PART 10
The cast finished their bows and headed out to the lobby where everyone who watched the show was exiting to meet and greet the cast. During bows, Buffy avoided eye contact with Faith, but was smiling none the less as the whole crowed cheered for them all. Everyone cheered and screamed when Faith bowed, causing the brunette to blush red. And everyone stood up and applauded when Buffy and Faith bowed together at the end of all the bows. It is common to have the two main leads bow together.
Faith was the favorite among the crowed, you could tell, everyone cheered for her the loudest. They knew that she just had to step up and play the part with no preparation at all. Though Buffy got quite a reaction from the crowd as well.
Mitch was driven to the hospital to get x-rays. His leg was broken but he will be ok. People were everywhere in the lobby.
Dawn came up and threw her arms around Faith. "Hey there kiddo! Did ya like it?" Faith asked smiling and messing up Dawn's hair. Dawn laughed.
"Yeah! I about cracked up when you came on stage though!" Dawn replied. Faith laughed. Faith looked over Dawn's shoulder at Buffy who was talking to a red head, some girl around her age but maybe a few years older, and Xander. Dawn followed her eyes. She was about to say something to Faith when Cordelia walked up.
Cordelia hugged Faith. "Nice acting Faith. I've got to say, I was impressed," Cordelia said. Then Cordelia leaned in a little bit more so that only Faith could hear the last part, "And maybe a bit jealous."
Xander choose that moment to come up to Faith to congratulate her on a job well done. Xander, Dawn, and Cordelia were the only main people that Faith knew. Others congratulated her but she didn't really know who they where. They were just saying that she did a good job and how good she did for just stepping up like that and how good the set looked and other various things. It kind of tired the brunette out a bit. So many people were coming up to her. She wasn’t used to all that kind of attention.
Faith then noticed that Buffy wasn't in the lobby anymore. She told Cordelia she would see her in a bit and ran to the changing room. Sure enough, there was Buffy quickly gathering her things. The majority of everyone had already left. So no one was really around. Faith smiled slightly.
"Hey," Faith said stepping closer to Buffy. Buffy lifted her head and looked at Faith and then went right back to what she was doing not saying a word. Faith felt nervous. Since they had kissed, Buffy had been acting kind of strange.
"Buffy, I..." Faith started. Buffy sighed loudly and stopped what she was doing standing up. Faith took a step back fidgeting. She didn't know what Buffy was going to do. Buffy just stared at her a moment before finally speaking.
"Look, Faith, I don't know about you but the show is over and we should just leave," Buffy said a little bitter, almost hotly. Faith almost winced at the words, a bad feeling coming over her that she tried to ignore.
"But, Buffy, that kiss..." Faith started again. Buffy took a demanding step forward and startled Faith a little bit.
"We were acting," Buffy said slowly and sternly making sure that her point got across. Faith was hurt. She meant everything when she was up there with Buffy on that stage.
"But Buffy..." Faith started again. Buffy grabbed her things.
"But nothing. Don’t flatter yourself. It meant nothing to me and it was just for the show, ok, end of story. You may have thought differently but don't make it into something that it's not. Just go out and go to the cast party, ok!" Buffy yelled walking out the door.
Faith stood transfixed where she was. She never moved, never turned around, nothing. The feeling Faith once had, that momentary happiness, glimmer of hope, all came crashing down. A single tear slid down her cheek as she clenched her fists.
Just then Jessica walked in. Faith quickly wiped off her face and turned, showing nothing happened.
"I was just checking to see who was left. I guess you're the last one. You going to finish up?" Jessica asked. Faith just stared at her a second.
"Yea..." Faith replied half heartily.
"Are you ok?" Jessica asked.
"I'm five by five," Faith replied shrugging her shoulders.
"Ok, if you say so," Jessica said as she started to walk out the door. Then she stopped. "Well, I guess I'll see you at the cast party?" Jessica asked. Faith looked up at her.
"Yea...I guess," Faith replied still cold as ice. She showed no emotion, nothing. It was as if Faith was hollow. Jessica left and Faith just stood there a few moments. Faith then turned her head towards the mirror that hung to her left. Her smile turned to a scowl.
"I hate you," Faith lightly whispered angrily at herself. In a flash, Faith swung her fist forward shattering the mirror. Blood ran all over her hand. "Shit," Faith mumbled as she clutched her hand.
