DISCLAIMER AND AUTHOR'S NOTE: All Buffy The Vampire Slayer stuff belongs to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and Warner Brothers. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fiction. All other characters that appear belong to me. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies may be made for private use only and must include this copyright notice and disclaimer. There is some subtext in this story. If this kind of stuff is not legal where you live, if you're under 18 or if you don't like the notion of two women being in love, then you should find something else to read. Be warned, there is severe physical, psychological and sexual abuse mentioned here. This is an AU story inspired by Michelle's Complement, but it's nowhere near as good. Or as long.

Escape
By Kristjan Brezovnik

Actress Buffy Summers was terrified, someone had tried to kidnap her. But that wasn't the worst. The worst was that the pilots were dead, her bodyguards too, and the plane she was one was about to crash. She kicked the kidnapper in the groin and tried to stand up when the kidnapper staggered away in pain. But then the plane hit something and through the open hatch Buffy could see the right wing being torn off. She didn't have much time to think about the consequences, because the jolt from the impact threw her toward the hatch. She managed to grab some rope, but it wasn't connected to anything and she fell out of the plane.

In a lonely cabin in the middle of nowhere, Faith was chained to the wall. She was completely naked and her body was full of scars, some old, some still healing. Her feet didn't reach the floor and so her arms had to carry all the weight. Some heavy weights were attached to her nipples and her clit with mean looking clamps, piercing the skin. Her stepfather's cum dripped from her pussy.

She was mercifully unconscious, but then a loud boom jolted her awake. She looked around, her eyes wide with horror. Her stepfather was nowhere to be seen, so she relaxed a bit. She tried to free herself, but she was too weak and any movement she made only increased the pain in her nipples and her clit. She started crying, wishing she was at least unconscious if not dead.

A few minutes later she heard loud rumbling. She listened and quickly realized it was coming closer. She prayed to god that it was an avalanche and that it would free her. One way or another.

Suddenly, the wall on Faith's right was swept away, exposing the cabin to the cold. A few moments later the wall she was chained to was torn apart and Faith was thrown on the floor. She screamed from the pain when the weights were torn off her body, leaving behind bleeding scars. She quickly passed out.

When Buffy finally woke up, she was cold, she was wet and she was in pain. She tried to move, but the pain in her legs increased and she realized they were broken. She started crying, not knowing what to do.

Ten minutes later, Faith woke up. She was cold and she was in pain. She looked at her body and saw that the weights were gone. She realized she was free, in spite of the fact that the chains were still attached to her arms and legs. She slowly got up, her whole body screaming in pain, and then staggeringly walked around the house, searching for something to put on.

After five minutes of searching, she managed to find her own clothes. She quickly put them on, too cold to care that she was dirty. She also found her stepfather's clothes and she put them on too, trying to warm up. Then she quickly left the cabin, afraid that her stepfather would come back.

She was walking for a few minutes when she heard cries for help. She stopped, not quite sure if it was her own screaming and she didn't know about it. She covered her mouth, but she could still hear the screams. She hesitated for a few moments and then went to see who it was.

When she found the half-conscious girl, she stared at her for a few moments, unsure of what to do. She knew if she helped her, her stepfather might catch her again. But if she didn't help her, the girl might die. She shuddered, not liking either choice.

Then the girl noticed her and waved at her.

"Help me! Please!"

Faith hesitated for a moment, but the scared look in the girl's eyes convinced her to help her. She approached her as quickly as she could, trying to ignore the pain.

"What…" she started when she got close enough, but her voice came out raspy, because her throat was sore from all the screaming she had done. She took a deep breath. "What happened?" she then asked quietly.

"What?" the girl moaned, obviously in pain.

"What happened?" Faith tried louder.

"My legs, they're broken," the girl said and sobbed. "Help me."

Faith stared at her for a few moments, her instincts screaming at her to get the hell out of there before her stepfather returned.

"Please," the girl begged, crying.

Faith shuddered at the thought of what her stepfather would do to her if he caught her again, but she decided to help the girl. She hesitated for a few moments, thinking about how to move her.

"I'm gonna have to carry you back to the cabin," she then said and the girl nodded.

Faith kneeled beside her and tried to lift her up. She almost passed out from the pain that hit her.

"Are you okay?" the girl asked.

"Five by five," Faith moaned through her teeth.

She took a deep breath and tried to lift her up again, this time more slowly. She groaned as her body protested, but she didn't give up. She felt a bit dizzy for a few moments, but then she slowly returned to the cabin.

Buffy nearly passed out on the way, her broken legs protesting the treatment, so she didn't have the strength to look around the cabin, she just closed her eyes and rested after Faith put her on the floor.

Faith stared at her for a few moments, thinking about what to do.

"I'm gonna have to undress you."

The girl opened her eyes.

"What?"

"I'm gonna have to undress you, your clothes are wet."

"Oh." The girl sighed. "Okay."

Faith quickly started to undress her, paying special attention to the broken legs. When she got to the underwear, she hesitated for a moment.

"Eh, I should take your bra and your panties off as well."

"Okay," the girl said, too much in pain to care.

Faith hesitated for a moment and then took her underwear as well. Then she quickly fetched a blanket and covered her and then looked around for clothes. She managed to find a pair of boxers and a t-shirt and she quickly put them on the girl.

"What's your name?" she asked, deciding that it would be bad if the girl fell asleep.

"Huh?"

"Your name."

The girl thought for a moment.

"Buffy."

"I'm Faith. What happened to you?"

Buffy thought for a few moments and Faith quickly brought some more clothes and started putting them on Buffy.

"Someone tried to kidnap me."

"Why?"

Buffy shrugged.

"Don't know. Money, I guess."

"Oh."

"I fell out of the plane."

Faith looked at her, surprised.

"You fell out of a plane?" she asked and coughed.

Buffy nodded.

"It was low. We hit something."

Faith suddenly realized that Buffy's crashing plane had caused the avalanche that had nearly destroyed the cabin.

"You should talk, Buffy," she said when she noticed that Buffy was dozing off.

"I'm tired."

"I know, but you can't fall asleep."

Buffy thought for a few moments.

"About what?"

"What ever you want."

Buffy thought for a few moments and then launched into a one sided dialog, which confused Faith, but she didn't comment. As long as Buffy was focused on what she was saying, she wouldn't fall asleep.

