DISCLAIMER AND AUTHOR'S NOTE: All Buffy The Vampire Slayer stuff belongs to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and Warner Brothers. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fiction. All other characters that appear belong to me. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies may be made for private use only and must include this copyright notice and disclaimer. There is some subtext in this story. If this kind of stuff is not legal where you live, if you're under 18 or if you don't like the notion of two women being in love, then you should find something else to read. For the purposes of this story, Dawn is a normal girl, not the Key. This is an alternate take on Secret Love.

Patient Love
By Kristjan Brezovnik

Faith lay in a neatly decorated hospital room. The hospital, however, had nothing to do with the decoration, it was all the work of the other girl from the photo which was standing on the nightstand, Dawn Summers.

After months of lying still, Faith finally woke up. She blinked a couple of times and then looked around. She was in a hospital room, which, much to her surprise, was neatly decorated. She could see that the room was actually in a bad shape, but someone had tried to make it look comfortable. When she noticed the photo on the nightstand, she knew who it was. She stared at the photo for a few moments, shocked, and then slowly picked it up. She hesitatingly caressed the image of Dawn.

She stared at the photo so intently that she didn't hear the nurse come in.

"Ah, you're awake."

Faith jerked, startled, and looked at the nurse. Her vision was blurry and she realized her eyes were full of tears. She quickly wiped them and then watched the nurse check the monitors.

"The doctor will be here any minute," the nurse said. "I'll have someone call your girlfriend."

"Huh?" Faith said, surprised.

"Your girlfriend," the nurse said. "That girl," she added and nodded at the photo.

Faith looked at the photo and then back at the nurse. She thought for a moment.

"Did… Did she come often?"

"Not the first month, but after she first came, she was here every day, sometimes for hours, sometimes for just a few minutes."

"Oh," Faith said and looked at the photo again.

"I'll go call her," the nurse said and left.

Faith shuddered. She was confused. She thought that Dawn had dumped her and now she was here in Sunnydale, visiting her every day. She felt nervous about meeting her and she wanted to run, especially since she knew the cops would want to talk to her. Suddenly she was scared and she wondered how to explain to Dawn why she was in coma, especially since she didn't want to lie to her.

She took a deep breath and see what would happen, she could always run later.

"Dawn!" Joyce called when after she answered the phone and it was for Dawn.

"Who is it?" Dawn asked as she came from the living room.

"The hospital."

"Really?" Dawn ran to the phone, excited. "This is Dawn Summers," she said after she took the receiver from Joyce.

"I'm just calling to notify you that Faith Spencer had awoken," the nurse said.

"Thanks," Dawn said, bouncing. "I'll be right there." She hung up and looked at Joyce. "Mom, I gotta go to the hospital right away."

Joyce raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

Dawn hesitated for a moment, suddenly nervous.

"Because, eh, because my girlfriend's there."

Joyce blinked.

"Your girlfriend?"

Dawn nodded.

"Uh-huh."

Joyce stared at her youngest daughter for a few moments.

"It's pretty late. I'll drive you," she decided.

"Uh, okay," Dawn said, worried how her mother would react once she saw just who her girlfriend was.

When they got to the hospital, Dawn led the way to Faith's room. When they go to the room, Dawn took a deep breath, nervous, and then entered.

"Faith!" she said, excited, when she saw that Faith was apparently okay.

She ran to her and hugged her.

"Dawnie," Faith breathed and hugged her back, her eyes watering up.

"Faith?" Joyce said, surprised, when she saw who Dawn's mysterious girlfriend was.

Faith looked at her, startled.

"Mrs S?" she said, surprised, and let go of Dawn. "What are you…" Then it suddenly dawned on her and she looked from Joyce to Dawn, back to Joyce and finally back to Dawn. "She's your mom?" she asked, her eyes wide.

Dawn nodded.

"Uh-huh." She caressed Faith. "Are you okay?"

