Well here's the next chapter. Have finished writing this story and have already started on the second part. I know some people are wondering about my other stories and they are put on hold because this one has seemed to taken a hold of me and it won't let go. So I'm hoping after writing the second installment I'll get back to it so please be patient. Gimme till September. I'm also hoping to start writing this a bit faster..... Here's hoping.
Anywho thanks to my reviewers
Btchiechrissie: this spark will be important in a few chapters. Faith knows what it is but Edge doesn't. you'll see soon. Thank you.
Polgara: Just you wait I'll get you addicted... muhahaha. I'm evil... I think you might eb saying poor chris again soon, but poor Faith as well. Nothing's ever easy.
Darklight: Yup a little of the old Faith and you just may seem more.
Jessica,: thanks for liking it.
Hugo: Thanks to you too.
Sigma1: I like d that part too. So u want to see how Faith reacts if she falls into her old ways. Read on, you'll see.
Thanks everyone. You guys rock.
--- --- ---
The show was nearing the end and Faith still hadn't gone back to Chris's room. She hadn't gone to Edge's either, thinking he was also hiding and if not, Chris was beating him up. She wasn't going to willingly walk into that. Instead she wandered around the backstage, hopelessly lost but knowing she'd eventually find her way back.
She stopped when she heard crying, not knowing what to do. She had never dealt with crying people. She decided to just walk away as if she had heard nothing but as she walked a few steps, she stopped, remembering what it felt like to be alone and have no one there. So with a small sigh, she turned around to search for the crying person.
Her search didn't last long as she came upon a small room with the door slightly opened. She pushed it open a bit more and stepped in.
"Lita?"
The red head stopped crying and looked up at her.
"What happened?"
"Y-You didn't see?"
Faith shook her head. "I've kinda been on the run."
Lita nodded before blurting out. "Matt asked me to marry him."
"That's good." Faith said but the red head shook her head.
"It's not? But I thought you guys were together and happy and pregnant."
Lita began to cry harder.
"And maybe I should've just kept quiet. What happened?"
Lita glared at her. "How do you expect me to tell you anything when you've been so secretive?"
"I don't know what you're talking about. I just wanted to help." She turned to leave.
"That wasn't a gang on PCP."
Faith stopped but didn't turn. "No it wasn't."
"Then why did you say it was?"
Faith turned around. "And what would you have me say?"
"The truth." Lita bit out. If only she had listened to her own advice.
Faith let out a small bitter laugh. "Are you ready to hear the truth?"
"I already know the truth."
"Then why wait for me to say it?"
"Because I wanted to confirm that you are what I think you are."
Faith didn't confirm or deny it. She crossed her arms and stared defiantly at Lita.
"You know." Lita continued. "When I was out with my neck injury, I spent a lot of time with family. One night, I was out with a couple of my cousins when we were stopped by this short blonde woman and an older English man. They said they wanted to talk."
Faith quietly swore.
"You know where I am going with this?" Lita asked.
Faith nodded.
"We talked and the next day my cousin packed up and left with these two people."
Faith's mouth opened in surprise. "Oh, I thought...."
"Me? No it was my cousin, Julie Dumas."
"Pix is your cousin?" Faith asked even more surprised. She knew this girl, was actually one of the few who talked to her.
"Pix?" Lita asked confused.
"Short for Pixie cause she's so small and stuff."
Lita nodded. "So you know Julie?"
Faith nodded. "Yeah, one of the few that I talked to."
"She's never mentioned you."
"Cause she doesn't know me as Faye-Elizabeth."
Lita opened her mouth to say something but Faith cut her off.
"Look Lita, I can't get into it right now but your cousin and I went to the same school. I'll tell you more when I can but now isn't the time. Besides we were talking about you."
Lita's eyes watered up again as soon as Faith steered the conversation back to her.
"Kane." Was all she said before bursting into tears again.
"What? Did he hurt you? Or Matt? Cause you know, I can take him."
Lita shook her head and Faith gave her time so she could calm down.
"Before Matt and I got together, again. Kane gave me an ultimatum. Either sleep with him or he'd destroy Matt. I said yes because I wanted to protect Matt."
She paused and took a deep shuddering breath.
"Matt proposed to me tonight in the ring but Kane showed up on the titantron and said the baby was his. Now Matt's all mad at me and he stormed out of the arena. I'm a horrible person." She wailed.
"No, you're not." Faith said, quietly sitting beside her. "I've done a helluva lot worse for a lot less. I don't think you did anything wrong except try to protect the man you love who you weren't even with."