She looked around, wondering how the hell she would get Buffy to a hospital. She noticed the top surface of a destroyed table, which was big enough to carry Buffy. She brought it closer and then carefully put Buffy on it. Then she looked around for something with which she could fasten Buffy to the table top and something with which she could pull it. She gulped when she saw the spare chains and cuffs. She stared at them for a few moments, trembling, and then slowly approached them. She hesitated for a moment and then picked them up. She fastened the cuffs to the table and the chains to the cuffs. That took care of pushing, but she still had to fasten Buffy to the makeshift gurney. She put many blankets and even Buffy's wet clothes on top of her and then went looking for something to fasten Buffy to the table with.

She managed to find some rope and she tied it across Buffy from one corner diagonally to the opposite. Then she looked at the whole contraption and hoped that she would be able to get Buffy to safety. She listened for a moment and was relieved when she heard that Buffy was still reciting her half of the dialog. She hesitated for a moment and then grabbed the chains. She stepped inside and started pulling.

The next day, Faith was still pulling. She was on automatic and she didn't even notice that Buffy had fallen asleep, nor did she notice when the night came and was gone again. She kept pulling, wanting to get as far away from the cabin as possible. She didn’t stop. She was in such pain that her mind simply shut down and put her body on automatic. But finally even her body shut down and she collapsed in mid step.

A couple of hours later, a plow came down the road. The driver was enjoying the music when he suddenly noticed something lying in the middle of the road. He hit the breaks and veered off.

When the plow stopped, the driver got out and went to see what was there.

"Oh my god," he said when he saw it was two girls.

He ran back to the plow and reported.

A week later, Buffy finally woke up. She felt cold and her legs hurt.

"Honey?"

Buffy jerked, startled.

"Mom?"

Joyce Summers smiled.

"Oh honey," she said and hugged her.

Buffy hugged her back.

"What… happened?"

Joyce let go of her.

"You don't remember? Your plane crashed. We thought you had died."

Buffy frowned.

"Plane."

"Yes. The police say that someone tried to hijack it."

"Yes," Buffy suddenly remembered. "He shot the pilot."

"Who?"

"Some guy. He wanted to kidnap me. But then there was a fight and the plane went down. The hatch opened and I fell through."

"You fell from an airplane?" Joyce said, surprised.

"It wasn't high, I heard it crash before I hit the ground."

"Oh. And who was that girl?"

Buffy frowned.

"What girl?"

"A brunette. She is still unconscious. The police say she took care of you."

Buffy thought for a few moments, trying to remember.

"Yes. She… She found me. I don't remember much more. Where is she?"

"In another room."

"How is she?"

Joyce hesitated for a moment.

"Not good. She's been… abused."

"Abused? How?"

Joyce hesitated again.

"Sexually and physically. Her whole body was full of scars."

Buffy's eyes went wide.

"Who… Who did it?"

"They don't know yet. They don't even know who she is."

"Faith," Buffy suddenly remembered.

"What?" Joyce said, startled.

"Faith. That's her name."

"How do you know?"

"She told me. And she took me to some cabin."

"I'll tell the police."

Buffy nodded.

"Where are Dad and Dawn?"

"In a hotel. We were taking turns. I'll call them."

"Okay."

Joyce kissed Buffy on the forehead and then left.

After the doctors examined her and the police questioned, Buffy's family was finally allowed to see her again.

"Buffy," Dawn said and ran to the bed.

Buffy smiled.

"Hey."

"How are you?" Dawn asked, worried.

"My legs hurt and I feel cold."

"Cold?" Dawn asked with a frown. "But it's warm in here."

"I know, I'm still getting used to it."

"Hello, honey," Hank Summer said when he reached the bed.

Buffy smiled at him.

"Hi, Dad."

"You had us worried."

"Yeah." She looked at Joyce. "Mom, can I see Faith?"

"Who's Faith?" Dawn asked, curious.

"The girl who saved me," Buffy said.

"Oh."

"I'll ask the doctor if you can use a wheelchair yet," Joyce said.

"Okay."

Joyce left.

"Who is she?" Dawn then asked.

Buffy frowned.

"Who, Faith?"

Dawn nodded.

"Uh-huh."

"I don't know. She found me and took care of me. I don't remember much."

"Oh. Oh, you've been in the news."

"What did they say?"

Dawn shrugged.

"They didn't know what happened, except that your plane went down."

"Oh."

"There are reporters outside."

"Great," Buffy said and sighed. She looked at her father. "Dad, you and Mom better schedule an interview. And don't mention Faith, she's been through hell, she doesn’t need publicity."

Hank nodded.

"When?"

Buffy thought for a moment.

"I don't know. I want to see Faith first, then it's up to the doctors."

"Okay. You want anything?"

"My script."

"I'll get you a copy."

"Thanks."

Half an hour later, Buffy was finally able to visit Faith. Dawn took her to Faith's room and her parents went to tell the reporters when the interview would be.

"Wow. And I thought you look bad," Dawn said quietly when she saw Faith all wrapped up in bandages.

Buffy didn't say anything. She rolled the wheelchair to the bed and stared at Faith for a few moments before hesitantly taking her hand. She looked around and saw that the room was a typical hospital one, sterile and dull.

"Dawn?"

"Yes?"

"Can you go ask a nurse if they can move Faith to my room?"

"Your room?" Dawn said, surprised.

"Yes. Tell them I'll pay for her."

"You will?"

Buffy glanced at her sister.

"She saved my life, it's the least I can do."

"Oh. Okay."

Dawn left and Buffy stared at Faith, wondering who she was and which bastard had abused her.

During the interview, Buffy didn't mention Faith, wanting to spare her. When it was finally over and the reporters left, satisfied, the doctors moved Faith to her room. They had to make some room, but Buffy didn't mind.

When they were finally left alone, Buffy often found herself staring at Faith. It confused her, but she convinced herself that she was only worried about Faith.

A couple of days later, Faith finally woke up. Buffy was reading her script again before going to sleep when she heard Faith moan. She looked at her and saw her move.

"Faith?" she said softly.

Faith slowly opened her eyes and slowly looked around, confused. Then she remembered and her eyes went wide. She quickly got up and nearly fell, because her legs were weak.

"Faith!" Buffy said, worried.

Faith looked at her, surprised. She stared at her for a few moments and then finally managed to stand up. She ripped out her IV tubes and started for the door.

"Faith!" Buffy called, worried. "It's me, Buffy."

Faith looked at her, blinking her eyes, confused.

"You saved my life, remember?"

Faith stared at her for a few moments, trying to remember.

"Buffy," she finally said. "You fell from a plane."

"Yes," Buffy said with a smile, glad that Faith remembered.

Faith glanced at the door.

"We're in the hospital?"

"Yes."

"How long?" Faith asked and glanced at the door again.

"Eleven days."

Faith gulped, hesitating, and glanced at the door again.

