Faith and Second Chances 5: Faith in Grieving
author: Lucinda
rating: pg/pg13
main characters: Riley, Faith
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.
Faith had been able to get plenty of thinking done over the past couple weeks. Steve had also been able to help her catch up on recent events, although the price for that was listening to him explain everything almost to death with his long rambles about political motivation, potential ecological impact, and what sort of opportunities were opened in research by everything. She'd also learned far more than she'd ever even known existed about sci-fi movies and television shows, and all his reasons why Picard had been a better Captain than Kirk, and how Janeway was an ineffective field commander and should have been plunked in charge of a research facility somewhere.
Overall, she still figured it was better than a coma. Most of the time.
But she couldn't stay here forever. Especially since Steve could get really annoying when he started in on some pet theory or series obsession. Granted, she'd been forced to admit that the Psicorps were nasty and Bester was freaky, but if she had to stay here long term... Well, she probably would be able to manage not to kill him to get some quiet. She'd ended up encouraging him to go 'work on something in the lab' an awful lot though.
It was more interesting when he talked about his projects for the Initiative. About designing and upgrading weapons to fight demons, and discussing the field reports brought back by some of the team members. He had mentioned that the reports from Riley's team were particularly detailed about how well things worked on demons.
Riley Finn... everybody's favorite Initiative soldier. He was good looking, had left a good impression after that sleeping-with-her-as-Buffy experience, and seemed to be a decent guy. He even knew about vamps and demons. He'd been on her mind a lot lately, and not all of it had been thoughts of Riley the Nice Guy.
From the front of the house, she heard the doorbell ring and the sound of Steve shuffling towards it. Faith shook her head as she dropped slices of roast beef and Swiss cheese onto a bun. "I got to get a grip on myself."
"Riley!" Steve sounded delighted, making Faith wonder if he had any idea how obvious it was that Riley had become his personal hero. "Nice to see you, can I offer you a sandwich? Coffee?"
"I thought maybe I could check on Faith." Riley's voice sounded a bit funny, almost tired.
"In the kitchen. Steve may be great with electronics and high tech toys, but the man can ruin boiled eggs." Faith had raised her voice a little, just enough that the guys would hear her.
"I'm not that bad!" Steve tried to protest. After a few moments of silence, he conceded "Well, maybe I am."
Faith emerged from the kitchen, looking at the pair of them. Steve was there, dressed as usual in a pair of baggy jeans and a shirt with a picture of one of the Babylon Five guys on it, hovering nervously. Riley looked… well, he was in a pair of closer fitting jeans and a plain white tee shirt, and looked like he'd been drug facedown through a brawl. There was dust clinging to his pants and to the sweat that had beaded up all over his face, neck and shoulders, and his eyes looked bloodshot and dark ringed. His knuckles were raw looking, as if he'd been hitting a wall repeatedly. "Riley… what happened?"
"Forrest's dead." The funny sound was more obvious this time as a combination of exhaustion and emotional overload.
"Damn… what happened?" Faith took his arm, towing him over to the couch, pushing him to sit down, ignoring the crinkling sound of the scattered pages of notes and technical diagrams.
"Walsh had us looking for this demon… something called a Polgara. It has this bone spike that it can extend from it arms. We were warned about that in the briefing, and then we all went out hunting." He paused, although it wasn't clear if it was from exhaustion of his emotions. "We heard something, and spread out a little to look for the source of the noise. Forrest found it, and then… That bone spike just… right into his stomach. He died right there, all because of some damn demon."
Faith ran her hand up and down his arm, trying to help sooth him. "Riley… I know how much that sort of thing hurts. The pain of loosing someone that you care about. But you're not doing yourself any good by pushing yourself this hard. Have you slept since then?"
"No. Every time I close my eyes, I see him, clutching at his stomach, that shocked look on his face as the blood just… My God, Faith, there was so much blood." Riley shook his head, his eyes pleading as he looked at her. "How could we have… how did we loose him like that?"
"Because sometimes life just bites. Bad things happen, you find out that your life has just been hijacked by destiny, the people that you care about die horribly… And you just have to keep going." Faith blinked away tears, remembering Penny. "This is the only life we've got, we just have to try to make the best of it."
"That's it? We just have to go on?" Riley looked at her, his eyes full of pain.
"Well, finding the demon responsible and kicking their ass is sort of theraputic, but you still… it won't bring him back." Faith tried to smile, but it didn't quite work. "And you remember them, and you mourn for them."
Riley's arms had gone around her, and he clung to her, as if she was some sort of protection from the pain of life. Faith slid one arm behind him, holding him tightly. "It's okay to miss him, Riley. It's okay to hurt."
Faith held Riley as he shook, and eventually the tears flowed from his eyes as his whole body shook. It was as if the emotions were clawing their way out, and he was left in an exhausted heap, slumped against her and fast asleep.
Awkwardly, Faith managed to get up from the couch, and lifted him into her arms. "Quite the big guy, aren't you? Steve, can you make sure the door's open to the spare room? I'm thinking he could use a little bed rest."
"You're… wow. You have no idea how impressive that looks." Steve blinked, getting this sort of goofy smile as he looked at her. "I'll just go make sure the door's open."
Faith followed him, and gently laid Riley on the bed. He looked so vulnerable like that. "Get some rest, soldier. We've got you covered for now."
