Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. They give me inspiration.

Previously:

Faith knew that she needed to go back to her friend, perhaps barricade herself in Hailey's room, and fight off the wave of attackers. But the police would certainly recognize her as the wanted inmate that had escaped from prison in Los Angeles. She would do no one any good back in jail. The Bringers were creeping closer. Faith's Slayer senses were spiking to near panic levels. She had to make her move.

Chapter Thirty-Eight:

At any moment, Faith knew that the Bringers steadily climbing the stairs would become aware of her presence. Yet, she hesitated. Looking back through the stairwell door, she saw the two police officers exiting Hailey's hospital room just in time. Breathing a sigh of relief, Faith cautiously moved towards the stairwell door. She quietly opened it, letting it softly click closed before she slipped into Hailey's room. The officers never noticed her presence. Faith suspected that they would never notice the presence of the Bringers either; black clothed, blind monks wondering the halls of Sunnydale General in broad daylight with shiny, silver knives.

Faith closed the door of the hospital room and locked it. She knew, however, that her actions would not prevent the Bringers from entering the room if they wished. Glancing around, she surveyed the room for something with which to block the door. "What's going on?" Hailey asked, trying desperately to sit up in her bed, only to fall back in pain again. She could see Faith's worry clearly on her face.

"Bringers are here," Faith replied honestly. "They've come to finish you off."

"Shit," Hailey muttered, rubbing her forehead with her hand.

"Can you get up at all?" Faith asked hurriedly.

"I don't think so," Hailey replied, struggling to raise herself onto her elbows. "Everything hurts like hell."

"I understand," Faith said. She noticed the nightstand next to Hailey's bed. It was relatively light, but perhaps sturdy enough to block the door. Moving over to it, Faith lifted the nightstand, knocking all of the items off of it, and placed it against the door. It blocked the doorknob effectively, leaving Faith enough time to ponder her next move.

"How many Bringers were there?" Hailey asked.

"Three that I saw," Faith replied, moving back towards the injured girl. She could sense the Bringers closing in on the room. "But there's more," she added lowly. "I can feel them coming."

"So can I," Hailey muttered. "Damn!" She yelled. "I wish I could fight."

Faith cracked a smile, despite the heightened tension in the room. "Calm down, sheriff," she instructed. "The last thing I need is for you to pop your stitches and start bleeding all over the damn place."

"I know," Hailey replied grumpily. "You have any weapons?"

Faith shook her head. "I am the weapon." Suddenly, something smashed against the door. The wood buckled, but did not break.

"Isn't there security in this bloody?" Hailey questioned.

"I guess not," Faith said grimly. "I think you're going to find that not many people are so valiant as our friends. They see something going down and their first instinct is to run. Generally, they follow that instinct."

"Running sounds good right about now," Hailey said. "Too bad I can't."

"Fuck," Faith muttered. "I really need to work on that whole planning thing. We're sitting ducks."

"Call Buffy," Hailey said suddenly. "Get Willow down here."

"What?" Faith asked.

"She's the one that scared Caleb off, right?" Hailey asked. Faith nodded. "She can help us."

Faith rushed over to the telephone in the room and picked up the receiver. She dialed the number for Buffy's house and waited, impatiently tapping her foot as the Bringers banged on the door again. The wood cracked. "Come on," Faith muttered impatiently. Finally, Buffy picked up the phone. Hailey heard Faith rapidly explaining their dangerous situation to the other Slayer. Within moments, she had hung up, and smiled. "They're on their way," she said. The Bringers slammed into the door again. The door broke down the middle. Faith could see one of their faces peering through the crack in the door, the Bringer's blind eyes rolling around in his skull. "I'm gonna have to move you," Faith said, turning to Hailey. "You're an easy target there."

Hailey nodded, ripping her IV out of her arm. "Put me in the bathroom. I'll lock the door," she replied. Faith moved over to the bed and picked up the wounded Slayer. Hailey grimaced in pain, stifling a guttural moan. Faith deposited her on the bathroom floor, flashed her a quick smile, and closed the door. Reaching up, Hailey locked it and waited. Within moments, she heard the sounds of a struggle on the other side.

