or running as she often did when people came too close to the truth. She'd done that way too much in her life.

She'd run from Wesley once before, in Sunnydale. Not taking his advice and running to the Mayor had almost killed everyone, including Wes. And it put her in that months long coma.

Then she ran from Sunnydale after waking up from the coma and causing havoc in B's life once again. Once in Los Angeles, her watcher had tried to get through to her, only for her to torture him. She didn't want his help then. Somehow Angel had gotten through to her finally. Not sure why he did.

Wesley had finally gotten through to her less than a year before. He talked her language then. Oh, he always knew her in the sense that he understood what drove her. He just didn't know how to express to her how he felt about her or she about him.

Now, they were over that hurdle. She still worried though if he really had forgiven her for the wounds she had inflicted. Only time would tell.

Sitting in the car, waiting for Wesley to finish pumping the gas that would get them the hell out of there, Faith had an epiphany. She'd make it up to him somehow, some way. She wanted the stubborn ex-watcher in her life. Did he want the same?

"Let's move out," Wesley encouraged the others as he climbed into the driver's seat.

"They actually had gas?" Dawn asked.

"Yes."

"But how'd you . . . ." Dawn didn't get to finish her sentence because someone came running after them, down the street they were driving.

Connor smirked. "Damn, he got loose."

"Did you just steal that gas?" Faith couldn't believe her eyes. Her watcher had turned into a common criminal. Wesley just smiled.

"You know that's not acceptable." Faith almost did laugh, but she didn't want Dawn or Connor to see it.

"When this is over, I'll pay him back. It's just we couldn't meet his payment."

Connor snorted from the backseat. "Stupid jerk."

"And what was the payment?" Dawn asked, very curious to know.

"An hour alone with the quote cheap whore you have riding in the front seat with you, unquote." Wesley grabbed her hand to steady her.

"I'm not cheap, mister. When this is over, I will go back and pound his ass into the ground."

"Let's just say that Wesley gave him some things to think about." Connor had been there, so he knew what had happened. She'd drill the kid later on the specifics.

Dawn quickly changed the subject, talking to Wesley about the roundabout route they were to take. "How are you supposed to notify your contact?"

Faith pulled out a small item from her bra. "Activate this within two miles of the site and they should send someone to pick us up. Supposed to take a few hours."

"Let's just hope no one discovered the transmitter?" Wesley pointed out.

"Worry wart. It'll work. Trust me."

Did she trust the military? No. Did she trust Giles? Yes. He'd set this up. He'd get them out.

"He'd better," Wesley mumbled under his breath. He wasn't touching her at the time.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing, darling."

She'd ask him later. If they didn't even have to touch each other, then they had a problem. Nothing would be secret. Every stray thought would be out there for both to analyze. She didn't want to be in his brain 24/7 and she was sure he wouldn't either. They'd just have to learn how to control it. Before it became a problem in their relationship.

TBC

OK, never have written Buffy. Hope it was OK.