They were beating him and beating him. They kept beating him till he fell down.

But they picked him back up again.

Her Daddy's eyes were looking at her. He was crying.

Please Daddy don't cry. Please stop hitting my Daddy.

I sucked in a deep breath as I woke from another dream. I hated how this shit made me feel. Every time I woke up it was like I was that little girl again and I was helpless and small. I wiped a hand across my eyes, trying to get rid of the last bits of clinging sleep when I heard the yelling. It was muffled cause of the walls but it was still loud enough that I could make out some words. I recognized one of the voices as Mrs. Summers. Maybe the dream wasn't what woke me up this time.

After Buffy had convinced me that it was a better idea to go home in the morning, she'd insisted that I sleep on the bed with her and when I asked why, she'd told me cause it reminded her of the slumber parties she had as a kid. So, here I am, in Buffy Summers' bed and her parents, at least I think that's her father, are having a fight downstairs. Turning my head to the right, I saw that Buffy had her back to me. She was all curled up. One of her hands was covering her ear and she was so tense that there's no way she could've been asleep.

I wasn't sure how to handle it. Did I try and comfort her or would that just make her more uncomfortable? Should I just leave her alone and pretend like I'm still asleep? I hadn't known the girl that long. I didn't know how she'd react.

But as I kept staring at her back, I knew I had to help and just pray that I wasn't making the whole situation worse. I turned my body so I was lying on my side too and I placed a hand on the back of her shoulder. She tensed up immediately and it was like I was touching stone. But instead of moving my hand away, I just started rubbing in tiny circular motions until she started relaxing. I had no words that would make it better so I just kept my mouth shut and hoped what I was doing was enough.

After a few more minutes, she turned so that she was lying on her back. The light coming from the outside of her window was enough so I could see that her eyes were still open and fixed on the ceiling. Then she turned her head and her eyes were fixed on me. She just looked at me with such a hurt in her eyes that I found my mouth opening and words coming out that I'd never meant to say. "Do you remember when you asked me what I was thinking?"

She nodded.

"I was thinking how beautiful you are...And I just kept asking myself how anyone so beautiful could have this much sadness in their eyes. I didn't say anything cause I didn't want you to think I was a freak or something." I don't know why I said those words to her. Afterwards, her body began shaking and I thought that I'd somehow done it to her and I was apologizing but she just released this sob and buried herself into my arms. My arms wrapped around her body and I absorbed her tears and the heaving sobs that wracked her small body for what seemed like hours before they started to die down. Her head was buried on my shoulder and her hands were holding tightly onto my waist. Eventually her breathing evened out and I knew she was asleep.

The yelling had stopped. I laid there a little while longer just listening to the silence and feeling Buffy's breath warming my neck and I guess I dozed off like that cause when I woke up again, it was light in the room. I slid out of Buffy's arms which was way harder than it sounds cause she kept pulling me back even though she was still asleep as far as I could tell. After I'd cleaned myself up in the bathroom, I came back into her room but she was still out. I didn't want to wake her cause she just looked so peaceful that I left her like that and wandered downstairs to plop myself in front of the TV and zone out on Saturday morning cartoons.

Around the end of the second cartoon, Buffy came into the room. "Hey," she said softly. I sat up as she came to sit next to me.

"Are you feeling all right?" I asked.

She stared off at the television a little bit longer before she turned her head and gave me a wide smile. "Thank you for yesterday." Her smile faltered. "I hope I didn't freak you out too bad."

"No," I said quickly. "Of course you didn't. I mean, I know how it is. You have all this stuff bottled up inside of you and sooner or later, you just feel like you're going to pop. Don't apologize for it B. I'm just glad I could help without screwing it up."

"You didn't screw up Faith. If anything, that was probably the best night of sleep I've gotten in a long time." She smiled at me again, that wide beautiful smile that made me feel good inside even though I hadn't done anything...not really.

And of course I couldn't stand looking at it for more than a second. I broke eye contact and said something about being hungry. She took my hand and led me off to the kitchen where we feasted on some cereal, toasted bread, and juice.

"Oh, fuck. What time is it?" I asked, around a mouthful of cereal.

Buffy glanced at her watch. "Around ten," she said.

I'd totally forgotten that Coach had told me to report to the track early this morning. "Can you drive me to school?" I asked. I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't desperate. Buffy's driving isn't what you'd call safe and fun. More like 'for the love of God, please don't crash into that lamp post' scary. I don't think she knows how bad she really is. But I *was* desperate so as soon as she said she would, I chugged down the juice and ran upstairs to get the duffel bag. When we got to the track, Coach was totally pissed at me and gave me a lecture about being on time or something like that. She finally wound down and told me to take a couple of laps around the track. I walked back to where Buffy was standing.

