Walking Into Darkness (BTVS, W/F) (Part 4/?)

["Melissa Levine" <xander_willow@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Title: Walking into Darkness (4/?)
Author: Melissa
Rating: R for language (I'm playing it safe)
Summery: Season 3, Faith bumps into Willow, or is it the other way around?
Notes: This is an AU where Oz never existed, he doesn't fit in my story.
Pairing: W/F
Disclaimer: They're not mine I never claimed they were either, Joss rules, 
don't sue me.

Part 4
Willow snapped out of her revelry as they neared her home, "this is it," 
Willow said pointing to the medium to large cape cod style home. I should 
see if Mom called to say when they're coming home from this "second 
honeymoon". How many of those have they had anyways? Let's see there was 
Rome, Athens, Paris, London, Dublin? By now the girls had reached the front 
door of Willow's home and Willow had yet to remove any keys from her 
pockets.

"Hey Willow, you gonna let us in or are we just going to stand out here for 
the rest of the evening?" Faith's tone was clearly mocking, but her eyes 
sparkled with humor. I hope she knows I'm joking, Red may take that to 
heart.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I was just? thinking about some things." Willow reached 
into her pocket and pulled out her key chain. Locating the right key Willow 
opened the door and walked into her home. She quickly turned to see if 
Faith needed help getting up the stairs into the house. To Willow's 
surprise Faith was already walking with more ease. Wow, she seems to be 
healing fast, the only other person I know that would be able to walk 
upright after the way Faith was walking is Buffy, but she's a slayer with 
advanced healing. Maybe Faith wasn't as hurt as she looked.

Faith entered Willow's home and looked around. This place is nice, but it 
does seem a little empty, I wonder when Red's parents are coming back, it's 
odd that they're not here and it looks like they've been gone for a long 
time. I wonder if Red really lives alone, but didn't feel comfortable 
telling a stranger that. "Great place Red, where should I take this?" 
Faith had taken her backpack back so Willow could open the door then refused 
to hand it back when Red put out her hand.

"You're room will be upstairs, third door on the left, I just need to check 
a couple things and then I'll be up to make up the bed." Willow started to 
walk into the kitchen leaving no room for Faith to argue. As she walked 
past the phone she saw the red light on the answering machine was flashing 
with a bring number 4 and went over to it. Willow pressed the button and 
waited for the messages to start.

**Willow honey, you must be at Bunny's, your father and I won't be coming 
home this week as we had planned, we have another conference the money is in 
the checking account, plenty to last till Chanukah, see you then sweetheart. 
Love you, bye.** The Machine beeped and then the second message started.

Buffy's voice rang out through the kitchen. **Willow, where are you?! You 
weren't in English! We've been searching all over town for you! When you 
get home call me, I'm going out to look some more, so if you don't get an 
answer leave a message, bye!**

**Willow, this is Xander, I've spent most of the day frantically searching 
for you with Cordy!
Xannnnndeeerrrrr, I want to go home, all this walking around it bad for my 
skin.
One minute Cordy. Wills, give me a ring on Cordy's cell when you get home, 
we're worried.
Speak for yourself I'm?** The message was cut off, Willow assumed that 
Xander hung up so he could shut Cordelia up. Sometimes she wondered why 
Xander continued their relationship, but that was their business.

**Uh Willow, it's after dark, and the rest of us are quite worried about 
you, if you could give me a ring when you get in, it would put all our minds 
at ease. Thank you, and good evening.** Giles's message was the last one, 
so Willow went to work calling Buffy, Xander and Giles so they wouldn't 
worry.

Once that was over with Willow climbed the stairs and entered the spare 
room. "Everything ok up here Faith?" Willow gasped as she took in the site 
before her, Faith had taken off her shirt and was trying to put on her clean 
one, but was having a hard time due to her broken rib. Wow she's so 
beautiful, I wonder where she got that scar on her shoulder. "Umm, do you 
need a hand with that?" Willow motioned to the shirt and Faith sighed and 
nodded.

"I can usually dress myself, but I think my attacker may have bruised one of 
my ribs so I can't raise my arms past my shoulders." Willow walked over and 
took the T-shirt out of Faith's hands and brought her arm through the hole 
on Faith's wounded side. Red got Faith's head through the second hole and 
gently situated Faith's other arm through the last hole. This put Willow in 
very close proximity to the brunette and their eyes met. The redhead stared 
deeply into Faith's eyes and saw a flicker of desire there. Both of them 
began to lean forward, Willow's eyes gently fluttered to a close as Faith 
tilted her head preparing to capture Willow's lips with her own when the 
phone rang.
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