Hope's Drowning

by Vixen Raign

Copyright © 2003

VixenRaign@yahoo.com

Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Buffy and company belong to great and powerful Joss and the genius that is Mutant Enemy. Poems are the work and property of Shel Silverstein, I do not own them and I am making no money in my use of them.
Distribution: The Mystic Muse    http://mysticmuse.net
Feedback: Sure! Love the stuff! Tastes like chicken.
Spoilers: Bad Girls
Author's Notes: This is the first FanFiction I have ever posted, but NOT the first I've written. I've been writing FanFiction since 6th grade, and started a club at my high-school for readers called "FanFic's Anonymous" (for people who were so hooked that their grades were dropping {there were about 8 of us}). Please tell me what you think; flames about grammar and spelling will be used to roast marshmallows! So don't bother sending them! :-P

Chapter 1    Chapter 2    Chapter 3    Chapter 4    Chapter 5    Chapter 6    Chapter 7    Chapter 8    Chapter 9    Chapter 10    Chapter 11    Chapter 12    Epilogue

Buffy didn't know what to do, she had never seen Faith like this; so cruel, so heartless. It was quite unnerving for the blond.

"You don't understand Faith! You killed a man!" the petite blond yelled, trying to use the 'volume' angle to squeeze logic into the younger Slayer's brain.

"No, you don't understand!" Faith said, putting her most convincing face on. "I don't care." The truth was; she did care. He cared a great deal…for Buffy. All her actions were for the older girl's good, and here she was trying to ruin it. Faith had never known love, but if she had to guess what she felt for her fellow slayer that would be the label she'd put on all her feelings. The heat she felt from a touch, the joy she found in her company, even the shaky knees she got from her smile. Faith knew what she had done, and she had plans on how to fix it. She'd always known she was worthless, but she wasn't willing to drag B down.

"Faith!" Buffy begged tearfully, "How can you say that?" Faith knew she had to ditch the blond, waterworks would surely do her in.

"Look B," the brunette answered, looking strictly at ceiling of floor. "I did what I had to do. Now if you don't mind I have some more work to do." With that she walked over to the door and opened it. When Buffy didn't budge she walked over to her, gabbed her by the collar and pushed her out, slamming the door in her face.

Faith leaned against the door and slowly slid down, head in her hands. 'I may never hear you say "thank you" B, but knowing that you're safe will let me sleep at night."

Buffy had slowly walked home from Faith's motel in a daze. She had never seen the brunette act so mercilessly before. It was unsettling. The young girls passion for life had been one of the things Buffy had always admired about her. 'How could she say such things?' Buffy asked herself, totally oblivious to the fact that she had walked right past her house. Suddenly she felt a hand on her elbow. Willow was looking at her worriedly. Buffy quickly shook herself out of the haze she had planted herself into.

"Buffy?" Willow asked slowly, "Are you alright? Your house is that way." Willow said, indicating behind her.

"Oh!" Buffy answered, surprised as to how deeply she had sunk into her thought filled stooper. "Sorry, I was a little preoccupied."

"Last night's fight?" Willow ask, playing the best friend.

"Actually," Buffy started slowly, "I was thinking abo-"

"Faith?" Willow asked, a slight edge to her tone. The attitude did not go unnoticed by Buffy. She winced internally at realizing how poorly she had been treating her best friend since the young slayer's arrival. 'But that's all gonna stop!' Buffy told herself, 'I'll explain everything and do whatever it takes to get my best friend back!'. With that Buffy looped her arm through Willow's and led her back to her house.

"Will?" Buffy said urgently, "We need to talk."

With that she quickly pulled Willow through her front door and into her bed room. She had no idea what she was going to say, but she knew it would have to be the truth. Willow deserved nothing less.

"What's the matter Buffy?" Willow asked, worried that there was another Angel crisis.

"I have a problem Will," the slayer answered slowly, not sure what to say or how to say it. "But I know that if anyone can help me, you can."

"What's the matter? 242-year-old vampire problems?"

"Not quite." Buffy answered carefully, "More like Slayer problems…"

"Oh." Willow answered in a business-like tone, "Is there a Scooby meeting?" she asked eagerly.

"No," Buffy said, delicately. "I meant slayer problems as in 'Problems With Slayers'…"

"Oh. Well don't you think that Faith would be better-"

"Faith is the slayer problem…" the blond interjected.

"What do you mean?" Willow asked slowly, taking a seat on her best friend's bed.

"Well," Buffy began, trying to figure out how to word her feelings. "Faith is a slayer and she's causing problems." Buffy said with in a tone of 'Oh! That-Explains-Everything'.

"Buffy," Willow said, now becoming a bit exasperated with her friends beating around the bush. "I know that's what you meant, the point of my questions was 'What problem is Faith causing?'. Just yesterday you wouldn't shut-up about her." At that last remark Buffy shot the red-head a look. "Sorry, but it's true." Willow responded, "You're acting like you did when Angel first came around." At this comment Buffy blushed slightly.

"I'm sorry Will," Buffy told her friend sincerely, "But I don't know what to do anymore. I'm so confused!" Buffy said on the line between frustration and sorrow. Buffy sat on her floor with her back against the bed.

"Buffy, just tell me what's wrong! What's confusing you?" The red-head pleaded, worry evident in her tone.

"Everything was as perfect as it could be," Buffy said so quietly is was almost a whisper, "And then Faith shows up and turns my little world up-side-down."

"What do you mean?" Willow said, slipping down to the floor next to her friend.

"I had life that was good enough to work at, I had family and friends worth fighting for, a boy-friend like no other in existence, and a job I was born to do and did it better then anyone else."

"What changed?"

"Everything." Buffy stated quietly. She looked at Willow and knew that she could trust her. She deserved truth, and that's what she would get.

"Will?" Buffy asked slowly, her voice shaking from fear, "You know how you said I acted around Faith the way I used to act around Angel…?"

"Yeah?" Willow asked slowly.

Buffy looked Willow in the eyes and just let it all go. Her hurt, her confusion, everything that she felt she let show in her eyes. And Willow knew. Here eyes widened in surprise, this was not the problem she had expected.

"You mean you-" Buffy nodded.

"And that's why you-" another nod from the blond. Willow needed a moment to take it all in. 'It did explain a lot.' The red-head told herself.

"Buffy?" Willow said slowly, as though she was afraid of the little blond running away from any harsh words she might say. "Would you mind explaining it a bit more?" she said with a worried smile. Buffy just looked down at her hands, deep in thought. She had never been very good at expressing her feelings, and right now she was feeling a lot.

"Do you remember Kendra?" Buffy asked, not looking up.

"Yeah."

"When she was around, I felt different. Like maybe the world was a livable place. Like, maybe, I wouldn't always have to feel so alone. Even when she had gone back home after our encounter with Spike and Drusilla, just knowing that there was some-one out there like me was a great comfort. After she died I felt so alone. I never thought they'd send another Slayer…at least not until I died." Buffy took a deep breath and sighed. "All the Slayer lore tells of 'One girl in all the world' and so on and so forth, and no matter how many times I hear it and no matter how much I try and block it out…it starts to get to you after a while! My destiny was to be alone, and the little relief I got when Kendra was around had died. I started to believe that solitude was my destiny."

"But?" willow asked slowly, urging her friend to continue.

"But," Buffy said, unable to suppress a small smile. "then there was Faith. Part of being a slayer is being able to sense Vampires, and for some reason (since this is supposed to be the first time there's been two Slayers existing simultaneously) we can also sense each other. It's a different kind of tingle though. Vampires make the hairs on the back of my neck vibrate (not a pleasant feeling), but sensing another slayer is like a power boost. Everything is more intense, and suddenly your whole body kicks into slayer-mode." At this Buffy started to speak more softly, as if saying it too loud would make it all disappear.

"I felt her Willow. That first night at the Bronze I could feel her. At first I thought it was me, like maybe it was my body's way of telling me 'Hey! It's slaying time!', but then I saw her. And the power boost was so intense. There was no mistaking it, the girl was born to slay."

"I had no idea you felt so alone." Willow whispered softly.

"I'm not alone anymore." With that Buffy smiled. "I'm no longer 'The Chosen One' but rather the Ying in the slayer Zen. I'm glad she's here Wills…'cause I don't think I could do this alone."

"Does she know?" Willow asked slowly.

"No." Buffy sighed. "She and I are having problems right now. We're having a heated debate over what a slayer can and cannot do."