Faith blinked, startled and a bit nervous at Dawn caressing her in front of Joyce.

"Eh, yeah, five by five."

Dawn raised an eyebrow.

"Faith?"

Faith gulped.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She took a deep breath. "Just peachy," she murmured.

"What's wrong?" Dawn asked, worried.

Faith looked at her hands, nervous.

"Do… Do you know why I'm here? I mean, how I got here?" she asked and looked at Dawn again.

"Yes, Buffy stabbed you," Dawn said.

"She what?" Joyce asked, shocked, and Faith and Dawn looked at her.

"You didn't know?" Dawn asked, surprised.

"No."

"It wasn't entirely her fault," Faith said, nervous. "I poisoned Angel and she needed the blood of a Slayer to save him. But I'm not in coma because she stabbed me. I threw myself off the roof after that."

"What?" Dawn said. "Why?"

Faith looked at her hands again, nervous.

"I couldn't take it anymore, I just wanted it to end."

Dawn hugged her.

"Hey, I'm here now, you'll be okay," she said.

"I know," Faith said and hugged her back, closing her eyes to prevent the tears that were welling up in her eyes again from escaping.

Joyce observed the interaction between the two girls and it surprised her how different Faith was when it came to Dawn. She wondered when they had met since Dawn had only moved to Sunnydale after Faith was in coma.

"Can you go home now?" Dawn asked after a few moments, letting go of Faith.

"No, the cops still want to talk to me."

"Oh. Want me to stay?"

"Would you?" Faith asked, her eyes wide, and Joyce realized that Dawn was very important to Faith.

Dawn smiled and caressed her again.

"Of course."

"Em, girls," Joyce said, wanting to know some answers.

"Mom?" Dawn said and looked at her.

"Care to explain?"

"Oh," Dawn said and blushed. She glanced at Faith and took her hand into her own. "I met Faith at the summer camp I went to a couple of years ago. But we kinda lost touch." She looked at Faith. "Why didn't you call me?"

"I did. The lady said you didn't live there, so I thought you gave me a fake number."

"But I called your mom and gave her my new number."

"Oh. She never told me."

"Oh." Dawn hesitated for a moment. "So we're still together, right?"

Faith shrugged.

"Yeah. I mean, if that's what you still want."

Dawn smiled.

"Of course I do." She hesitated for a moment. "Do you?"

Faith smiled a bit.

"Yeah," she said and Dawn's smile widened.

"Cool," she said, excited. Then she suddenly realized something and looked at Joyce. "Mom, does it bother you? That Faith and I are together?"

Joyce looked from one girl to the other, thinking.

"What will you do now, Faith?"

Faith swallowed, nervous.

"I, eh, I don't know." She sighed. "I'm not going to run, if that's what you're worried about. It's pretty much up to Buffy and her friends."

Joyce raised her eyebrows.

"Not the police?"

Faith shrugged.

"There's not much they have on me." She sighed. "If Buffy wants me to turn myself in, I will."

"What?" Dawn said, surprised. "You can't. I just found you again."

Faith gulped.

"I'm a murderer, Dawnie," she said quietly, looking at her hands.

"But you can't make up for what you've done if you're in jail."

"I know," Faith said and sighed, caressing the back of Dawn's hand with her thumb.

"I'll go call Mr Giles," Joyce said.

"Wait!" Dawn called. "You didn't say whether it bothered you."

Joyce looked from Dawn to Faith and back to Dawn.

"If Faith is sincere, then no, it doesn't."

Dawn smiled, relieved.

"Thanks, Mom, you're the best."

Joyce smiled and left.

Dawn then looked at Faith and saw that she was nervous.

"Faith?" she asked, worried.

Faith hesitated for a moment.

"How much… Do you know what I did?" she asked, afraid to look at her.

"More or less everything," Dawn said. "I mean, I don't know all the details or the reasons, but yeah, I know what you did," she said and Faith sighed. "Hey, I still love you, Faith," she said and gently squeezed her hand.