"But he won't talk to me." Lita sobbed.
"Give him time. I'm sure it's a bit devastating but he loves you and I'm sure he'll come to love the baby as though it was his."
"It might be."
"Then hold onto that. If I learned anything at that stupid school, it's you need something to hold on to."
"Stupid? Julies loves that place."
"Yeah well that's cause Pix was new. Look I don't want to say anything more; you never know where those damn cameras are. When we get a chance, I'll tell you?"
Lita nodded and Faith stood, holding out a hand to help her up.
"You can ride with me and Chris back to the hotel. You should probably get some sleep."
Lita nodded and let herself be led out into the hall and to Chris' locker room.
"Where the hell have you been?" Chris asked as soon Faith entered.
She shook her head as she pulled Lita in behind her and Chris instantly shut up.
"We're taking Lita back to the hotel."
He nodded and immediately began gathering their stuff.
"So you want to change?" he asked Faith.
She shook her head and he led the way out to the rental car. Edge was already there and seeing that Liz was leading Lita, kept quiet.
"You can have the front, I'm gonna sit in the back." Faith told Edge.
They got in the car and the trip back was a silent one. As soon as they arrived, faith led Lita up to her room.
"Do you want me to stay?"
Lita shook her head. "I just want to be alone right now?"
Faith nodded in understanding. "I'll stop by in the morning."
"Okay. Liz." She called as soon as Liz was near the door.
Faith turned around.
"Thanks."
"No problem."
Faith closed the door and returned to her room in time to hear the phone ringing; she rushed to pick it up.
"Hello?"
"Faith? Is everything okay?" Chris asked.
"Yeah, did you see what happened?"
"Oh yeah. Hardy was pissed. Lita looked devastated."
"She was. I just left her room, I think she's sleeping now." Faith sighed. "She knows."
"Knows what?"
"About me, that I'm a Slayer. Her cousin was activated."
"Are you serious?"
"No. I decided to say this just because I get some weird kick out of it."
"I'll take that as a yes. So she knows everything?"
"No. She knows I'm a Slayer and that this stupid ass name isn't my real name. She just doesn't know what is. What about you? How are you feeling?"
"I'm good. Can you meet me in the lobby?"
"What for? Can't you just come here?"
"Not unless you room has music and strobe lights."
"No, no one has been filming a porn in my room lately."
"I meant a club, we're going clubbing."
Faith groaned. "You remember the last time we went out, don't you?"
"Come one Faith. You come out with us and I'll forget about you wrestling tonight."
Faith rolled her eyes. "Yes, cause I'm a wrestler for the WWE so wrestling is wrong. Besides what would you do to me, I'll put you in your own move so damn fast-"
"Enough." Chris groaned.
"Don't you have a headache?"
"Nope, I took some aspirin. So meet me now?"
"I'm not even ready."
"Then come as you are we're going to a club."
Faith sighed. Going out last time had been a lot of fun.
"Fine but we run into a vampire and I'm letting it bite you."
"I'll bring a stake, see ya soon."
He hung up and Faith sighed again. Why did she have a bad feeling about this?
--- --- ---
"This is in celebration of our victory thanks to you."
A shooter was plunked down in front of Faith and she looked up in surprise at Edge before pushing it away.
"I don't drink."
"Come one, it's just one."
"I said no." She snapped.
But Edge wouldn't give up.
"Come one Liz. We kicked ass today. You, majorly kicked ass today. I think that deserves celebration."
"And I'll majorly kick your ass if you don't take it away."
"He's right." Chris said, coming up beside Edge. "You deserve to celebrate."
Faith peered at him closely. "You're drunk. You both are,"
"Nuh uh." Chris replied.
Faith rolled her eyes at him. They were. It was so obvious. But they weren't the only ones. They had met up with some friends and everyone had proceeded to go and get drunk out of their minds. She really hoped she didn't have to walk them all back to the hotel. She could just see a big apocalypse deciding to happen at the same time.
She was a little worried about Chris though, She didn't know how much damage the hit to his head did. He did have some aspiring earlier and she knew for a fact he hadn't had a lot to drink but he seemed completely hammered and had ignored all her attempts at getting him to leave. In fact she was about to say to hell with him and leave herself until Edge had put the shooter in front of her.
"Look, I'm celebrating. Woo, I'm done and now I'm leaving."
She stood to leave but Chris grabbed her shoulders. "I'll make a deal with you. Drink this with us." He pointed to he shooter. "Then have another drink with us and then you can leave and we'll leave with you."