"Has… Has anyone been… looking for me?"

"No, I don't think so."

Faith breathed a sigh of relief. But the relief was short, because then the door opened and Faith's eyes went wide with horror.

"What are you doing out of bed?" the nurse asked as Faith backed off, trembling, apparently still scared.

"Faith, it's okay," Buffy said, having noticed Faith's fear. Faith looked at her and Buffy could see that Faith was really scared. "It's okay, go back to bed."

Faith stared at her for a few moments and then looked back at the nurse, who had also noticed that Faith was afraid of something.

"You get back to bed and I'll go get a doctor," the nurse said and left.

Faith hesitated for a moment, desperately wanting to get the hell out of there.

"Faith," Buffy called and Faith looked at her. "It's okay, you're safe here."

Faith stared at her for a few moments and then at her bed. She looked back at Buffy for a moment and then slowly went back to bed.

Buffy watched her, wondering what Faith was afraid of and then realized that Faith was afraid that the bastard who had abused her would come back.

Faith cuddled up in fetal position, facing away from Buffy, and Buffy realized that Faith was ashamed. She wanted to make Faith feel comfortable, but she had no idea how.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the nurse and a doctor. Faith immediately sat up, the look of fear in her eyes again.

"It's okay, Faith," Buffy said and Faith looked at her. "The doctor will just make sure you're okay."

Faith looked back at the doctor. She took a deep breath to calm down, but when the doctor came closer, she instinctively tried to back off.

"I'll get a female doctor," the doctor said and left.

"Nurse," Buffy then said and the nurse looked at her.

"Yes?"

"Has anyone been looking for Faith?"

The nurse thought for a moment.

"No, no one." She looked at Faith. "The police would like to talk to you," she said and Faith's eyes went wide. "They just want to know who you are and who… hurt you."

Faith started trembling as she remembered the torture.

"Faith," Buffy quickly said and Faith looked at her, startled. "It's okay. It's okay."

Faith slowly calmed down and stopped trembling. She looked at the nurse and then pulled her knees to her chest and rested her head on them.

"May I come closer?" the nurse asked, deciding to give Faith some control over what was going on around her.

Faith looked at her for a few moments and then nodded.

The nurse slowly approached and then checked out the IV tubes and the instruments.

A few moments later a female doctor came and Faith looked at her, worried.

"Can she come closer?" the nurse asked.

Faith looked at her and then back at the doctor. She hesitated for a moment and then nodded.

The doctor slowly approached. Faith kept a close watch on her at first, but when she felt that the doctor wasn't a threat, she leaned back and looked at the ceiling, trying to clear her mind.

Buffy quietly observed her, trying to think of a way to help her.

After the doctor and the nurse were done, the police came and tried to question her, but Faith simply froze, so they left. It took Faith a few minutes to calm down. Then she cuddled up in fetal position and tried to go to sleep. Buffy stared at her for a few moments and then turned off the light and went to sleep as well.

At night, Faith had a nightmare and her screams woke up Buffy. She turned on the light and looked at Faith, worried. Faith was tossing in her bed, moaning something, but Buffy couldn't make out the words.

"Faith," she called softly, but Faith didn't hear her. "Faith!" she called louder. "Faith!"

Faith suddenly woke up with a scream and looked around in panic, trembling, tears running down her cheeks.

Buffy gulped, realizing she had no idea just what had Faith been through.

"Faith, it's okay," she said softly and Faith looked at her, her eyes wide with fear. "It's okay, Faith, you're safe."

Faith slowly stopped trembling. She cuddled up in fetal position again and tried to forget.

Buffy stared at her for a few moments and then turned off the light. She quietly listened to Faith's breathing and only went to sleep again after it became even.

The next morning, Buffy woke up before Faith. She lay quietly, waiting for Faith to wake up. She wondered what would happen to Faith after they were released, where would she go? Would the bastard who had tortured her catch her again? Would she ever be okay again? She had no idea.

Faith woke up half an hour later. She immediately sat up, disorientated and scared.

"Good morning," Buffy greeted her softly.

Faith looked at her, startled. Buffy smiled, trying to calm her down. Faith gulped and looked away, trying to calm down.

Buffy stared at her for a few moments and then looked away, not wanting to make her more nervous than she already was.

When it was time for breakfast, they both got hospital food. Buffy made a face at it, but Faith started eating it like it was the best food in the world. Buffy realized that besides being tortured, Faith had also been starving. She stared at her for a few moments and then started eating.

A couple of hours later, when the visiting hours started, Buffy's family came.

"Hey," Joyce said with a smile as they entered.

"Hi," Buffy said with a smile.

Then everyone noticed that Faith was awake.

"Hello," Joyce said.

Faith just stared at her, scared a bit.

"It's okay, Faith," Buffy said and Faith looked at her. "This is my family."

"Thank you for saving Buffy," Hank said.

Faith just stared at him.

"When are you getting out?" Dawn asked Buffy when it was obvious that Faith wouldn't talk.

"I don't know. I think I'll have to stay here for a couple of days."

"Oh."

Dawn hopped on the bed and Buffy's parents got themselves a couple of chairs.

As the chatted, Faith listened and she secretly glanced at them for a while. She envied Buffy for having such great parents and she became depressed and sad because hers weren't. She finally cuddled up in fetal position, facing away from them, and covered her ears.

In the evening, they both watched TV. They didn't talk much, Faith not ready, Buffy not wanting to pressure her. Buffy wanted to talk to Faith, but when Faith didn't look at her, she stopped trying. She was trying to think of a way to talk to Faith when suddenly the door opened.

"There you are, bitch."

Faith gasped, her eyes widening in fear.

"You ruined my cabin, slut," the man, her stepfather, said.

He approached the bed, but Faith didn't move, frozen in terror. Her stepfather slapped her and she fell off the bed.

"Hey!" Buffy called and Faith's stepfather looked at her. "Leave her alone."

"Shut up, bitch," Faith's stepfather said, "Faith belongs to me."

Buffy quickly started pressing the call button, watching as the man closed in on Faith, who had cuddled up in fetal position on the floor, covering her head with her arms, trembling from fear. As the man grabbed her hair and picked her up, Faith started screaming and flailing her hands.

"You bitch!" Faith's stepfather said and slapped her so hard she was dizzy for a few moments.

"Hey!" Buffy protested and quickly started to get into the wheelchair.

Faith's stepfather grabbed Faith by the throat and pressed her against the wall.

"You still haven't learned, have you, Faith? You're…" He trailed off when Faith peed herself. "You bitch!" he said and squeezed her throat even harder, causing Faith to start gasping for air.

