Leaving Her
by Salix
Getting Better
[reviews]
She woke up in pain. There was no other way to describe it. She was in an uncomfortable position even if she was warm, it still very strange and uncomfortable. She never sleeps on her back, so why is she lying on her back now? And why do her ankles hurt so damn bad? Only one way to find out. She opened her eyes, but regretted it as soon as the light hit them. She winced and held a hand over her eyes, trying to rub the pain away. She felt a tightness in her hand and when she opened her eyes again and they started to focus she noticed the needle and the IV tube running out of it.
She took a better look around and the first thing that she noticed was her parents sleeping in the chair next to her. They looked exhausted, even in sleep. The redhead was sitting in the blonde's lap. Her head was resting on the other woman's shoulder, her arms were wrapped tightly around her, like she was clinging on for dear life. The blonde had her arms loosely wrapped around the other, her cheek was resting against the redhead's forehead. Emily thought it was kind of sweet, she wished she had a camera.
She wanted to get the hell out of here. She hates hospitals more then she would like to admit, and being here now when she can't really remember why she's here in the first place was really starting to freak her out. The last thing she remembers was sitting on a bed in her underwear, eating Cheetos, but that could also just be a very weird dream brought on by whatever drugs are being pumped into her system. She tried not to move too much because her body felt sore and she was a little dizzy.
"Mom," she said softly, her throat was kind of sore. She watched as Buffy moved around a little but didn't wake up. She rolled her eyes and tried again. "Mom, wake up." She said a little louder. Both of them moved this time, but they just stayed asleep. This was going to be tougher then she thought. "God, would you two just wake up already?" She said that loudly, startling them awake. They looked over at her, not sure what was going on or where they were, but after a couple of minutes they remembered everything that had taken place the last couple of days and why they were here now.
Willow started to cry again, and she crawled up onto the bed and hugged Emily, firmly but gently. Emily was surprised at first, but she wrapped her arms around her weeping mom and hugged her tightly. She knew that whatever happened to her was bad because they wouldn't be acting like this if she had simply fallen down, or something like that. Then again if she had just fallen down she wouldn't be in the hospital hooked up to machines, and a needle sticking in her hand. She felt more like she had gotten hit with something, something large, and she felt dizzy, like she was stuck in a head rush or something. She didn't like the feeling and she noticed that if she didn't move around the feeling was controllable, and only a slight annoyance.
She had to stay in the hospital so that the doctors could run some tests and make sure that she would be one hundred percent better before they would send her home. They had said something about her spleen and needing to make sure that it was working properly and giving her body the extra blood stored inside of it, but she wasn't really paying attention. She was too busy thinking about the opportunity that was in front of her.
The realization of the city that she's in finally hit her, not just the fact that they're back in Sunnydale her old town, but that she's back in Sunnydale her old town that has all of her family, and her old house with the stair that creeks, and the leaky pipe in the basement ('mister drippy') but the most important thing about this town, the one thing that she will never find in any other town on the planet: Nikki. Her mom had forbidden her from talking to the other girl because according to Buffy the teenager is a 'bad influence'. She planned on getting out of this hospital and running over to the teen's house and then going to the Bronze for a little R&R.
That didn't happen, however. When she left the next day she was still pretty weak. She hated the feeling and the fact that her moms wouldn't leave her alone for more then five minutes without coming into the room to check on her. She knew that it was just their way of showing that they care, but it's still annoying Xander drove them to their house, 1630 Revello Drive. She never thought she'd ever be this happy to see that house again. But she is very happy about it, even if her moms won't give her breathing space so she can sit back and enjoy it. She wanted to tell them to stop, tell them to back off for a couple of seconds, but she was actually enjoying the attention, just a little bit, and it was nice to see her parents back together again and fussing over her like they used to before things got bad.
She was in bed for three days before the feeling of vertigo went away for good. Things have been going great in her opinion. Her parents were closer then ever, although they have been respectful in the sense that they only have sex when they think she's sleeping. But Emily had to sit through a couple of their sexcapades, and it was not fun at all. She knew would have to suffer through it again on the fourth night when she saw the little codes that they were sending each other. Buffy would give Willow this 'come hither' look and then a couple of minutes later Willow would say that she's tired and going to go upstairs to sleep, five minutes after that Buffy would say that she's tired too and then head upstairs and the two would wait almost exactly half an hour before the moaning and the groaning and the gasping could be heard. Well, Emily really didn't want to sit through that again.
