Title: Gift from the Heart 2/4
Author: Sav
Pairing: Faith/Giles then Buffy/Giles
Rating: Nc17
Disclaimer: Joss owns all
Distribution: Dusty, Ash .anyone else who wants it
Dedication: For Milkie, cause she’s always there with the
encouraging words
Giles was waiting in the tub, filled with hot water and bubble bath. Faith insisted on the bubbles, claiming there was a game she liked to play using them. Giles wasn’t sure what the game could be but he certainly was up to finding out.
“Ready handsome?” Her saucy voice drew his attention to the side of the tube. Faith was standing there in a short silk rob. Her hands behind her back as if she was holding something, while the top part of the robe began to fall away slightly at the movement of her breathing.
Giles’ voice caught at the sight of her. The soft glow of candle light in the small room made his heart skip a beat as it showed off her flawless skin. One of Faiths hands came from behind her back and inched inside her robe, slowly running over her breasts as her eyes stayed focused on Giles.
He swallowed an watched her hand pull away the silk from her body. Giving him just an eye full at a time.
“Faith…” Her name was moaned as he gripped the sides of the tub with his hands.
“Yeah big guy?” She was smiling as she moved the robe off her other shoulder now, exposing her chest to him. Then she brought her other hand forward, showing him a can of whipped cream.
“Oh dear lord”
“I hope that was a good ‘oh dear lord’”
“It was. It defiantly was”
Faith smiled at him and let the robe fall to the ground. Then stepped into the tub and straddled Giles.
“I know tonight’s going to be hard for us, especially you. An I know if we aren’t doing something, you’ll let your mind wonder to Buffy, like I would with Wes, and we’ll both end up board , depressed and probably in need of a shrink. So let’s say you and me keep ourselves busy tonight?”
“Sounds wonderful” Giles told her, his voice sounding raw with emotion as she shook the can of whip cream up and squirted it on his nipple.
“Oh it will be” She told him then snaked her tongue out to lick the cream off his nipple, ever so slowly. Giles growled deep in his throat when he felt her teeth scrap his chest and one of her hands slid between his legs to stroked his shaft. Laying his head back against the wall, Giles tried to keep his control as Faith squeezed his shaft just a little tighter than normal.
“Faith…” He couldn’t believe how stressed his voiced sounded.
The slayer laughed when she heard his strangled tone.
“Yes?”
Reaching for her, he took her by the upper arms and pulled her close to his face. His hot breath touching her lips as he spoke breathlessly.
“I think it’s time you found out what a stevedore really is”
Faith swallowed as she watched him take the can from her with his left hand, then sprayed some of the whip cream into his mouth. With mischief swimming in his green emeralds, Giles dropped the can over the side of the tub, then flipped Faith so she was under him. Giving her a passionate, open mouthed kiss.
Faith whimpered as she tasted the sweetness in his mouth. Giles couldn’t help the smile that formed on his lips as he ran his tongue along hers, and slipped his hand down her body, between her thighs.
“Are you ready?” He asked against her mouth. Then pulled back to kiss her chin, jaw and throat. Faith tangled her hands in his hair and mumbled a “Oh yeah” as she felt Giles chuckle against chest.
He placed a kiss over her heart, before sliding down her body and showing her just what a Steve adore really meant.
**
Willow and the others stared at the coffin as the pounding out louder.
“Oh god…Buffy? Guys help me!” Willow called to them as she reached for the latch on Buffy’s coffin. Xander and Tara got to Willows side to help as Anya stayed back. “On the count of three, pull” Willow shouted to them. But just before Willow could count it out, the coffin came open and Buffy sat up, gasping for air.
**
“Oh, god … Giles…”
Faith was groaning Giles’ name as his mouth did the most pleasurable things to her. He smiled against her, then placed a final kiss to her mound as she climaxed and sank further into the water. Slipping back to her side, Giles took Faith into his arms, and held her close.
She laid her head above his heart, listening to it beat.
“Wow”
Chuckling softly, he kissed the top of her head.
“I take it you enjoyed that?”
“I don’t think ‘enjoy’ is the right word, stud”
Laughing, Giles laid his head back and closed his eyes.
**
Xander helped Buffy out of the grave as Willow threw her arms around her best friend, hugging her tight.
“It worked! You’re here!”