Faith looked at her.

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Dawnie," she said quietly and Dawn smiled.

"And you're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Faith," Dawn said and Faith smiled a bit.

"Thanks, Dawnie."

"Anytime, Faith."

Faith took a deep breath and looked around.

"You decorated the room?"

Dawn smiled.

"Yeah."

Faith frowned.

"How did you know where I was?"

"I heard Buffy talk about a girl named Faith. I asked her what you looked like and she gave me a description. I came here and I found you."

"Oh." Faith thought for a moment. "Where were you when I came to Sunnydale?"

"I was living with my dad. I only moved to Mom and Buffy during the summer vacations."

"Oh."

"I wish I'd moved in last year."

"Yeah, me too," Faith agreed. She hesitated for a moment. "I love you, Dawnie."

Dawn beamed.

"I love you too, Faith," she said and hugged her.

Joyce called Giles, but didn't reach him, so she went back to Faith's room.

"Mom?"

Joyce turned, surprised.

"Buffy." She noticed that the entire Scooby Gang was there. "I just called you, but there was no one at home," she told Giles.

"Yes," Giles said.

"Why are you here?" Buffy asked, worried. "Is Dawn alright?"

"Yes, she's fine." She hesitated for a moment. "She's here to see her… girlfriend."

Everyone stared at her, surprised.

"Girlfriend as in a friend who is a girl or as in a boyfriend, except that it's a girl?" Xander asked.

"The latter," Joyce said.

"Wait, Dawn is gay?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know," Joyce said.

"But you said…"

"I said she had a girlfriend. That doesn't necessarily make her gay."

"Oh."

"Who is she? Do we know her?" Willow asked, curious.

Joyce smiled.

"Oh yes," she said.

"Mom?" Buffy asked when Joyce didn't elaborate.

"You'll see in a moment," Joyce said.

Buffy looked at Willow, who shrugged, as puzzled as Buffy.

They finally reached Faith's room and Joyce opened the door.

"Isn't that…" Buffy started, puzzled, but she trailed off when she saw who the girlfriend was. "Faith!"

"Faith?" Xander asked and tried to see over her head.

"B," Faith said, nervous.

Dawn gently squeezed her hand in support and Faith smiled at her in gratitude.

"What… You're Dawn's girlfriend?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah."

"But… But… How?"

"We met at that summer camp I went to a couple of years ago, but we kinda lost contact," Dawn recapped.

"And…" Buffy trailed off when she noticed that the room was decorated. "You decorated the room?" she asked Dawn, feeling a bit ashamed for not having visited Faith even once.

"Yes."

Everyone looked around and then Buffy noticed the photo of Faith and Dawn. She went to the nightstand and picked it up to get a closer look. She noticed how happy both Faith and Dawn were in the photo. She put it back and looked at Faith and Dawn and noticed that they were holding hands.

"How did you know she was here?" Xander asked.

"I heard you guys talk about her and I asked Buffy to describe her to me. Then I came here."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Willow asked.

"With the way you guys were talking about her? No way."

"Oh."

Dawn looked at Buffy.

"She doesn't have to go to jail, does she?" she asked pleadingly.

"Eh," Buffy said and looked at her friends.

"She can't make up for what she's done if she's in jail," Dawn reasoned.

"Guys?" Buffy said, not feeling comfortable about having to decide Faith's fate on her own.

"Do you want to?" Giles asked Faith.

"Huh?" Faith said, startled.

"Do you want to make up?"

Faith tensed for a moment, nervous.

"Eh, yeah," she said and gulped.

Dawn smiled proudly.

"See?"

"How do we know you won't turn your back on us the next time we come across some big bad evil?" Xander asked Faith, who looked down, ashamed.

"Hey!" Dawn said and glared at him. "She didn't go to the Mayor because she was afraid or evil."

"And how would you know?"

"Xander," Buffy said with a frown.

"Because I know Faith."