Faith was about to tell him to shove it, that she didn't have to deal with this shit and that she was leaving. But something stopped her. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she felt responsible for Chris. She couldn't just leave him. If anything happened to him, she'd-
'You'd what? Be devastated? You care for him, admit it.' A voice inside her head was telling her.
'As a friend.' She argued back.
'Then how come you're not as worried about Edge?'
Faith didn't have an answer for that and she could only growl. She turned to Chris.
"Fine, but then we're leaving."
Chris agreed, placing the shooter in front of her.
Faith picked it up and stared at it. She hadn't had a drink in two years. When she used to drink, she was able to hold her alcohol better then anyone she knew. She figured she'd be able to handle a shooter and a beer. No harm done right?
Faith lifted it to her lips and shot it back.
Peer pressure really was a bitch.
--- --- ---
Pound. Pound. Pound.
"Go 'way." Faith mumbled towards the door.
Pound. Pound. Pound.
"I said leave me alone."
Pound. Pound. Pound.
"Piss off." She yelled then groaned, grabbing her head in agony.
There was no one pounding on the door that was her head pounding.
"Shit." She whispered to herself. She had too much to drink last night, had fallen back on a bad habit. She wondered what she had done last night and figured that no matter what, everyone must hate her now. She was such a bitch when she drank but it had been a long time since she had a hangover and longer still since she had blackout periods. She couldn't remember a thing.
Faith opened her eyes, squinting against the light. As things slowly came into focus, she realized something, her bed was the wrong way.
"Where the fuck am I?" She said out loud, trying to think about what had happened last night.
"By the looks of it, I'd say my room." A voice groaned behind her.
Faith shut her eyes tight, hoping it was just some effect of the hangover and that someone else hadn't just spoken.
"Man my head hurts."
Yup, someone was definitely there.
"Chris?" She whispered.
"Faith." She felt the bed move as she turned over. "Good morning."
"No." She moaned.
"It isn't? Faith?"
She ignored him though as she slowly lifted the sheet that covered her.
"No." she moaned again when realizing she was naked.
"Oh, shit." Chris just seemed to realize what kind of situation they were in.
"Faith, I didn't know. God, this is all my fault."
He reached out to touch her but she pulled away, jumping up from the bed and taking the sheet with her.
"Faith." He tried again.
She backed up against the wall, her eyes wide and unseeing.
"No, I'm not." She cried. "No, I'm not like that."
Chris watched her, not sure what to do.
--- --- ---
"Back to your old tricks again, huh F?"
Faith backed up against the wall, staring at Buffy who was standing behind Chris.
"No, I'm not." She cried. "No, I'm not like that."
Buffy sneered down at her. "But you are, you'll never change faith."
"Just go away, leave me alone." She slid down the wall, covering her face with her hands.
"Faith, I'm not leaving you alone, I'm sorry for this."
Her hands were gently pulled away from her face and she saw Chris was kneeling in front of her. She ignored him, looking past him to see that Buffy was gone. She looked back at Chris.
"I didn't mean to hurt you."
He reached up to touch her cheek but she pulled away.
"Faith talk to me please."
She didn't say anything but began looking for a route to escape.
"I never meant for this to happen, I should never have talked you into drinking. I didn't want to hurt you, I'm so sorry."
She still didn't answer him. Pulling away from him, she stood and ran for the door. Opening it and slamming it shut behind her.
--- --- ---
Faith wanted to go back to her room but she didn't have her key. Hell she didn't even have her clothes. A fact she noticed again as she pulled the sheet tighter around her.
How could she have been so stupid? She said yes to a shooter and a beer, how much did she have after that? What else had she done besides sleep with Chris? God she was an idiot. She was a slut, that's what she was.
She stopped outside a door, wondering if she should knock.
"Liz?"
She spun around to see Lita standing behind her, her eyes red and puffy.
"Where are your clothes?"
Faith's lower lip began to tremble, no matter how hard she tried to stop it. This was embarrassing. This was her, she didn't cry.
Lita opened the door, pushing Liz inside.
"Liz, what happened?" She asked after sitting Liz down on the bed. She began rummaging through her clothes for something to give Liz.
"W-we went out to a club last night and I had a couple of drinks."
Lita paused. "But I thought you didn't drink."
"No, I haven't in two years but Chris was drinking and I was a little worried about him with his head and all. He said he'd leave if I had tow drinks with him so I said why not, I thought I could handle it."
She grew silent and Lita turned to look at her.
"Then what?"
"I-I dunno. That's all I remember. I woke up this morning beside Chris, naked." Her eyes watered up and she rapidly blinked back the tears.