“Yeah, Will. I’m here” Buffy told her softly as she looked around the graveyard for Giles.
“Will?”
“Yeah?” Willow wouldn’t let go yet so Xander threw his arms around them both.
“Where’s my husband? Where’s Giles?”
**
Giles watched Faith as she slept.
She certainly was an exquisite creature, he thought. Nothing compared to his Buffy, but Faith most certainly was … enchanting. His eyes roamed her body, admiring her form before they settled on her breathing. The steady rise and fall of her chest, eased his nerves, comforting him as he sat in a chair next to the window in their room. Sense Buffy’s death, Giles found himself consistently worrying about loosing Faith an the others.
Knowing that should anything happen to any one of them, he wouldn’t make it this time.
Sighing, the watcher ran his fingers over the wedding ring on his left hand. His wife entered his thoughts again as he closed his eyes and smiled sadly at her memory. He missed Buffy so much. He wanted her back so badly it tore at him. Three years later and his heart still ached for her, longing to hold her close, sharing everything in life they were meant to go through, together.
“Lord how I miss you darling” His whispered went un heard by Faith as Giles opened his sad eyes. Faith was reaching blinding for him in her sleep. A small smile touched the corner of his lips as he watched her. She’d been his saving grace through all of this. Had he not had her to train and get annoyed with, he wouldn’t be where he was today.
Yet, try as he might, he could never love Faith the way she deserved. His heart would always belong to one woman. She knew it and so did he….
Standing, Giles went to the sleeping Slayer. He sat down softly, laying a tender kiss to her forehead and brushing a strain of hair from her eyes. He was going to miss her.
A lot.
However she deserved this. It was his duty to keep his slayer happy, No matter the cost.
With one last smile, Giles ran his knuckles along her cheek with the lightest of touches. Then he stood an headed downstairs quietly, taking a seat on the couch after picking the cordless up off the coffee table.
Dialing a number, Giles closed his eyes, preparing to loose another person he cared for so dearly.
**
Wesley wrapped a towel round his waist, jogging to the phone from the bathroom.
“Yes?”
“Wesley, it’s Giles”
“Hello Rupert”
There was a pause as Wes waited for him to go on.
“How are you?” Giles asked, keeping his voice low.
“Fine, you?”
“Also fine”
“Good”
“Yes”
There was another long pause before Giles sighed.
“I need to speak with you about Faith”
“All right”
“It’s rather important”
“I’m listening”
“Faith’s…Why haven’t you called Wesley?”
“I don’t believe that’s any concern of yours”
“Your wrong. She is my concern”
“Yes, well, must be why your sleeping with her then, right ol’ man?”
Damn him, Giles thought. He was making this harder than need be.
“It’s *not* like that”
“Oh, right, of course not”
“She misses you, you prat!” Giles growled testily at the younger watcher.
Wesley didn’t know how to answer Giles for a moment. He missed Faith. More than he ever thought was humanly possible. But he was angry and hurt that she just left to go to Sunnydale so easily.
“Is she ill?”
“No”
“Hurt?”
“No”
“Then why are you calling me?”
Sighing, Giles stood and headed outside to stand on the porch.
“Because no one should be without the one they love”
“Are you drunk Mr. Giles?”
Giles chuckled.
“Not in a very long time now”
“Then how can I help you?”
“You can start by dropping the attitude”
Wes blew out a breath and took a seat on his couch. Giles went on.
“As I said, she misses you. I don’t want her to hurt anymore, Wesley. Give up the hurt pride and call her”
“She made her choice”
“You bloody selfish fool!” Giles growled as he walked down the stairs, to the front yard. Sliding his free hand in his pocket, Giles gripped the phone tighter with his left hand as rain started to sprinkle on him. “For once in her life, Faith choose to follow her destiny. She picked others over her own happiness! How could you deny her that?! How can you punish her for it?!”
Wesley knew of course Giles was right. Faith had chosen to leave in order to protect the world in Buffy’s absence. Still, it hurt him she chose to be with Giles and not him.
“Is there anything else Rupert, I have to-“
“Grow up and stop being so self absorbed! What is wrong with you?! I *know* you love her!”
“That was never the issue-“
“Then what is?!”
“You damn it! You’re the bloody issue!” Wes yelled as he stood up and walked to the window. Watching the storm outside, getting stronger.
