Run

Title Run
Rating PG-13

And I can barely look at you
But every single time I do
I know we'll make it anywhere
Away from here

She wasn't leaving. She was better than that, more committed than that. She just was... going to be somewhere that wasn't here. There had been a time, and she knew they all remembered it just as well as she did, when she would have left at the earliest opportunity. When the going got tough, Faith got gone.

She had changed though, she stuck around, she toughed it out, even when the raised eyebrows and the comments cut her to the core.

But now, Faith was bored. She didn't exactly play well with the others, especially when it was clear that they still didn't really trust her, and the routine reminded her just a little too much of time served - and time not served.

When she'd told Giles she was leaving, she'd seen the flash of relief on his face and knew it was the right time to go. She'd miss them, sure, but she was a free spirit. Footloose and loving it. No one to tie her down, no one to hold her back. No one to talk to.

She'd miss them.

But she wasn't running.

She'd thought about how to do it, how to make her exit, she knew they were expecting fireworks, some brash showy farewell, something that would confirm their view of her as a party animal. Willow was arranging something for that night, and Faith had let her because it was just easier that way.

But it was still early, and Faith was sneaking along the corridors of the converted schoolhouse on her way out. Her duffel bag slung over her shoulder and her car already parked out on the street. She didn't want to see them masking their relief with false tears. A clean break was better. She'd call them from the road; let them know she'd gone. It would be easier that way.

She vaulted the perimeter wall rather than open the gates, her passkey would alert the main house that she was leaving and right now she'd rather be on the road before anyone knew. She'd covered her tracks pretty well, and one thing Faith had always been able to do well was cover her tracks, but... she wasn't completely surprised to see a figure leaning against the passenger door of her car.

Faith opened the driver's door and tossed her duffel onto the back seat, hoping she was hiding the smile at seeing a similar bag already occupying a good deal more of the space than hers did.
"Packed light, did you?" She commented, not looking up.
"Didn't know where we were going so I covered all the bases."
"We?" she asked, keeping her head down seemed to be the only way she was going to keep her smile hidden. "Kinda taking some stuff for granted arentcha?"
"Yup."
The smile turned into a grin and she slipped in behind the wheel. "Well? You coming or what?"
Xander pushed himself away from the door and as he settled into the seat said, "Wake me up when it's my turn to drive."
She snorted, "Like I'm going to be letting you drive this baby? Dream on Harris."
He grinned, "That's the plan."
"My ride, my rules - I do the driving, I pick the music, I stop when and where I want. There will be no backseat driving from you, there will be no stops to see the second largest ball of twine in the continental US, there will be no whining, there will be no 'are we there yet?' questions. You got a problem with that, you can call a cab. Deal?"
"Yes, ma'm!" He actually saluted and Faith rolled her eyes.

She'd already decided she was going to stick to the back roads and when they got out of the city she turned to see him apparently making every effort to sleep against the passenger door. She felt a warm sense of relief that he'd come along. She wasn't running away now, she was road tripping with a friend, normal stuff that normal people did. But there was no way in hell he was going to be getting behind the wheel.

Ten minutes later he cracked his eye open and said with a grin, "Are we there yet?"