"Let her go!" Buffy demanded, worried, as she put her legs on the wheelchair leg supports.

"Shut up, bitch," Faith's stepfather snarled at her and then started dragging Faith toward the door.

Then a nurse came in to see what Buffy wanted.

"Oh my god," she said, shocked. "Security!" she called into the hall.

"Out of the way," Faith's stepfather snarled and pushed the nurse aside, dragging Faith behind him.

Buffy quickly followed them.

"Security!" she called. "Help! Help!"

Faith's stepfather glared at her and quickened his pace.

"Hey!" a security officer said when he saw what was going on.

"Stop him!" the nurse called.

"Let her go," the security officer said and put his hand on his gun.

Faith's stepfather pushed Faith away and attacked the security officer. The officer pulled his gun, but Faith's stepfather took it from him and shot him.

Faith screamed and started crawling away from him.

"Freeze!" another security officer called, aiming his gun at Faith's stepfather, who immediately shot him.

The security officer went down close to Faith, wounded.

"Drop your weapon!" another officer called from behind.

Faith's stepfather turned and started shooting.

While he and the security officer exchanged fire, Faith looked at the security officer lying close to her. He was losing consciousness and he had dropped his gun. She started trembling, terrified, but that gun was her way out. She slowly started crawling toward the gun, feeling sick at just the thought of having to use it. She finally reached it and hesitantly picked it up, her hands shaking. She stared at it for a few moments and then cocked it.

Her stepfather heard the sound and turned around, aiming her gun at her. Faith immediately started squeezing the trigger repeatedly, emptying the entire clip into his body. He went down, but Faith kept squeezing the trigger, her mind not yet registering that he was dead.

Buffy watched the whole thing, horrified. When Faith's stepfather finally went down, she waited for a few moments and then rolled on her wheelchair to Faith, who was still squeezing the trigger, still in shock.

"Faith," she softly called and Faith turned her head so fast that Buffy thought it would fly off. "It's okay, Faith, you're safe now." She glanced at Faith's stepfather. "He's dead, he can't hurt you anymore."

Faith looked at her dead stepfather, trembling, tears running down her cheeks.

"Faith," Buffy said softly and Faith looked at her. "Give me the gun."

Faith looked at the gun and made a face. She quickly threw it away, disgusted.

Buffy breathed a sigh of relief. Faith started trembling again, so Buffy decided to hold her. Since she couldn't do that while she was in the wheelchair, she slowly got out of it and lowered herself to the floor, grunting in pain. Then she very slowly put her arms around Faith and gently started to press her against her body. Faith resisted at first, but she quickly gave in and Buffy finally hugged her.

"It's okay, Faith," Buffy said softly. "You're safe now, he can't hurt you anymore," she said and caressed her.

Faith slowly started sobbing and then burst into tears.

Buffy quietly held her, caressing her, sort of keeping her safe from the world.

The security officers and the medical staff quickly moved to see to the wounded, but they also made sure not to disturb the two girls.

After ten minutes, Faith finally calmed down a bit. She was still shaking, but she had stopped crying. Buffy slowly let go of her and Faith looked at her with wide eyes, but then she quickly looked away, ashamed. Buffy quickly took Faith's hand into her own and Faith looked at her, startled.

"It's okay, Faith," Buffy said.

Faith gulped and looked at the spot where her stepfather's body still lay.

"Faith," Buffy softly called, pulling Faith away from the bad memories. "Can you help me get back in the wheelchair?" she asked when Faith looked at her.

Faith blinked a couple of times. Then she looked at the wheelchair and back at Buffy. She hesitated for a moment and then got up. Buffy reached up with her arms and Faith helped her sit back in the wheelchair.

Buffy then took her hand again.

"Let's go back to our room."

Faith blinked, still in shock, and then started pushing Buffy to their room.

When they arrived, they noticed that the room had been cleaned up. Buffy looked at Faith.

"Why don't you take a shower and clean up," she said, "I'll have a nurse bring you a new gown. You can use my stuff."

Faith looked at herself and then at the spot where she had peed herself. She hung her head and headed for the small bathroom.

In the bathroom, she looked around and quickly located Buffy's things. She was heading toward the sink to take them when she suddenly noticed her reflection in the mirror above the sink. She stopped, shocked, and her eyes went wide. Her face was bruised and scared and she just stared at it for a few moments. Then she slowly untied her gown and let it drop to the floor. When she saw what the rest of her body looked like, she felt sick. She ran to the sink and vomited, tears running down her cheeks.

When she was done, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and slid to the floor. She hugged her knees and rested her forehead on them, trembling.

It took her ten minutes to calm down. Then she slowly got up, took off the bandages and finally took a shower.

In their room, Buffy was slowly getting worried. She didn't hear anything for a while and she was about to go see if everything was alright when she finally heard the water running. She returned to bed and waited for Faith.

When Faith was finally done, she first opened the door a bit and took the new gown that hung on the doorknob. She put it on and then took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down enough to be able to meet Buffy.

She stepped out of the bathroom and stopped, surprised, when she saw that the beds had been moved together.

"I want you to be within arm's reach if you have a nightmare," Buffy explained when she saw Faith stare at the beds.

Faith flinched, but she bit her teeth and forced herself to calm down. She went to her bed, avoiding looking at Buffy. She climbed in, covered herself, turned off the lamp and cuddled up in fetal position, facing away from Buffy.

Buffy stared at her for a few moments and then turned of her lamp as well, sighing.

"Good night, Faith," she said, but Faith didn't respond.

Buffy sighed and tried to go to sleep, knowing it would be a long night.

At night, Buffy was awoken several times by Faith's nightmares. The first few times, Faith had moved away when Buffy had tried to hold her. Buffy didn't pressure her and by the last nightmare, Faith was cuddled up to her.

Buffy was the first to wake up in the morning. She quietly held Faith, staring at her. Faith looked so young and so innocent in her sleep and she couldn't imagine what hell she must've been through, she shuddered at just the thought. She didn't know whether Faith had any family, but she swore to herself that she would take care of Faith.

She stared at Faith for a while before she finally caught herself. She suddenly realized that she didn't want to help Faith just because Faith had saved her life, it was more. She realized she was attracted to Faith and it shocked her, she had never even thought about having sex with another girl.

She tried to imagine making love to Faith, but she quickly gave up. She sighed, deciding to first try and help Faith before even considering dating her.

Faith woke up an hour later. When she felt somebody hold her, she immediately backed off, scared. Then she finally registered it was Buffy. She stared at her for a few moments, confused, but then she remembered the previous night and she quickly looked away.

