Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming.

Previously:

"Ah," Giles said, relief evident in his voice. "Another Potential."

"Come in," Wesley said politely. The girl smiled widely and walked into the foyer, eyeing the wooden crates sitting to her left suspiciously before she turned back to the Watchers.

"So," she said conversationally, "this is where the Slayers live?"

Chapter Forty:

The sun was just starting to peak over the horizon in a lazy display of phosphorescent gold. Faith sat in the corner of the room, her knees pressed against her chest, watching as the light spilled over onto the bed sheets that were draped across Buffy's naked body. Her chest rose and fell with deep, slow breaths as she dreamed. Faith wondered about what she was dreaming. The light failed to reach Faith's face. It seemed to skirt around her, as if it were afraid to touch her. She felt the unmistakable urge to smoke a cigarette; maybe because after all of her other previous sexual encounters, she had always needed the bitter taste of smoke to drown out the bitter taste of her self-revulsion.

However, as she sat watching Buffy sleep, she did not feel the usual self-revulsion that followed sex. She felt completely at ease, sated, and loved. That thought alone terrified her beyond any demon of which she could conceive. Perhaps that was why she wanted to smoke a cigarette. She loved Buffy more than she had loved anyone in her life. She knew that Buffy loved her. But the thought of a normal life, living with the person she loved, in happiness, was a particularly scary notion. She smiled as she watched Buffy sleep. Though she wanted to be lying next to her, pressing the blonde's body against her own, and running her fingers down the tender flesh of Buffy's arm, she was perfectly content studying her lover.

"She's beautiful," a voice said. Faith closed her eyes and smiled when she heard it, even though she knew that it was not real.

"I know," Faith replied honestly.

"You done good for yourself, kiddo," the man said, walking into the light. A tear escaped from one of Faith's tightly closed eyes. "Aw, now don't do that."

"I'm not allowed to cry for you?" Faith asked, opening her eyes, and wiping away her tears.

"No," the man replied. "I'm won't have it. My girl is never supposed to cry."

"Why's that?" Faith asked with a smile in her voice.

"Because my girl is gonna be the happiest girl in the world," the man answered. Faith could see his face fully now as the sun filtered into the room. His blue eyes were twinkling and his stubbly lips curled up in a good-natured grin. His brown hair was messily curled in locks that rested on his forehead.

"Daddy," Faith whispered. "When did you die?"

"That ain't important," he said dismissively. "And don't go feelin' sorry for me now, either. Death ain't that bad thing that everyone always says it is. It's actually kinda nice."

"Yeah?" Faith asked.

"Well," her father said, moving closer. "You don't have to get up in the mornin' before the damn sun and walk a mile to a factory where you make shit an hour and come home with dirt smeared all over your face."

"You saying that you're in heaven, then, daddy?" Faith questioned.

The man thought for a moment and nodded. "If there is a heaven, than I suppose I'm in it. If there ain't, well, it's the next best thing."

"I know what you are," Faith said soberly. "I know you're just pretending to be someone I care about."

"Maybe I am," her father acknowledged. "But then maybe you can just pretend along with me for a while, yeah?"

"Maybe I can," Faith replied.

"So what's her name?" He asked, sitting in a chair across from her.

"Buffy," Faith responded. "But you already know that."

"That's an interesting name," he stated.

"She was born in L.A.," Faith said, as if that explained everything.

"The city of angels," he said humorously.

"So why are you here?" Faith questioned.

"Just checkin' up on my girl, that's all," he said. Faith smiled sadly. "Well, I gotta be goin', kiddo. But don't you go worryin' now, I'll be back."

The man disappeared and Faith found herself staring at an empty chair. Buffy stirred, groaned, rolled over, and stretched. "Who were you talking to?" She asked, sitting up in bed, and wrapping a sheet around her body.

"My father," Faith said lowly, shifting her gaze to the world awakening outside of her window.

"The First," Buffy clarified.

"Same thing," Faith answered. Buffy rose from the bed, moving over to her girlfriend.

"What can I do?" She asked, kneeling in front of her.

"What do you mean?" Faith replied, her eyes focused on the sun as it rose in the sky.

"Seeing him hurt you," Buffy stated. "I can see it in your eyes."

"I haven't seen him in a long time," Faith said distantly. "I didn't know that he had died."

"You don't have to suffer alone," Buffy whispered.

"So I should let you suffer with me?" Faith replied sarcastically, though she smiled.

"Yes," Buffy said, smiling back. "That what you do in one of these things."

"What things?" Faith asked, finally shifting her gaze to Buffy's face.

"Relationships."

……………………..

Hailey had slept uneasily during the night; plagued by nightmares of an unseen, but powerful evil that seemed to hover over the house. She awoke as the sun was steadily rising in the sky, but the feeling did not subside. Instead, the feeling seemed to grow stronger. Her head buzzed and her limbs ached to help ward off the evil she felt sure was lurking in every shadow. "I'm just being paranoid," she muttered as she struggled to sit up in the bed. Though she was still in a great deal of pain, she found that she was healing very quickly. Being a Slayer did have its benefits, despite the many drawbacks. Once she was in a seated position, she swung her legs over the side of the bed. She had not changed clothes in a several days, or showered, and found that the ripe smell invading her nostrils was indeed coming from her.

"I can do this," she whispered determinedly. She tried to grip the nightstand to pull herself to her feet, forgetting momentarily that she no longer possessed fingernails, and an intense wave of pain quickly reminded her. "Okay," she said, soothing her inflamed fingers, "that was a mistake. I'm sorry."