"Ouch," she said in sympathy.

I shrugged it off. "I was only a couple of hours late. You'd think I hadn't shown up at all or something by the way she talks." She smirked and rolled her eyes at me. "So I guess I'm gonna be stuck here for a while. Thanks for the ride over."

"You don't mind if I stay for awhile and just watch you, right?"

"If you don't mind watching me running around in a circle like a lab rat, be my guest. But don't blame me if you get bored." She stuck her tongue out at me as I walked away to get changed. It was really kinda cute, not like I was ever gonna tell her that though. She was sitting on the bleachers when I came out a few minutes later and, on a sudden impulse, I waved at her. At least she waved back. Otherwise, I would have looked like more of a dork than I already did. I don't know what was up with me when Buffy was nearby. It was like she brought out this whole other person in me I hadn't ever known existed and I liked how she made me feel.

"Spencer!" Coach yelled at me. "When you're done waving at your girlfriend, would you mind gracing us with your presence?"

"You've got that sarcasm thing down pat Coach," I said, walking past her to get warmed up. Working through a couple of stretches, I began jogging around the track and when I felt my muscles loosening and my body begin to warm up, I turned up the speed until I was running. The best thing about running is that your mind is focused on nothing else but running...at least mine is. Putting one foot in front of the other, breathing evenly, pushing down the pain...mostly thinking about pushing down the pain cause without that, you know you're not doing it right. One lap passes, two, three, four. I don't keep track after the fourth.

I keep going until my lungs begin to burn and my legs begin to feel like lead. I keep going lap after lap until I nearly run myself into the ground and it feels like I'm going to drop if I take one more step. Then I slow down to a jog again.

When I finally stop, Coach comes over to me and puts a hand on my back as I'm bent over with my hands on my knees, trying to bring my breathing back under control. "When I said, take a few laps," she said, "I didn't mean that you should kill yourself on the track. You've got to take it easier, Spencer."

I would've said something but I was too busy panting. She handed me a bottle of water and left me there. Picking myself up, I walked over to the bleachers where Buffy was still sitting and took a seat one bench down from her.

"Have fun?" She asked, all perky and smiling innocently.

I just looked up at her and uncapped the bottle to take a couple of swallows. But I couldn't keep the grin from spreading across my face as she kept looking at me with that silly expression on her face. "All I need is a couple of minutes and I'll be right out there again," I told her, letting a cocky grin slip across my face.

She smirked. "As what? A speed bump?"

I climbed up to sit next to her. "Let me repair your misconceptions before you embarrass yourself any further Ms. Summers. You see, I'm like the friggin Energizer Bunny." She looked at me skeptically. "It's true. I just keep going and going and going."

"Oh," she says, her face lighting up. "You meant it *that* way. I thought you were talking about how you're both fuzzy and cute."

"I. Am. Not. Fuzzy." I stated slowly so she wouldn't miss any words.

"Okay," she said, shrugging. "Then you're just cute."

I opened my mouth to protest again when I saw her trying but failing to keep the grin off of her face. "Maybe you need this water more than I do," I said instead. "I think the sun's getting to you B."

She deftly took the bottle from my hands and took a few sips, her eyes still staring at me the whole time and I could feel myself getting hot again. But this time, it had nothing to do with running. Maybe I was wrong but this sounded and looked a lot like flirting to me. And if it was? Buffy was cute, beautiful even...and if I was honest with myself, way too good for me. And that didn't even take into account that we were both girls which makes things a hell of a lot hairier. So I shook the thoughts from my head as best I could and smiled at her as I went back onto the track.

Buffy left about a half hour later and I left a couple of hours after that. It was around four in the afternoon by the time I left . With nothing better to do, I went home. When I walked through the front door, I could hear the TV in the living room. Doris was probably in there so I went the opposite way into the kitchen and fixed myself a sandwich and got some fruit juice. As foster parents went, Doris and her husband weren't that bad. They stayed out of my business and I stayed out of theirs. As long as we mutually respected each other's right to be left alone, we didn't have to say two words to each other all day. Sometimes, even less than that.

Since there wasn't much else to do around the house and I'd damned near killed myself on the track earlier, I fell asleep halfway through finishing my sandwich. And I wasn't sure how long I was out before a knocking at my door woke me up.

"What?" I asked, trying to blink away the sleep. "Casey? What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" She repeated like she couldn't believe I was asking such a wicked obvious question. "Faith, did you forget about the party?"

"Party?"