The Bringers crashed open the door and poured into the room; six of them, brandishing sharp knives. Faith knocked the first to the side, slamming his head against the wall. He fell to the floor, his knife flying out of his hands. Faith moved back into the room, picking up the knife. She felt better with a weapon in her hand. Another Bringer charged at her. Swiping the knife out in front of her, she caught him in the midsection. She grimaced as blood spilled forth from his chest. He fell to the ground and did not stand again. However, while she had been fighting him, another had moved to her side. Slashing his knife out, he caught her on the arm.

Faith groaned and stumbled back, lashing her foot out to knock the Bringer off of his feet. He fell to the floor, hitting his head on the hard tile. His eyes rolled back in his head and another Bringer trampled over top of him to reach the now injured Slayer. Two were down, unable to get back to their feet. Another was struggling to rise. Three were left with full strength, surrounding Faith like sharks circling their prey. She could feel their hatred pouring off of them. They wanted her dead. They began to move closer, slashing out at her with their knives. Faith loved being a Slayer; she pursued killing demons with a lustful zest. Under normal circumstances, she felt no fear in administering her duties. However, as the Bringers closed in on her, fear slowly began to creep up her throat, threatening to choke her, and drown out her courage.

Just as they were about to attack, the remains of the door blew into the room. Faith ducked, narrowly avoiding catching a piece of the wood in the face. Looking up, she saw the Bringers turn to face a new enemy. Willow walked into the room with Buffy close behind her. Willow's eyes had turned black, but her hair remained red. Though she was using black magic, she seemed to be in control of it. "You fucked around with the wrong people," the Wiccan growled, raising her hands. Pushing her fingers forward, she sent an invisible field of energy out towards the Bringers, knocking them off their feet. Buffy rushed into the room, attacking the first, which had been the man Faith knocked into the wall when the attack began. She instantly dispatched him, moving onto another.

Faith rose to her feet, brandishing her knife at the nearest enemy. He fell beneath her blade as the last fell beneath Buffy's. "Where's Hailey?" Buffy asked, glancing quickly around the room, and noticing that the younger girl was missing.

"In the bathroom," Faith replied breathlessly.

"You're injured," Buffy said, moving over to her girlfriend. Willow strode over to the bathroom door, her eyes turning green again as she knocked.

"Hailey?" She asked softly. "Are you okay?"

Hailey heard Willow's voice through the door and a lump formed in her throat. Her voice sounded beautiful. "Yeah," she said gravelly. "I'm okay."

"Can I come in?" Willow replied questioningly. Hailey leaned her head back against the wall. She did not know if she was ready to face her lover yet, she but knew that she had Willow to thank for saving her life.

"Yeah," she finally replied. Willow shouldered open the door and quickly entered the room. She closed the door over and moved towards Hailey.

"You're bleeding," Willow said worriedly.

Hailey looked down at her midsection and groaned. "Shit," she muttered. "I must have popped a stitch."

Willow moved closer and slowly knelt down beside her girlfriend. Hailey closed her eyes as Willow reached out and gingerly touched the side of her face with trembling fingers. Unconsciously, Hailey leaned into her touch. "Hailey…" Willow whispered desperately.

"Take me home," Hailey suddenly said, opening her eyes, and looking over at Willow sadly. "I don't want to stay here anymore."

"Okay," Willow said, looking down at the ground to hide the tears that were forming in her eyes. "I know you don't want to hear what I have to say right now," she said lowly, "but I need to explain to you what happened."

Hailey nodded. "I know," she whispered.

"I can speak to the doctors if you want," Willow offered. "I'll try to convince them to release you."

"Thanks," Hailey said.

"You okay?" Faith asked, appearing in the doorway. Hailey nodded.

"They cut you," Hailey pointed out.

"I'll be alright," Faith said dismissively.

"What should we do with the bodies?" Buffy questioned, appearing behind Faith.

"Hide them somewhere," Faith suggested. "Let someone else find them."

Buffy nodded and moved towards the nearest Bringer. She lifted him from under his arms, her hands becoming slick with his blood. "Gross," she muttered.

"Let me help you back to the bed," Faith said, moving to Hailey, who was struggling to rise to her feet.

"I'll speak with your doctor," Willow said, moving out of the room before Hailey could see the tears spilling from her cheeks. She knew that her relationship with the younger girl was shaky at best, but she hoped that once Hailey heard her explanation of her kiss with Kennedy, she would forgive her. However, she could see the pain and sadness that dwelled deep within Hailey's eyes. Hailey had always had a lingering pain behind her eyes, but it was intensified, and whenever she looked at Willow, that pain was palpable.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" Faith asked once Willow had left the room.

