A big THANK YOU for all the reviews, seriously. Every time I read your words, it makes me want to write more and more chapters, to make it a longer story than planned. Thanks for all the story alerts/favorites. Means a lot :)

Don't forget to check and review 'Oil and Water' !

This chapter's a lot shorter, I know. But I had to end it like this. Next chapter next week, and it might take a bit longer afterwards because I won't have time to write much this week. Exams time, guys !

Enjoy your reading :)

They both turn to the bed, where Buffy is now slowly moving her head from the left to the right. Her eyes are still closed, and Satsu assumes she's sleeping. It's probably a nightmare because the blonde is frowning intensely. She refocuses on Faith, whose eyes are still on Buffy. As soon as she feels the burning sensation of being watched, Faith's look meets Satsu's.

Neither of them speaks. They're both surprised to hear Buffy talk, and even more to hear what she's saying. There is a moment of tension, and Satsu can still feel Buffy's agitation right behind her, but she doesn't want to let Faith see her. It's her girlfriend, she has to stay here, not Faith.

The door opens, and Angel quickly slips back into the room.

"I thought I heard Buffy's voice ? Is she…"

"No, she's not. She's dreaming."

"Having a nightmare would be more like it." Satsu corrects.

The three of them gather around the bed to watch the helpless slayer in her unconscious battle.

"Please…"

Satsu winces when she hears the hint of pain in Buffy's voice, but Faith and Angel remain stoic.

"Stay… Faith…"

Now their faces wear some expression. Angel frowns, and Faith is paler than before. Satsu doesn't know what to think, and even less what to do. She feels more than she sees Angel's hand on her shoulder.

"Satsu, I think we should leave for a while."

"But…"

"Buffy will be fine with Faith."

She doesn't doubt that.

"How could you hear Buffy's voice, by the way ? It was so quiet… If I wasn't a slayer I would've missed it."

"I can't explain it. I would recognize her voice anywhere, anytime. I mean… It's like she's here, in the back of my mind, and sometimes I can hear her."

"You all seem to have some kind of connection with her… Am I the only one who doesn't ?"

"You have a connection with her, too, Satsu. Don't underestimate yourself. Mine or Faith's may be stronger, but you do share something with Buffy too."

Satsu stays quiet for a while. She wonders what's happening in the hospital room between her girlfriend and Faith. Angel is not the talkative kind of guy, and she appreciates that.

"What if I can't let her go ? What if… What if I go nuts and do something stupid ?"

He looks at her with sad, tired eyes.

"You won't. I know for sure that she likes you a lot, and she cares about you. She'll never let you do something stupid. It's Buffy. She's got her heart on her hand."

"No, she hasn't. Not anymore. Her heart is in Faith's hand now."

He chuckles at her answer.

"Well, maybe, but you know what I mean."

"Yeah."

Satsu is quite surprised to realize that she likes Angel. She knew about him long before she met him today, but all she could remember was that he had broken Buffy's heart and bit her. However, now that she had talked to him, she was glad to have him with her.

She stands up and walks up to the door of Buffy's room. But she doesn't touch the door handle. She just stares right in front of her as if her eyes could see right through it. She can't hear anything, which probably means that no one's talking. Satsu wishes she could just push the door and claim what's hers. Buffy is still her girlfriend, after all. Even if her heart belongs to someone else.

And the door opens suddenly, and she's facing Faith. God, she really is beautiful. Satsu has to give her that. Maybe she is a former psychotic killer, but she has perfect features and a perfect body. She can't blame Buffy for falling for this one girl. Satsu is far from being ugly, but Faith has the beauty of a goddess. She's…

"Are you gonna stay here all day ?"

Faith's voice makes her snap out of her thoughts. Silently she steps aside and the brunette walks past her towards Angel who still hasn't moved. Satsu slowly joins the side of Buffy's bed.

The blonde slayer is calmer now. She seems at peace, and Satsu wonders what Faith has done to her. Maybe nothing. Maybe her presence was enough; maybe Buffy could sense that she was in the room. And her heart aches. She feels the tears forming in her eyes but doesn't try to wipe them off. If she wants to cry, then she'll cry.

Satsu sits on the edge of the bed and takes Buffy's hands in hers. She knows she'll have to say goodbye soon. Goodbye to the very first love of her life. It's unfair. She wishes they had more time to build a solid and true relationship before Faith came into their lives. That way, she would've had a chance to win Buffy's heart. But it's too late now, she can't undo what's been done.

She feels stupid and miserable for not having seen earlier that Buffy couldn't fall in love with her because the special place in her heart was already taken by someone else. But how could she have known when Buffy herself had no idea ?

Silently, Satsu exits the room. She can't stand to be here any longer, not when she knows she's not the one Buffy will want to see when she wakes up. Angel is still sitting on the plastic chair in the corridor but Faith is nowhere in sight.

"Where is she ? Is she gone again ?"

"She said she needed to take a nap."

"Oh."

"I'm going to call Giles to tell him Buffy seems to be a bit better."

"Okay. I'll just… sit here."

Angel walks away and Satsu is alone, finally. Lately she's had a lot of time to think about her life and her relationship with Buffy. They can't keep going like this. They have to go separate ways, she knows it. Her head knows it. So why does her heart disagree with that ? Why can't she just walk away and close this chapter of her life ?

Because a part of her still hopes that Buffy will give her a chance. That what they've been trying to build during more than a year now hasn't been a complete waste of time. Satsu is not sure that she'll stick around if Buffy breaks up with her. Hell, she knows she won't stick around. She couldn't bear to see her girlfriend happy with someone else, let alone with Faith. But what if it doesn't work between the two Chosen ? What if they try, fight and break up ? What if Buffy wants Satsu back after that ? What if…

"Okay, fuck off, 'What if'." Satsu shakes her head vigorously.

For now, Buffy is still in that hospital bed. Kennedy is mad at her. Giles, Xander, Dawn and Willow probably blame her unconsciously. And Faith is here, somewhere, sleeping.

Satsu scoffs. How can Faith be asleep while Buffy's almost in a coma ? What kind of friend would do that ? She doesn't seem a bit worried by Buffy's suicide attempt and Buffy wants to be with that girl ? She must be crazy, seriously.

Her trail of fuming thoughts keeps going on and Satsu stands up to pace back and forth in front of the door where her girlfriend is resting. She needs to calm herself, for Buffy's sake.

Quietly she goes back to her previous spot toward the bed and absent-mindedly places a lock of blonde hair behind Buffy's ear. She's so beautiful when she's asleep, Satsu thinks. And even after all the shit she's just been through, Buffy is smiling. She must be dreaming of happier times.

That's when it hits her. Buffy is smiling. She's asleep and she is smiling. But she wasn't a few minutes ago. All the links are forming in Satsu's head.

Buffy calling out for Faith, Faith leaving to take a nap, Buffy smiling, and their dreams shared in the past… It was Faith's idea. She hadn't let Buffy down at all. No, she was joining her in her dreams. She was reaching out to her in the most intimate and inaccessible place that exists in a human being : her subconscious.

Yeah, Faith is smart.

Leave a few words about your opinion on this chapter ! :)

OTH-FOQ