The Quickening

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. I would have posted yesterday, but I just started my semester and was wiped. Here's the next chapter.

Previously:

"Why are you giving this to me?" Faith asked, looking at the wallet that Xander had placed into her hand. Xander smiled and stepped a little closer, leaning in and whispering in her ear.

"You know, that's kind of a secret too."

Chapter Three:

Faith was lying on her motel room bed, propped up by some pillows and attempting to watch an old movie on television. Her mind, however, was wandering elsewhere. Her eyes kept straying over to the wallet that lay on her dresser. She didn't know why she kept it; she always threw away the evidence. But for some reason, she couldn't bear to part with it. There had been enough money in the two wallets to allow her to pay for two more nights at the motel. She had about twenty bucks left over for food, which was she very thankful for.

Xander's last words to her that afternoon kept playing over and over in her mind as she looked at the wallet. He was obviously going out of his way to get her to trust him and though Faith suspected that he was as innocent as he appeared, she couldn't help but attribute his actions to ulterior motives. She had been burned by guys too many times in the past to believe truly that Xander was as nice and caring as he seemed to be. Her train of thought made her wonder all the more what Xander's little secret was. She thought that maybe he didn't need the money and that was why he had given his prize over to her. But, from what Faith had heard about Xander, she knew that wasn't true. Willow had told her all about how close she and Xander were, friends since they were little, and how everyday she shared her lunch with him at school. Though Willow hadn't out and said that Xander was too poor to buy his own lunch, Faith assumed that was what she meant.

Xander was lucky to have someone he could rely on for things. Growing up, Faith had never had a Willow to share lunch with. Faith distinctly remembered hiding in the cafeteria, waiting for all of the other kids to go outside for recess. Once they were gone, she would emerge and pick through the trashcans, finding the food that still looked edible. She remembered one of the older lunch ladies caught her one day and, afterward, would slip her free food every once in a while. But that lunch lady died a short time later and Faith resorted to picking through the trashcans again to find lunch.

Faith tried to imagine what her life would have been like if she had grown up with friends like Willow, Buffy, or Xander. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to have a constant network of support. It seemed like no matter what happened, they were all there for each other. It was almost as if no wrong was too great to forgive and forget. Faith had to keep her mind from wondering what life would have been like with a mom like Buffy's. It pained her to think of how different things would have been, so she chose not to think about it. Instead, she let her eyes wander back over to the wallet still resting on her dresser.

"What is your secret, Xander Harris," she muttered to herself. Faith sat up and leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands. It was nearly twelve o'clock at night, but the overwhelming urge to take the wallet back to Xander and demand to know what he meant by giving it to her filled her mind. Leaping to her feet, she grabbed her worn, leather jacket and stuffed the wallet and her keys into her pockets. Then she dashed out of the door, practically running to Xander's house. She didn't know exactly where it was, but Buffy had pointed it out to her when they were walking back to Buffy's house for dinner the night before. Faith had a keen memory and she knew she could find the house again. However, what she would do when she got there, she hadn't quite figured out.

…………………………

"Xander! Get the door!" Xander's father yelled from the living room. Xander sighed and slid the tray of leftovers he was about to heat up back into the refrigerator.

"I'll be right there," he called to the door. Running a hand through his hair, he briefly wondered who would bother to come over so late at night. He hoped Buffy or one of his other friends wasn't in trouble. Xander opened the door and smiled briefly. He could see Faith pacing back and forth on the sidewalk, a look of fierce determination on her face.

"Hey," he said, stepping outside and closing the door behind him. "What're you doing here? It's like midnight."

"I know," Faith said, stopping, and looking up at him. "Okay, listen up, Harris. I'm gonna ask you this one time and so help me God, you better tell me the truth or I'm gonna kick your ass. We clear?" She asked. Xander nodded, intimidated despite himself.

"Good," Faith said, marching right up to him. She stopped several inches away, looking up at him warily. "Why did you give me this? And no bullshit," she said, holding up the wallet. Xander looked it at, admittedly surprised that she still had it.

"You kept it?" He asked, the question slipping from his lips before he had time to stop it.

"That's not the point," Faith said obstinately. "Answer my question."

"Answer my question and I'll answer yours," Xander replied. Faith scoffed and stopped closer.

"Are you kidding me? I could kick your ass before you even knew what hit you," Faith reminded him.

"I know," Xander said, stepping forward as well and trying his best to look unafraid. Faith remained impassive, but she was impressed.

"Fine," she muttered. "I don't know why I kept it. Now answer my question." Xander watched her intently for several seconds before he nodded, satisfied with her answer.

"I gave it to you because I like you," Xander said after several seconds. Faith's head snapped up and her eyes narrowed.

"I knew it. You just wanna get in my pants," she practically hissed. "You can have this back for all I care," she said, throwing the wallet at him. Turning on her heels, she walked away. Xander silently cursed and grabbed the wallet, chasing after her.

"That's not what I meant," he said, catching up with her. She spun around to face him.

"No, then what the hell did you mean, Harris? You have a girlfriend. Lookin' for some action on the side? Not gonna happen," Faith yelled.

"That's not....," Xander paused and sighed. "Look, Faith, I think you're really cool. And yeah, you're hot. You know that, everyone knows that. I'm not gonna lie and say I don't look at you and imagine things, but that's not what I meant. And as for Cordelia, honestly, I think she hates me."

"She doesn't hate you," Faith replied.

"Well, if she doesn't hate me, she doesn't like me either. And she's too embarrassed of the entire thing to break up with me because then how would she look? Tried out geek and didn't like it. She'd have to crawl her way back into the social circle of Sunnydale High. So, she just stays with me instead, too embarrassed to leave but too repulsed by me to really stay," Xander said, not even realizing he had told Faith so much. Faith watched him, not really sure how to react. She didn't know how to comfort anyone, at least, in a non-sexual way. So, she tried in the best way she knew how.

"I was gonna grab some food. Wanna come with?" She asked when the silence between them had grown a bit uncomfortable. This time, Xander's head snapped up and he grinned.

"So we're cool then?" He asked. Faith nodded and looked down at her shoes.

"Yeah, we're cool," she said softly.

"Let's go then," he said, allowing her to lead the way. As they walked, he sidled up next to her and gently slipped the wallet back into her hand. Faith looked over at him questioningly.

"Just keep it safe for me, yeah?" Xander asked. Faith smiled and nodded.

"I can do that."