"Well, as always, my suggestion would be to go talk to her." Willow didn't know what to do in this situation, so she tried to go with what she knew. All she wanted was to see the slayer happy, and Faith seemed to genuinely make Buffy happy.

"I think you're right Will." the small blond said with quiet determination, "I'm gonna go talk to her! Try and sort a few things out." With that she turned smilingly to her best friend and said "See!" Buffy said happily, "You always have the right answers." Buffy gave her friend a hug and walked with her to the front door.

"You'll call me later to tell me how this goes right?" Willow asked nervously, anxious to hear the end results of their conversation.

"Call you as soon as I can."

"Are you going now?"

"Well," the blond replied gradually, "I guess there's no time like the present."

Faith had finally finished. She had spent all afternoon doing the last of her laundry, packing up what little stuff she had, and getting ready to leave. She didn't like what she had to do, but it was the only choice she could think of. She was going to work for the mayor. She figured maybe if she switched sides she'd be able to deal with her problems. She could be as bad as she wanted to be, she wouldn't have to worry about breaking the law, and with that kind of power she could properly dispose of all the evidence of her murder. But most importantly she could make sure that Buffy would be safe. She could keep an eye on the people watching her, and make sure she was kept out of harm's way.

"But then why," Faith quietly asked herself, "Does it feel so much like betrayal?" Faith didn't know what else to do, and this was a plan that made sense. 'like mom always used to say "You always hurt the ones you love"…I just wish I didn't have to hurt her so much.'. Faith quickly packed the last of her weapons and grabbed the money she hid in the lamp. Just as she was stuffing it into her pocket she heard a knock at the door.

Faith froze. She was 2 weeks past due on her rent and if the manager saw her getting ready to bolt she'd never get out of there in time. She was quickly shoving her bag behind the bed when she heard a voice accompanied by a second knock.

"Faith? Are you in there?" Buffy called.

"Shit!" Faith whispered, 'I wish it had been the manager!'. She slowly made her way over to the door and opened it a bit. Outside stood a blushing Buffy with an anxious look on her face. 'She's even cute when she's nervous' Faith thought.

"Hey Faith?" Buffy asked quietly, "Can I come in? I'd really like to talk to you." She was so cute Faith forgot about the state of her room and let the little blond in. Buffy looked around and her facial features changed from ones of nervousness to ones of concern. She could tell Faith was getting ready to run.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Faith asked as if the room wasn't think full of awkward feelings.

"That's not really all that important right now." Buffy said sternly, "Were you planning on leaving?!"

"Maybe." Faith whispered.

"And you weren't gonna tell me?" Buffy whispered.

"I wasn't gonna go far!" She quickly defended herself before she realized she couldn't explain it to Buffy.

"Is this because of me?" Buffy whispered.

"No!" Faith quickly rushed over to her, "No Buffy it's not because of you at all!" 'Actualy,' Faith thought, 'It's all about you, just not the way you think it is.'

"Faith," Buffy started slowly, fighting back tears over the thought of Faith leaving, "If this is about that guy, I'm sure that if we just talk to the Counsel then I'm sure they'll help us! It was a mistake after all, and one I could have made just as easily as you. They're watchers, and there job is to watch us. Who are they with-out us? They'll have to help us Faith, cause whatever happens to you happens to me too." With that she pulled Faith into a tight hug. 'Wow…' Faith thought 'That wasn't the answer I was expecting!'

"B?" Faith whispered, "I don't want to run anymore." With that they stopped hugging, both a bit teary-eyed.

"Then I'll take you to the place that you are always welcome to run to." With that she picked up one of Faith's bags and motioned for her to do the same.

Willow sat in her room nervously. It was nerve-racking waiting for Buffy's call. She had need waiting by her phone since their talk that morning. She wanted so badly for things to go alright, Buffy deserved to be with some one who made her happy the way Faith did.

She couldn't take it anymore. She had last talked to Buffy at about 10:30am, and it was now 11:30pm and she was still waiting for the slayer's call.

"That's it!" Willow said, Resolve-Face firmly set, "I'm calling her!" She picked up the phone and dialed the familiar number. She got a busy signal. "Fine…" the red head told herself, "I can wait a few more minutes." She couldn't. about 30 seconds later she picked up the phone and pressed re-dial. There was no busy signal this time.

"Hello?" said a tired voice.

"Buffy?" she asked, worry obvious in her tone.

"Wills? Hey, what's up?" Buffy asked in a lazy tone.

"BUFFY! You said you'd call me?! That was 13 hours ago! What happened? How did things with Faith go?" just then Willow heard a familiar voice faintly ask 'you sure you won't mind me barrowing this?'.

"Uh, fine. Things are fine Willow, I'm sorry I didn't call sooner…"

"Buffy…" Willow started slowly, "Who was that talking, and why did you not call me resulting in panic attacks?!"

"That was Faith," Buffy stated hesitantly, "She's going to be staying here for a while…"

"Wow," Willow whispered into the receiver, "I had no idea things would go that well."

"…I didn't tell her…"

"WHAT?! Then what the heck is she doing there?"

"Well…you remember how I told you we had an argument over what a slayer can and can't do?"

"Yeah."

"Well, now's probably not the best time to get into the details, but there will be a Scooby meeting about it, and that's why I didn't get to call you. We had to involve the counsel, so we had to spend a few hours on the phone making transatlantic phone calls and even more time calling Giles…it's very complicated. But you will know soon, promise."

"Okay," Willow said slowly, trying to take in what little information she was given, "But why is Faith there? What happened so that she ended up at your house?"

"That's pretty simple," Buffy stated tiredly, "When I when to her motel to talk to her she had all her stuff packed and she was getting ready to run away. We talked and I told her that I wasn't gonna let her leave. So then I took her home, and now she's gonna stay here with me for a while." With that the slayer heaved a sigh. Willow could tell she must be very tired.

"Okay." Willow was glad she was on the phone, that way Buffy couldn't see the goofy smile on her face.

"I'll let you get to bed. Promise to give me the details tomorrow?"

"I promise I will as soon as possible" came the response.

"Good-Night Buffy" she said happily.

"Good night Wills."

With that thy both hung up. Willow was glad that Faith hadn't run away, she didn't want to think what would have happened if Buffy hadn't stopped her. She was looking forward to getting to know the brunette better, she seemed like a fascinating person.

Bed Times and Fair Trades

Faith was nervous, she had never really done the sleep-over thing before. She didn't really have a normal childhood that provided her with a home you'd take friends too, and she never let her one-nighters stick around. This was going to be quite a new experience.

Buffy had just hung up the phone from her conversation with Willow and flopped down on the bed. The little Slayer was obviously very tired. Faith cleared her throat to get the blonds attention. Buffy opened her eyes to look at Faith expectantly.

"Um…" Faith started slowly, "Are you okay if I barrow this to sleep in?"

"Yeah, it's totally fine, help your self to anything you want." 'I wish you really meant that' Faith thought, ' cause that cold shower didn't help cool my jets at all…' Buffy was wearing a flannel pajama top and an old pair of boxers to bed. Faith had never seen such beautiful legs in her life! 'Buffy should wear more reveling clothing' Faith though, but then realized she didn't want to share the view with others.

"I am so beat, I could sleep for days." Buffy said through a yawn.

"I know what you mean, Slayer or not 7 hours of sleep is not gonna get me through tomorrow…Hey B?" Faith asked slowly.

"Yeah Faith?"

"Where am I gonna sleep?" This was the question Faith had been avoiding all night. She knew where she wanted to sleep, but didn't want to get her hopes up.

"In here with me." Buffy answered laughingly, as though it was a silly question.

"Okay, where do you keep your sleeping bags?" Faith was just happy to be sharing a room with the petite blond, the idea of sleeping on a couch was too reminiscent on her former home-life.

"Don't be silly Faith," Buffy answered seriously, "I'm not letting you sleep on the floor! You can just share the bed with me." Now Faith was a little unsure about what to do.

"Trust me," Faith said nervously, "After that Motel bed, the floor would be a welcome thing. And besides! We don't know how long I could be staying here! I don't want to crowd you." She didn't want Buffy to feel like Faith was trying to invade her life.

"Faith. It's okay. I want you to be as comfortable as you can be. This is your home for as long as you want it to be, that means you are at least entitled to a bed." 'Buffy obviously didn't grow up in my house' Faith thought.