"Paul's party," she said, dragging me up so that I was sitting. "Come on, sleepyhead. Get dressed. T and Daniel are waiting outside."

I tried suppressing a yawn as I looked at her. "I don't know Case, I don't feel much like partying right now."

Her face fell as she began pleading with me. "But you have to come. How are we going to crash a party without you? Please. Come on. Pretty please?"

She kept repeating it over and over until I couldn't take it anymore and I finally just gave in. "Fine, I'll go. Just give me ten minutes." She hopped up and down like some deranged bunny rabbit before going out the door and, as soon as she did, I flopped back onto the bed.

****

After I'd left Faith, I'd decided to go home and just spend the day lazing around but a phone call from Jessica changed my plans. Our conversation went something like this:

Jess: Buffy, everybody's mad at you. They all think the stress and pressure's gotten to you but they're still mad at what you said, especially Jenny. Is it because of problems at home? Your parents?

Me: No

Jess: Buffy, we're your friends. We all care about you. How long have we known each other? Since fifth grade? We can work through whatever problems you've got. Do you want to talk about it with me?

Me: No.

Jess: Well, I think it'll be good if you come out and just hang with everybody tonight like we used to do. We can talk about it then. Let me pick you up tonight for Paul's party. Everyone's going to be there.

Me: Jess--

Jess: Cool, I'll pick you up tonight Buff.

That was the general gist of how it went, give or take a word or two. So here I am, sitting in Jessica's VW Beetle listening to her talking about how mad Heather and Jenny were and how everything would be just fine if we all got together and talked our problems out. I know she means well but she can be so annoying when she's playing mediator. I already knew Heather and Jenny were mad and I didn't need to keep hearing about it every fifteen seconds.

I hopped out of the car before it even came to a total stop as soon as we got to Paul's house. I just wanted to get it over with and go home. So I went inside, searching for Heather and her group with Jessica tailing me all the way. Of course, they weren't too hard to find. You can always spot them by the large gathering of giggling girls and posturing boys. The ones hanging around the edges were the least popular, hoping that just being close to the in crowd would somehow rub off on them. And I walked past them, stopping just long enough now and then to return a greeting. In the center was Heather. If you wanted an analogy, Heather was the sun to everybody else's space dirt. At least, that's how she sees herself. Everybody went quiet as I finally stepped in front of her.

"Buffy," she said, looking at me with a quirked eyebrow.

"Hello Heather." I took a deep breath and just pushed the words out of my mouth. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier." Jenny came to stand next to Heather as she looked haughtily down at me. "It was totally uncalled for and I realize that it was hurtful to both you and Jenny. So, please accept my apology."

Jessica had pushed her way over to us and she added on my behalf, "Buffy's been under a lot of pressure lately, Heather. She's been telling me how sorry she's been all the way over here."

I looked over at her to see that she had a totally sincere expression on her face and if I didn't know better, I'd buy her story too. Heather's cool expression melted the tiniest fraction. "I understand the pressure, Buffy. God knows, I understand. But you can't go around snapping everybody's head off, especially us, your friends."

I tried not rolling my eyes and I think I succeeded . For the most part, I just kept my head down and nodded until she was satisfied with the amount of remorse I was showing. Jenny didn't say anything to me which was fine as far as I was concerned. The less we talked the better. With that out of the way, I was going to call it a night and make up another excuse to leave but Jessica would have none of it. For some reason, she keeps insisting that I shouldn't be alone 'at a time like this'. I don't know what time she was talking about but I couldn't get away no matter what inventive excuses I came up with.

So, for all intents and purposes, I was stuck there, listening to twenty different inane conversations going all around me. All this noise competing with the thumping bass of the music made my head start to pound along with it so I went to the kitchen to get myself something to drink. Only problem was, the fridge seemed to be stocked with nothing but bottles and bottles and bottles of beer...plus one incongruously out of place ketchup bottle. I took one, figuring one beer couldn't hurt and it'd probably make the time go faster too when I felt an arm being thrown across my shoulder.

"Jack," I said, trying to slip out from under his arm. Jack was one of those guys that thought he was God's gift to women because he had a pretty face and a filthy rich dad. Any sort of rejection he received, he'd take it as a personal challenge. Needless to say, I was a challenge to him.

"Buffy, where have you been?" He asked. His breath smelled like he'd had a couple of beers already. "I was looking for you."

"Uh, yeah," I said, taking the bottle opener from the counter and opening up my beer. "I just got here." He slipped his arm across my shoulders again as I took a sip from the bottle.

"Y'know," he said, breathing into my ear. "Paul's got a pool in the backyard. You wanna take a dip with me?"