"What?" Hailey questioned.

"Talking to her," Faith replied.

Hailey sighed. "Harder than you'd think."

……………………………..

Faith sighed and closed the bedroom door behind her. It had been a long and difficult day. Her arm stung from the incised wound inflicted upon her by one of the Bringers. Pulling her shirt over her head, she inspected her bandage. "You okay?" Buffy asked, slipping into the room behind her.

"Five by five," Faith said, flashing Buffy infamous cocky grin.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I'll take that to mean it hurts, but you're too proud to admit it."

"Take it as you will," Faith offered, laughing a little as Buffy smiled. Faith watched her girlfriend as her eyes slowly traveled from the dark haired Slayer's face, down her neck, across her collarbone, down her full breasts, and settled on her tanned, tight stomach. "Like what you see?" Faith flirted.

"Yeah, I do," Buffy said as she moved over to Faith and unconsciously licked her lips. Faith could feel the heat emanating from the other Slayer and found herself instantly flushed with desire. "You remember how I said that I was ready to really be with you?" Buffy asked huskily as she stopped within inches of her girlfriend. Faith found herself transfixed by Buffy's intense, lustful gaze. She had never felt vulnerable with anyone before, but she found herself feeling incredibly vulnerable at that moment. However, she believed that she was ready to start breaking down her walls.

"I remember," Faith finally replied, her voice low and rough with desire.

"Is now a good time for you?" Buffy asked, leaning forward. She nibbled on the tender flesh of Faith's neck, her tongue flicking out periodically to lick patterns across her skin. Faith moaned, closed her eyes, and leaned back against a bureau. Buffy took advantage of Faith's position to press her body against the other Slayer's. She could feel Faith's heart beating wildly in her chest and the strength of her muscles as her arms moved to encircle Buffy's waist.

Faith's eyes fluttered open and she cupped Buffy's face, staring deeply into her lover's eyes. "I want you," she whispered desperately as their lips crashed together and they fell onto their bed.

………………………

"This is infinitely better than those bloody hospital sheets," Hailey murmured as she wrapped herself in the cool, soft sheets of her bed – the bed that she had been sharing with Willow, prior to her abduction. The sheets smelled like her girlfriend, a lingering scent of strawberries. Hailey closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, savoring the scent. The smell evoked memories of their time together, of gentle kisses shared in the dark night, and intense gazes of desires passed as they listened to Buffy's speeches. Hailey missed those moments. A soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

"Yeah?" She asked, struggling to sit up in her bed. Finally, she propped herself against her pillow and waited. Willow slowly opened the door and stepped inside of the room.

"You have everything that you need?" The witch asked cautiously.

"I think so," Hailey replied evenly.

"Wesley restitched you?" Willow asked.

"He did a better job than those bloody doctors," Hailey muttered, glancing down at her stomach. Willow smiled slightly.

"Okay," she said. "I just wanted to make sure that you were settled." She moved to leave the room and Hailey felt a pang of sadness strike her heart.

"Where are you sleeping?" She asked, partly because she was curious, and partly to keep Willow from leaving.

"In Dawn's room," Willow replied, turning to face Hailey again. Hailey nodded, unsure of what to say next.

"Is there anything else?" Willow asked hopefully. Hailey sighed.

"You said that you wanted to explain things to me," she said softly, looking down at her hands. She needed to change the bandages covering her fingers. She could see specks of blood staining the gauze, where her fingernails had once been. The soft, vulnerable nail beds throbbed intensely.

"I do," Willow said, taking a step forward, back into the room.

"So explain them to me," Hailey stated. "I think I'm ready to hear."

Willow nodded, her heart beating erratically in her chest. She could feel her palms slicken with moisture. She was nervous as hell. She knew that her entire relationship with Hailey depended upon what she said. She had to find the right words or she could lose everything about which she cared. When she had first met Hailey, she was uncertain whether she could love anyone again after Tara. However, with time, she had realized that, while Tara would always remain in her heart, there was space for Hailey too. She loved the girl lying in front of her and wanted desperately to convey that love in a way that would secure her forgiveness. Willow breathed deeply and closed the bedroom door, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

Finally she spoke, "I can only explain to you what happened; what I felt; and why it occurred. I can't make you forgive me. I can only hope that you will…"