So she waited until she was sure they were really going at it and things started to get loud, and she changed into a pair of baggy jeans and a t-shirt. She threw on some socks and her shoes then she made her way over to the closet. She opened the door and knelt down on her knees. She pulled back the corner of the carpet to reveal the floorboards. She pulled up the loose board and pulled out her cross necklace, stake, holy water, and a flask. She stuffed all of the items in her jacket before opening her window. She smiled to herself 'ah, the good old times' she thought as she carefully climbed out and then shut the window. She very quietly climbed down so that she was hanging off of the roof by the rain gutter and then she let herself drop. She landed with a small thud, and then she stood up straight and dusted herself off. She walked over to the tree where she just knew she would be waiting.
"Well, hey there Dollface, good to see the prodigy has returned," Nikki said and took a drag of her cigarette and then slowly exhaled the smoke. She and Emily shared a brief hug, showing that they missed each other a whole hell of a lot. "So I take it the moms are distracted since you were able to get past Rover and her excellent hearing." Emily just smiled. She liked all of the little nicknames that Nikki has for everyone. Emily took a look around, making sure that no one was watching them and then she nodded her head.
"Yep. They've been all over each other for the last couple a weeks. You seemed pretty cocky about my escape, seeing how you were waiting out here," she said and then they started to walk down the sidewalk. She kept the sake in her hand at all times while walking in the streets. The number one rule of Sunnydale is: be prepared when walking at night or just kill yourself to spare the pain and fear. Ok, so it isn't really a rule, but a very strong suggestion. Ok, well maybe not a strong suggestion, but it's something that Emily always keeps in mind whenever she's out with Nikki.
"Confident, not cocky. Besides, you've been away from me for over a year, I'm surprised you survived. From your e-mails Stars Hollow sounds like a bore. What did you do for fun, other then watch the leaves change colors?" she asked sounding sarcastic as usual. She took the last drag of the cigarette and then flicked the butt out into the street. They stayed close, in case something did attack them, but not close enough so they touched. They kept their eyes focused in front of them, but their ears were listening for any little rustle in the bushes or footsteps behind them.
"Stars Hollow could put an insomniac to sleep, but there were some pretty wild parties out in Hartford, and another little town over, I don't remember the name of it. Not as small as the Hollow, but pretty slim. Apparently some rich kid lives there and his parents are always gone so he was always throwing parties. It was fun, you would've liked it," she said and they started to near their destination. They would need money to get in, but Nikki always had it covered. Emily has no idea where she gets her money from, and it's a 'don't ask don't tell' sort of situation.
"I can only imagine. So, did you fuck any cute boys while you were there?" she asked, only teasing, but when there was no response her eyes widened with surprise, but she quickly calmed down and just rode with it. "Why, you little slut you. So, how many? 'Sfar as I know only James the Great had sweet-talked his way into you, who else have you added to the list?" Emily just rolled her eyes. Nikki always acts like this, teasing and sarcastic, like she could care less. But the truth is she really does care. She worries about Emily and her getting pregnant or a disease or some other horrible thing. If she ever found out about the vampire Emily had slept with she would probably freak out. 'What she won't know won't hurt her,' she thought as they paid the entrance fee and walked into the Bronze.
"This guy named Mike that I was dating for a while. Things were going great until my usual routine started in again. I don't know what's wrong with me. Why can't I act normal around a guy after I sleep with him?" she asked but the question was lost amongst the noise of the music, and the crowd on the dance floor. The two teens didn't bother with a table. They weren't here for drinks or food or anything like that. Emily and the other girl took off their jackets and tossed them in a dark corner where no one would see them. Then they went out onto the dance floor. They started their usual routine that they had started a couple of years ago. They dance with each other, very provocatively and wait for a small crowd to form around them, then they each pick out a cute guy for themselves and spend time with them.
They danced for a couple of hours, until they were too thirty to go on. The guy that Emily was currently grinding against offered to buy her a drink which is gladly excepted. She just ordered a water, she didn't want her mom with her freakish sense of smell to pick up any alcohol. The guy was ok with that and they just ordered water, which is way too overpriced. It costs less to buy a shot or a beer then it does for a glass of water. But they didn't seem to mind.
They just kept looking into each other's eyes, and the guy kept softly brushing Emily's hair back behind her ear, making sure that the tips of his fingers would lightly touch the skin. She shivered at the contact, and knew by the sensation that she needed to get this over with quickly. She leaned forward, having to stand on her tippy toes to be able to whisper in his ear. When she pulled back and looked into his eyes he had this large smile on his face and he took her by the hand. As he led her out of the club she made eye contact with Nikki and nodded her head, telling the other girl to give her five minutes before following, if needed.