"I think you've had too much to drink if you think I'm going to say yes." I began to walk towards the door when he grabbed my arm and pulled me back, hard.

His fingers were digging into my flesh and a vein in his forehead was popping out. "I don't know why you keep playing hard to get girl. Look Buffy, you've got me, okay? You've got me. So stop jerking me around." He moved in and I turned my face just in time so that his lips grazed my cheek instead of my lips.

"Hey Romeo. Get your fucking hands off her." I turned my head to see Faith standing in the doorway. I didn't know what she was doing there but I don't think I've been more happy to see anyone in my life. I squirmed out of Jack's grasp as Faith walked over and pulled me behind her.

"Who the fuck are you?" Jack asked.

Faith laughed in his face and said, "Take a good look jerkoff. I'm the one who's gonna kick your ass if you ever touch her again."

Jack's face started turning beet red. I don't think he's ever had a woman threaten him before. "Let's just go, Faith." I tried pulling her away before things escalated any further and she was just turning to leave when Jack said something else under his breath that I couldn't make out. Next thing I know, Faith's sitting on top of Jack and punching the crap out of him. The only thing going for Jack is that he's got about thirty pounds on Faith so he was able to throw her off. By that time, people were looking through the door and the more courageous or drunker among them were coming in to see what all the noise was about.

Faith and Jack were down on the floor, trying to rip each other apart. Someone started chanting "Fight" and pretty soon, everybody was chanting it. They rolled around a little before Jack pinned Faith beneath him and started punching her. Since nobody else seemed to want to stop it, I did the only thing I could think of. I hit Jack on the back of the head with the beer bottle I still had in my hand. The bottle broke and the beer flowed all over his head. He looked up with a dazed expression on his face and then Faith took advantage and punched him across the jaw.

He dropped like a sack of wet laundry on top of her. I grabbed the back of his shirt and helped her push him off as everybody started shouting, some cheering. Most of them had definitely been hitting the beer a bit too much tonight and I heard someone talking about calling the cops but there was a loud symphony of hisses and boos at that suggestion. I pulled Faith up and she wobbled slightly before steadying herself. Now that I had a good look at her, I could see the bloody cut next to her left eye and the cut on her lip. We navigated our way through the crowd with her leaning on me the whole way.

T came up to us as we came out of the kitchen and, without a word, helped us get out of the house. When Jessica came up and asked me what had happened, I told her I would tell her about it later and walked out the door. I tried to think of a bright side to this whole situation and my sick brain came up with the thought that at least I had found an excuse to leave and then I felt like a total heel for thinking something like that when Faith was leaning next to me, having gotten into a fight because of me.

T led us to his SUV which was parked a block away. His two other friends were following behind and when we got to the car, Faith leaned against the back door as T unlocked it and I helped her in before climbing in myself. T's girlfriend got into the back seat from the other side.

"What happened back there?" She asked, looking back and forth between Faith and me.

Faith touched the cut on her lip with the tips of her fingers. "It was no big deal, Casey. Just got in a fight."

"I can see that," Casey said. "Can you tell me why you got in a fight five minutes after we got there?"

"The prick deserved it." She looked around as the car started up. "Where are you driving T?"

T glanced up into the rearview mirror. "We're going to the hospital. That cut needs stitches."

"It's not that deep," she began to protest.

"Faith," I said, taking her arm. "Your blood is covering half your face. I'd say that's bad enough for stitches." She turned towards me and I could tell she was about to protest again so I put a finger on her lips to stop her. "You helped me. Now I'm going to help you. Is that cool?"

Her lips moved under my finger as she grinned weakly. "Five by five," she said, her lips grazing against my finger with each word. My heart sped up as I reluctantly pulled my finger away. Glancing behind Faith, I could see Casey staring suspiciously at me and I suddenly began feeling hot. This isn't the time to be thinking like this. It was the second time that day that I'd felt something passing between Faith and me. I wasn't sure what it was exactly, only that it was something that I'd never felt with another person before.

When we got to the hospital, T made it his job to take care of the paperwork in record time. I think he charged everything on his platinum card when Faith wasn't looking. So, fifteen minutes later, the four of us were sitting around in the waiting room waiting for Faith to get stitched up when T looked over at me and asked, "Are you all right?"

I had been playing with the can of coke he'd gotten me and I guess I must not have looked too good for him to ask. "I'm fine," I said, giving him a small smile. "I'm just..." I gestured helplessly around and he nodded in understanding.

"So what happened?" Casey asked a minute later. "To start the fight, I mean."