Faith's eyes stung as tears formed at her eyes. She tried to fight it. She hated crying. She thought it was weak. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she stared at the broken mirror with her hand bleeding.
Then Cordelia just walked in and stopped dead in her tracks. The flowers she was holding lightly slipped and fell to the floor. Every thing seemed to be happening in slow motion. Faith watched the flowers as they fell onto the floor scattering.
Faith looked up at Cordelia, pain and sorrow spread through her face. Cordelia rushed to Faith and hugged her. "My God Faith! What happened?" Cordelia asked as she held Faith's face between her hands. She wiped her tears away with her thumbs as Faith just stood there. "Come here," Cordelia said.
PART 11
Faith didn't go to school the next day. Cordelia cleaned her up and drove her home. It was very nice of her. Faith didn't speak the whole time. Cordelia didn't push it either. Faith cried herself to sleep that night, alone, in her bed. She had sent Cordelia home, as soon as she dropped her off, not really saying a word to her.
Buffy didn't go to school either. Dawn did though and couldn't understand why Buffy didn't. Buffy had said that she wasn't feeling well...when really; she just wanted to try to sort out everything in her head.
Cordelia wanted to stay with Faith but knew she shouldn't push it. So she went to school.
Buffy sat in her room looking out the window thinking. She couldn't get last night out of her head. And the nasty things she said to Faith. Buffy lied, the kiss DID mean something to her. And that's what caused her to freak out. Buffy just didn't know how she felt. And she couldn't handle Faith at that moment. She was scared and didn't understand. And she was afraid of what Faith herself may think.
Faith on the other hand stayed in her bed, alone in the dark. She knew she shouldn't have let anybody in. An inner battle was going on inside of Faith. She was arguing with herself on what she should have and shouldn't have done. She blamed herself for feeling the way she felt and for allowing herself to get hurt...again.
Faith had poured her heart out on that stage. She loved Buffy. She finally admitted it to herself. That night when Faith slept in Buffy's bed with her...that was the best night she had ever slept in her life. She felt safe...she felt loved. And since she had been around the blonde, her sleeping had gotten better. Faith finally gave into her feelings and used the play as her way to get her feelings out. She didn't really think it would work...but...that kiss...
And Buffy kissed her back. And continued to kiss her too...Faith shook her head. She was so stupid. She hated herself and who she was. She was angry and she was hurt. Faith hadn't hurt this bad since Virtue died.
Dawn had walked back home after school. She was bummed out that Faith wasn't in school today. She could tell that Cordelia was too. Cordelia's friends still went around with her but Dawn figured it was only because they wanted all the details about Faith. Dawn could tell that Cordelia was unhappy in the group but there wasn't anything that Dawn could ever do about that, and it was Cordelia’s choice to be with them in the first place.
Dawn stopped by Faith's on her way home but her uncle had said she was in her room in bed and hadn't come out all day. Her uncle was getting ready to go on another business trip. Dawn sighed at the situation. She didn't really understand what was going on.
Dawn entered the house to Willow making soup. "You know, soup for the slayers soul," Willow stated as Dawn grabbed a cookie from the cookie jar. Dawn just shook her head and walked up stairs.
"Dawnie?" Came a voice from Buffy's room. Dawn rolled her eyes and walked into her sister's room. Buffy sat by the window and motioned her over. Dawn sat on the edge of Buffy's bed.
"How was school?" Buffy asked.
"You know, same old same old," Dawn replied. Buffy shook her head.
"How's Faith?" Buffy casually asked. Dawn gave her a look but answered.
"I wouldn't know. She didn't come to school today and I went by her house but her uncle said she had been in bed all day," Dawn answered. Buffy wrinkled her forehead in thought.
The day went by quite fast. Faith got done sharpening her stakes as the sun went down. Faith just pushed everything that she was feeling into that dark room in her mind where she shoved everything the past 17 years. Her heart was still heavy but she had a job to do. She knew Cordelia would be coming to look for her. She did leave several messages on Faith's answering machine. Faith told her she needed the day and night to herself.
Cordelia just merely agreed. She really liked Cordelia. She had been so good to her. But Cordelia wanted more then Faith could give her...her heart. Don't get her wrong. She loved Cordy in her own way but not the way she loved Buffy. Faith sighed and stuck a few stakes in her duster.