“Me?”
“Yes, you”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand”
“No, I wouldn’t imagine that you would”
“Care explaining it to me then?”
“Why do you care, Mr. Giles? You have her”
“No, I don’t have *have* her Wesley. I never did. You’re the only one she has ever truly loved”
“An yet, your sleeping with her”
Giles sighed as he took a seat on the curb outside the home.
“Yes….but not at first and not always. It isn’t how it looks Wesley. It’s not a …sexual thing. More of a….comforting …uh, thing. Faith and I, we both know and understand were pretty damn well ruined for the rest of our lives. We found our other halves…our soul mates. Only to have them ripped away from us in the line of fire. Buffy…I could never love Faith the way I love my wife. Faith knows that, and I know she could never love me as she does you, Wesley. And she does love you. So very much. I lay with her at night, listening to her nightmares about you and a fight. I don’t know if it’s what actually happen, but nevertheless, it always ends up the same. She wakes up crying for you…Asking for forgiveness ”
Wesley felt his heart break for Faith.
He was being selfish, he knew. Making her pay for his insecurities about her love for him, then breaking up with her when she chose to stand tall and make things right with her calling. But things had been going so well between them back then. They were training, researching, working as watcher and slayer.
Their love was just blooming when Buffy…an then Faith just leaves. She chose to go to London with *Giles* to train harder, to learn more. Why couldn’t she have stayed with him? Why did she have to leave? Surly another slayer would have been called…well no, there wouldn’t have been another.
Because Faith was the *active* slayer. And with Buffy gone…Lord he was being selfish. This was Faith’s birth right. Her duty. Who better to train her than the only watcher who trained the greatest slayer that ever lived…
“Is she there?” Wes asked, his voice sounding remorseful.
“Of course. However , she’s sleeping”
“With you?”
“No. I’m outside”
“Why?”
“Just wanted, needed to be alone. Needed to make things right for Faith. She gave up so much to come here…I don’t want her to suffer like I am Wesley. Don’t blame her for her calling. Don’t blame her because she finaly got *it *. That she finaly understands what it means to be who she is. That she knew she would loose you , the only man she’s ever loved, to save this sorry world we live in. To save…me. She *is* the slayer now, Wesley. This world needs her…I…”
“Need her?”
“Yes. In many ways. However, none of which have anything to do with love”
Once again Giles stunned Wes into silence. He wasn’t sure how he would act or what he would be thinking had he ever lost Faith like Giles lost Buffy.
“Will you watch over her tonight, till I can come by tomorrow?”
“Always”
“All right, see you then”
“Wesley?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you”
**
Several hours later Giles and Faith were in the kitchen, getting a midnight snack. Faith had woken up and found him outside watching the storm. After bringing him in and getting him dried off and in warm cloths, they headed into the kitchen. She had gotten him to laugh at something silly she was doing when the next thing they knew, they were kissing passionately, unaware of the back door opening and Buffy’s crushed look at them as she came in with Xander, Anya and Willow.
“Oh god…” Buffy felt her heart breaking in two as she put her hands over her mouth in shock.
Giles pulled away from Faith when he heard her. He was stunned as he looked at his wife. She was alive! Oh lord she was alive!
“Buffy!”
He moved to grabbed her but she backed away from him.
“You’re…you’re with Faith?!”
She was standing in front of him, in their kitchen, with their friends behind her. She was really there, really…angry. She saw him and faith …. Oh lord.
“Oh, Buffy no I-“
“How could you?!”
“It’s not, I can explain-”
“I don’t understand Giles. Why?”
He started to walk to her again but she pulled away even further, the look on her face, ripping his heart in two as Willow and Xander realized how stupid they were, not warning Giles before they came over.
“I…It’s hard to explain. Oh lord Buffy, how are you here?”
Buffy looked at Willow then back to Giles.
“Why Faith?”
“Can… Can I just touch you, Buffy? I need to… feel that your real”
“Why don’t you feel Faith! You seem to be happy with her now!”
His heart clenched painfully at the coldness in her voice. All he wanted to do was touch her, make sure she was truly there, that he wasn’t dreaming...
“It isn’t like that Buffy”
“Oh please…”
The look on Buffy’s face, the hurt and anguish, the totally devastation was almost to much for him to deal with.