"Okay, but if I start to crowd you, or cramp your style, I want you to tell me." With that she inched towards the bed.

"So…" Buffy almost whispered, "What side do you want?"

"Your bed, you pick first."

"Um, I dunno, maybe the left?"

"The left when you're in it, or the left when you're facing it?"

"The left when you're in it?" Buffy answered in an unsure tone.

"Sure," Faith said smiling, "I'll take the other left." Buffy giggled and pulled back the covers.

"I am so ready for sleep…"

"Wait a second!" Faith said in a reprimanding tone, "What about your homework?"

"What about it?" Buffy hadn't climbed into bed yet and was giving Faith one of her 'are-you-on-crack?' looks.

"Nuh-uh B," Faith stated seriously, "If I'm gonna stay here I'm gonna make sure you use your time productively. You are going to graduate on good terms even if it means I have to deprive you of sleep."

"You can't be serious…"

"I am B. I'm not letting you in this bed until you've completed at least 2 assignments." And with that Faith pulled the covers back to the regular positions.

"Alright," Buffy said slowly in a menacing tone, "But then you have to do your homework…"

"Uh, B?" Faith said in a mocking tone, "I don't have homework."

"Oh yes you do." And with that she dove for Faith's bag. She unzipped it and started to go through it, pulling out some of the clothes and then putting them back in.

"Hey!" Faith said, barely holding in a laugh, "What are you doing, going through my stuff?" Then in a whisper she said "…underwear sniffer…" that got Buffy to stop. She turned to Faith with a shocked look on her face. Faith lost it, she started laughing so hard she probably woke the whole street. Then Buffy stood up and handed Faith a book. It was the leather bound diary her first watcher had given her when she had been called, she hadn't really used it all that much since her watcher's death, and when she did write in it, it usually wasn't to write about Vampires.

"If I have to read 10 pages about World War One, then you have to write at least 5 pages about slaying in your Slayer diary." With that she forced the book into Faith's hands, smirking. Faith grimaced. She really wasn't in a writing mood.

"Five pages?!" Faith groaned.

"Do it, or no deal." Buffy stated in a confirming tone. "That's a pretty fair trade…"

"Fine!" Faith said pulling a pen from the spine of the book, "But you better not half ass your way through your work!" and with that they both got to work.

Faith's No Shakespeare…

(Faith's Diary entry from 'Bed Times and Fair Trades')

Dear Diary,

Hey. It's me. I'm back again. I know I haven't written like I used to, but it's just not the same. I never really got any nice presents from my folks, so when my watcher gave me this really amazing diary before she even knew me…it meant a lot. It almost doesn't seem right to put in an entry without her here to ask for help with me spelling. I'll really miss her.

BIG NEWS: you'll never guess where I am right now. B's bed! That's right, ON her BED! Bet you never saw that coming! Remember how I always used to say "If my life sucks this much now, then it must REALLY pick up later…? I think it just has. Do you remember that accident I told you about? The guy I attacked? Well, some how the worst mistake of my life has landed me in the one place I never thought I'd get: I'M ROOMING WITH Elizabeth Anne Summers!!! I freaked out. I had this whole plan to fix it (and you know me, I never make plans {which is probably why this didn't work}): I took the body and weighted it down, then I dumped it in the lake, then I went back to the motel and packed all my things. I was gonna switch sides. I was ready to do it too! I knew that the Mayer would hire me, who wouldn't want a slayer on their side?! I knew that he had the money, power, and influence to hide the evidence of the mistake, and that way B would never get blamed for the stupidest thing I ever did. I knew my plan could have very well gotten me killed, but at least then a new slayer would be called and then SunnyHell would be back to normal: Faithless.

But then the most amazing thing happened…B came by the hotel just as I was about to walk out the door. For the first time in my life some one didn't want to see me go. She looked like she was torn between yelling at me for leaving without a 'Good Bye', and crying because she was gonna miss me. B was actually gonna miss me! Told me so herself on the walk back to her house. She took me home, and told her mom the story while I took a shower upstairs. Mrs. S was totally understanding! She said that she didn't want me going back to that filthy motel, and that I was welcome to stay as long as I wanted. "Not as long as you need, as long as you WANT. I'll take nothing else." That's what she said to me! Wow…I wish my mother had been more like Joyce. I bet Joyce would never hit Buffy; she just doesn't seem the type. She's a total TV mom, but I don't really see how that's a bad thing.

Then we had some calls to make. We had to call Giles, then he came over, we told him everything that happened. He recorded it all on tape, then he stayed on the phone for a while talking to the Counsel. Then he called Wesley, told him what was going on and that the Counsel was looking into the matter, and that he was going to send the tape with our statements on it to London by way of express mail. They don't think there's any reason to have a trial, but they do need to recover the body. Wesley, and 2 watchers from the California Counsel's Office, went down to the lake where I told them I had dumped it. They're doing a scuba search for the corpse. They'll do an autopsy and then see if it supports out statements.

Giles took our statements in a weird way, first he had me tell my side of what happened, then he took B's version, then he took one from both of us at the same time. He made B go up to her room while he took mine, then he made me wait in the kitchen while he took her statement. (gotta love that Slayer hearing! I heard every word of what she said). Just when they world throws you another curve and you think you've got no one on your side, some one walks in and surprises you. All the while B told Giles what happened she kept saying "we", and "us". She even said "it's as much my fault as it was hers.", and "Had we started walking down the ally and I had been on her other side it would have been me that staked that man."

I don't believe this 100%, but there's no way to prove it without a time machine. She did tell me to stop! But by then my stake was on its was into his heart, and by the time my brain had registered what exactly she had said, I had already removed it. If I could change one thing from my fucked up life it would be those few seconds. Not the day my Dad was shot, not the day my mom gave me up, but that one minute that change my world. I would do anything to give back the life I took, but no amount of wishing or hoping or praying can change that. I killed a man, and I will save hundreds more before I die…but none of that will matter, cause that one will be gone.

The Summers ladies are a real help. Joyce's helping by fussing over my, being the mom I never had. Giles is being a great Watcher, doing the business in a friendly and family like way. And B…well, B's just being B. Amazing as ever. Telling me "We'll get through this" and "It'll all turn out okay" and some times she sounds so sure, that I just can't help believing her. She's breaking all the rules that I laid down, and yet I can't help but love her. Rule 1 was: You're on your own side, and that's all you'll ever need. Rule 2 was: Roots are for trees, and a Slayer is not a plant. Rule 3 had always been : Never fall in love, 'cause those who love you will always leave you.

That little blond sure knows how to turn a world up-side-down…for once in my life I'm not alone, and I like it that way. I may not be the Chosen One, but being a part of the Chosen Two isn't half bad! I want to be a part of the Scooby team, I want to have Slayerettes…even if they're a little dorky, they start to grow on you after you get to know them. As for roots, I have a home! I've never had a home before really. Buffy said this was my home now, that no matter what happened, as long as I had legs to run, that this house would be a home that I was welcome to run to.

As for rule 3…that one's been broken for a while now, as we both know. Who on the face of the earth could know B and not love her? The way she can look at things, and although she sees the bad, she has this ability to look past it and see the good underneath. She's an amazing Slayer too! I don't think I have ever met anyone or anything that could kick my ass, but I know that B could wipe the floor with me! Plus…I don't think I've ever met anyone as beautiful as she is. She's got these eyes that look green, but their really hazel. They're a soft brown with gorgeous green flex in them. They look the best when she's laughing, they really do sparkle if you look close enough. Her skin is so smooth too! I don't know how she does it. My hands are all callused and worn from all the years of weapons and steaks I use while fighting. Its soft and smooth and warm, like porcelain. Plus she's got an incredible body. But she's such a loving person that it's hard not to love her too…

No matter how hard I try.

-Faith

P.S.: Killed a few Vamps last night, don't know how many…

Faith and Buffy had both finished their assignments at about the same time. Buffy had just Put her things away in her binder and Faith was signing her name in her Diary. Faith got up to but the book back in her bag.

"So," Faith asked "What 2 assignments did you do?"

"English and History."

"What was the English assignment?" Buffy pulled out a book and tossed it to Faith.

"Its from my Shakespeare class. I don't know why I signed-"

"Othello!!?" Faith asked excitedly, "I love this book! Man, you consider this homework? I wish I got to read my favorite book for school. They always made us write and correct essays so we'd perfect our grammar…That's the stuff I can't stand."

