Untitled Document

Title: A Dream Within A Dream

Author: Sarah

Rating: I'm sure at one point it'll be NC-17, but for now there's nothing
more than PG-13

Disclaimers: They're really mine, but you all were just tricked into
thinking they belonged to Joss? *coughs* Really, I swear I'm telling the
truth. *pauses* Anyone believe me? *hopeful look*

Notes: This is the sequel to Is It Love. It might be confusing, but I'm
trying to have it make as much sense as possible, really. The title is the
name of the poem used in the beginning.

Summary: Set after Graduation II, Faith wakes up from a coma, and is unsure of what reality actually is.

Dedications: To Anne for putting me back on 'princess time' and having me
get this part out tonight. Thanks for being my uhh.. Most demanding reader ;)And to Dazi because she gets to go see AFI and I'm extremely jealous. LoL. And for my big sis Michele for beta'ing this for me! *pounces and hugs*

**********

We spent the rest of that morning doing nothing but sitting around. I
suppose neither of us were ready to discuss the situation we were in just
yet. Cordelia made us pancakes for breakfast, which surprised me until she
burned them and I settled for a nice bowl of cereal. I guess that's why the Chase's hire people for all that huh? I know my Cordelia couldn't cook for shit, but at least this one actually attempted it.

I tear my eyes away from the cartoons I somehow managed to talk Cordelia
into watching with me and notice the simple smile on her face. I think this C is a lot like mine and never really got to enjoy this stuff as a kid. At least they're kinda alike, I think.

I suppose I should stop thinking about 'My' Cordelia now since apparently
that was all a dream while I was in a coma. But if I stop thinking about
her, about the 'world' that I know, what do I have left? I've got absolutely nothing and no one. Have I always thought so damn much? Grabbing the remote from Cordelia I flick the TV off and move so that I'm facing her on the couch.

I try to hide my smile at her pout but I can't seem to stop it. I think I've seriously gone soft here. "Why'd you do that?" she asks as she holds her pout. I have to mentally berate myself to keep from just leaning over and kissing her then. Closing my eyes so I don't have to face the temptation I begin speaking.

"If I tell you about the Cordelia I know, will you tell me about the real
one? I miss her," I whisper softly. Being this close to her was nothing more than torture of the worst kind.

"I'm not good at this stuff Faith. Besides, what is there to really know?
I'm not that deep of a person."

"You're wrong about that, and you know it. And I know there's a lot more to you than you let people on to, just like my Cordelia. I know you're probably completely miserable, but won't show it to anyone. And I know you're not nearly half the bitch you like to think you are. I want to know the rest, to really know you and fall in love with you like I did with my Cordelia."

"But your Cordelia isn't real Faith," she replies softly. I know it's the
truth, but it still doesn't stop it from hurting. That Cordelia, that world was my reality for months, so to me it is real. I don't know why, maybe she noticed the far off look I had, but I felt Cordy putting her hand on mine once more. That one little gesture was starting to mean an awful lot to me. It seemed to be the only comfort that I had in this new reality.

"Why would you even want to fall in love with me when I'm straight?"

Okay, I wasn't expecting to hear that one. Might as well take advantage of the opportunity while I can though huh? I feel a smirk coming over my lips as I raise my eyes up to meet hers. "I've got many talents." I can't help
but wink after that, before laughing at her shocked expression.

"You think you're gonna get me to fall in love with you huh? Awfully full of yourself aren't ya?"

"Is that a challenge I hear?" I respond, actually grateful for this turn of events.

"Just might be," she licks her lips as she finishes that and I think someone just turned up the heat. I may not be up to par on what the hell else is going on in my life anymore, but who said I couldn’t start by sorting out my love life. "I've got a little proposition for you."

"Which would be what?" I ask, fully intrigued by this. At least in my dream reality I spent 16 years of my life with Cordelia hating me before I was able to get her to even acknowledge me. It seems just a bit odd to me that this one who claims to have hated my guts until last night is now
propositioning me, and raising a challenge of this sort. But maybe that's
all part of the game. She hated me, yet now knows I'm in love with her. She could easily use that to get back at me for whatever I did to her. Yet, at the same time she's offering to help me get my life back together. Either way, it's worth the risk.

