Chapter 9: Explaining

Faith sat in the Giles's living room, Giles paced back and forth, and Willow glared at her. Faith felt extremely uncomfortable, she looked down at the floor, not in shame, but as a way of not looking at them. She couldn't take the looks they were giving her, they were so much like the looks her mother had given her always, before she drank then beat her 'til she bled. Buffy was in the hospital and Xander was going to stay with her until Joyce got there. Willow looked away from Faith.

"What were you thinking?" Giles said his voice unusually stern.

"What do you mean?" Faith said, knowing exactly what he meant.

"Don't play dumb," Willow said, figuratively stepping into the growing tension.

"I don't know, he was there, I was there, I was tired of running, he said he'd protect me," Faith said.

Giles took off his glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose. "He's a vampire," Giles said.

"I know," Faith said.

"Then why?" Willow asked.

"I just said why!" Faith shouted.

"Vampires are dangerous!" Giles shouted.

"He wouldn't hurt me!" Faith shouted back.

"Do you realize that you're dating a murderer?" Giles shouted.

"I said her wouldn't hurt me!" Faith shouted back, just as loud.

"Yeah, now he wouldn't! But love doesn't last forever, and what would happen when that loves dries up? Huh, tell me that?" Giles shouted.

"You're wrong, he's different, I'm different, and our love will last for eternity," Faith said her voice growing colder.

"But-" Willow shouted.

"NO!" Faith shouted as loud as she could, "I don't need you or you telling me what to do with my life," she shouted as she left.

Faith walked outside and was greeted by the cold. She wrapped her arms around herself. And walked out onto the sidewalk. She ran away from Gile's and Willow, and all they had to stay. Somehow she didn't care anymore. She let her home, she came to Sunnydale, all to escape the reputation she had earned herself. And by coming here, she found something she had needed for so long. She saw past the vampire, past the soulless part of him, and, whenever she looked into his eyes, saw the warmth, though he was cold.

&&&&&&&&

Buffy awoke in the hospital bed, there was an IV drip hooked in to her arm. She looked around the room, she had a window, but it was blocked by the building across the street and it was night. Her head was pounding, it was like she had a bad hangover. She grabbed her forehead in pain, the pounding wouldn't stop. She felt a bandage on her forehead.

Xander walked into the room, chocolate bar in hand. Their eyes met. Buffy continued to hold her head, as Xander sat in the chair next to the bed.

"You okay?" Xander asked.

"Lets see, I was beaten 'til I bled, and I was thrown through the window, I probably have a concussion, and my head hurts like hell," Buffy said.

"Doesn't answer my question," Xander said.

"I'll be okay," Buffy said as she sat up in bed, "where's my mom?"

"She said she would be here as soon as she could," Xander said.

Faith walked into the room. Xander glared at her.

"What did I miss?" Buffy said sensing there was something revealed while she was sleeping. Xander looked at Buffy then back at Faith.

"Faith can we talk?" Xander asked as he left the room.

Faith followed him into the waiting room.

"So what's up?" Faith asked casually.

"Why the hell are you dating a vampire?" Xander said in a hushed voice.

"I don't need to hear this," Faith said.

"Vampires are killers," Xander said.

"Shut up!" Faith said quickly.

"He will eventually kill you too," Xander continued.

"I said shut the fuck up!" Faith shouted.

"Fine, don't listen," Xander said as he walked away.

Faith left the hospital, she walked out into the cold night. She looked around and was greeted by nothing. She walked up to the mansion.

So what do you think? I think this story only might have one or tow more chapters to it. Please review.