"You've read Othello?" Buffy asked, skeptically.

"Yeah, I'm a huge Shakespeare Fan. This is one of my more favorites. His sonnets are cool too, I love how her puts them into his plays." With that she opened the book and started reading one of the pages with great interest. "What parts have you read so far?"

"Um, I just started it. We just finished A Merchant Of Venice, and now we're starting this. I didn't read the last one, Willow just explained it to me before the test."

"Then you're missing out! That ones a good one too. Its all about who you can trust and who you can't, lies, deception, greed, racism, love…it's a good read." Buffy laughed. "What?"

"Nothing," Buffy answered, slightly amused. "I just never saw you as a Shakespeare fan."

"Yeah," Faith said looking up, "I guess I just don't look like the reading type." She chuckled too.

"So what else have you read?"

"Well," Faith started slowly, "I've always loved Children's books, they are really easy to fallow. I love how the bad guys always loose and the goods guys make it look easy. I guess it makes slaying easier, helps you believe you're gonna win." She said smiling, "I like those new books by the Scottish woman; J.K. Rowling. The Harry Potter books have so much detail. Everything from schools, to banks, to postal services. It's amazing how well thought out they are. All the little details make it all the more believable."

"Wow…" Buffy was slightly taken aback, she didn't see Faith as the reading type. "What are some other books you liked?"

"Well," Faith put Othello down on Buffy's backpack, and climbed into bed. "I LOVE scary stories. Poe wrote some of the best scary stories I've come across. He was a really twisted guy! He married his 14-year-old cousin, and when she died he kept her frozen with dry-ice for years! After that he went insane and drank himself to death. He had a great flare for writing. I also love poetry. Poetry is high on my list of favorites. But, like books, children's poems are my preference."

"Who's your favorite poet?" Buffy asked as she slid into bed next to the younger Slayer.

"Oh no B!" Faith answered, giggling slightly, "That one I'm taking to the grave!"

"Please…?" the little blond asked, doing her best puppy eyes. Faith caved.

"Alright, but promise you won't tell?" Buffy nodded. "You realize that if you do I'll break your neck right?"

"I know! Spill already."

"…. . Shel Silverstein…. " Faith was scarlet, head to toe.

"Really? I used to love his poems. My mom used to read them to me when I was sick. Which one's your favorite?"

"I have an old favorite and a new one. The old was from before I became the Slayer."

"How does the old favorite go?"

"THE WORST: "Faith cleared her throat "When singing songs of scariness, Of bloodiness and hairiness, I feel obligated at this moment to remind you, Of the most ferocious beast of all, Three thousand pounds and nine feet tall-, the Glurpy Slurpy Skakagrall-, Who's standing right behind you!" at that they both laughed.

"I can see why that may have no longer been your favorite poem since you became a Slayer." Buffy said regaining her composure.

"Yeah, hits a little too close to home."

"So what's your new favorite poem?"

"LOVE: Ricky was 'L' but he's home with the flu, Lizzie our 'O' had some home work to do, Mitchell the 'E' prob'ly got lost on the way, so I'm all LOVE that that could make it today." Faith was happy she remembered the whole thing.

"Those are some really nice poems. When exactly to you do all this reading?"

"When I would have been at school. I used to help out in my public library back in Boston. I was The Story Lady. I was the woman who sat in the chair and read to the kids on the carpet…." then as though she realized what she was saying she stopped and turned to Buffy, a scared look on her face. "You ever tell anyone what I just told you and you are dead meat." Buffy just smiled warmly.

"Your secret's safe with me." Faith relaxed a little. "Come on, let's get some rest. A cranky Slayer is a careless Slayer." And with that she shut off the light. Then before she lost the nerve to do it she reached over and hugged Faith. "good night" she whispered.

"Night." Whispered Faith. 'Wow…' Faith thought to herself, 'She must really care about me.'

Confessing One's Sins

'She's so cute when she's sleeping…' thought Buffy. Then without a seconds hesitation she pulled the blanket off the bed in one sweep. Faith's initial reaction was to curl into a little ball and moan in exasperation. That same moan sent shivers up Buffy's spine.

"Come on Faith," Buffy wheedled, "We need to get to school."

"I don't go to school…" Faith complained half asleep.

"Faith." Buffy said in a more business like tone, "We need to get to school so we can talked to Giles and Wesley. We need to arrange a Scooby meeting." Then as a side note she added, "Plus the library got a new shipment of books…" at that Faith jumped out of bed.

"Cool! Let's go, I wouldn't want to keep the Counsel waiting." She started to grab some clothes from her bag to get dressed.

"I'll be in the bathroom brushing my teeth while you get dressed. Meet me down stairs in a couple of minutes and we'll go." Buffy quickly did her morning bathroom stuff and hurried down stairs to wait for Faith.

"Ready to motor?" Faith asked a little calmer then she had been before. Buffy looked the brunette up and down. She was decked out in deep red-leather pants, a black tank-top, and her classic steel-toe Docs. Buffy giggled.

"You're going to school in THAT?" Buffy asked, laughing. Faith looked down at her clothes.

"What? What's wrong with my clothes?" Faith asked pulling on a dark denim jacket.

"Nothing," Buffy answered, "You're just gonna cause a riot is all." With that Buffy grabbed her bag and opened the door for faith. They walked along quietly exchanging small chitchat. Until…

"I had the oddest Dream last night, it made no sense."

"Really?" Faith asked, "Who was in it?"

"Angel, mostly, but all the Scoobies show up at one point or another."

"Really…?" Faith asked in a teasing tone, "Do I want to ask what you and Angel were up to?"

"It wasn't like that!" Buffy said, laughing, "It was kinda Slayer related with out really being slayer related."

"Okay," Faith said still slightly teasing, "But I'm gonna ask you again: What was it like? I mean the guys dead, it must have been a little weird?" Faith asked, playing the curios friend.

"Yeah, I guess it kinda was…" Buffy said, blushing "I've always wondered if that makes me a Necrophiliac…"

"What does that mean?"

"It's a clinical term for some one who likes to have sex with dead people."

"So you didn't just have the sex, you liked the sex?" Faith said, chuckling at Buffy's slip of tongue.

"Not really…" Buffy whispered, forgetting that Faith had Slayer hearing.

"YOU DIDN'T?!" Faith yelled. Buffy flushed scarlet. She wished the world would open up and swallow her whole 'Funny how that never happens when you want it to!' Buffy thought. The little blond groaned in frustration.

"So B?" Faith asked slowly, "What was Soul-Boy doing wrong?"

"Nothing!" Buffy shouted, "…at least I don't think."

"Then what was wrong?"

"He was kinda cold."

"Yeah, guys can be mean in bed-"

"No!" Buffy said giggling slightly, "I mean he was cold! As in not warm. It was weird too, I got the feeling he hadn't had any in a while."

"Let me guess!" Faith said boldly, "Missionary for about 2 minutes, you had to fake it, but in the end he had to finish you off with his fingers?" Faith laughed at her own joke, where as Buffy looked stunned.

"Hey!" she said indignantly.

"Sorry I-"

"He didn't!" she sounded pretty mad now.

"Look I was jus-"

"He just fell asleep afterwards! That was rude! I bet he didn't even think of that!" Now Faith was the one blushing. She had only been joking when she said those things about Angel. "Selfish Vamp!" Buffy growled, now obviously pissed off.

"Hey," Faith said, trying to cool the older Slayer down, "I know what that's like. In fact it happened to me recently, except that instead of Xander falling asleep I just kicked him out." Buffy nodded, then her head shot up.

"XANDER?!"

"Umm…" Faith stammered.

"You slept with Xander?!" Buffy sounded almost hurt.

"It was the post Slayage Bad decision of the century, they'll put it in the record books." Faith said trying to sound funny.

"FAITH!" Buffy yelled, "This is huge!"

"Trust me when I say it was anything but huge." Faith said, using her thumb and forefinger to indicate the boy's lack of masculinity.

"That was more then I ever wanted to know about Xander." Buffy cringed.

"What do you guys know about Xander?" Willow said, jogging to catch up with them. Buffy gave Faith a pointed look, the turned to Willow.

"That he's a really loyal guy. He's been a helpful ally over the years, isn't that right Faith?"

"Yeah," Faith said playing along, "Real helpful."