Once they were outside, Emily grabbed the guy by the shirt and kissed him, she needed to make sure she was right, she didn't want to make a mistake. 'Oh yeah, I was right,' she thought, and she pulled the stake out of the little side pocket on her pant leg. When she pulled back she didn't hesitate before she lunged the stake into the vampire's heart and he turned into a cloud of dust and then disappeared in the cool night's breeze. She smiled to herself for a job well done, have herself an imaginary pat on the back and then headed back into the club to find Nikki. It was a hobby, and a running contest to see who can stake more vampires in one night. Emily knew the overall score by heart, mostly because she was winning: Emily 205 vampires, Nikki 198. They'd started this about three years ago, when they first started going to the Bronze on a regular basis.
Once they had had their fun at the Bronze they left. They started to make their way to Thomas Shaw's house. He throws a big party every year and it was a 'go or don't show your face in public ever again' type of deal. All of the cool kids from Sunnydale High always go, even some of the students from some of the schools from the surrounding towns. It's a pretty big deal, and there are always a few vampires there to try and pick up on some drunk girl who doesn't know any better. But they never made it to the party.
They noticed that they were being followed, so they were on alert. They made sure to seem calm so that the vampires wouldn't know that the girls knew they were there, but they prepared themselves for a fight. They weren't sure how many were following them, or if they were vampires, but they knew that it was more then two. Things could get a little tricky. When they heard the footsteps getting closer they turned around to acknowledge the stalkers. There were five of them, all tall, all looked like they were in their thirties, and all of them were in cheap suites. Oh yeah, they were vampires all right. Only something that died would find those suits appealing.
They knew that their chances of getting out of this were pretty slim, but they would try. If they were going to die then they would die fighting. They tensed up a little as the vampires came near, already in game face. They really weren't messing around at all. Vampires don't normally show their true selves until they're about to munch on your neck, but these guys weren't hiding anything. They were only five feet away, Emily loosened her grip on her stake and then tightened it again, trying to get a comfortable hold on it. But then a woman, a slayer no doubt, jumped out in front of them and started to fight the five vampires.
She gave them a good fight, only one of them was able to get close to the teens, and Nikki staked it, feeling proud that she was able to contribute, but mostly they just sat back and watched the show. There was something different about this slayer, and Emily has been around slayers most of her life so she knows the difference between a newbie and an experienced, but there was just something different about this one. The way she carried herself, the way she fought, even the sarcastic remarks reminded Emily of something important, something she knows she should be remembering, but she can't for the life of her think of it. When the last vampire was staked the slayer brushed herself off and then faced the teens walking up close and then lighting a cigarette.
The slayer was as tall as Emily, maybe half an inch shorter, she had long dark hair that was kind of wavy and a little unkempt. Her eyes were dark brown, she wore all leather, and it was very tight, showing off her perfect body. All of the little red flags in Emily's mind were going off by now, but she didn't know why. There was something that she knew about this woman but she just couldn't remember. It was going to bother her until she found out.
"Good to see you up and walkin and not unconscious and chained to a bed. Your mom know you're out?" she asked Emily and took a long drag of her cigarette. Nikki looked over at Emily with a 'what the hell?' expression on her face. She didn't want Nikki to know about her encounter with Spike, but it looks like this woman, whoever she is, just can't keep her mouth shut. She ignored the woman's question and asked a couple of her own.
"Who're you? How do you know me? 'Cause I'm very sure I would remember you," she said and watched as the slayer got a cocky smirk on her face. There was something about that smile, the dimples it created that just sent off more red flags and this whole 'not being able to remember' thing was really starting to piss her off. She watched as the woman chuckled and then took another drag of the cigarette.
"You comin on ta me little girl?" she asked sarcastically and then turned somewhat serious. "Name's Faith. I'm an old friend of your moms', both of 'em. I participated in the little rescue couple days a go. There, I answered your questions, now answer mine. Does your mom know you're out here?" She sent off a challenging vibe and it was not taken very well by the two teens. Emily just wanted to run. Why didn't she remember? This was Faith, the Faith. The slayer that Buffy had gone on and on about in the past and Willow had gotten jealous because she thought that Buffy had a crush on the other woman. This was the Faith, and now she was going to be in a world of trouble.