Buffy immediately realized that Faith was ashamed. She hesitated for a moment and then reached over and took Faith's hand into her own, causing Faith to look at her.

"You've got nothing to be ashamed of, Faith," Buffy said softly. "Nothing that happened to you was your fault."

Faith stared at her for a few moments and then looked away. She tried to pull her hand free, but Buffy didn't let it go. Faith looked at her again, her eyes wide from fear, and Buffy smiled softly at her and gently squeezed her hand.

Faith swallowed and looked away again, but she didn't try to pull her hand free again.

"Buffy!" Joyce said as she, Hank and Dawn came when the visiting hours started. "Are you okay? Faith, are you okay?"

Both girls looked at her.

"We're alive," Buffy said, "and the bastard's not."

"Yes, we heard. My god." Joyce looked at Faith. "Faith, how do you feel?"

Faith stared at her for a few moments, tense.

"Five by five," she then whispered.

Buffy knew Faith was scared, so she gently squeezed her hand, causing Faith to look at her. She smiled at her softly and then looked back at her mother.

"Did they clean up outside?"

"Most of it, yes."

"Faith," Dawn said softly, and Faith looked at her. "Do you have any family?"

Faith tensed and everyone could see fear in her eyes for a brief moment. She shook her head.

"No," she said quietly.

"No one?" Hank asked.

Faith shook her head again.

"No."

"You think she could stay with us?" Buffy asked and Faith looked at her with wide eyes.

Joyce and Hank glanced at one another.

"You sure you want this?"

Buffy nodded.

"Yes."

"No," Faith said, shaking her head.

Buffy looked at her and saw that she was scared. She looked back at her family.

"Can you leave us for a few minutes?"

"Sure, honey," Joyce said.

Buffy waited until her family was gone and then looked at Faith.

"No, I… I can't," Faith said, scared.

"Faith…"

"No," Faith interrupted her, shaking her head.

Buffy sighed.

"Just listen to me for a minute, okay?"

Faith stared at her for a few moments and then nodded.

Buffy thought for a moment.

"Look, you don't have anyone, so they'll probably try to stick you in some home or maybe get you some foster parents. And I think you'd probably run away pretty quickly and end up on the street."

"I can take care of myself," Faith said.

"I'm not saying you can't. It's just… You're even younger than me and I'm still a kid. I mean, I may have a well-paying job and I like to consider myself an adult, but I'm still just a kid. I know you can probably survive on the streets, but at what cost? At least if you stay with us, you won't have to worry about food or shelter, you'll be able to be a kid. And you could go back to school."

Faith made a face.

"I don't like school."

Buffy smiled.

"I know, but you can't get a decent job without education. And besides, if you don't like it with us, you can always leave." She paused for a moment. "Let me help you, Faith."

Faith stared at her for a few moments.

"Why?" she then asked, almost croaking. "Because I saved your life?"

Buffy hesitated for a moment, blushing a bit.

"That and I like you," she said, her blush deepening.

Faith frowned, confused, noticing the blush.

"You have a crush on me?" she asked and Buffy's blush deepened even more.

"I, eh… Yeah, I guess. But I don't think it's just a crush. Anyway, I'm not going to pursue this until you're better. I want us to be friends first."

Faith blinked.

"Friends?"

"Yes. I mean, I consider you my friend." She hesitated for a moment, suddenly nervous. "Do you think you could consider me yours?"

Faith stared at her for a few moments, thinking. She had never trusted many people and those few that she had had hurt her badly. She didn't want to get hurt again. But on the other hand, Buffy probably knew what had happened to her and she saw her kill her stepfather and still wanted to be her friend. It confused her, especially since Buffy didn't pity her but supported her instead and wanted to help her. Nobody had ever wanted to help her and those that claimed they wanted to had only used her and abused her.

"What do you want from me?" she asked quietly.

Buffy frowned.

"Nothing. I mean, beside your friendship."

"Why?"

Buffy smiled a bit.

"I told you, I like you. I believe in you, Faith, and I want you to be happy. I want you to be more than just a statistic in somebody's books. Nobody should go through what you did."

"You don't know…" Faith started, but she trailed off, not wanting to go down that memory lane.

"I do. I asked the doctors," Buffy admitted and Faith looked at her with wide eyes. "I think you're very brave. I remembered some things. You took me back to the cabin in which you had been tortured, you took care of me and then you dragged me for god knows how long to the hospital when you could've just left me there to die and nobody would ever know. That takes courage. I don't know if I could've done the same if I were in your place."

Faith stared at her for a few moments, surprised by the praise. She swallowed hard, moved.

"Think about it," Buffy said, "you don't have to decide right away."

Faith stared at her for a few moments and then turned away to think. She felt a bit overwhelmed by everything that happened. Not so long ago she was in hell, tortured by her stepfather, thinking she was worthless, and now someone loved her and wanted her to be happy. And not only that, that someone was ready to do something about it, but at the same time giving her the choice to decide what she wanted. She had never had much of a choice about anything and it scared her a bit. And there was also the matter of trust. She had trusted her mother and her stepfather, but they had both betrayed her, and now she was afraid to trust Buffy and her family, even though she liked them, especially Buffy. She desperately wanted to trust Buffy, but she was scared.

A few minutes later, Buffy's family returned.

"Everything alright?" Joyce asked quietly when she saw Faith was laying.

Buffy nodded.

"Yes. She's thinking."

"Oh."

"Should we come back later?" Hank asked.

Buffy glanced at Faith.

"Yes, I think that would be a good idea."

"You sure?" Joyce asked.

Buffy nodded.

"Yes. Go, have fun."

Joyce smiled.

"Okay."

In the afternoon, Buffy's family returned. Faith and Buffy hadn't spoken the whole time and Buffy didn't pressure Faith.

"Is she asleep?" Joyce asked quietly when she saw that Faith was in the same position as when they had left.

Buffy looked at Faith.

"Faith?" she called softly, but Faith didn't respond. "I guess she's asleep."

Her family sat down.

"I went skiing," Dawn said, excited, and Buffy smiled.

"Good."

"Did you talk about it?" Hank asked.

"A bit," Buffy said. "She's been thinking ever since."

"She doesn't want to move in with us?" Dawn asked.

Buffy thought for a moment.

"I think she does, but she's scared."

Dawn frowned.

"Of what?"

"I'm not sure. She doesn't talk about herself."

"Oh."

"But she can stay with us, right?" Buffy asked he parents. "I mean, if she decides to."

Joyce nodded.

"Yes, I suppose. But how will you explain her to the press?"

Buffy frowned, thinking.

"Do they know about her?"

