Faith
Faith sat at the table, wondering if she should call Zac. What if he didn't want to see her?
"Get over it, just call him," she whispered to herself.
Faith picked up her phone and dialled in Zac's number and waited for him to pick up.
"Hello, Zac?"
Zac
"Faith... hi..." Zac said upon answering his phone.
Man... it was so good to hear her voice again.
Faith
"Hey sweetie... how you feeling? Do you wanna come over and talk or anything?"
Faith's concern was evident in her voice. What if he didn't get better?
Zac
"Umm, yeah, sure," Zac replied. "I'd like that. I'll come over now."
They hung up and Zac drove over to Faith's. Straight over. No stops at shops on the way. Which reminded him.
When he arrived, he rang the doorbell, holding a small box in his hand.
Faith
Faith opened the door and hugged Zac as soon as she saw him.
"Come in."
She stood back to allow him entrance.
Zac
"Thanks," Zac said stepping inside.
He held out the box to her.
"I got this for you just before... well, anyway... I hope you like it."
Faith
Faith opened the box to see a silver bracelet with a heart charm on it, staring back at her. She pulled it out and kissed Zac's cheek softly.
"Thank you. I love you so much."
They walked to the couch and sat down. Faith put the present on her coffee table and faced Zac.
"So how are you, really?"
Zac
Zac was silent for a moment. At last he shrugged.
"It's all... it's mostly a blur... but I remember... I remmebr when she... when she..." he chewed his lip. "Let's just say that parts I'd rather forget are the parts I remember most clearly."
Faith
Faith reached out and caressed the side of Zac's face gently. She leaned over and pressed her lips to his forehead.
"I'm sorry I didn't find you..."
Zac
"Well, I'm here now, so I guess I can forgive you," Zac smiled.
For some reason he was starting to feel a little uncomfortable.
Faith
Faith took a deep breath. She wasn't sure how to be the comfort giving person. She searched through her mind for the words she wanted to say when she heard Angel's voice in her mind.
*Faith... is he alright?*
*I don't know. I don't know what to say.*
*What do you want to say?*
*That I love him and... well you know, you're in there.*
*Then tell him.*
Faith took another deep breath. She reached over and held Zac's hand.
"Zac... I love you, you know that right? And I'm not going to let anything else hurt you."
Zac
Zac nodded and smiled at her.
"I love you too," he said.
He wanted to reach over and pull her to him and kiss her, but for some reason, he just... couldn't.
Faith
Faith looked into his eyes and smiled at him, trying to reassure him. She leaned over and kissed him softly.
Zac
Alarm bells started going off and Zac pushed Faith away.
"Oh man... Faithy... I'm, I'm so sorry..." he said, backing off.
He didn't noticed the couch behind him and fell into it.
"I... I can't..." he whispered.
Faith
Faith backed away and nodded.
"Oh... yeah, that's ok."
She sat next to him, not knowing what to say.
Zac
Zac stared at her. Then, unbelievably, started to cry.
"I'm sooo sorry..." he wept.
He couldn't freaking touch his own girlfriend! And now he was crying like a baby. He was a mess.
Faith
Faith reached out to hold him slowly, hoping he'd be ok.
"Zac, baby, you don't have to be sorry... hey... come on, love..."
Zac
Zac felt Faith's hands on him and he stared at his hand which was shaking uncontrollably.
"What's wrong with me..."
Faith
Faith pulled her hand back quickly.
"You've just been through... do you not want to be here?"
Zac
"No. Yes. I don't know!"
Zac banged his head back on the couch.
"I... I thought... I love you Faith, I thought being here... with you... I..." Zac ouldn't speak any more.
Faith
Faith's eyebrow's knitted together in concern.
"I love you too, Zac. Nothing will change that. Look, if you aren't ok with being with me right now... I'm not going to make you stay and tell me everything. I love you too much to hurt you."
Zac
Zac looked at her, chewing his lip.
"Faith I... I want to be here... I just... I don't think... I don't think..." he frowned looking for words. "I... I don't want you to touch me. Oh man... I feel so awful saying that.. but it's freaking me out."
Faith
Faith nodded, feeling slightly offended, but trying not to show it.
"Yeah... that's... yeah that's ok. Um... yeah, well... do you want something to drink or anything?"
Faith got up and went to the kitchen, needing something slightly stronger than she had. Dammit, she needed alcohol.
Zac
"No, no thanks."
Zac sighed.
"I'm so sorry Faith. I have no idea why it's effcting me like this. There was... I... thinking of you, that's... that's what got me through. I don't know why..."
Faith
Faith poured herself some water and finished it in one mouthful. She went back into her living room with Zac and sat on a seat opposite him.
She opened her mouth to ask something then closed it again. Then decided to just ask.
"Do you blame me?"
Zac
Zac stared at her.
"What? No! Never!"
He sighed.
"It might be... it might be because... look... the girl... Zada or whatever her name was... she raped me okay? And that's... that's what stick out in my mind. Over and over and over..." Zac started to feel sick. "And the rest of the time I was sedated. So even though it was a week... it... It felt like... like it was on going. Like she never got tired, y'know? And I couldn't do anything! I've never felt so helpless in my life."
Faith
Faith nodded. "Zac... I don't want you to feel like... I don't know, like you're feeling. But I can't stop that... but I hope this makes you feel better... I kivked her ass yesterday."
She smiled weakly, wanting so badly to pull him into her arms and hug and kiss him until he stopped hurting.
Zac
Zac laughed a little.
"Yes it does."
He started to move his hand to stroke her face, then pulled away.
"I love you, Faith," he said. "But I just can't... I think I need some time."
Faith
"Hey, baby, I understand, don't worry about it. And I'll give you as much time as you need. Just like you did for me. Coz I kinda love ya a lot."
Faith smiled at Zac, reassuring him with her eyes.
Zac
Zac smiled back.
"Thank you."