Faith barely cared about anything now. She threw out her ridiculous stupid costume. Like she needed that anyway. She kept her duster though. Faith couldn't feel. She couldn't feel a thing...she still felt hallow...and you can't go out like that slaying when you feel like that. Faith knew very well what was going to happen tonight. But she didn't care. And this happened on a few occasions when Faith would get depressed over Virtue or something. Faith walked out her door and strode over to the graveyard hoping she wouldn't run into Buffy.
Buffy didn't patrol that night. She had a "family dinner" with Willow, Anya, Xander, Dawn, and Kennedy. She just tried to push aside the inner battle she was having about Faith. What Buffy didn't know was what would happen due to her actions.
Faith carefully wrapped her hand when she woke up. The cuts were pretty deep and she had to be careful. She wasn't going to go work out that morning...not after the night she had last night.
Buffy woke up and cleared her head trying not the think about anything. Her and Dawn got ready for the day and headed to school. Buffy had told Xander about Faith and how she slays and how good she was even though she wasn't a slayer. Xander had mentioned that he had woodshop with her and that he and her would just work on making stakes and stuff to use against the "bad guys that go grrrr in the night" as Xander had put it.
Faith avoided anyone she could in the hallway as she went about her day to get ready. Buffy had gone to her office and got ready for her day as Dawn went to her locker and then homeroom.
Cordelia got to school early to see Faith. She was worried. Faith tried to avoid her.
"Faith," Cordelia whispered as she finally caught up with the girl. Faith wouldn't meet her eyes. Cordelia lightly ran her hand down the side of Faith's face and Faith winced a little.
"Who did this?" Cordelia asked. Faith was really beaten up. She had a black eye and a pretty bad cut over her upper left eye as well a few other various bruises and cuts. Not to mention her hand which was already in bad shape.
Faith let the vampires get in a few hits last night. Faith wanted to feel something...anything, anything other then the nothingness and pain she felt that was eating away at her. Being beaten always took her mind off that. So she let the vampires have a little fun last night.
Right then Cordelia wanted to kiss Faith. She didn't care who saw or anything. Cordelia gazed into Faith's dark eyes. She knew there laid pain behind those eyes and it hurt her. She ever so lightly and softly kissed Faith on the lips and placed her forehand against Faith's.
"I don't like seeing you like this...stay with me tonight?" Cordelia asked as she looked upon Faith. Faith lightly but painfully smiled at Cordelia's care and love. Might as well go with it. Nothing was standing in her way. Buffy sure as hell wasn't.
"Ok," Faith answered smiling at Cordelia, not really feeling anything.
Faith got quite a few looks all day from the way she looked. Faith tried to ignore Dawn but it was pretty impossible. Faith was pretty sure Dawn would mention something to Buffy and that was the last thing that Faith wanted. She never wanted to see the blonde again. She did have to already see her for study hall.
In Creative writing class, Cordelia scooted closer to Faith almost touching her. Very subtlety, Cordelia let her hand drop and rest next to Faith's at her side. And ever so lightly entwined her fingers with Faith's, holding her hand. Faith gave a sideways look at Cordelia who just smiled causing the dark brunette to smile in return.
Buffy sat in her office gazing out the window as Principal Wood came in. He cleared his throat to get her attention. Buffy looked up at him and he offered a slight smile. Wood then sat in the chair near Buffy'' desk pulling it closer.
"I want to talk to you about Faith," Wood stated. Buffy's eyes went wide for a second.
"Why?" Buffy asked. Wood gave her a puzzled look then took a breath.
"I think she's being abused again," he stated. Buffy looked at him dumbfounded. Wood studied her face.
"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked.
"Didn't you read her file?" Wood asked leaning back in his chair.
"Yes I did. So?" Buffy replied. Wood lifted his eyebrows.
"Didn't you read the file on her life?" he asked leaning forward again. Buffy was confused.
"There wasn't much in there. It doesn't mention a thing..." Buffy started then stopped. She thought for a second. Then remembered bumping into Faith the first day that she got that file and Faith helping her pick up the files. Buffy then looked back up at Wood.
"What?" Wood asked.
"I think I know why I didn't see those files..." Buffy said.