"No. At least not in connection to this. All they know is that a girl has been involved in the shooting accident, nothing more."

"Good." Buffy thought for a moment. "I'll have to ask her where she's from. Then we can smuggle her home. I mean, if she decides to come."

"How?"

Buffy thought again.

"Well, you could pretend you're leaving ahead of time with Dawn. When I leave, the reporters will concentrate on me. You two can return and pick her up. And we'll have to take separate flights, just in case. We can tell the reporters, if they even ask, that she's my best friend and that she came as soon as I was home."

"And if they ask how come she's staying?"

Buffy shrugged.

"We'll tell them she doesn't have a family. Don't worry, I can make things up."

Joyce smiled.

"Okay."

"Oh, could you go to the police and tell them to send a female detective the next time."

Joyce glanced at Faith.

"Do you think she's ready to talk?"

"No, not yet. Just, you know, so they know." She looked at her dad. "She'll probably be a bit nervous around you, she's afraid of men."

Hank nodded.

"Yes. I guess I'll stay out of her way then."

Faith, who wasn't asleep as everyone thought, quietly listened to the conversation between Buffy and her family. It reassured her that Buffy really cared about her, as did her family apparently. It was a strange feeling to know that they were really sincere. She had believed her mother because she had been her mother and her stepfather because he had protected her from her mother at first, but both of them had betrayed her. That was the reason she was afraid to trust Buffy and her family, but hearing them talk about her behind her back, both literally and figuratively, convinced her that they were sincere. Still, she was still scared. She knew it was irrational, but she couldn't help it, the memories of her stepfather's torture were still too fresh in her mind.

She shuddered and pushed the memories away. She knew she would have to talk to the police eventually, unless she simply ran away. But if she ran away, she couldn't go with Buffy. Which put her in a serious dilemma, run away or stay, talk to the cops and go with Buffy. So far the first option had more appeal to her, but she really wanted to go with Buffy. She sighed and thought about it, half listening to Buffy's conversation with her family.

After Buffy's family left, Faith continued to lay still until it was time for dinner.

"You okay?" Buffy asked when after the nurse, who had brought them dinner, had left.

Faith looked at her. She stared at her for a few moments and then sighed.

"Five by five."

Buffy hesitated for a moment.

"You're going to have to talk to the police, you know," she then said, and Faith immediately tensed. She reached over and took Faith's hand into her own, causing Faith to look at her. "Maybe you could write a statement," she suggested, "that way you wouldn't have to talk to anyone and they can read the statement later."

Faith thought about it. She didn't want to talk about it, but she did want to go with Buffy. This way, she could take care of the cops without having to talk about it. She didn't really want to think about it, but she knew she had to, if she wanted to go with Buffy, and this looked like the only way. She sighed and nodded.

"Okay," she said and Buffy smiled. She hesitated for a moment. "I do."

"Huh?" Buffy said, startled, as she let go of Faith's hand.

Faith gulped.

"I do consider you my friend," Faith said quietly, not meeting Buffy's gaze.

Buffy smiled.

"Thank you."

The next morning, when a nurse came up to check up on them, Faith decided to write a statement.

"Nurse," she said quietly.

"Yes?" the nurse said.

Faith hesitated for a moment.

"Can… Can I get some paper and a pen?"

The nurse smiled.

"Sure. How much paper?"

Faith frowned, thinking.

"A couple of sheets."

"Okay."

The nurse left and Faith looked at Buffy, nervous.

Buffy smiled at her.

"Do you want me to leave the room?" she asked.

Faith blinked, surprised, and thought about it. On one hand, Buffy's presence made her a bit nervous, but on the other, it made her feel safe. She gulped.

"No."

"Okay."

After the nurse brought the paper, Faith started to write. She often had to pause to calm herself. It was painful for her to remember, but she forced herself to keep writing.

Buffy quietly read her script, occasionally glancing at Faith to make sure she was alright. She noticed that Faith stopped occasionally, but she didn't interfere. However, when she saw that Faith was trembling, she quickly reached out, took Faith's hand into her own and gently squeezed it, startling Faith out of her reverie.

Faith looked at her, startled, and Buffy smiled at her. Faith stared at her for a few moments and then gulped. She took a deep breath and Buffy let go of her hand. Then she looked at the paper and thought for a moment, before continuing to write.

It took Faith two hours to write down everything due to interruptions from the doctors and nurses and breakfast. She knew the cops probably didn't want to know everything, but she wrote it down anyway, she didn't want them to ask her any questions. When she was done, she read it all. She expected to just freeze up, but for some reason she didn't. In fact, she felt a bit relieved. She didn't understand it and she didn't bother to. She leaned back and closed her eyes, trying to calm down. A few tears ran down her cheeks, but she let them.

When she calmed down, she looked at Buffy, who looked at her. Buffy smiled and Faith smiled back a little.

"Are you done?"

Faith nodded.

"Yeah."

"Want me to tell a nurse to call the cops?"

Faith tensed for a moment, but she quickly relaxed. She nodded.

Buffy pressed the call button and a few moments later a nurse came.

"Yes?"

"Can you call the police? Faith wrote a statement."

The nurse glanced at Faith.

"Okay," she said and left.

Suddenly a thought crossed Faith's mind. She hesitated for a few moments and then offered her statement to Buffy.

Buffy's eyes went wide from surprise.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

Faith nodded.

"Yeah."

Buffy looked at the statement, hesitating, but she finally took it. Then she looked back at Faith.

"If you change your mind, tell me. Or just take the statement. Okay?"

Faith nodded.

Buffy smiled a bit and then started to read.

The more she read, the more shocked she was. Faith had written down everything, from when her mother started beating her and her stepfather started abusing her to when she had killed her stepfather. Tears started to run down Buffy's cheeks and she had to wipe them a couple of times so she could read on.

When she was done, she looked at Faith, tears in her eyes. She thought for a few moments about what to say.

"I'm proud to be your friend, Faith."

Faith eyes went wide from surprise.

"You… are?"

Buffy smiled though her tears and gave Faith back the statement.

"Yes. You've been through hell and you still managed to write it all down in detail. That takes strength. I doubt I could've done it." She thought for a moment. "And thank you for sharing this with me, it means a lot to me."

They stared at one another for a while and then Faith leaned back. Buffy stared at her for a few more moments and then leaned back as well.

Five minutes later the police came in the form of two female detectives.

"Hello," one of them said. "I am Detective Ross and this is my partner, Detective Bodkin."

"Hi," Buffy said.

The Detectives went over to Faith's side.

"We were told you had written a statement," Ross said.

"Yeah," Faith said, nervous, and gave Ross the statement.