"Guys," Buffy said, not wanting them to fight. "Look, she did tell me how to kill the Mayor," she pointed out.

"After she k…"

"Don't say it, Xander, or I'll…" Dawn interrupted him.

"It's okay, Dawnie," Faith said, not wanting Dawn to fight with her friends.

Dawn looked at her.

"No, it's not okay. I won't have him slander you."

"It's not really slandering, it's the truth," Faith pointed out.

"It doesn't matter."

"But…"

"Look, we all know what you did, there's no need for him to keep throwing it in your face." She looked at Xander. "I don't keep throwing Anya in your face."

"Anya?"

"She was a vengeance demon, remember?"

Xander opened his mouth and then closed it again, realizing Dawn had a point.

Dawn looked at Joyce.

"Can she move in with us? Please?" she pleaded.

Joyce looked at Faith, who quickly looked away, nervous.

"Can you leave us alone?" she then said.

"Mom?" Dawn said, puzzled.

"I need to talk to Faith. Alone."

Faith looked at her, her eyes wide, and Joyce could see that Faith was afraid. She found it interesting that Faith was afraid of her.

"I'll be right outside," Dawn said, kissing Faith briefly on lips before going out.

The Scoobs stared after her, surprised, and then slowly followed her. When the door was closed, Joyce stepped closer and Faith looked away.

"Tell me, Faith, just why should I trust you with Dawn?"

Faith looked at her.

"Because I love her," she said sincerely and gulped.

Joyce raised an eyebrow.

"And just why should I believe you?"

Faith shrugged.

"Because it's the truth. Dawnie's the only family I got and I'd rather die than hurt her."

Joyce stared at her for a few moments, trying to decide whether Faith was telling the truth. She decided she was. She sighed, realizing she would have to get used to the fact that Dawn was in love with another girl and that that girl was Faith.

"Very well," she said. She thought for a moment. "But what about the… charges against you?"

Faith swallowed and looked at her hands, nervous.

"I'm guilty," she said quietly.

Joyce stared at her for a few moments, thinking about it.

"Do you want to make up for it?"

Faith looked at her.

"Yes," she said, her eyes wide from fear that Joyce would tell her to stay away from Dawn.

But Joyce merely nodded.

"Okay."

She started to walk toward the door.

"Mrs S?"

Joyce turned.

"Yes?"

"Are you okay with me and Dawnie being together?"

Joyce stared at her for a few moments. Then she sighed.

"Yes, I suppose."

Faith breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks."

Joyce nodded and left. As soon as she was out, Dawn came running in.

"Everything okay?" she asked, worried.

Faith smiled.

Yeah. Your mom's one cool chick."

Dawn smiled.

"Yes, she is."

They looked at the Scoobs, who came in. They stared at one another for a few moments.

"Mom says we should give you another chance," Buffy then said.

"Really?" Dawn said, excited.

"Yes."

Dawn smiled and looked at Faith.

"That's great!" she said and hugged her.

Faith hugged her back.

"Yeah," she said, fighting back the tears.

The Scoobs quietly stared at them.

When Giles cleared his throat, Dawn let go of Faith and they looked at them.

"Does that mean Willow can take care of the evidence?" Dawn asked.

"Guys?" Willow asked and looked around.

Buffy sighed.

"Why not?"

Willow looked at Giles, who nodded, and then at Xander, who, after a few moments of hesitation, reluctantly nodded as well.

"Great!" Dawn said, excited. "So she can lie to the cops?"

"Yes," Buffy said.

"Great!" Dawn said. "Can someone get them so we can get this over with?"

"Yes, of course," Giles said and left.

The Scoobs followed him. Buffy was the last.

"If you hurt her…" she said.

Faith nodded.

"I know."

Buffy nodded as well.

"Good," she said and left.

Dawn looked at Faith and took her hand.

"I missed you, Faith."

Faith smiled.

"I missed you too, Dawnie."