"I'm pretty much all you've got now. Everyone else in this town hates you, and trust me, no one will be nearly as nice to you as I was. In fact, had
you not showed up in the middle of the night and pulled the water works, I probably never would have even touched you with a ten foot pole. But now
you're here and I'm willing to give you a chance. I believe all that you
say, and you seem to be cool enough so far. However, I'm supposed to be
moving to LA in two weeks. So, you want me to stay, get me to fall in love. If not, I'm gone."

"You make it sound like a game."

"Isn't that all that love is though Faith? Just a game? Before your coma you were playing it with Buffy. You lost. I'm giving you another go 'round. Think you can live up to the challenge?"

She moves closer to me and I can feel every nerve in my body starting to
tingle at her proximity. This was definitely not what I was planning on, but I never was one to back down from a challenge. In fact, "I only need one week. You'll be wrapped around my finger."

"You're on. But remember, this is about love, not fucking."

I just give her a feral grin before moving forward and crushing my lips to
hers, kissing her deeply. At first she's too shocked to respond to the kiss, but then I feel her relaxing into it. Just as she opens her mouth to me I pull away and can't help but smile at the sound of her whimpering in
protest. "Uh uh," I wag my finger at her. "Remember, this is about love, not fucking. I just had to seal the deal with a kiss first," I wink at her. "But tell me something first."

She just nods at me, her eyes narrowing and I can feel the adrenaline
flowing through my body. There's nothing I love more than a challenge, and this is one I know I'll win. I'm too in love with her to lose. "How long
have you wanted me? And don't even try to deny it," I whisper into her ear before nibbling on her lobe.

I'm granted another whimper as I move away from her to stand up and she's
just staring at me. Her face is fully flushed and I can tell that she's
about ready to pounce on me. Oh yeah, I'm definitely going to win this. Upon realizing I'm not going to get an answer I head for the stairs, but stop at the bottom of them. "I'm going to go take a shower. Feel free to join me."

I don't even give her a chance to answer as I head up the stairs, thankful
for the conversation C and I had while she was burning our breakfast.
Apparently her dad got the family into a shitload of legal trouble and so
now they for one, couldn't afford the hired help but they were off in LA
looking for a decent lawyer to use the rest of their cash on to try and keep her father out of jail.

Jail. Oh fuck. I run back down the stairs as fast as I can and stare
straight into Cordelia's eyes. "I don't want to go to jail," I try to look
tough about it, but how do you even act tough about jail? I don't want to
go! I can't even remember what I did so why should I have to? Sure, no one
would buy that but I can't go.

"Why would you go to jail?" she looks up from her nails with a raised
eyebrow. Someone please tell me I'm not in love with someone that dense.

"I killed people didn't I?" I see the light bulb go on in her head and I can feel my heart sinking. What do I do? "C, you gotta believe me, I'm not like that. Maybe I was but that's not me. I'm the me from my dreams, or whatever the fuck they were. Something's going on here. Remember when I first showed up? I knew my way around your house! I've never been here but I still knew it from my dreams. There has to be some truth to them."

"Okay, first off slow down Einstein. Secondly, huh?"

I suppose I am in love with someone that dense. Was my Cordelia this dense? Is it even time to think about that? I kneel down in front of her and rest my arms on her thighs as I look up at her. "It's starting to make sense. I only remember a few little flashes of what I did, enough to know it was really bad. But the rest of the stuff I know was what I dreamed of in my coma. But there's a certain amount of truth to everything that I dreamed. I have to go tell Giles." I jump up from my spot on the floor and begin heading for the front door. "Wait, Giles does exist here right?"

She just gives me her patented 'have you gone nuts, of course' look before
shaking her head. "You can't go. Just because I believe you doesn't mean
that anyone else will. Just wait until we figure something out before you go gallivanting around town. If you just go there after waking up from a coma with some crazy idea they're either going to turn you in or have you
commited. Hell, maybe both! Just sit and give it some time to see if more of your memory comes back before you go anywhere."

"It's not a crazy idea C, it's the truth. I'm not a psycho! I love you, I
love B and I love everyone and I don't care what I did before! I'm not like that!"

"Calm down Faith. I never said I didn't believe you! But give the rest of
them some credit after what you did to them. Remember it all or not you made their senior year of high school hell and they can't just forget that. I can't forget that but I'm trying to give you a chance. I am giving you a chance. Just be patient and we'll figure it out together okay?" Her voice softens as she speaks the last part and I can see the sincerity in her eyes.