Faith and Second Chances: Offer of Help
author: Lucinda
rating: pg13
main characters: Riley, Faith
second in 'Faith and Second Chances'
disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer
distribution: TNL, Wic, Paula, Cat - anyone else ask first.
set in season 4, just after the body-switching has been reversed.
Riley wandered down into the common area of the dorm, feeling oddly numb. Except for his hand, which felt rather bruised, actually. Buffy had broken up with him. Because of Faith? Or was it something else, and Faith just a convenient excuse?
"Yo, Riley. Check it out - we got people taking hostages at one of the old churches." One of the other guys called out, his hand gesturing towards the news program.
Looking more closely, Riley saw a woman with dark hair in the background. She was pretty, but that wasn't what had caught his attention. It was the way she held herself, the way she looked like a wolf about to pounce. That had to be Faith. And unless he misread her entirely, she was going to try to take out the guys with the guns.
Something stirred inside, and he found himself remembering pain filled hazel eyes asking him to 'just hold me'. Eyes of someone that had seen so many terrible things, so much pain. Now, she was trying to make things better. He had to help her... somehow.
Before he'd really had time to think about it, he'd grabbed a first aid kit, a taser, and a pistol and was out the door, driving his jeep towards the old church. Even Slayers could use back up on occasion. If she'd let him.
Naturally, his plans to be the heroic cavalry were crumbled by the time he'd arrived. Faith had already taken them down, and they were surrendered into police custody. So much for the heroic Riley Finn rescuing the damsel in distress… He looked up, and saw something along the road, possibly a person walking away.
He drove that way, pulling to a crawl beside her. The dark hair hung loose around her shoulders, and she almost looked… weak, defeated. "Hey, can I offer you a lift somewhere? A cup of coffee maybe?"
She looked up, her eyes darker than Buffy's, warier. "Think I look like I need coffee?"
He grinned, trying to look harmless. "You look like it couldn't hurt."
For a long moment, she just looked at him, as it trying to make up her mind. "What the hell… why not. You buying?"
"I think I can spot you a cup of coffee. See, I know what you did back there, Faith. You helped those people." He just hoped that she wouldn't throw the offer back in his face.
She sighed, climbing into the jeep. Faith didn't quite look at his face, her gaze instead setting on his hand where it rested on the gear shift. "Look… I shouldn't have… I'm sorry."
Riley felt stunned. Buffy'd had a fit, and now Faith was apologizing? "It's… I'm not mad. You looked like you needed someone to hold you, to be there for you."
"Haven't had much of that." Her voice was soft, almost a whisper.
"Let me help you." The words tumbled out before he could think things over. "You want to do better, let me try to help."
She looked up, almost meeting his eyes. "What's in it for you?"
"Truth, justice, and the American way." The old Superman quote emerged with an almost concealed smile. "Seriously, I want to help you. Because… it's the right thing to do. It's the sort of thing I was raised to do… to be a nice guy."
"You are just… too good to be true." She smiled a little, shaking her head. "What have I got to loose? Sure, go ahead and help me out here. What's our first step?"
"Actually… I hadn't got much farther than trying to convince you to let me help." Riley admitted sheepishly.
She laughed, smiling and looking happier than he'd seen anyone recently. "Great."
End Offer of Help.
author: Lucinda
rating: pg13
main characters: Riley, Faith
second in 'Faith and Second Chances'
disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer
distribution: TNL, Wic, Paula, Cat - anyone else ask first.
set in season 4, just after the body-switching has been reversed.
Riley wandered down into the common area of the dorm, feeling oddly numb. Except for his hand, which felt rather bruised, actually. Buffy had broken up with him. Because of Faith? Or was it something else, and Faith just a convenient excuse?
"Yo, Riley. Check it out - we got people taking hostages at one of the old churches." One of the other guys called out, his hand gesturing towards the news program.
Looking more closely, Riley saw a woman with dark hair in the background. She was pretty, but that wasn't what had caught his attention. It was the way she held herself, the way she looked like a wolf about to pounce. That had to be Faith. And unless he misread her entirely, she was going to try to take out the guys with the guns.
Something stirred inside, and he found himself remembering pain filled hazel eyes asking him to 'just hold me'. Eyes of someone that had seen so many terrible things, so much pain. Now, she was trying to make things better. He had to help her... somehow.
Before he'd really had time to think about it, he'd grabbed a first aid kit, a taser, and a pistol and was out the door, driving his jeep towards the old church. Even Slayers could use back up on occasion. If she'd let him.
Naturally, his plans to be the heroic cavalry were crumbled by the time he'd arrived. Faith had already taken them down, and they were surrendered into police custody. So much for the heroic Riley Finn rescuing the damsel in distress… He looked up, and saw something along the road, possibly a person walking away.
He drove that way, pulling to a crawl beside her. The dark hair hung loose around her shoulders, and she almost looked… weak, defeated. "Hey, can I offer you a lift somewhere? A cup of coffee maybe?"
She looked up, her eyes darker than Buffy's, warier. "Think I look like I need coffee?"
He grinned, trying to look harmless. "You look like it couldn't hurt."
For a long moment, she just looked at him, as it trying to make up her mind. "What the hell… why not. You buying?"
"I think I can spot you a cup of coffee. See, I know what you did back there, Faith. You helped those people." He just hoped that she wouldn't throw the offer back in his face.
She sighed, climbing into the jeep. Faith didn't quite look at his face, her gaze instead setting on his hand where it rested on the gear shift. "Look… I shouldn't have… I'm sorry."
Riley felt stunned. Buffy'd had a fit, and now Faith was apologizing? "It's… I'm not mad. You looked like you needed someone to hold you, to be there for you."
"Haven't had much of that." Her voice was soft, almost a whisper.
"Let me help you." The words tumbled out before he could think things over. "You want to do better, let me try to help."
She looked up, almost meeting his eyes. "What's in it for you?"
"Truth, justice, and the American way." The old Superman quote emerged with an almost concealed smile. "Seriously, I want to help you. Because… it's the right thing to do. It's the sort of thing I was raised to do… to be a nice guy."
"You are just… too good to be true." She smiled a little, shaking her head. "What have I got to loose? Sure, go ahead and help me out here. What's our first step?"
"Actually… I hadn't got much farther than trying to convince you to let me help." Riley admitted sheepishly.
She laughed, smiling and looking happier than he'd seen anyone recently. "Great."
End Offer of Help.