TITLE: Can't Let You Go
AUTHOR: Ragna (writinggoddess@aol.com)
RATING: FRT
CLASSIFICATION: Faith/Robin, Faith POV.
SUMMARY: It doesn't look like Robin is going to make it...
SPOILERS: Post-"Chosen."
DISTRIBUTION: Any sites with my fic up; you all have unspoken permission. I write it, you can post it. Everyone else just keep my name on it and let me know.
DISCLAIMER: If you don't recognize it, chances are it's my own creation. If you do, I don't own it. Joss Whedon, Kazui Sandollar, The WB, UPN, et. al. most likely do.
FEEDBACK: Please send it offlist and let me know it's feedback; I do rapid delete on my account due to a lot of spam.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Answer to a ficathon challenge at the Female Ficathon:

* Written For: cookie_dough101
* The female: Faith
* One other person to include: Wood
* This fic should preferably take place after what event on what show?: post-Chosen
* Two things not to include: smut & slash
* Two things to include: just Faith & Wood, angst

That trick he'd played on the bus...maybe it wasn't as much of a trick as I thought. He was really dying. He was hurt so bad... I wish that his mother had passed some of the Slayer healing powers to him but life's a bitch. Then you die.

I didn't want him to die.

I'm proud, I'll admit that. I'm stubborn, I'm a bitch, but I have needs and feelings too. I have urges...I've learned to accept things but change them when I can. I just haven't accepted death.

I killed a man. I can accept that I can cause death; killing the mayor's aide was all my fault, and I've killed so many demons I've lost count. I can accept that death happens; just look at Mom and Dad.

But senseless death...I can't accept it. I won't. I don't want to.

Robin and I were alone on the bus while everyone else looked at the gaping pit that was Sunnydale. I held his hand, he could barely hold his head up. How he'd managed to drive the bus out of town I'll never know.

"That can't be my surprise," I said gently. I was never gentle, but some instinct in me said this would be a good time to start.

"I wish it wasn't," he said, coughing. Blood ended up on his shirt and I wanted to cringe. It wasn't because it was blood; I've seen that plenty of times before. I wanted to cringe because it was his blood. It was a sure sign he was going to die.

"You have to live, remember? We need a rematch...round two, you know? I want to prove I'm better in the sack then you." I blinked back a tear. "You just need to sit up..."

"I can't, Faith," he said, coughing some more.

"Robin..."

He smiled slightly. "Didn't think you knew my first name."

"There's a lot you don't know about me. Hang in there and you can find out."

"I won't make it."

"Damn it, yes you will!" I pounded the dashboard of the bus, denting it. "You have to!"

"Why?"

"Because I want you here."

"You barely know me."

I paused. "So? I want to know you more."

He grinned, then touched my face. "We could have been special..." Then he shut his eyes and was gone.

I wanted to break down and cry, to scream and destroy everything. God, I wanted to die. I had a chance at something beautiful, maybe, and it was yanked away. I'm so sorry, Robin.

The Powers That Be? They're going to fucking pay.