End Faith and Second Chances 5: Faith in Grieving.
author: Lucinda
rating: pg/pg13
main characters: Riley, Faith
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.
Faith had been able to get plenty of thinking done over the past couple weeks. Steve had also been able to help her catch up on recent events, although the price for that was listening to him explain everything almost to death with his long rambles about political motivation, potential ecological impact, and what sort of opportunities were opened in research by everything. She'd also learned far more than she'd ever even known existed about sci-fi movies and television shows, and all his reasons why Picard had been a better Captain than Kirk, and how Janeway was an ineffective field commander and should have been plunked in charge of a research facility somewhere.
Overall, she still figured it was better than a coma. Most of the time.
But she couldn't stay here forever. Especially since Steve could get really annoying when he started in on some pet theory or series obsession. Granted, she'd been forced to admit that the Psicorps were nasty and Bester was freaky, but if she had to stay here long term... Well, she probably would be able to manage not to kill him to get some quiet. She'd ended up encouraging him to go 'work on something in the lab' an awful lot though.
It was more interesting when he talked about his projects for the Initiative. About designing and upgrading weapons to fight demons, and discussing the field reports brought back by some of the team members. He had mentioned that the reports from Riley's team were particularly detailed about how well things worked on demons.
Riley Finn... everybody's favorite Initiative soldier. He was good looking, had left a good impression after that sleeping-with-her-as-Buffy experience, and seemed to be a decent guy. He even knew about vamps and demons. He'd been on her mind a lot lately, and not all of it had been thoughts of Riley the Nice Guy.
From the front of the house, she heard the doorbell ring and the sound of Steve shuffling towards it. Faith shook her head as she dropped slices of roast beef and Swiss cheese onto a bun. "I got to get a grip on myself."
"Riley!" Steve sounded delighted, making Faith wonder if he had any idea how obvious it was that Riley had become his personal hero. "Nice to see you, can I offer you a sandwich? Coffee?"
"I thought maybe I could check on Faith." Riley's voice sounded a bit funny, almost tired.
"In the kitchen. Steve may be great with electronics and high tech toys, but the man can ruin boiled eggs." Faith had raised her voice a little, just enough that the guys would hear her.
"I'm not that bad!" Steve tried to protest. After a few moments of silence, he conceded "Well, maybe I am."
Faith emerged from the kitchen, looking at the pair of them. Steve was there, dressed as usual in a pair of baggy jeans and a shirt with a picture of one of the Babylon Five guys on it, hovering nervously. Riley looked… well, he was in a pair of closer fitting jeans and a plain white tee shirt, and looked like he'd been drug facedown through a brawl. There was dust clinging to his pants and to the sweat that had beaded up all over his face, neck and shoulders, and his eyes looked bloodshot and dark ringed. His knuckles were raw looking, as if he'd been hitting a wall repeatedly. "Riley… what happened?"
"Forrest's dead." The funny sound was more obvious this time as a combination of exhaustion and emotional overload.
"Damn… what happened?" Faith took his arm, towing him over to the couch, pushing him to sit down, ignoring the crinkling sound of the scattered pages of notes and technical diagrams.
"Walsh had us looking for this demon… something called a Polgara. It has this bone spike that it can extend from it arms. We were warned about that in the briefing, and then we all went out hunting." He paused, although it wasn't clear if it was from exhaustion of his emotions. "We heard something, and spread out a little to look for the source of the noise. Forrest found it, and then… That bone spike just… right into his stomach. He died right there, all because of some damn demon."
Faith ran her hand up and down his arm, trying to help sooth him. "Riley… I know how much that sort of thing hurts. The pain of loosing someone that you care about. But you're not doing yourself any good by pushing yourself this hard. Have you slept since then?"
"No. Every time I close my eyes, I see him, clutching at his stomach, that shocked look on his face as the blood just… My God, Faith, there was so much blood." Riley shook his head, his eyes pleading as he looked at her. "How could we have… how did we loose him like that?"
"Because sometimes life just bites. Bad things happen, you find out that your life has just been hijacked by destiny, the people that you care about die horribly… And you just have to keep going." Faith blinked away tears, remembering Penny. "This is the only life we've got, we just have to try to make the best of it."
"That's it? We just have to go on?" Riley looked at her, his eyes full of pain.
"Well, finding the demon responsible and kicking their ass is sort of theraputic, but you still… it won't bring him back." Faith tried to smile, but it didn't quite work. "And you remember them, and you mourn for them."
Riley's arms had gone around her, and he clung to her, as if she was some sort of protection from the pain of life. Faith slid one arm behind him, holding him tightly. "It's okay to miss him, Riley. It's okay to hurt."
Faith held Riley as he shook, and eventually the tears flowed from his eyes as his whole body shook. It was as if the emotions were clawing their way out, and he was left in an exhausted heap, slumped against her and fast asleep.
Awkwardly, Faith managed to get up from the couch, and lifted him into her arms. "Quite the big guy, aren't you? Steve, can you make sure the door's open to the spare room? I'm thinking he could use a little bed rest."
"You're… wow. You have no idea how impressive that looks." Steve blinked, getting this sort of goofy smile as he looked at her. "I'll just go make sure the door's open."
Faith followed him, and gently laid Riley on the bed. He looked so vulnerable like that. "Get some rest, soldier. We've got you covered for now."
End Faith and Second Chances 5: Faith in Grieving.