“Darling-“
“No! No you don’t get to talk! I cant believe…Why… I’m gone for 3 years and you’re fucking that?!”
Faith sighed slowly. She knew B had a right to be anger. She didn’t know her now. Only back then when she made the chosen ones life hell. But the way she was treating Giles was starting to piss her off.
“Buffy, luv, I’m sorry that you-“
“That I what? That I came back? That I screwed up this whole little… whatever the hell it is you got going for you?!”
Buffy thought Giles was going to be physically ill sick by the look on his face.
“God no. You have *no* idea how much I missed you Buffy!”
“Right, well I sure can see that”
“B, don’t. You have no idea what he went through-“
“Shut up!” Buffy snapped at Faith as Giles laid a hand to Faiths arm. Faith smiled weakly and went to sit down on the couch. When he turned his attention back to Buffy was looking at him as if she was disgusted by what he just did.
“What?”
“Do you HAVE to touch her around me?”
“I…Buffy…” He didn’t know what to say. He absolutely felt like dying for betraying her. The look in her eyes , the coldness towards him… he closed his eyes briefly, then looked at her with tears filling them. “Buffy, I don’t know what to say, what to do. I know this is all, a shock to you. I know you feel like I betrayed you-“
“you did!”
He nodded , unable to talk as Faith started to say something , but knew Giles wouldn’t like what it was she had to say, so she stayed quiet.
“I know” He whispered.
“I don’t want to stay here” She moved to door as he looked at her like she kicked him in the gut.
“What? Why? Where are you-”
“I cant talk to you right now, hell I cant even look at you! Why would I stay here? With you?! And her!”
Giles didn’t know what to do as he tried to hold in the on set of tears stinging his eyes. He couldn’t answer her, in fear that his voice would crack and he would start to sob, never being able to stop.
She waited for him to answer, when he didn’t Buffy walked out slamming the door behind her. When she did, Giles let out a strangled cry as he choked on his tears. He fell to his knees, defeated, broken and once again, alone. His wife hated him, with a passion.
Xander and Anya ran after Buffy knowing Faith and Willow were there to comfort Giles. Faith gathered him in her arms as Willow wiped away tears from her own cheeks.
**
Xander and Anya caught up with Buffy just outside the home. She was crying as the rain pounded her. Her arms were around her waist as she hugged herself.
“Buffy wait! please! Buffy!”
She stopped suddenly as Xander almost ran into her. Looking at her, feeling his own heart ache for her pain, Xander laid a hand to her cheek and asked softly.
“Are you ok?”
When she didn’t answer, He took in his arms. She only cried harder.
“Buffy, it isn’t what it looked like”
“Oh right” She growled through her tears. ”So he wasn’t kissing her in our home? His hands weren’t all over her body?!”
“Ok, so it was what it looked like” he admitted sadly. “But Buff-“
“Please don’t. I don’t want to hear it” Her voice sounded so wounded, Xander wanted to cry just hearing his friend in so much pain.
Anya laid a hand to Xander’s shoulder, getting his attention.
“Let it go tonight. She needs rest. Let’s take her to our place?”
Xander nodded and gather Buffy in his arms
**
Faith was rocking Giles gently. Even at Buffy’s funeral he didn’t cry this much or this hard, Willow thought. God what she do? She should have told him, warned him so he wouldn’t be there with Faith…
“Giles?”
Willow said his name softly and came to sit on her knees in front of him.
“It’ll all be ok, I’m sure of it”
He didn’t answer her, he didn’t even look up at her. He just continued to keep his face buried in faiths neck.
He had his wife back, right in front of him… it was his dream came true… then, she was ripped from him, again.
Hating him with a firry passion.
Lord what was he going to do?
**
Xander got Buffy home to his place. Anya went to make up the spear bed as he carried his friend into the hall bathroom and sat her on the counter. He grabbed a towel off the rack and started to dry her arms.
“I wish I could help you to understand, Buffy”
“I really, I just don’t want to talk about this right now, Xander”
“I know” He said sadly and started to dry her hair. “But G was so bad off when you died, Buff. It’s not like he jumped into Bed with Faith right away ”
Buffy started to cry harder at the thought of her husband in bed, making love to someone else.
“Please, Xand, stop. The images…” She pleaded.
Xander shut his mouth and held her tight.