"Right," Willow said looking at Faith skeptically, "So what's the deal Buffy, you gonna spill about the busy phone line last night or what?" Faith paled, she was not looking forward to telling all of Buffy's friends what she had done.

"Um, Will?" Buffy asked gently, "Can that wait till later? Faith and I still have a few things we need to work out with Giles."

"Yeah, sure." Willow looked worried. Buffy gave her a reassuring smile and the walked up the front steps of Sunnydale High.

There's Someone Else

Willow and Buffy trotted along happily chatting as best friends do, when Xander came and tapped Faith on the shoulder. He looked nervous about something.

"Hey Faith." He said quietly, "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure X-Man what's up?" Xander led her over to the table in front of the drink machine and motioned for her to sit down.

"Look, Faith, about what happened between us the other night," He started slowly, "It really meant a lot to me, and I was wondering if-"

"Wait!" Faith interrupted him abruptly, "Look, Xand, I'm sorry I let that happen. It was wrong of me to do that, I know…But the thing is…it's my fault. I should have stopped it before it got out of control. I'm sorry X-Man, but if you're gonna ask what I think you're gonna ask, then the answer is 'No'. Look, I didn't mean to lead you on or anything. I've had more then a few one-nighters, but this is the first time it's ever happened to a friend." Xander bowed his head dejectedly. "You're a good friend Xander, I really mean that. I hope this doesn't come between us in the future 'cause you're your great to work with."

"Why?" Xander asked, "Why not?"

"Do you want the truth or what you'd expect me to tell you?"

"The truth…please?" he asked, sounding hurt. Faith looked down at the table in front of her, trying to figure out what to say.

"I think I'm in love." She told him quietly. Xander's head shot up like a cork from a bottle. "bet you didn't expect that from me." She said, laughing nervously.

"Who?"

"Don't push your luck." Xander tried to look at anything but Faith, but it was hard. He wasted answers.

"Hey Faith?" Xander asked, sounding nervous, "Between me and you…Was I any good?" Faith smiled at his daring, and decided to reward him with a little confidence.

"You were okay." She said smiling, "if I didn't know better I'd have said you'd done it a few times before." She smiled at him and got up heading for the library, Xander at her heals.

Worry Wonder and Waterworks

When Faith and Xander walked in their eyes were greeted with the sight of a very tired Giles talking to Wesley, who also looked like he could use some sleep. Faith walked over to the table and sat next to Buffy, Xander sitting across from her next to Willow. Just then Oz wandered in, resulting in a big Willowy Smile from the redhead. He walked over and quickly kissed his girlfriend before taking a seat at the head of the table. Giles cleared his throat to get the Scooby Gang's attention.

Buffy's eyes went buggy and she started waving her hands in front of her self, mouthing the word 'NO' franticly. Giles got the idea and told the rest of the students to go to class, but asked Faith and Buffy to stay behind. The rest of the Slayerettes left the Library wondering what was going on. Faith and Buffy followed Giles and Wesley into their office.

"Ah, yes, Buffy…" Giles paused for a minute, trying to think of what to say to his charge. "I have, uhm, er, news. Wesley and the dive team retrieved the body last night and one of the other divers is accompanying it to London as we speak to be examined. They wish to do an autopsy to make sure that the wounds and in favor of your testimonies, but the water damage done to the remains may affect the evidence. They still don't see any reason for a formal trial but they may chose to send their own examination team over to re-question you." Giles paused, wanting to be cautious with this next bit of information. The old librarian took off his glasses and polished them with a handkerchief from his pocket.

"They have assured me that they will look at the case objectively, and will remember how important it is to have a slayer on the Hellmouth…" Giles paused, not sure weather he should be the one to tell Buffy this next piece of information. "But should they decided that steps must be taken, they will probably remove a slayer from the Hellmouth." At this both girls went pale as death.

"What?" Buffy asked, so quiet that even Faith with her Slayer hearing had trouble understanding.

"They have discussed the possibility of removing one of you from Sunnydale." Giles bowed his head, knowing this was not welcomed news.

Faith was speechless. 'Typical!' Faith thought, 'I finally find a place that I can call home and my destiny once again gets in the way. Jeez! Doesn't – '

Faith never got to finish that though because a loud wail interrupted her thinking. Buffy was crying! Faith shot up out of her chair and kneeled before the small blond. Buffy was crying about something, but her deafening moans of sorrow were incomprehensible. Faith put her hands on the girl's knees, trying to look into Buffy's eyes. This was an unattainable task, as the younger Slayer had her face covered by her hands (making her cries even less explicable).

In one quick move Faith had her arms wrapped around Buffy. She lifted her up and carried her back out into the library. Faith sat down in a chair, placing Buffy in her lap, her arms still tightly enveloped around her fellow Slayer. But the small girl still cried. Faith didn't know what to do, but she wanted nothing more then to make Buffy happy again.

"Hey," Faith whispered into the blonde's ear, "It's okay. It's okay!" Faith rubbed her hands gently over the crying girls back, "Don't worry, you're not going anywhere. It's all right. You have a whole life here, family, friends, and two whole Watchers all to yourself." Faith tried to make Buffy laugh, but it didn't work. "Look, B, it's gonna be okay! You'll see. Giles only said maybe, and that's a slim chance of the maybe-sorta-kinda-not-really variety. Just you wait, when this is all over and everything's fine you're gonna feel really stupid that you cried over something so small." Buffy's sobs had lessened, but they had not gone away entirely.

"Besides," Faith said, now that she had really given the situation thought. "If they're gonna move anyone, it's gonna be me." At that Buffy's wails of pain erupted to vociferous howls.

"NO!" Buffy screamed, "They can't take you away! They can't do that!" then her cries returned to shouted sobs.

"Hey," Faith said, getting worried about the girl screaming herself horse, "Don't worry! Look at me! I'm the one they'd move, and look how calm I am." Faith wasn't really calm, but right now she'd swear to god that she was Queen Elizabeth if it'd get Buffy to stop crying. "And like you said," Faith gave Buffy a tight hug and a kiss on the top of the head, "We're the Slayers, and they're the watchers, with out us they're nothing! It's you and me B. Us against the world…" she noticed that Buffy had stopped her bawling, so she reached down, and took her by the chin. The blonde's makeup was a little runny, and she had tears still rolling down her cheeks. She had never looked cuter in Faith's eyes. "And you know what?" she asked, reaching up to wipe away the girl's tears, "We're gonna win."

Buffy gave a small smile and hugged Faith tightly to herself, whispering a quiet "Thank You".

The fears of the two Slayers may have been contained, but for the two Watchers (who had just witnessed the entire interaction through Giles' office window) the fear was just beginning….

Telling The Slayerettes

Later, that afternoon, the two slayers walked back into the library with their arms over each other's shoulders. Once they had stopped talking amongst themselves the noticed the two exhausted looking watchers waiting for the rest of the Scoobies. Buffy looked at Faith is a pleading way. They had talked later that morning after Buffy had cried. Faith had brought up the fact that she didn't want to be the one to actually tell the Scooby Gang about what had happened. Buffy said she didn't want to do it either. So as Faith walked Buffy to homeroom they talked about meeting in the library early to ask Giles to do it. Buffy had decided that Faith should do the actual asking.

"Hey, Giles?" Faith started slowly, "Can I talk to you for a second in your office?" Faith's voice betrayed her nervousness.

"Certainly." He walked ahead of Faith, leading the way. The brunette looked back at her fellow Slayer. Buffy nodded at her encouragingly.

"Okay, there are a few things I need to talk to you about." Faith said, once she had closed the door behind her.

"What is it?" Giles asked, as matter-of-fact as ever.

"Well, the first thing I wanted to ask you was…" Faith paused, she didn't know how this would sound to the old watcher. She knew that Buffy was his surrogate daughter, and this was a strange question to ask.

"Yes?"

"The next time you drop a bomb like that on B, would you at least tell me first?" Faith rushed out quickly. "I beg your pardon?" Giles actually looked confused, and he wasn't even using the computer.

"You saw what happened this morning, right?"

"Yes," Giles answered slowly, "In a manor of speaking-"

"Then you saw how she reacted!" Faith was upset, Giles could tell, but she wasn't angry.

"Look-"

"Hey," Faith said, a little more composed, "Look, I'm sorry. But I don't wanna see B upset like that. I was just wondering…as a personal favor, could you maybe come and talk to me about that kind of thing first? Then maybe you and I could figure out a way to tell her. That way she doesn't get so upset, like she did this morning?"