Ross quickly looked through.

"Can you please sign your name on each page and number them. And write a disclaimer at the end."

"A what?" Faith asked with a frown.

"A disclaimer. You know, that you confirm that you had written all this and that you were not forced. And the date and place. And then give it to Miss Summers, so she can sign as a witness."

"Oh."

Ross gave Faith back the statement and Faith quickly amended it. Then she gave it to Buffy, who signed it and gave it back to Ross, who quickly looked through it again.

"Okay," Ross then said. "We'll read this through and if we have questions…"

"Write them down," Buffy interrupted her. "It'll be easier for her."

Ross nodded.

"Alright."

"Will she have to testify in court or something?"

Ross frowned, thinking.

"Not about the shooting. I don't know what she had written, so I can't tell you yet. I'll let you know. I'll drop by in the afternoon."

"Okay. Thanks."

Ross nodded and then she and her partner left.

Buffy looked at Faith.

"How do you feel?"

Faith stared at her for a few moments.

"Better." She frowned. "Better." She leaned back and sighed, thinking. After a few moments, she looked back at Buffy. "Can I… Can I still… move in with you?" she asked hesitatingly.

Buffy smiled.

"Of course."

Faith hesitated for a moment.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Oh," she remembered, "we'll have to make up a story for the press."

"I know," Faith said. "I heard what you were talking about with your family yesterday," she explained when Buffy raised an eyebrow.

"Oh. Okay. Are you okay with this?"

Faith nodded.

"Yes."

Buffy smiled.

"Okay."

Faith leaned back and closed her eyes. Buffy watched for a few moments.

"Faith," she then said softly.

Faith opened her eyes and looked at her.

"Yeah?"

"If you want to cuddle, you can. Any time."

Faith stared at her for a few moments.

"Thanks," she said and leaned back.

Buffy sighed and leaned back as well.

Faith thought about cuddling up to Buffy. On one hand, she was afraid of getting physically close to anyone, but on the other, being close to Buffy for some reason made her feel safe. She looked at Buffy, who had started to read her script again. Her mind was screaming at her not to get too close to Buffy, but she decided not to listen to it.

"Buffy?" she said quietly.

Buffy looked at her.

"Yes?"

Faith gulped, hesitating, and then slowly moved toward Buffy.

Buffy smiled when she realized that Faith wanted to cuddled. She lifted her arm and let Faith cuddle up to her. She put away the script and concentrated on Faith.

Faith was tense at first, remembering the last time her stepfather held her like this, but she quickly relaxed, Buffy's gently caresses calming her.

"Faith," Buffy said when Faith calmed down.

Faith looked up at her.

"Yes?"

"I can't promise you that I will never hurt you, but I do promise you that it won't be on purpose. And if I do, I hope you will give me a chance to explain myself and make it up to you." She hesitated for a moment. "I don't want to lose you."

Faith stared at her, surprised at how much Buffy cared. Then she remembered that Buffy was probably in love with her.

"And if I don't love you?" she asked before she had a chance to think about it.

Buffy smiled.

"It doesn't matter, I still want to be your friend. And besides, neither of us quite ready for more right now."

Faith stared at her for a few moments and then lay her head back on Buffy's shoulder.

Buffy smiled and caressed her. Then she leaned back and thought.

When the visiting hours started, Buffy's family came. As soon as Faith saw who it was, she broke away from Buffy, nervous. Buffy looked at her with a smile and took her hand into her own, reassuring her. Then she looked at her parents.

"Faith wrote a statement for the police," she said. "They picked it up a couple of hours ago. They'll let us know if she needs to testify or not. Oh, she's decided to move in with us."

"Really?" Dawn asked and looked at Faith.

Faith nodded, nervous.

"Yeah."

Dawn smiled.

"Cool. Oh," she remembered, "you and Dad should go to LA after you get out of here."

Buffy frowned.

"Why?"

"Because Mom, Faith and me are gonna take a plane after you. It would look strange if we went home before you and then arrived after you. If you go to LA, the reporters will follow you there."

"Oh. Good idea." She smiled. "Thanks." She looked at Faith. "See? No problem."

Faith stared at her for a few moments and then looked at Joyce and Hank.

"Thanks."

Joyce smiled.

"You're welcome."

"When can you go home?" Dawn asked.

"We don't know yet," Buffy said. "I'll ask the doctor."

"Oh."

"I'll go ask," Joyce said and left.

"Oh, Buffy, your manager would like to talk to you."

"Oh, right, I totally forgot. I'll call him when Mom comes back."

"Okay."

"Is she getting the spare room?" Dawn asked.

Buffy glanced at Faith.

"Yes."

"Okay. Ooh," she suddenly remembered. "While you and Dad are in LA, we could go to Boston and get Faith's stuff." She looked at Faith. "I mean, you do have some stuff, right?"

"Yeah," Faith said, nervous.

"Okay. We'll go pick it up."

"What?" Joyce asked as she returned.

"What did the doctor say?" Buffy asked.

"They want to keep Faith overnight. I arranged so that you will be both released tomorrow."

"Great."

"You were fast," Dawn said.

"Yes, I came across the doctor outside."

"Oh."

"Pick what?"

"Huh? Oh! Faith has some stuff back home in Boston and I though we could go pick it up while Buffy and Dad are in LA."

"Oh. Yes, we will. I'll go book us the tickets later."

"Okay."

Joyce then looked at Faith.

"So Faith, which grade are you in?"

Faith looked at her, startled.

"Eh, I dropped out in ninth," she then said quietly.

"Which semester?"

"Spring."

"Then I suppose we can enroll you to Sunnydale High this semester. Unless you'd rather wait and start the year all over."

"Eh…"

"You don't need to decide now," Buffy told Faith, noticing that Faith became tense.

Faith looked at her and relaxed a bit.

"She's right," Joyce quickly said, realizing she was pushing Faith.

"Dad, can I use your phone? I want to let George know that I'm coming to LA tomorrow."

"Sure, honey," Hank said and gave her his cell phone.

Buffy dialed the number and then waited until her manager answered.

"Yeah?"

"George? This is Buffy."

"Buffy! How are you? All I've been getting was news reports and your dad called once."

"I'm okay, George. I'm being released tomorrow and I'm coming to LA to see you."

"Okay, I'm looking forward to it. And how's the script?"

"I like it."

"You'll take the part?"

"I don't know yet. My best friend is coming from Boston and I'd like to spend some time with her. See if they can move location to somewhere near Sunnydale. Or maybe postpone the shooting."

"I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye."

Buffy severed the connection and gave the cell phone back to her father.

"You're not accepting the part?" Joyce asked.

