Author: Gillian
Silverlight
Distribution: My
site: http://www.homestead.com/gilliansspikelair/,
those that already have permission to post my fic, all others please ask. (If
you post my fic. Please do not rearrange the sentence groupings. It can alter
the flow of the story. Thanks.)
Disclaimer: They
belong to Joss and the WB, UPN, FX; just about everybody except me. I just play
with them.
Summary: Season
Four, ‘Post Orpheus’. After her fight with Angelus, Faith realizes she has
resolution to seek before moving forward. (Sequel to ‘Deepest Cuts’)
Rating: NC-17
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit
it out or dance.’
“I’m not like you!” Faith told Angelus. Her voice emphatic, firm, anger tinged with fear that edged each word, her hair streamed across her face, her body held defiant.
Angelus grabbed her, pulling her down in front of him, his hand buried in her hair as he pulled her head to the side, affording him a clear view of her neck.
“You will be…” He bit into the soft flesh as Faith’s eyes went wide with shock, surprise, fear…
~*~
Wesley pulled himself from the debris where Angelus had thrown him. His body screamed with agony in more places than he could count, but Faith needed him.
Staggering around a corner of the scaffolding, the Watcher saw Angelus, his fangs buried deep in Faith’s throat, trickles of blood running down her pale skin as the vampire drank her like a bottle of vintage wine, savoring every swallow.
Knowing he had only moments to act, Wesley shifted his position and aimed the shotgun he carried, firing it full into Angelus’ back. He knew it wouldn’t kill the vampire, but it would hurt him severely, hopefully causing him to release Faith long enough for Wesley to drag her to safety.
The idea worked in theory.
~*~
‘Never settle for the path of least resistance
Wesley struggled to lift the dying Slayer in his arms, ignoring the savage pain that shrieked through his body with each movement. Finally raising her, he managed to stand, heading for the doorway and hoping the ruin of Angelus’ shoulder, where the shotgun blast had caught him, would keep the vampire down, at least until Wesley could get himself and Faith to safety.
The brunette Watcher clenched his teeth against the heavy, burning, leaded pain that filled him. He was almost within touching distance of the front door and the salvation of the sunlight when the combined burden of his limp, dying Slayer and his own injuries finally overcame his determination and strength, and Faith began to slip from his arms.
Moments before she hit the floor, Wesley ready to topple with her, Gunn and Lorne burst through the doorway.
“Wes!”
“Take her!”
“Where’s Angelus?” Lorne asked as he supported most of Wesley’s weight while Gunn scooped Faith into his arms.
“Back there. Someone needs to tie him up, get him back to the hotel before he recovers.” Wesley clung desperately to consciousness only by sheer force of will and fear for his Slayer.
“Let’s get the two of you to the car first. Is she alive?” Gunn asked, not able to check for the rise and fall of her chest as he carried Faith toward the car at the curb, sitting in blazing sunlight.
“Yes. She has to get to a hospital…” While the spirit was more than determined, Wesley’s battered flesh was no longer willing to keep him conscious and the green-skinned Lorne found himself struggling to keep the muscular brunette from falling to the pavement. “Ah, a little help here when you can, Gunn.”
Easing Faith into the back seat, Gunn propped her up as much as possible, knowing they’d have to get Wesley into the back seat as well and space was at a premium.
The two battered, bloody, beaten and unconscious warriors slumped against each other; Gunn finally turned his attention to the matter of Angelus.
“There’s a blanket in the trunk. If we cover him with it, we should be able to get him in there. At least he won’t fry until we can get his soul back into him some way, then beat the hell outta him…”
~*~
With Angelus tied, chained, covered and locked into the trunk of Angel’s car, Gunn drove while Lorne check on the wounded in the back seat. “They’re both unconscious but breathing.”
“Good. Means he didn’t get to turn her… I’m taking them to the hospital. I’ll check ‘em in and you take Angelus back to the hotel. Make his kid help you get him into the cage. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, is allowed down there or to have the keys ‘cept you or me. We’ll figure somethin’ out when I get back.”
~*~
‘When you come close to sellin' out reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than
just a passing glance,’
Several hours later, Gunn had gone back to the Hyperion with instructions from a groggy Wesley.
The brunette Watcher had been swabbed, injected, bandaged and splinted in numerous places. The doctor had wanted to admit him, but Wesley had adamantly refused, finally threatening the white-coated man with his own instruments.
Now he dragged himself down the hallway to Faith’s room. She lay motionless beneath the crisp, white sheets, IV’s in both arms; one a vitamin cocktail, the other was whole blood infusing to replace what she’d lost to Angelus. Injured as he was, Wesley had tried to donate blood for Faith… The doctor had glared at him and refused.
Carefully pulling the single chair into place beside the bed, Wesley eased slowly into the padded seat and reached to take Faith’s hand in both of his as he watched her.