Giles gave a small smile. He knew that Faith cared about Buffy, and he was happy for it. He had read the young Slayer's file as soon as it had been sent. Faith needed people she could trust, and the fact that she was looking out for Buffy during such a hard time in their lives was a very good sign.

"Certainly. Perhaps…that would be best. You did seem to have a certain finesse when it came to calming her this morning." Giles noticed Faith blush slightly, thus triggering a new thought in the watcher's mind: 'Maybe be she's not looking out for her friend…'

"Anyways!" Faith said quickly, trying to stay away for the topic of this morning, "There was another thing that me and B wanted to ask you. And this one is kinda big…" Giles looked apprehensive.

"What is it?" he asked sternly, as though afraid of the answer.

"We know that it's not really your place to do this," Faith started slowly, wanting to get it right. "But we were wondering if maybe, when the Scoobs come for the afternoon meeting…if maybe…. . You'd tell them about what's going on" Faith pinched her eyes shut tight.

Giles noticed the change in Faith's features as she finished. It was they way someone looked when they knew they were going to get hit. She was anticipating pain. This worried the Watcher to know end as he cleared his throat. He watched Faith open an apprehensive eye, as though anticipating a trick.

"I will, but I would like to know why." The librarian said quietly.

"Well, lots of reasons." Faith said slowly, as though it was obvious. "I don't know them very well, so I don't know how they'll take it if they hear it from me. Buffy is too emotional right now to tell all her friends that she's involved in a murder, weather it's accidental or not. Plus, you have all the facts and the Counsel put you in charge of investigations! You were the obvious choice." She knew she had him, but she still wanted to grease the wheels, "Besides! They all see you as 'The Great Learned One' with all the answers and an endless card catalog of books about demons in your head. From me it'll seem like an excuse to not like me further, from Buffy it'll sound like she's looking for pity, but from you it'll sound like fact."

"I see." Giles took off his glasses an wiped them, "And you both decided this when?"

"This morning."

"Ah. Yes. I should have guessed." Giles put his glasses back on as there was a nock at the door. Buffy poked her head in hesitantly.

"Did you ask?" Faith nodded. "Did he say yes?" Another nod form the brunette.

"You know," the old Watcher said dryly, "I AM standing right here." Buffy blushed and smiled.

"The Slayeretts are starting to arrive." Buffy said nervously, "We should probably take our seats."

The two slayers and the old watcher walked out of the office and over to the table were Wesley sat. The only other person there was Xander who was obviously early because he skipped class, but the others were due any minute. They slowly filed their way into the library over the next 10 or so minutes until the whole crew was set and in place.

'Here goes nothing' both the slayer thought.

Faith sat down next to Buffy and waited for the other Scoobys to arrive. Wesley arrived shortly after Faith left Giles' office, closely followed by Oz. Cordelia arrived complaining about a meeting with her English professor, then standing next Wesley as they made googly-eyes at each-other.

Willow had yet to arrive, and the tension was building in the room. Faith was drawing on one of her boots with a sharpie when she looked over at Buffy. Her hands were trembling violently. 'She's shaking like a leaf!' Faith thought. She reached over and took Buffy's hand. The small blond looked up, receiving a comforting smile from Faith. Buffy gave the brunette's hand a squeeze just as Willow walked in.

"Sorry I'm late!" the young witch called as she ran in, quickly taking a seat. She looked around impatiently, her eyes traveling from Slayers to Watchers and back again. "Out With It Already!!"

"Um, yes, well." Giles cleared his throat, looking at the Slayers' joined hands then back to the group, "I assume that you are all aware that a few nights ago an event occurred that may directly effect all of us." He then took off his glasses and looked at them as he continued. "I regret to inform you that there has been a terrible accident, and that a life has been taken. Now, as has happened before, a human lies dead at the hands of a Slayer."

Xander's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, Cordelia bowed her head in shock, and Oz's eyebrows became one. The most extreme reaction however, came from Willow, who fainted and slipped out of her chair. Her body made a dull 'Flump' as it hit the Library floor. Oz Quickly reached down and picked her up. He gently tapped her face until she blinked back to consciousness.

"Pleases tell me I dreamed that?" she whispered so quietly only the slayers could hear. They dropped their clasped hands, and looked away.

"What do you mean when you say that this has happened before?" Xander asked quietly.

"It is not uncommon for accidents of this kind to occur. Slayers have powers and capabilities that humans do not, and like humans each Slayer is unique. Some are born with strength greater then most in their breed, but their mental discipline will be low. Or they will have a high susceptibility to Slayer-Dreams but they don't heal quickly. Some have heightened human senses, but will have trouble with their Slayer-sense for detecting Vampires." Giles put his glasses back on, looking a bit awkward.

"Every Slayer has one power they are exceptionally good at, and one that's a little below normal for their kind. It's not their fault. But when you live and die to fight evil, and you have a weakness, it's going to have constituencies." The librarian finished slowly.

"How often does this happen?" Willow asked carefully.

"The average is approximately one human death per Slayer." Wesley replied sadly, "But that's just the average. The Slayer that lived during the boxer rebellion had terrible Slayer-Senses and killed four humans in her reign. She holds the record."

"How could this happen?" Xander asked the old Watcher.

"Um…" Faith started slowly, "I guess we could show you?" The room nodded. She took Buffy's hand and led her to the open area near the counter.

She then got up and took Willow's hand, then Xander's, followed by Wesley's. She made Xander stand by the counter, Willow across from him near the Card-Catalog, and Wesley she placed near the door to the bookcase. She took Buffy's hand and led her back towards the doors to the library.

"It kinda went like this." Faith said, pulling out a state for her self and another one for Buffy. "We started walking down this alley, and I could tell there were some vamps near by," She motioned for Buffy and her to start walking forward slowly, "When all of a sudden, a Vamp pops out." She waves to Xander to walk forward and he complies "So I stake him," she pokes him in the chest with the dull end of the sate, "And he turns to dust."

"Then," Buffy says walking forward, waving to Willow, "Another Vamp pops out," she pokes Willow with the dull end of her stake, "And he turns to dust."

"But before the Nasty goes 'Poof', this guy pops out," Faith says, pointing to Wesley, who steps forward to were Faith is standing, "and since I can still detect Vamp near by cause of the guy B's dealing with, I think Wesley's a Vamp too." Faith bows her head. "By the time B's done with that guy I'm already swinging my arm back. At the last second Buffy yelled 'NO!', but it was too late. By the time I heard what she said he was gone." Faith's voice broke slightly with that last sentence. She cleared her throat, and looked up. "That's how it happened."

"It could have just as easily have been me." Buffy said, putting an arm around Faith shoulder. "Now you know." She said, looking pointedly at Willow. The room remained silent for several minutes afterwards.

"The Counsel has placed me in charge of investigations, and the body was taken to London to be Autopsied." Giles stated dryly, "They have reviewed the testimonies and so far see no need for a trial to take place. No punishments have been dealt yet, though they have considered some…" Both the slayers bowed their heads as they headed back to their seats.

"What?" The fountain of words that was Oz inquired.

"They have considered removing a slayer from the Hellmouth." This statement was shortly followed by gasps of shock. "Just one, and it's only a small chance."

"Here's the question no one wants to ask," Cordelia said in her usual tone, "Which one?" All eyes turned to the Slayers.

"That's classified." Wesley snapped.

"Buffy." Giles stated quietly.

"WHAT?!" Faith yelled, jumping from her chair, "THAT'S NOT FAIR! She's got a whole life here!!"

"I know." Giles said loudly, "That's the problem! A Slayer is supposed to be isolated. She's not supposed to have friends, she not supposed to live with family and she is not supposed to be a daughter to her Watcher!" The room fell silent. "That's why that chose her Faith. She's not supposed to divulge her identity to people, and yet all these people know." Giles indicated to all the people in the library, "She will have no more contact with me, as I am to stay here and continue to be a librarian, and that way the Slayers can cover more ground when you are in two different places."

"That's why I get to stay?" Faith said, her tone full of loathing, "Cause I ain't got no here for me? No friends, no Watcher, and no place to go." Faith sat down heavily.

"They have decided not to, but should another event like this one occur they WILL send Buffy away."

The room fell silent, every person in the room thinking over all the information they were just fed, and now had to digest. No one liked the plan, and no one wanted to see Buffy go.