"Listen, Buttercup, thanks for slaying the vamps but I think we'll just be on our way now. We have places we need to be and we don't need you getting in our way," Nikki said and Emily just shook her head. Sometimes that girl can be so suicidal it's amazing she's still alive. You never talk like that to a slayer, not one as experienced as Faith is, not one that has taken a human life before. Accident or no killing a person changes you, and Emily is well aware, from the stories her mothers have told her, that Faith can be very violent, and impulsive. Sure, she's gotten tons better, and she's one of the best slayers around, but still, this is THE fucking Faith.
"Chill out there, Sparky. I'm not here to ruin anybody's fun. I'm just tryin to make sure you two get to where you're going safe and sound. B would kill me if she found out that I bumped into you guys and you ended up dead or somethin. She'll probably kill me for not dragging you back to your house, but whatever," she said and dropped the cigarette butt to the pavement and ground it out with the tip of her boot. Then she looked over at Nikki, her eyes narrowed a little bit. "And, just to let you know, I handle the nickname calling around here. Call me Buttercup again and I can't guarantee you'll make it home it one piece. Where the hell did you get Buttercup anyway?" Nikki rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated sigh.
"Am I the only one who ever watches cartoons nowadays? Buttercup is the 'bad ass, don't fuck with me' sister from the Power Puff Girls." Emily laughed and Faith looked offended that she was being named after a cartoon character from a cartoon called The Power Puff Girls. The two teens started to walk off, they really wanted to go that party, and if Faith was going to look out for them then she'd follow. Emily knew she would, according to Willow and everyone else who isn't Faith and Buffy, the once rogue slayer has, or had, a major crush on the blonde slayer. That's why Willow had gotten so jealous, because she knew that if Buffy wanted to she could have slept with Faith because the feelings of lust would have been returned.
"So, where are all of the cool kids hagin out nowadays?" Faith asked sarcastically and threw an arm around Emily's shoulders. She couldn't make the younger girl go home, but she could at least bother her until she wanted to. What type of friend and fellow slayer would Faith be if she didn't drive Buffy's kid to near insanity until she reached her breaking point and actually wanted to go home? Not a very good one of you ask Faith. Emily sighed and left the talking to Nikki. She was hoping the two would get into a little argument or something. She likes watching Nikki argue with people, it's funny.
"Thomas Shaw throws a big party the first day of Thanksgiving break. If you don't show up then there's no point going back to school. You already are, or will become, a social outcast if you don't go to his parties. Isn't that right Dollface?" she asked Emily with a little smile and 'hip bumped' her, causing the two girls to stumbled a little. Emily just rolled her eyes and shook her head. Nikki can be such a show off in front of new people. It's just one of the many things that makes Nikki, well, Nikki.
"Ah, a house party huh? Will there be booze?" she asked and Emily looked over at Nikki, not sure where Faith was going with this conversation. She was turning out to be pretty cool so far, but she's an adult and those things can turn on you pretty quick if you're not careful what you say or how you act. But Nikki didn't seemed to be worrying about it so Emily calmed down and tried to put her mind at ease.
"Yep, and lots of it," the younger girl replied, she popped the 'p', putting emphasis on it. Faith just nodded her head and then let go of Emily's shoulders. The teen became a little nervous, thinking that Faith would stop right there and drag the teen back to her house, but she didn't do anything except looked ahead, and put her stake back in her jacket pocket.
"Drugs?"
"Probably."
"Underage sex in the parents' or siblings' bedrooms?"
"I'd bet on it," she said and then nudged Emily with her elbow. It was at one of Thomas' parties that Emily had lost her virginity. So to say there other kids would be having sex in the bedrooms and possibly even the bathroom of the large house wasn't a crazy thing to say. Emily looked over at Faith and the woman looked like she was deep in thought. She pulled out her pack of cigarettes and lit up another one. Nikki did the same and Emily couldn't help but roll her eyes. She was now standing in between two people who were smoking, she was in hell. This was hell and she is being tortured. But she wouldn't break her promise to her mom. No more smoking, or drinking, or any other thing your not supposed to do under the age of eighteen.
"Alright, I know that I'm the coolest person you'll ever meet in your life times, but I'm gonna hafta play the roll of the responsible adult here and say that we can't be at this party for more then an hour. I hear any complaints out of either of ya and I carry you home myself. Deal?" she asked and the two teens looked at each other. They rolled their eyes but they agreed to her terms. At least they would get to have some fun tonight, other then going to the Bronze, and just talking to each other in person again.