stoic_angel_ in big_damn_heros
Continued from here
I led Faith down to the street, before hailing a taxi. We climbed in, and the driver shot us confused looks. I knew we probably looked like hell, with bruises and a few cuts on our faces, with dried blood on my lip. I absently shoved a handful of money at him, not bothering to count it.
"Take us to the Hyperion Hotel."
Even though it had been deserted for fifty years, most people still knew where it was. The driver frowned, then lit up when he started to count exactly how much cash I'd shoved at him. He started off, and I glanced at Faith, curled in the seat across from me.
In the streetlights flashing by, she looked small and fragile, almost... broken. I would never have thought I would see her looking this small and lost. She had been so strong, so confident in all the forms of herself she had shown to Buffy and the others.
Looking out of the corner of my eye, I could see the dark circles under her eyes, and the scrapes and bruises I had left her with. Outside, it began to pour rain as the taxi moved through the city. The rain distorted the light as it ran in thick rivulets down the windows, and played new patterns of light and shadow across Faith's face.
I wondered if it was possible to help her, to help Faith come back from the darkness. I knew that if I had, chances were pretty good that there would be a way back for Faith. She would never feel the same again, never be seen by some people the same again, never make it up to the people she had hurt, but... she could try.
Suddenly concerned, I closed my eyes for a second. I wondered what the hell I was going to say to her. How was I supposed to talk to her about this? I knew I had to, but... what could I say? 'Hey, I know how you feel, but the guilt never goes away, and you're gonna live with it for the rest of your life'? Yeah, that was going to make her eager to fight this.
I glanced at Faith, then sighed.
A few minutes later, the cab pulled up outside the hotel, and I nodded curtly at the driver, then opened the door, holding it open for Faith.
"We're here," I said, kind of obviously.
I led Faith down to the street, before hailing a taxi. We climbed in, and the driver shot us confused looks. I knew we probably looked like hell, with bruises and a few cuts on our faces, with dried blood on my lip. I absently shoved a handful of money at him, not bothering to count it.
"Take us to the Hyperion Hotel."
Even though it had been deserted for fifty years, most people still knew where it was. The driver frowned, then lit up when he started to count exactly how much cash I'd shoved at him. He started off, and I glanced at Faith, curled in the seat across from me.
In the streetlights flashing by, she looked small and fragile, almost... broken. I would never have thought I would see her looking this small and lost. She had been so strong, so confident in all the forms of herself she had shown to Buffy and the others.
Looking out of the corner of my eye, I could see the dark circles under her eyes, and the scrapes and bruises I had left her with. Outside, it began to pour rain as the taxi moved through the city. The rain distorted the light as it ran in thick rivulets down the windows, and played new patterns of light and shadow across Faith's face.
I wondered if it was possible to help her, to help Faith come back from the darkness. I knew that if I had, chances were pretty good that there would be a way back for Faith. She would never feel the same again, never be seen by some people the same again, never make it up to the people she had hurt, but... she could try.
Suddenly concerned, I closed my eyes for a second. I wondered what the hell I was going to say to her. How was I supposed to talk to her about this? I knew I had to, but... what could I say? 'Hey, I know how you feel, but the guilt never goes away, and you're gonna live with it for the rest of your life'? Yeah, that was going to make her eager to fight this.
I glanced at Faith, then sighed.
A few minutes later, the cab pulled up outside the hotel, and I nodded curtly at the driver, then opened the door, holding it open for Faith.
"We're here," I said, kind of obviously.