"Well I've got a plan," Xander said, in his joking tone, "Don't let it happen again." He smiled his big, fake smile and got up to leave the library. Willow got up to, telling Buffy that she'd call her later as Oz followed her out. Giles and Wesley went into the old Watcher's office as Cordelia picked up her bag of cheerleading gear and headed off to practice.

Faith suddenly realized that Buffy hadn't said a word since she found out about her possible re-location. When she peered over to look at the blond she saw a look of sock on the girl's face. 'I'm gonna kill him!' was the only thought running through Faiths head as she glared at he old librarian through the window of his office. He must have felt her penetrating gaze because he caught her eye for a moment before quickly looking away.

"Come on," Faith said, taking Buffy's hand and pulling her out of the chair. "Let's get you home."

"I want to go slaying." She said, almost dreamily.

"Okay B, what ever you want to do is okay by me." Faith slowly walked Buffy out of the library as they made their way to one of Sunnydale's cemeteries.

Intimacy Issues

Faith was worried. She'd never seen Buffy like this; isolated, preoccupied, and emotionless. She put her arm around the little blond as the walked out of the school. The sky had grown dark, and the city was alive with evils.

"What cemetery do you want to go to B?" Faith asked the little Slayer quietly.

"Which ever has the most action I guess." Was Buffy's monotone response.

"Look, B, I don't know about this." Faith said, holding the older girl more tightly, "I don't know if you should be slaying this way. I'm not gonna stop you, but I just wanna say that I ain't so sure about this."

"I'm fine."

"I'm not letting you go alone, that's for sure." Buffy smiled up at Faith, the first emotion she had shown since they had told the Super Friends what had happened.

"Thanks for looking out for me."

"No problem B. Like you said, it's just you an me in this world…" Faith smiled back, "…and from here, that's doesn't look so bad." Buffy blushed a little, which made Faith's smile widen.

"Why don't we head to Shady Acres, they've been busy lately?" Buffy suggested.

"Sounds good to me!" Faith pulled a stake out and started twirling it like a drummer.

They sauntered along the sidewalk, each wondering what the other's thoughts were, when they both felt that familiar tickle. The feeling of hairs standing on end, and the vague hum in the back of their minds that whispered '…Vampire…'

Buffy felt Faith stiffen, and hold her more tightly. She could feel it was close, but couldn't sense a direction. They both sped up, gripping their stakes firmly as they continued down the path. The creature didn't fallow. Wherever it was, it didn't want to feed or be found. It simply watched. This unnerved Buffy, she reached up, and put her free hand over the one Faith had resting on her shoulder.

"Why isn't it following us?" Faith whispered.

"I dunno, but if it isn't bothering us let's just let it go."

They walked into the cemetery, towards the fresh graves. Buffy took a seat on one of the tomb-stones, while Faith leaned against a nearby mausoleum. The brunette observed her partner more closely, reading the delicate facial features and subtle body-language. Faith smirked, 'I can read her like a book!' she thought.

"They still love you, you know?" Faith said, as though they had been in the middle of a conversation. Buffy stopped swinging her feet to look at the younger slayer.

"What?" Buffy asked, playing dumb.

"Your friends. They still love you. I admit, I don't know them very well, but I do know you," She smiled at the petite blond, "And they wouldn't be your friends if you weren't positive their love was unconditional." Buffy smiled a sad smile, and looked back at her feet, which started swinging again.

"I hope you're right." She whispered. Faith got up and walked behind Buffy, gently hugging her around the middle.

"They just need time to adjust," She whispered in the older girl's ear, "It's a lot to take in. They don't know what to do, or what to think." Faith suddenly realized how intimate she was being with blond and pulled away. "Just look what I did! I panicked. But Willow, she's a really levelheaded girl, she'll understand. I bet by the time we get home there'll be a message from her on your machine. Xander will make jokes to cover up his insecurities, like always, and in a few days time he'll be drooling over you as if nothing ever changed."

"You really think so?" she asked, sounding slightly hopeful.

"B! I know so. They'll be worried about you, not mad at you!" Faith sighed. "It must be nice, you know? To have someone care about you that much…"

"You should know," Buffy said, giving her a pointed smile, "I don't think I could be concerned about you anymore with out getting on your nerves."

"Some times you do!" Faith said Laughing. Buffy burst out laughing too, followed by an indignant 'HEY!', followed by more giggles. Both stopped laughing and looked at one another, smiling broadly.

"Oh!" Faith said excitedly as an undead hand popped out of the ground, "Looks like we've got company."

"You want this one?" Buffy asked.

"Sure. Why don't you take that one over there and wait for him to wake-up?" Faith said, indicating to a fresh grave a few rows back. Buffy walked over to it, and sat on the head-stone.

The fights where short and simple, both the vamps dusting after a few blows, neither Slayer being on the receiving end of them. Soon, more had awoken, and they took them out one by one. All of them fledglings, and all easy kills. There were 7 total, Faith won the tiebreaker with a swift kick to the guys head. It came flying off and bust into dust as it hit a tree trunk.

When they walked home Buffy had her arm around Faith's waist as they headed for 1630 Revello Drive. Once they had grabbed a snack, and headed up stairs, Faith went to take her shower.

The light on her answering machine was blinking, so she pressed it. Willow's voice called through the speaker, asking Buffy to call 'cause she was worried and wanted to make sure that she was okay.

'Faith was right.'

The Buffy Monopoly

Faith walked out of the Bathroom, towel drying her long brown hair, when she heard Buffy talking in her room. After stopping outside the door to listen she could tell that the blond must be talking to Willow. She only caught a few seconds of the conversation before Buffy hung up giggling. There was dead silence in the room for a few seconds. Faith pressed her ear to the door, listening intently.

If it weren't for Faith's Super-Slayer-Reflexes, she would have ended up face down on the floor. Buffy had swiftly pulled the door open knowing that Faith was on the other side, and the brunette had just enough time to put her arms out and fall on the to blond instead. Buffy was in the middle of a fit of giggles before she realized she was on the floor with Faith on top of her in nothing more then a towel.

Faith started laughing her self, though more because she was nervous. Not just because of the towel-half-naked-on-the-floor-thing, but also because she had been caught listening in on her crush/roommate's phone call. She didn't know how Buffy would react to that, but took the blonde's laughing as a good sign. She quickly got up, careful to keep the towel around her, and headed to her bag to get clothes.

"So what did you and Red talk about?" she asked, making a point to keep her back towards the older girl

"If you know enough to know that it was Willow, then you must know what we were talking about." She said in a mocking voice.

"I kinda caught the Good-byes." Faith said, guilt evident in her voice. Buffy thought she sounded cute.

"She wanted to make sure we were okay." She said, smiling at Faith, "she also wanted to ask me a few things."

"WE?" Faith asked skeptically, "You mean YOU, B. She doesn't give a damn about me." With that Faith went to change in the bathroom, but stopped when Buffy put her hand on Faiths arm.

"No, Faith. I meant WE. She was really concerned about you. She wanted to know if you'd want to talk to her about it, since she's kinda the 'Scooby Therapist'." She smiled at the younger girl and gave her arm a squeeze, "They care about you Faith, I hope you know that." With that she let got of Faith's arm so she could change.

Buffy went over to her desk and took out her books and binders, getting ready to do work. She knew Faith was serious when she said she'd force her to do her work.

Faith came back to the room in a pair of sweat-shorts and a t-shirt. 'how can she make that look so sexy?' Buffy wondered.

"So what did you and the Wicked Witch talk about?" Faith asked pulling out her Slayer Diary and a pen.

'you mainly' was what Buffy wanted to say (as it was the truth), but decided on "School stuff. She wanted to ask me a few things." With that Buffy turned to face Faith.

"Is it just me, or did the sky just fall?" Faith said laughing, "Since when does Red get homework help from you?"

"Not that kinda school stuff." Buffy retorted, smiling, "She and I haven't really gotten to hang out recently, you know? What with you moving in and all. She was wondering when she and I could get together tomorrow." Faith's face fell. She liked Willow, but she liked hanging out with Buffy a lot more. She could understand how Red might want the Buff-ster all to her lonesome, but that meant less time for Faith.

"Which reminds me, I want to know what's on your agenda so I can plan mine." Buffy looked at her as if to tell her that she came first in the matter of Faith Vs. Willow.