“Ok, I’m sorry”
**
Giles wasn’t sure how long he was out for. Just that the sun was stinging his eyes as he squinted to open them. Faith, who was sitting on the floor next to him as he laid on the couch, started to stir when she felt him move. Her head was laying on her arms that were propped up on the couch cushion at Giles’ side. His hand went to the top of her head and stroked her hair as he thought about Buffy.
He prayed to TPTB that last night didn’t really happen.
Then he closed his eyes in shame for even thinking that. It wasn’t that he didn’t want Buffy back, hell he give his life to have her back and smiling again. It was just… the look in her eyes when she walked in, the horror he knew she was feeling towards him at finding her husband standing there , kissing another woman so passionately, in his and Buffy’s home.
A woman she hated with a passion.
“Giles?”
Faith’s soft voice drew his eyes open. He looked at her as she touched his chin and smiled sadly.
“I’m so sorry about last night”
“I know” He told her in a whisper “It wasn’t really your fault however, so there’s no need to be sorry”
Faith got up and laid at his side, wrapping her arms around him as his face buried into her neck once again.
“You’ll be ok Giles. We’ll find a way to explain to B. She’ll understand after the shock wears off. An don’t worry, I’ll do everything in my power to help you get her back”
Giles felt like crying again.
What the hell had he let himself get into. Faith was being noble and compassionate, and while he didn’t love her in the way he loved Buffy, he felt for her. Cared for her. And here she was offering to make things better for him, with the knowledge that if she did, she would be alone… again. Assuming things didn’t go ok with Wesley’s visit .
Oh no, Wesley was coming today.
Today of all days…
**
Buffy rolled over and stared at the clock.
6:30am
She barely got any rest. Her mind keep wondering to Giles and what he was doing back at home. Their home. That he now shared with Faith.
“Buffy?”
Dawn called softly to her sister as she entered her room with a tray.
“I’m up” Buffy mumbled then rolled over to sit up. Dawn came to her side and sat on the edge of her bed. The tray resting o her lap.
“Looks good”
“Thanks, I made it myself. Giles taught me how to…sorry”
“It’s ok” Buffy answered sadly.
“Buffy I wish you would let him explain-“
“Don’t! Please, Dawnie? I can’t…” She started to cry as Dawn put the tray down and sat next to her sister, hugging her as Buffy laid her head to Dawn’s chest.
“I hurt so much” Buffy whispered as Dawn squeezed her.
“I know Buffy, I’m really sorry” Dawn told her quietly, not knowing what to say. “Giles, he took really good care of me while you were gone….”
“He did?”
“yeah. All though, not at first”
“What?”
“No, he.. he was really crushed Buffy. He sat at your grave, crying for hours. Xander and Willow were afraid to leave him, I think because they thought he might let a Vampire take him”
“He was that bad?”
“Worse. Even when they finaly convinced him to come home because I still needed him, he wouldn’t eat, and he barely slept. He just sat in your bed, crying silently for days. I didn’t know what to do for him. He wouldn’t stop hurting”
Buffy’s heart was aching painfully as she listened to dawn.
“I would come in and hold him, put my arms around him telling him not to leave me to, that I needed him now more than ever. But.. he just wouldn’t respond to me. I cried in his arms all the time for him to get better Buffy, he was so skinny, so…lifeless. The love, the caring he use to have in his eyes, died with you”
Dawn felt tears splashing her shirt as she hugged Buffy tighter.
“Faith saved him Buffy. Giles would have died without her. She gave him something to look forward to. A slayer to train, a warrior to help fight the fight. To carry on your name…it’s not like he jumped right into bed with her. He didn’t. He wouldn’t even kiss her for years. You were the only thing he ever talked about, even after he started seeing Faith. An faith knew it. She understood how deeply he still loved you, and she over looked it. Accepting that he would never love her. Even when he would accidentally call her your name sometimes. She would just smile and tell him, wrong slayer G” Dawn giggled as she went on. “He use to look so cute. He would be so horrified that he called her your name but Faith, she was amazing, she would just joke with him, make him feel like it was all right and move on. But even with her and us, he still got lonely Buffy. He still went to your gave every night. I know because I followed him a lot. I was always scared he would sit to long there, not paying attention and a vamp would take him”
Buffy was still crying, her mind racing as Dawn feel silent. She had no idea how hard it was for Giles. What he went through, though she suspected she would have been the same had she lost him.
