Categories > TV > Buffy the Vampire Slayer
A Normal Girl In A Special World
0 reviews"Sometimes...sometimes, I feel like I'm not here, you know? Like I don't matter. Because I'm not special."
0Unrated
A Normal Girl In A Special World
Set in season 7
Late January 2003
Dawn sat and watched. That's all she felt like she ever did these days. Sometimes, a tired and weary Giles (They were all exhausted. Older. Harder, but they hadn't yet given up hope. Still fighting. Still laughing. Quietly, but it was there) would ask-tell- her to do some research, something she still enjoyed doing, to the continuous bafflement of the others. (Except Willow. If one can contribute to something, one is deemed useful by those who feel superior to you, though they deny it)
She lifted her head from where it rested on the table to gaze at a dark figure on the floor. Faith.
The Dark Slayer (as Andrew as taken to calling her - drama queen.) was leaning against the wall, her eyes closed almost peacefully. (Almost. There was a tenseness to her shoulders that indicated otherwise) A recently-sharpened battle ax lay spread across her lap, just in case they had to fight.
"I can feel you staring at me, you know." Dawn jumped violently, startled out of her thoughts as she heard Faith speak. The slayer's eyes were still closed. After a moment, she opened them, looking at the younger girl through half-slitted eyes.
"Sorry." Dawn mumbled, sheepish.
Faith's lips twitched in amusement. "You're not real subtle, either." She hesitated for a brief second, then cocked her head. "Hey, come over here, will ya?" She waved her hand in a beckoning gesture. When the other girl didn't make a move to comply, Faith added, "Don't worry. I don't bite." Her eyes flicked with something for a moment as she said this. Dawn felt bitterness and even a little anger burn in her chest, (You were my only friend, and you couldn't even look at me) but it was soon quenched as she caught the vulnerable look (that same vulnerable look) in Faith's eyes.
Loneliness.
A deep loneliness that reflected her own.
She silently got up from the chair she was sitting in and walked over to the slayer, sitting down next to her. She fidgeted a little under Faith's scrutinizing gaze.
"What's up?" The older girl asked casually. (She was 20 now, so not a girl, but a woman)
She shrugged. "Nothing much. I'm fine." She said stonily.
"Rrriight." Faith drawled. "If you're so "fine", why do you look like someone pissed on your cornflakes?" She asked bluntly. When Dawn didn't reply, she heaved a deep sigh and turned to face the younger girl. "Look, kid..I...I'm sorry for...everything. I hurt you, and I'm real sorry for that. I just...couldn't, you know?" The dark-haired girl looked down, uncomfortable. She had never been good at this shit.
"You promised." Came the quiet reply.
"I know." She said nothing more.
"You promised that you'd always be there."
"Yeah." Faith said roughly, her voice barely audible. She put the ax on her lap aside and stood up, facing Dawn.
"Everyone always promises!" Dawn burst out, sudden emotion in her voice. She shot up from her sitting position. Wincing at the childish anger in her voice, she fought the familiar urge to scream. ("You're not a child anymore, Dawn. Grow up.") "Everyone always promises, but...they're always lying." ("You know that I'll always be there for you, right?") Her shoulders slumped. "I just want people to stop. lying." She looked up at Faith, who was gazing at her with an unreadable and intense look.
The slayer closed the gap between them until they were just a few centimeters apart.
"Faith? Will...will you please stop lying to me?" Dawn sounded years younger than she actually was. (She would be 17 in March, but she felt both older and younger at times) "I...I just want to know the truth. Why couldn't you be there for me? Why...why did you have to go?"
The other girl rose her shaking hands and placed them on both of Dawn's upper arms. "Dawn..." She faltered.
Before Dawn could respond, Faith leaned forward and impulsively pressed a kiss to the younger girl's rosy lips. Lingering for a moment before stepping back. "That's why." She said simply. With that, she turned sharply and strode out of the room, picking up the battle-ax on the way and swinging it over her shoulder. "I'll be back." A few moments later, Dawn heard the muffled sound of the door closing.