Wesley had no idea how long he sat simply holding her hand, watching the drip of the IV and waiting for Faith to wake. It seemed only the next minute when he woke, his head on the bedside next to the battered Slayer, the fingers of her other hand wound in his hair. “S-sorry I screwed up, Wes.” Faith was tired, her words barely above a whisper, her voice hoarse, scratchy.
Raising his head only slightly from the bed to look up at her face, he pulled the hand he still held captive to his face, resting his cheek against the back of it. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Faith. I should have been there. I shouldn’t have let him take me out like that… I’m sorry I had to say those things to you… I just needed you to really fight him, to use the anger that had always kept you safe before. Can you forgive me for what I said?”
“’S’okay, Wes. I was pretty pissed at you to begin with. I mean, after all your pep talk and us last night - that was damned harsh. But then I woke up and you were here and hanging onto my hand… Sleepin’ on it actually… I thought about that and what you’d said to me. Realized finally what you were trying to do. Nothing to forgive, Wes. You were trying to do your job, keep me alive.”
“Thank you, Faith. That’s more than I deserve. He’s at the hotel. I managed to shoot him. Gunn and Lorne showed up in the nick of time. They got us here and took him back in the truck, locked him up until we can restore his soul.”
“’S’good. Think I’ll go back to sleep now. Gonna be here?”
Wesley could tell she was groggy, her words slurring slightly, but she’d grasped his hand. Once he’d awakened, she’d released his hair, but she clung to his hand as he clung to her’s… both clinging to a lifeline. “I’ll be here. I may fall asleep again, but I’ll be here.”
“Gonna sleep, do it nex’ta me, Wes.” She tugged slightly on his hands, struggling to keep her eyes open.
“I doubt the staff will like that very much.” He wanted to lie beside her, to hold her and reassure himself that he’d not almost gotten her killed, but he was equally afraid of hurting her, unsure how badly she was bruised.
“Screw’em then. Can’t screw me, too many th’ng’s hurt. Hold me.” Faith never relinquished her pull on his hands.
Wesley could tell she meant what she said. She wanted him beside her, wanted him to hold her. And he wanted to do just that. He’d broken so many rules the last few months, what was one more? Easing himself from the chair, the tall, slender, muscular brunette sat carefully on the edge of the hospital bed as Faith squirmed painfully, trying to make room for him to lay beside her. Finally satisfied or too exhausted to move any further, Faith looked up at him expectantly.
Wesley levered himself down in the bed, turning on his side, facing her. He carefully draped one arm around her waist, raising an eyebrow to ask if it was alright.
Faith pulled his arm a bit closer to her before wrapping her own over him, taking care not to dislodge the needle securely taped in and to her arm.
Their ‘arranging’ finally accomplished; she tucked her head into his chest. Wesley lay with one arm around Faith, his other arm tucked under his head, his forehead resting against her hair.
Both warriors were so incredibly tired and sore that neither moved an inch as they slept. They were in the same position some time later when Lorne and Gunn walked into the room and saw them.
‘(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on
their years and wonder where those years have gone.)’
“Uh-oh, looks like some Slayer-Watcher bonding going on there.” Lorne was surprised to see the brunette pair sleeping together.
“Looks more like they already bonded before tonight, if ‘bondin’s’ what you’re calling it now. I think Wes just moved on real quick after Angelus sucked Lilah dry.” Gunn wasn’t sure if he approved or not, but he also knew Wesley didn’t need his approval and if the man was hanging onto Faith, Gunn was pretty sure he’d not be making eyes at Fred.
“I think just the nature of who and what they are brings a Slayer and her Watcher closer than most people ever get… These two have had a rough time of it.” Lorne remembered some of the things he’d heard about other such pairings, but offered this much in a form of explanation. Gunn simply snorted in reply.
‘Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to sellin' out reconsider,
Give
the heavens above more than just a passing glance
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
Dance’
Faith stirred in her sleep, starting for a few seconds until she remembered where she was… Having your arm taped to a board and an IV needle in it can remind you very quickly that you’re in a hospital.
She barely tilted her head, gazing at Wesley’s face where he lay against her shoulder, one arm draped across her waist, and smiled slightly.
“I see you’re still in the land of the living, sweetie, but you seem to have acquired a huge ‘growth’ on your shoulder…” Lorne pulled himself from the chair Wesley had used earlier, taking a step to the bed to grin at her as he gently brushed her hair from her forehead.
“Yeah… Saw that. Think I kinda like it though. Has a lot of character.”
“Ahhh, you must be feeling better if you’re making jokes.” The green-skinned demon teased Faith.
“Naw. Still feel like crap, if you wanna know the truth. Just not stomped crap. You get Angelus back in his cage?” Faith felt much more battered than she wanted to let anyone know. Staying motionless was the best way she could think of to hide that for the moment.