“I know he was…I know he went through a lot dawn…”
“I know you did too, I just wish…I wish you two could make up, I know how much both of you missed one another”
“I’m still tired Dawnie, can I just… go back to sleep?”
“Sure”
Dawn got up as Buffy turned over to look out the window, she left the tray there in case Buffy got hungry then headed downstairs.
**
Buffy wasn’t sure how long she was sleep for, but when she opened her eyes next, it was dark out. Rolling over, she found the room barely late by light. She glanced at the clock. 12:30Am. Sighing, Buffy sat up in bed and reached for the remote. When the TV came on she caught site of figure in the corner, sitting in a chair in the darkness.
“Hey! Who’s there?”
Unwilling to answer her and never fully expecting to be caught, the figure got up and started towards the door. Buffy quickly reached for the lamp and turned it on before he could open the door.
“Giles?”
Sighing, Giles briefly closed his eyes.
“I just…” His heart was aching so badly he thought he was having a minor heart attack. “I’m sorry darling, I had to…see you” He opened the door to leave but Buffy’s hand stopped him.
“Wait”
He took a deep breath, trying to steady his thundering heart. Having her so close to him, she was touching him. Lord she *was* real. She really was there. Buffy could see his eyes were closed, that he was trying to calm himself. She could even see his heart pounding under his thin shirt.
“Giles?”
“Yes?” He whispered painfully, but opened his eyes to look at her.
She saw the pain and sorrow, the longing for her and the begging for forgiveness in his eyes. They were always so expressive. She laid a hand to his heart as it thundered under her palm.
“Are you ok?”
He shook his head but didn’t answer her. Her eyes fell to his heart again as Giles whispered.
“I’m just nervous”
Buffy dropped her hand and went back to bed.
“I’m sorry Giles, I just don’t…I don’t know how to handle this. I mean you and Faith…”
“I’ll take whatever is do to me Buffy. Just please, lord please Buffy, don’t leave me. I won’t make it this time. I can’t…”
She couldn’t see him, but she could hear the tears in voice. It frightened her because he was always the strong one. He never showed her this side of him before.
“I don’t want to hurt you Giles. You know that. But..”
“It’s all right darling. I know…I know how you must feel. I won’t…bother you anymore for a while. I just needed to see, to make sure you were truly here an not just some figment of my imagination”
He reached for the door again and began to walk out.
“Giles?”
He stopped and turned to her with hope filling his heart.
“Yes?”
“Thank you. For giving me time”
He tried to smile but failed miserably. She saw the tears in his eyes. Though he didn’t shed any in front of her, it was obvious he had before he got there.
“I love you Buffy”
He waited for her to answer but she didn’t. So he willed his heart not to break into a million pieces and walked out.
**
Several weeks passed.
Giles heard nothing from Buffy, only Dawn and the others. Faith had moved out so Buffy could come back home, but his wife still refused. So faith went a step further and told Giles she would go to LA. To help Angel an Wes. After the younger watchers visit, they started to talk more and while things weren’t ok yet, the communication lines were at least open.
“Faith, I don’t want you to go”
“I know baby. But, B won’t give till I’m out of the picture. An I honestly can’t stand to see you like this again. Giles, when did you eat last? Wait, don’t answer that. I know you wont tell me the truth. But I can see, I have eyes. Your letting yourself fall again, Giles. I can’t watch that another time”
Tears stung Faiths eyes as Giles hugged her.
“I never meant to dear. You know that. I just…Faith…” Tears began to sting his eyes as well as he felt his heart breaking. “She’s alive and she wants nothing to do with me. I don’t know how to handle that. I went so long without her…I don’t think I can do it again”
Pulling back, Faith took his face in her hands.
“She’s just settling back in Giles. Be strong for her baby. She’ll come around, I know how much she loves you”
“Please don’t go”
Her heart was breaking for him.
“I have to”
“I don’t want to loose our friendship”
“That will *never* happen. I promise”
Giles hugged her again as Faith pulled back to kiss him, one last time. Neither of them saw Buffy watching from the front window as Faith slid her tongue into Giles mouth and her hands to his hips.
“Be strong for her” Faith whispered before pulling back and resting her forehead to his.
Buffy, with tears streaming down her cheeks, turned away from the site and ran.