A knock on the door stalled her progress and a familiar face entered the room. "Hey," Spike said, walking up to her. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I wanted to take a shower," Hailey replied. "But getting up has proven to be rather difficult."

"Want some help?" He offered. Hailey flashed him a grateful smile.

"You're not here to tell me that I need to lay down, rest, and gather my strength?" Hailey replied amusedly.

"No," Spike answered as Hailey wrapped her arm around his shoulder. She found it much easier to stand while leaning on Spike, who helped navigate her to the door. "Who am I to tell you what to do or not to do? Besides, if I know you half was well I think I do, I know you'll nod and smile to my advice, and then do whatever the hell you feel like behind my back anyway."

"You've really got me pegged," Hailey said dryly.

"You're not too hard to figure out," Spike pointed out. "Once you get down to it." They reached the bathroom and Spike flipped on the light. "You got it from here?"

"I think so," Hailey said. "Do you think you could grab some fresh clothes for me?"

"Absolutely," Spike said. "I'll just set them inside the door."

Hailey smiled as Spike left the room and turned her attention to the shower. Peeling off her clothes, she let them fall to the white, tile floor. She stepped into the shower and turned on the faucet, shrieking slightly as a blast of cold water poured onto her body. Finally, she adjusted the temperature to a suitable degree. Showering also proved to be rather difficult, considering the number of bandages covering various parts of her body – bandages she was almost certain were not supposed to be showered upon. She found clothes waiting for her inside of the door, as Spike had promised, and quickly dressed. She opened the door again to find Spike standing outside, waiting for her.

"What a gentleman," Hailey commented.

"I assumed that if you needed help getting into the bathroom," he said, "you'd need help getting to wherever else it is that you're planning on going."

"Food would be nice," Hailey replied. "I was thinking of going to the kitchen."

"Ah," Spike nodded. "But the kitchen is downstairs."

"That it is," Hailey said, leaning on Spike for support as he led her down the hallway towards the stairs.

"Stairs are going to be a step more difficult for you," Spike replied.

"I'm up for the challenge," Hailey bantered back. They reached the stairs and Hailey looked down them warily. "There's a lot of them."

"I thought you were up for the challenge," Spike teased.

"I don't remember there being so many stairs," Hailey continued.

"One at a time, alright?" Spike said, stepping down onto the first stair. He held his hand out for her, which she carefully took. It was a slow process, but finally, they reached the bottom. Hailey felt nearly out of breath. "Unfortunately," Spike said, "this is as far as I can take you. Kitchen is a bit off limits for me during the day. Lots of windows."

"Thanks," Hailey replied gratefully. "I really needed the help."

"You good from here?" Spike questioned.

"I think so," Hailey answered.

"Good," Spike said, moving away. "I'll be in the basement if you need anything. Oh," he added, "I almost forgot. Colleen and Maria wanted me to give you a message."

"What's that?" Hailey asked curiously.

"Colleen said that she and the rest of the girls have got your back, so don't worry about anything. And Maria said to get well soon, more or less," Spike recited.

"She speaks English now?" Hailey asked in surprise.

"Colleen has been teaching her," Spike answered as he walked away.

Hailey smirked and looked towards the kitchen door, which seemed rather far. Sighing, she pressed forward, slowly walking until she reached the door. She pushed it open and stepped inside. "Hold up," Xander said, immediately rushing to her side. "Should you be walking around?"

"I was kinda hungry," Hailey said. "But that was a while ago. Now I'm kinda starving. So unless someone was planning on bringing me something, I thought I'd have to come down here to get it."

"Good point," Xander said. "So," he added, flashing her a crooked grin, "what'll it be?"

"What're you making?" Hailey replied. "I could eat anything right about now."

"Pancakes and eggs are on the menu, according to Dawnie," Xander said. "Or she who dictates what I make in the morning."

"Pancakes and eggs it is," Hailey said, smiling.

"You're lucky," Xander added. "The breakfast rush hasn't begun yet."

Hailey watched Xander prepare breakfast. She shifted her gaze to the kitchen window, struck by a bitter feeling in her gut. She could almost see Kennedy kissing Willow again. The kitchen door swung open and Willow walked inside, pausing when she saw Hailey. "Yes, I should be up, yes, I should be walking around, and no, I'm not going to go lay back down again," Hailey ranted, holding up a hand to silence the witch as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Okay," Willow replied nervously, standing awkwardly in the doorway.

Hailey sighed, knowing that Willow wanted an answer – whether she would take her back or not. "You want to sit down?" Hailey asked, motioning to an empty chair beside her. Willow smiled.

"Yeah," she said, sitting next to her girlfriend.

"Xander's making pancakes and eggs," Hailey explained. "I'm not so sure he knows what he's doing," she added in a conspiratorial whisper.

"Me neither," Willow whispered back. "How're you feeling this morning?"

"Better," Hailey replied honestly. "I think everything's going to be okay from now on."

"Yeah?" Willow asked hopefully.

"Yeah," Hailey responded, gazing into Willow's emerald eyes. "I want to make this work. I'm not saying that I won't get pretty damn pissed the next time I see Kennedy," she said. "But I love you. And I know that you love me. That's all that really matters."

Willow smiled brilliantly and gently took one of Hailey's hands in her own. "Just tell me when to hold you back," she joked. Hailey laughed.

"You might be doing that a lot."