I cleared my throat before trying to explain. "Well, basically, Faith caught Jack acting like a drunken prick to me and she stepped in. We were going to just leave but Jack said something to her and the next thing I know, they're fighting on the floor." Casey looked like she wasn't entirely satisfied with the answer but she didn't pursue it. I looked down at the floor and wondered if I was satisfied with that answer either. Faith had known me barely two days but she'd already gotten in a fight because of me. But she seemed like the type of person to do that --- stick her neck out for her friends. Was that all it was though? And why was I fishing for a deeper meaning anyway? Faith was my friend. End of story.

So why was it that when she walked in a short while later, my heart sped up again? When did my heart ever speed up when any of my other friends walked in? She was smiling that signature cocky grin of hers as I walked up to her.

"Five stitches," were the first two words out of her mouth and she looked so damn proud of it that I had to laugh. Reaching out a hand, I turned her head to the side so I could get a good look at it.

T came up behind me and asked, "Faith, isn't there supposed to be a bandage covering that?"

Faith screwed up her face in distaste. "That bandage they put on it was too big," she said. "So I threw it away...Got a good look there, B?"

I smiled in embarrassment, realizing that I was still holding onto her face and I let go immediately which only made her chuckle in amusement.

****

After the hospital, we spent like an hour hanging out in the parking lot of a 24-hour minimart or something. Casey kept digging at me about the fight. I think she was just pissed that she didn't get to see it for herself so I offered to reenact it on T. She was all for it but T wouldn't let me get on top of him. It wasn't like I was really gonna punch him but he said he didn't believe me. Go figure.

Eventually, we left to go drop Buffy back off at her house. I was in the back, with my eyes closed and my head resting against the back of the seat, listening with half an ear as Casey talked about a band she wanted to go see perform. I grinned just hearing how hyped she was getting. When the car stopped, I opened an eye and turned my head to look at Buffy. Before I could open my mouth and say good-bye to her, she opened the door and pulled me out with her.

"Bye guys," she said. "Thanks for everything."

I shrugged, gave everyone a little wave through the window and let Buffy lead me into her house. "Hey B?" I whispered. "What's up?"

She turned around to look at me and, in the dark, I couldn't really see her face. "I was thinking -- actually, hoping that you'd stay the night again? I mean, if you don't want to, I could drive you back but --"

Her hands were warm in mine and I pulled her closer. "Nah, I'd love to stay, B. Not many people can stand having me around like you."

"Then those people must be crazy," she said softly. I wished I could see her face right then cause I wanted to see if she was joking. She didn't sound like she was joking and I couldn't think of anything to say to that. A few seconds later, she pulled me upstairs to her bedroom and opened the lights which seemed too bright all of a sudden. I went to sit on her bed while she searched through her closet for her PJ's. She already knew I slept in my underwear so I just began stripping. Off came the leather pants, then the denim jacket, and finally my top. I stacked them on a chair next to the door.

"You sure your mom won't -- " I stopped mid-sentence cause when I turned around, Buffy was just standing there, staring at me. "See something you like?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow.

She laughed nervously and then excused herself to go change. I thought I saw a blush creeping into her face as she practically ran to the door. I know I shouldn't have said it but the words were out of my mouth before I could think about what I was saying. Story of my life, really. My mouth gets me in trouble, my fists get me out of it. But if I were honest with myself, we'd been flirting back and forth the whole day. Nothing serious...at least, I don't think so. And, anyway, flirting with Buffy was fun. I was still figuring out the limits and how far I could push them.

Buffy walked back into the room just then dressed in a light pink top with a heart on the front and matching pink drawstring shorts. My eyes must've widened to twice their size cause as soon as she saw me, she asked, "What?"

I shook my head in awe. "You look so damn cute," I said.

She came over and punched me playfully on the arm. "I thought we made it clear today," she went on, going to sit on her bed. "*You're* the cute one in this relationship."

I folded my arms in mock indignation as she played with her stuffed pig. "If I'm cute, how come you're the one decked out in pink?" She opened her mouth to answer but nothing came out. I smirked as she closed her mouth and pouted. "Glad we got that clear," I said, laying down on the bed next to her.

"Mr. Gordo agrees with me," she said, sitting her pig on top of my chest.

"That's cause his brain's made of stuffing," I said, folding my hands under my head. "Isn't that right, Mr. Gordo?"

Buffy immediately snatched her pig away and whispered in one pink ear, "Don't listen to her. She doesn't know what she's talking about." She gave me another nasty look as I rolled my eyes, effectively giving my opinion on the matter. Then she reached across me to turn off the light on the desk. For a second there, I thought she was gonna crawl on top of me. For a second there, I wished she would. But she crawled under the covers instead and whispered "Good night."

"Night B," I said, getting under the covers myself.

*****