“If you two insist on talking, you could go to the other side of the bed, Lorne, instead of talking over me.” Wesley suddenly told the pair, his voice weary. He had made no movements at all; not even opening his eyes, but now drew in a ragged deep breath.
Faith was immediately concerned, “You okay? Sound kinda rough there… Didn’t mean to wake you, Wes. Sorry.”
Wesley slowly and carefully rotated his head until he could see her face, covered in bruises, swollen, lop-sided… He thought she looked beautiful. “I told you that you had no reason to be sorry, Faith. I was awake already. I just didn’t want to move and wake you.”
“Yeah, okay… But you avoided that other question. The part about being alright?”
Unable to move quickly, Wesley was caught, his expression plain for Faith and Lorne to see. “Hoped you’d forget that part. I suspect I have a broken rib… or two… maybe several. They can’t do more for them than they already have, so it’s simply a matter of trying not to agitate them.”
“That would mean with minor things like breathing. Right, Wes?” Lorne almost wanted to chuckle at the chagrin on Wesley’s face at being caught… almost.
“Well, that does bother them a bit, yes.”
“I can see I won’t be giving you any decent hugs for a while, then. Of course, I’m not sure I can right now.” Faith glanced back at Lorne; a fleeting thought about how odd to find a demon in her room and not be upset. But it was Lorne and he was one of the good guys, red eyes and horns, green skin, pointy chin and a nose that looked straight out of the Wizard of Oz… ‘Maybe he’s really her cousin… Naw.’ Faith knew she was pretty strung out, comparing him to the witch in that movie.
“Let me sleep beside you and I can forego the hugs… At least until we both heal somewhat.” Wesley murmured in her ear.
“Ooo! Such sexy enticements, Wes…” Faith almost chuckled but choked it back as pain hit her own ribs.
“If you two are going to get all mushy, I may need to go find some insulin… I do still have more than human hearing too.” Lorne remarked, letting them know their hushed comments were loud and clear to him, before something too personal was overheard.
“It’s cool, ‘Kermie’… Think I’m gonna re-examine the light-tight-integrity of my eyelids again.” Faith closed her eyes as she voiced her comment and was asleep again in seconds, the new infusion of medication from the mechanical pump on her IV pulling her under as it was designed to do.
Trying not to chuckle and cause more pain in his battered ribs, Wesley chose to follow her example, leaving Lorne sputtering in the background. “Kermie!?”
~*~
A couple of days later, it was with a great deal of effort, danger, and the assistance of numerous people, including visitors from Sunnydale, that Angel’s soul was restored.
Sometime afterwards, he was outside in his favorite courtyard when Faith finally located him. She was still a bit stiff from her almost healed injuries but sat on the bench beside him, trying to appear careless in her more than careful movements.
“Still sore? Sorry, Faith.” Angel saw the movements she’d tried to hide.
“Should have known you’d notice… I’m okay. Better every hour, in fact.”
“But it’s still my fault…” Faith’s fingertips suddenly covering his lips stopped Angel’s protest.
“No, it’s Angelus’ fault. But we… well, maybe just me… kinda need to talk to you, okay? Hang in here with me. I don’t do this well.” Faith knew what she needed to discuss but was dreading every second of it.
“Then don’t, Faith. It was all my fault.”
“Will you stop trying to shoulder all the blame, brood-boy? This isn’t about that. Hmmm, that made a lot of sense… Good start, Slayer.” Faith knew she was in trouble trying to talk to Angel and herself at the same time. “Wes… Wes came to get me to help ‘cause you were the only person that never gave up on me, ya know?
“Both of you have been part of my life in some way or another for a while now, even if I’d wanted or tried to kill each of you at some point… Hmmm, again, maybe not the best way to go.” Faith stood suddenly, feeling the protest of abused muscles, joints and assorted body parts. She took a deep breath, exhaling before turning to look again at Angel. The vampire looked confused, concerned and perhaps even a bit panicked. ‘Can’t say I blame him. Feeling kinda panicked myself… Probably thinks I’m trying to express undying love or somethin’.’ Faith began to pace back and forth as she spilled out words to Angel, trying to explain something she wasn’t sure she even understood…
‘Watching shadows move across the wall, I feel so frightened.I wanna run to you, I wanna call, But I've been hit by lightening.Just can't stand up for fallin' apart’
‘I'm going crazy, I'm losing sleep.
‘I have a face I cannot showI make the rules up as I goAre you strong enough to be my man?’
‘Wherever you go, I'll be with you.Whatever you want, I'll give it to you.Whenever you need someone to lay your heart and head upon. Remember: after the fire, after all the rain,
‘Whatever you want, I'll give it to you.Wherever you go, I'll be with you.’