"I don't know yet, I'll see."

"Okay."

As Buffy and her family talked, Faith quietly listened and only responded to an occasional question. She wondered what living with Buffy and her family would be like.

The next day, the doctor released them. Since Detective Ross had told them that Faith wouldn't have to testify, they got ready to leave. Ross had also given Faith the keys and the money that they had found on her stepfather.

"Ready to go?" Hank asked when all the papers were taken care of.

"Yes," Buffy said. She looked at Faith. "Mom and Dawn will come as soon as I leave. I'll see you at home."

"Okay," Faith said.

Buffy smiled and put her hand on Faith's shoulder.

"Everything is going to be alright," she said. "You'll see."

Faith smiled a bit.

"Yeah."

"See you at home," Buffy said and then she and Hank left.

Faith looked around and then sat on the bed. Suddenly she became scared and she wondered if it was all just a game.

Five minutes later, Joyce and Dawn arrived and Faith breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ready to leave?" Joyce said.

Faith nodded, slid off the bed and followed them.

When they got to Boston, Faith became tense and the closer they got to where she had lived, the more scared she became, expecting her stepfather to suddenly appear from around every corner.

When they finally reached the apartment, Faith was visibly trembling. Dawn noticed it and she took her hand. Faith looked at her, startled, and Dawn smiled encouragingly. Faith stared at her for a few moments and then took a deep breath.

She unlocked the door and entered. She let go of Dawn's hand and quickly went to her room to pack while Joyce and Dawn looked around. She only packed her clothes, her comic books, the few dollars she had hidden away and after a few moments of hesitation also her school stuff.

"Nice room."

Faith jerked, startled, and looked at Dawn. She stared at her for a moment and then looked around. She shrugged.

"It's a dump."

"Well, yeah, but you still managed to make it look nice."

Faith looked around again and she realized that it did look better than the rest of the apartment.

"Are you done?" Dawn asked when she noticed the two bags.

Faith glanced at the bags.

"Yeah."

"What about the rest of the apartment?"

Faith shrugged.

"What about it?"

"Aren't you gonna take anything?"

"Like what?"

Dawn shrugged.

"I don't know."

"There's nothing valuable."

"Oh."

"Already packed?" Joyce asked as she entered the room.

"Yeah," Faith said.

"And the rest of the apartment?"

Faith shrugged.

"There's nothing valuable."

"Oh. Okay then. Shall we go?"

"Yeah."

When they arrived to the Summers house, Faith looked around, curious.

"Dawn, why don't you take Faith to her room and then show her around," Joyce said after they undressed. "I'll call Buffy."

"Okay, Mom," Dawn said and looked at Faith. "Come," she said and led the way. "This is it," she said when they reached the spare room. "It needs some serious redecoration." She looked at Faith, who was curiously looking around. "I'll help you."

Faith looked at her.

"Thanks," she said after a moment of hesitation.

Dawn smiled.

"Okay, let me show you around the house first."

As the left Faith's room, Joyce came up.

"They are on their way to Sunnydale," she said. "They'll be here in an hour." She thought for a moment. "I think I'll just order us a couple of pizzas," she then declared.

"Okay, Mom. I'll show Faith around the house now."

"Okay," Joyce said and left.

"Hi, Mom," Buffy said as she came in an hour later.

"Hi, honey. Everything went well?"

"Yes. Where's Faith?" Buffy asked as she undressed.

"In her room. She and Dawn are cleaning up."

"Okay."

Buffy quickly undressed and then ran upstairs.

"Hey," she said with a smile as she entered Faith's room.

"Hey," Faith said, nervous.

"You already done?" Buffy asked as she looked around.

"Yeah, almost."

"Oh." She smiled when she saw the posters. "Dawn gave you those?"

"Yeah."

"Nice. Ooh," she suddenly remembered and ran to her room.

Then the door bell rang.

"Pizzas!" Dawn said and ran downstairs.

Buffy quickly returned and Faith frowned when she saw the stuffed pig she was carrying.

"This is Mr Gordo," Buffy introduced the pig with a blush. "I want you to have him," she said and offered him to Faith, who frowned.

"Why?"

Buffy's blush deepened.

"Well, you know, in case you feel scared or something and I'm not there or you don't want me to know. I know, he's only a stuffed toy, but he's cuddly and trust me, it helps."

Faith stared at Buffy for a few moments and then looked at Mr Gordo. She hesitated for a moment and then slowly took it. She squeezed him a couple of time to see how soft it was. Then she looked at Buffy nervously.

"Thanks."

Buffy smiled.

"You're welcome. And just so you know, you can come to me anytime, even in the middle of the night. I mean, if I'm at home. Okay?"

Faith nodded and gulped.

"Thanks."

Buffy smiled softly.

"Welcome home, Faith." She looked around and cocked her head when she saw some books.

"School books?"

Faith looked at the books.

"Yeah."

"So you've decided to go back to school?"

Faith shrugged.

"Not yet."

"Oh. Okay then. Come, let's go downstairs, I think the pizzas have arrived. Has Dawn shown you around the house?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

When they came to the kitchen, Dawn was already checking out the pizzas.

"Dawn," Hank chided her. "Set the plates, if you're in such a hurry."

"Okay," Dawn said and quickly went to the cabinet to get the plates.

Buffy sat down and looked at Faith.

"Come, sit," she said and pointed at the chair beside her.

Faith hesitated for a moment and then sat down.

Dawn quickly spread the plates and then took the ketchup from the fridge as Joyce got the glasses and the drinks.

As they ate, Faith quietly observed the Summers family. She liked the way they cared about one another and the ease with which they bantered. Then, as she was pulled into the conversation, she realized that they could become her family, if she let them. And she and Buffy, perhaps, could become more than just friends. She was a bit scared of it, but as she thought about it, she realized that she had nothing to fear, that even if things wouldn't work out between them, they would still be friends. She didn't know how she knew that, but she felt she was right about it. And for the first time since she was very little she felt safe. Sure, she was a bit afraid of Buffy's dad, but only because he was a man, not because he might be a bad person. As she observed how his daughters interacted with him, she hoped that she would get over her fear, she didn't want to be afraid of him.

Buffy startled her out of her reverie by taking hold of her hand. She looked at her, startled, and when Buffy raised an eyebrow, inquiring if everything was alright, Faith found herself smiling the first genuine smile, probably, ever.

Buffy's eyes widened a bit when Faith smiled, but then she smiled back, realizing that while everything was not alright yet, it would be one day. She gently squeezed her hand and then they both concentrated on the pizza, firmly believing that everything would be alright.

The End