U is for Unexpected

"What's going on, baby? What's on your mind?" Buffy asked Faith with soft concern as she sat next to her on the couch, reaching to take one of her hands.

Faith swallowed, lowering her eyes for a moment to gather herself before meeting Buffy's eyes once more. Ever since it had happened… and especially since she had gotten up the nerve to tell Buffy she needed to talk to her- she had been so nervous , dreading her reaction. It was bad enough trying to cope with this knowledge on her own… but now having to tell Buffy..

She didn't know what the other slayer's reaction would be… some part of her was terrified, certain that whatever Buffy's promises of her love for her, she would not would believe her, would now hate her. What if Buffy did hate her… what if she left her, how could she possible cope with that?

But she had to tell her, before she found out on her own… and she had to initiate it herself, she had to explain. Damn, Christmas was right around the corner too. She didn't want to ruin it with this…but she had to…

Buffy was looking at her with her forehead wrinkling in concern now, and she squeezed Faith's hand, reaching to gently caress her cheek.

"You look so upset… Faith, are you about to cry? Oh sweetie, don't cry… what's wrong? Tell me, what happened… tell me…"

Faith blinked furiously against the stupid tears that always seemed so close to surface lately, hating herself for bringing them forth, for causing that anxious, worried look to come to Buffy's face. She couldn't do this, she had to tell her…

Taking a deep breath, she told herself that she should pull away from Buffy's touch, but the thing was that she couldn't bring herself to pull away from its small comfort…

"B… you know how I've been really bitchy and moody lately… and a real wuss with the crying…"

"Well…yes…" Buffy said slowly. "You're not a wuss, Faith…I mean it's unusual, but it's okay. Unless there's something wrong-"

"And how I've been tired and nauseous and having headaches…" Faith interrupted, plunging forward hurriedly in order to try and get it said as quickly as possible.

"Yes…" Buffy replied, still apparently not following, and Faith inhaled slowly again as Buffy frowned. "Are you sick, baby? Is- is something wrong, are you sick? Is it bad? Oh god, you don't' have cancer or something, do you?! Faith, do you have cancer?!"

"No!" Faith hurried to assure her quickly, and she squeezed Buffy's hand as relief flooded the blonde's features.

"Oh thank god, you were freaking me out there… I'm always telling you how you need to quit smoking-"

"Well I'm gonna have to anyway… but not 'cause of that," Faith said slowly, and her voice shook a little. She had to look away when she went on. "B…I took three tests and they all said the same thing… I'm pregnant."

For a long while no one spoke… Buffy seemed to have stopped breathing entirely. Faith could feel her eyes on her, could sense her complete shock, and her muscles tightened, a lump forming in her throat…

When Buffy finally spoke, her voice was hardly than a scratchy whisper, and she could only get out one word at first.

"What…"

"I don't know," Faith said tremulously, her voice almost as small as Buffy's, and she could feel the hot tears forming behind her eyes again, threatening to spill over. "I don't know how it happened, B, really, I don't-"

"You don't know how it happened?!" Buffy blurted incredulously, her voice rising as her eyes widened. "You have sex with a man, Faith, that's how it happened! How the hell could you this?! WHEN did you do this?!"

Her voice tightened, and she seemed barely able to say the next question.

"Whose is it, Faith? Do you even know?"

"No one's!" Faith cried, looking at her with eyes pleading to be believed, even as her stomach sank, knowing how ridiculous it sounded. "I didn't have sex with anyone, Buffy, no one but you! I swear- I-"

"Don't lie to me, Faith, that's not even possible," Buffy ground out between tightly clamped teeth, and it was the control of her tone that hurt Faith the most, even more than if she had screamed and yelled. "You have to have sex with a man to have a baby, I'm not stupid. I may be naïve, but I'm not an idiot. Don't give me shit about being a virgin conception, just because it's Christmas doesn't mean I'm stupid enough to believe you-"

"I'm not lying," she said desperately, and she could feel the frantic tears trailing rapidly down her cheeks now, the sobs beginning to distort her voice, as if she were far away from her own self. "I'm n-not… I wouldn't… I love you, Buffy, I d-didn't… I don't know…"

Buffy watched her for several moments as Faith gave up on trying to explaining herself, on even trying to stop herself from crying, her eyes narrowed, the hurt and confusion evident… as Faith continued to cry, her expression gradually softened, growing indecisive as she struggled…

"You…you swear?" she said finally, her voice still hoarse, pained. "You didn't… you didn't do it… you didn't…"

"No," Faith sobbed, shaking her head vigorously as several more tears ran down her face, and she looked up at Buffy pleadingly. "No…I swear…"

Buffy watched her intently for a few more minutes, seeming to be assessing her, still torn… and then she gave off a shuddering sigh. Reaching for Faith, she took her into her arms, bringing her head to her shoulder and beginning to stroke her hair with one hand, rubbing her back and shoulders with the other.

"Shh…don't cry, baby, it will be okay," she whispered, kissing the top of her head, then her forehead. "I believe you… it's okay. We'll figure this out… don't cry…"

Faith wrapped her arms around her fiercely, pushing her face into Buffy's shoulder as extreme relief blended with her still-upset emotions. It was a couple more minutes before she had entirely stopped crying.

Damn stupid fuckin' pregnancy, it must be the hormones, she thought to herself savagely and with no little humiliation as Buffy reached behind her for the tissues on the coffee table, handing them to her. Turns me into a fuckin' wuss…

"Maybe it's a mystical pregnancy," Buffy told her gently after Faith had blown her nose and wiped her eyes, taking her hands again and squeezing them. "Have you been around any weird demons lately, or anything else like that… something that might have done a hex on you?"

"No…and it doesn't feel like a demon thing," Faith said a little shakily, taking another slow breath. "It feels like… mine…like it's a real baby. Not a demon thing. Like I'm connected to it…and actually…it kinda feels like yours too…like you're connected to it too."

Buffy stared at her intensely for a moment, and then they both spoke simultaneously, in the exact same tone.

"WILLOW!!!!"