She lifted a hand and shakily touched her lips with her fingers.
(Faith had tasted of peppermint and beer)
Finite
Set in season 7
Late January 2003
Dawn sat and watched. That's all she felt like she ever did these days. Sometimes, a tired and weary Giles (They were all exhausted. Older. Harder, but they hadn't yet given up hope. Still fighting. Still laughing. Quietly, but it was there) would ask-tell- her to do some research, something she still enjoyed doing, to the continuous bafflement of the others. (Except Willow. If one can contribute to something, one is deemed useful by those who feel superior to you, though they deny it)
She lifted her head from where it rested on the table to gaze at a dark figure on the floor. Faith.
The Dark Slayer (as Andrew as taken to calling her - drama queen.) was leaning against the wall, her eyes closed almost peacefully. (Almost. There was a tenseness to her shoulders that indicated otherwise) A recently-sharpened battle ax lay spread across her lap, just in case they had to fight.
"I can feel you staring at me, you know." Dawn jumped violently, startled out of her thoughts as she heard Faith speak. The slayer's eyes were still closed. After a moment, she opened them, looking at the younger girl through half-slitted eyes.
"Sorry." Dawn mumbled, sheepish.
Faith's lips twitched in amusement. "You're not real subtle, either." She hesitated for a brief second, then cocked her head. "Hey, come over here, will ya?" She waved her hand in a beckoning gesture. When the other girl didn't make a move to comply, Faith added, "Don't worry. I don't bite." Her eyes flicked with something for a moment as she said this. Dawn felt bitterness and even a little anger burn in her chest, (You were my only friend, and you couldn't even look at me) but it was soon quenched as she caught the vulnerable look (that same vulnerable look) in Faith's eyes.
Loneliness.
A deep loneliness that reflected her own.
She silently got up from the chair she was sitting in and walked over to the slayer, sitting down next to her. She fidgeted a little under Faith's scrutinizing gaze.
"What's up?" The older girl asked casually. (She was 20 now, so not a girl, but a woman)
She shrugged. "Nothing much. I'm fine." She said stonily.
"Rrriight." Faith drawled. "If you're so "fine", why do you look like someone pissed on your cornflakes?" She asked bluntly. When Dawn didn't reply, she heaved a deep sigh and turned to face the younger girl. "Look, kid..I...I'm sorry for...everything. I hurt you, and I'm real sorry for that. I just...couldn't, you know?" The dark-haired girl looked down, uncomfortable. She had never been good at this shit.
"You promised." Came the quiet reply.
"I know." She said nothing more.
"You promised that you'd always be there."
"Yeah." Faith said roughly, her voice barely audible. She put the ax on her lap aside and stood up, facing Dawn.
"Everyone always promises!" Dawn burst out, sudden emotion in her voice. She shot up from her sitting position. Wincing at the childish anger in her voice, she fought the familiar urge to scream. ("You're not a child anymore, Dawn. Grow up.") "Everyone always promises, but...they're always lying." ("You know that I'll always be there for you, right?") Her shoulders slumped. "I just want people to stop. lying." She looked up at Faith, who was gazing at her with an unreadable and intense look.
The slayer closed the gap between them until they were just a few centimeters apart.
"Faith? Will...will you please stop lying to me?" Dawn sounded years younger than she actually was. (She would be 17 in March, but she felt both older and younger at times) "I...I just want to know the truth. Why couldn't you be there for me? Why...why did you have to go?"
The other girl rose her shaking hands and placed them on both of Dawn's upper arms. "Dawn..." She faltered.
Before Dawn could respond, Faith leaned forward and impulsively pressed a kiss to the younger girl's rosy lips. Lingering for a moment before stepping back. "That's why." She said simply. With that, she turned sharply and strode out of the room, picking up the battle-ax on the way and swinging it over her shoulder. "I'll be back." A few moments later, Dawn heard the muffled sound of the door closing.
She lifted a hand and shakily touched her lips with her fingers.
(Faith had tasted of peppermint and beer)
Finite
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