She Who Was My Love (girlxgirl) (Book 2)

Lobby

Faith's POV

She has to be okay, she just has to be. Joyce is a good person, she doesn't deserve to suffer. She has nothing to suffer for. She only ever does good things. She's the best person I've ever known and she treats me like one of her own. You couldn't find a better person than her. So why is this happening to her? Why does she have to go through this?

I look down at B's hand in my own, holding on tight, before turning my gaze to her sister whose arms are wrapped around B's stomach.

Why do THEY have to go through this? I can deal. I've had this happen before, but them? Joyce raised them, nurtured them, she helped them become the incredible people they are today. This has got to be 100 times worse than it was for me.

A doctor comes walking down the hall in front of us and B's hand seriously tense up, as does the rest of her. I hear Dawn take in a deep breath and hold it. The doctor passes us by and neither of them relaxes. I squeeze B's hand back before pulling it to my lips and kissing her knuckles gently. She looks in my eyes, pain and misery written all over her face.

God if only I could take it away from her.

"It's all gonna be okay. The doctors said your mom was gonna be fine, she's not gonna die."

That breath Dawn was holding in is let out in the form of a question.

"But why?"

I can't help but feel my heart break for her as she sits up on the couch we're sitting on.

"Why would this happen? Why would this happen to..."

"Mom?"

Dawn starts crying again and Buffy puts an arm around her, hugging her tight but never letting go of my hand.

It happens again, our connection goes into overdrive, intense as it is. Somewhere beneath all the sadness, beneath all the constant fear that this event will lead to more bad things to come, I have hope. Hope that we can make it through this and whatever else comes our way.

"Faith is right Dawnie. Mom's gonna be fine, and as soon as the doctors let her go we'll take her home and we can get things back to normal."

Dawn lets out a deep sigh as the tears start to fade.

"I just... hate hospitals."

I reach across B and tuck a few strands of hair behind Dawn's ear before wiping a tear from her cheek with my thumb.

"Gotta agree with ya there kid."

She just barely smiles at me.

"First you, then Buffy and now Mom... who's gonna be next?"

"No one, not if your sister and I have anything to say about it. Ain't that right B?"

Buffy turns to me, forcing a smile.

"That's right..."

She goes back to consoling Dawn.

"No one else is going to be in the hospital because we're not gonna let it happen. We're gonna save the world and you and no one is gonna get hurt."

And her?

"And me?"

"What?"

You took the words right out of my mouth kid.

"You said you were going to save the world AND me. What do I have to do with saving the world?"

Buffy just kinda freezes for a second.