Lita pulled out some clothes and handed them to Liz, before sitting beside her.
"That's not so bad. It's obvious that Chris is head over heels for you and by the looks you give him, you feel the same."
She looked at Lita in surprise.
"Something you were totally clueless about huh? Trust me when I say he really likes you. A lot."
"And now he thinks I'm a major slut."
"How did he react?"
Faith was silent for a moment before she responded, thinking back on how he reacted and how it was different from all the other one nighters.
"He kept apologizing and saying it was his fault."
"Wow, for real?"
Faith nodded.
"He really likes you. And from that reaction I doubt he thinks you are a slut."
"Then why do I feel like one?" Faith asked in a small voice. "I wanted to leave that part of me behind and now, I've fallen right back into it. I should never have come here."
"Liz what are you talking about?"
"Can you not call me that? I really hate that name. Don't even know why I picked it."
Lita looked at her, confusion written across her face.
Faith sighed. "Pix, I mean Julie, did she ever mention someone named Faith? One of the original Slayers?"
Lita nodded. "Yeah. Said she was known as the rogue Slayer and had done a lot of bad- Oh." Lita's eyes grew wide as she stared at Liz, no, Faith.
"You?"
Faith nodded, cringing at what Lita might do next.
"Julie said that despite your past, you seemed to be a good person. She never judged you on your past. She liked who you were and was really upset when you left. She called me when she couldn't find you. She's mad you didn't say good bye."
"I couldn't I had to sneak away. Did you ask her about me? I mean my other name?"
"No, I haven't talked to her since before the last time we went out."
"And she told you everything about me?"
Lita nodded.
"And you think I'm a horrible person?" faith asked in a small voice.
"Did you really...umm... hurt people?"
"I did a lot worse. I've killed people, Lita. Something I have to live with for the rest of my life," Faith whispered.
"And you were in jail?"
She nodded.
Lita shook her head, not quite understanding. "You have super strength. You could have left anytime you wanted."
"Yeah, I could have." Faith agreed.
"Then why stay?"
"Because I deserved to be there. I only left when my help was desperately needed."
"I know, I wanted to hear it from you. I've known all about you since Julie started there. She's grown quite attached to you."
Faith smiled. "Pix is a good kid."
"Aren't you two the same age?"
Faith shrugged and allowed herself a small smile. "But she's so small."
Lita let out a soft chuckle. "You didn't say that to her, did you?"
"After what she did to Xander? Forget it?"
Julie Dumas stood only five feet tall and her features were small and delicate. Her hair was even cut in a pixie style, thus earning her nickname, Pixie, or Pix, by Faith. Her first day at the school. Xander had called her small and she had flipped him onto his back. No one ever called her small again.
"I dunno why she's so attached to me though."
"She said you seemed so sad and she didn't think it was fair for you to weigh yourself down with guilt. She said you deserved to be happy. Julie has a big heart, she sees the good in everyone."
Faith gave a sad smile. "I didn't think I had any good left in me."
"You do if Julie sees it." Lita replied.
"Maybe I should just go back." Faith sighed.
"No." Lita said with a shake of her head. "I can't let you go back there. I mean it when I said she told me everything, including the way everyone treated you like you had the plague or something. You shouldn't have to put up with that."
"I deserve it."
"No you don't. Look, Faith, you're staying here, you're rooming with me from now on and that's final."
Faith stared at her in surprise. "Don't I make you feel disgusted? Don't you think I'm a horrible person?"
"I don't. What you did was in the past. If I thought you felt nothing then I'd think twice but I can see what it does to you. You said yourself we all make mistakes. How can I condemn you after what I did?"
"Oh I dunno, sleeping with a big freaky guy or killing people, do you really want me to answer that?" faith asked with a roll of her eyes. "I left that school to find my purpose. I joined the WWE as a techie, hoping that traveling would help me somehow. I never wanted to be a diva, I never meant to meet Chris or to-"
She faltered her but Lita picked up on it, gently finishing the sentence for her.
"Fall in love with him?"
"No, I-I don't love him. I'm Faith, I don't fall in love. I use guys and dispose of them."
"That was the old Faith. It doesn't really look you now."
"I just- I tried so hard to change." A tear finally escaped and slipped down her cheek. "I tried so hard and now it doesn't make a difference, I already fucked up." More tears started coming down.
"I'm such a slut, I'll never change, I never can."
She started sobbing and Lita pulled her into a hug, first letting her cry before she eventually broke down herself.
--- --- ---