Dawn gently squeezed Faith's hand.

"Everything will be okay, I promise."

"I know."

Dawn hopped on the bed and they waited for the police to arrive.

After the police finished questioning Faith, they left. And since the doctors said Faith was fit, they let her go. Joyce drove Faith and Dawn home and Buffy went with the Scoobs.

"Okay, now we're gonna feed you and then you're gonna go straight to bed," Dawn declared when they got home.

"I just woke up," Faith said.

"From coma, not from sleep," Dawn said. "You need some real sleep. And besides, you need to take it easy for a few days." She looked at her mother. "Mom, can you make her something to eat? Something light?"

"Of course, honey," Joyce said with a smile and went to the kitchen.

"Okay, you go to the kitchen and I'll go prepare everything for a shower." She frowned. "Or would you rather take a bath?"

Faith thought about it.

"I'll take a shower."

Dawn smiled.

"Okay. I'll be right downstairs."

"Okay."

Dawn gave Faith a quick kiss on the lips and then ran upstairs. Faith stared after her until she was gone and then she went to the kitchen.

After eating up, Faith took a shower. It felt really good and refreshing and she just stood in the water jet for a few minutes, reveling in the sensation. When she was clean, she put on the stuff that Dawn had given her and went to Dawn's room.

Dawn smiled at her when she entered.

"Hey."

Faith smiled back.

"Hey." She looked around. "Now what?"

"You go to bed and I'll take a quick shower."

Faith's eyes went wide.

"Your bed?" she said, surprised.

"Yes."

"Are you nuts? Your mom will kill me."

Dawn smiled.

"Come, let's go talk to her."

She took Faith's hand and led her to the master bedroom, where Joyce was.

"Mom?"

"Yes, honey?"

"I want Faith to sleep with me tonight," Dawn said.

Faith looked down, nervous, when Joyce raised an eyebrow.

"With you?"

"Just sleep, Mom. The spare room's not ready yet and I don't want her to sleep on the sofa."

Joyce looked from one girl to the other and back.

"Alright," she allowed.

Dawn smiled.

"Thanks, Mom." She looked at Faith. "See? Everything's alright," she said and dragged Faith back to her room. "Now go to bed and make yourself comfortable, I'll be back in a few minutes," Dawn said when they got to her room.

Faith smiled.

"Okay."

Dawn left and Faith went to bed. She lay on her back and stared at the ceiling, wondering how everything could end up so well after everything that had happened to her, after everything that she had done. A tear ran down her cheek, but she didn't notice it. She felt she was the happiest girl alive now that she had Dawnie again.

When Dawn returned ten minutes later, Faith was almost asleep. Dawn smiled at how innocent she looked and then quietly slipped in bed. Faith was disturbed by the movement and she opened her eyes. She smiled when she saw that it was Dawn.

"Hey."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Dawn said.

"I was waiting for you, but I kinda dozed off."

Dawn smiled and turned off the light.

"Feel like cuddling?" she then asked.

Faith smiled.

"With you always."

"Come here."

Faith cuddled up to Dawn and took a deep breath.

"You okay?" Dawn asked.

Faith nodded.

"Yeah, I just feel like I'm the happiest girl alive."

Dawn smiled.

"No, that would be me."

Faith chuckled.

"Okay, the second happiest girl alive then." She hesitated for a moment. "I love you, Dawnie."

"I love you too, Faith."

Faith took a deep breath.

"Tomorrow, I'll tell you everything that happened to me while we were apart."

"You sure?" Dawn asked, surprised.

Faith nodded.

"Yeah, I want you to know."

Dawn smiled, knowing how hard it must've been for Faith to decide that.

"Okay," she said. "Whenever you're ready."

"Okay. Night, Dawnie."

"Night, Faith."

Faith briefly kissed Dawn on the cheek and then cuddled up to her and drifted off to sleep, not worried that Dawn might not love her anymore after she told her why she had done the things she had done.

The End