"Uh…nothing really. Feel free to mess with it."

"Okay, but first I wanted to ask you something…" Buffy got up and moved to sit on the bed nest to Faith. "If you go Slaying, and I'm not there, will you promise not to go to a busy cemetery?" Buffy gently took the younger girls hand in her and squeezed it lightly. Faith was so moved by Buffy's concern that she actually wanted to say "YES" and mean it.

"You don't think I can take care of myself, is that it?" Faith asked emotionlessly.

"That's not it at all, Faith, and you know it. It's 'cause I worry. I just want to be sure that you'll be okay." She smiled shyly at Faith.

"Why do you ask?" Faith looked apprehensive.

"I just found out from Willow that I have a huge History paper due the day after tomorrow. I was wondering if maybe I could leave the slaying to you that night so I could write it?"

"Sure, whatever you need is okay by me B." 'Slaying just won't be the same without you though.'

"Okay, then here's the plan that I think might work: I got to school with you in the morning, and I spend Homeroom and Lunch with Willow (that's killing two birds with one stone, cause she can help me with my paper), then I can stay after school a bit and train with you for a while, then you can go and get down with your bad-Slayer-self while I glue my forehead to the computer screen. How does that sound?"

"Sound like you got it all worked out." Faith tried to look happy, but she was gonna miss having lunch with Buffy and she wanted to go out and have a good Slay with the little blonde.

"All that's left is your assurance that you won't go out and get in over your head…"

"Fine." Faith said flatly, "I'll go and check out the parks. They've been quiet lately. Happy now?"

"Very!" the older slayer said, jumping up and going back to her work on her Othello reading.

Faith shook her head smiling, and opened her Journal.

The Second First-Person

Dear Slayer-Diaries,

LIFE IS GOOD! I know I shouldn't be saying that, as today had to be one of the hardest and longest of my life…but from where I'm sitting, it doesn't seem so bad. Let me give you a view from my perspective, shall we?

I'm a Girl who's had a short but hard life. I find out I'm a Slayer, I do my job, my boss gets killed…and I ran away from my problems (which eventually found me). But here I am, after my 180-twist SITTING ON BUFFY SUMMERS' BED! I killed a man, and I found a soul mate.

Wait! No! Scratch that! I don't believe in God, so there's no such thing as a soul…but if I did believe in it, then yeah. She would be mine.

This is the way I've always thought about it (even before I met her): As a Slayer, I have always felt incomplete. Like there was a part of me that had to be taken away in order to make room for what ever is required to be a Slayer, and I never thought I could feel whole. But then, I met this girl:

About Five-Foot-Two, Bottle Blond, Hazel Eyes, and the poster child for "Goody-2-shoes" kids (minus the fact that she had sex with her boy-friend who later tried to end the world, and the fact that she is also a Slayer). But there's something inside her, that radiates off her like heat off a flame…and it makes me feel whole. It makes the pain go away, and life seems so much better when she's around.

I know I don't know what love is from experience, but I have read about it. They say that your knees go weak and your hands start to shake. Poets always talk about how a simple smile can cause a heart to stop beating or how a single word can speak volumes of how they feel. Writes talk about how a time can seem altered when you're around people in love.

This is what I feel. And if all that is true, then love is what I am drowning in. When she put her arm around my shoulder to comfort me, my legs turn to Jell-O, and I babble like an idiot. When she walks into a room the world just fades away and all I can see is her beauty, grace and agility. Every smile from her lips is another step closer to my grave because it makes my heart stop beating and my lungs can't think to breathe.

It's like that poem by Blake:

"TO SEE A WORLD IN A GRAIN OF SAND,

AND HEAVEN IN A WILD FLOWER,

HOLD INFINITY IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND,

AND AN ETERNITY IN AN HOUR"

She's so small (just one person), yet she mean so much to this world. People see her every day and yet they don't see how deep her beauty runs. She can make the world melt away and all I want to do is be there with her when it happens. Yeah, I'm in love. And, yeah, I know what that means. I LOVE BUFFY SUMMERS; even though she's a girl, and even though she's straight, and yes I AM aware of the fact that she has a boyfriend…but I don't care.

I know she's happy and I know that I wouldn't do anything to change that. I guess I really have grown up. I have been known to be selfish and short-sited, but look at me now: all dressed up in Big Sis' clothes. I know being with Buffy would make me Happy, but I would trade the happiness she has right now for anything (even if it means my misery).

A lot happened today. I woke up, my face a mere inches away from Buffy's, and all I could do was marvel at life and the sharp turns it likes to take to throw me off. Never in a million years did I think that I'd wake up to sheets smelling of Buffy Summers, and incentive to go to school. I spent about 20 minutes watching her sleep, enjoying that smile on her face, before I too fell back into unconsciousness.

My second awakening was a little less enjoyable. Buffy pulled the sheets off me suddenly, and told me to get my rear in gear so I could tell all of her friends that I'm responsible for killing someone. That was the reality of the situation, but somehow she made it sound a lot better (I actually wanted to go to school with her {it's probably the WITH HER part that was the incentive…}). We walked to school and we talked about all kinds of stuff on the way.

GREAT NEWS: Angel's a dud in the sack according to Buffy! That thought will get me through the hard times, no matter how bleak they seem! I also accidentally told her that I slept with Xander…she looked almost hurt when I told her that. I think she was having sympathy pains or something. She didn't seem to happy about it, though she did laugh at my joke about the X-Man's…'short-comings', so to speak! I am so glad I told her though; I don't like to keep secrets.

Then we got some bad news about the Counsel, and how they might make Buffy move out of Sunnydale because people love her or something…she burst into tears! I picked her up and carried her over to a chair and I got to calm her down. I wanted to do it! Giles, though he is like he father, can be a little harsh at times. I told her that I wouldn't leave her (which is true), and I told her that she and I are going to make an unstoppable team (but that's already true).

When we told the group, they didn't take it so well. Oz actually changed facial expressions! I actually saw him furrow his brow…Willow Fainted and Xander made some crack about not letting me kill anymore people…little jerk!…never mind. Buffy stood by me though, and after that we went out Slaying.

The weirdest thing happened! We were walking out to the cemetery, and we could both sense that a Vamp was watching us. Why would a Vamp not go after two Slayers? It was unnerving. Then when we left it was gone. Maybe it was one of the 7 we staked while hunting between the tombstones. I hope he was, CREEP!

Then there was this whole thing when we got home. I took a shower and Buffy found me listening in on a phone call she was having with Willow, and one thing led to another and I was on-top of her in nothing more then a towel…! ANYWAYS: she told me that Willow was concerned about me, and that the Scoobys care about me. Then she did something really weird. She sat down next to me, taking my hand, and told me that she cares about me.

DOES SHE HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT SHE'S SAYING??? DOESN'T SHE REALIZE WHAT SHE'S DOING TO ME??? FOR CHRIST's SAKE! Then she went on to talk about how she didn't want me to go Slaying alone to any of the busy grave-yards because she worries about me being okay and because she wants to know that I'm safe!!! God I hope she doesn't see me as a little sister…

I had better go, Buffy's finished her required Homework Quota in order to be allowed into her own bed…

~Faith

PS: Buffy is beautiful even when she cries

Faith slowly and leisurely started to wake up. She could tell it was almost time to get up, but not quite yet. She felt warm and her body was humming because of her close proximity to Buffy. Then a thought came to Faith "My body never hums this much.'

She suddenly realized why her body was so warm and why her head was resting on something soft and supple. She wiggled her fingers only to realize that one of her hands was just under the hem of Buffy's shirt, and the other on Buffy's butt. Her eyes shot open when she heard her Pillow start to giggle. She saw that her face was resting on one of the blonde's breasts, and that her arms were wrapped around the slayer. She gulped and looked up nervously. Buffy smiled back down at her.

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you." She whispered, "My back is kinda ticklish." She smiled and gave Faith a little squeeze. Faith was surprised to say the least; she had never shared a bed with anyone before. She was always kicked out or she did the kicking. She was starting to see why more people didn't do "Get-Some, Get-Gone".

"I-I-I'm sorry for crowding you." Faith spluttered.

"It's okay, it's kinda nice." Then as though she realized what she had just said her eyes bugged out of her head. "NO! I didn't mean like…it's just that, ya know…Ugh!" Buffy groaned.

"It's okay Buffy," Faith said her voice scratchy from sleep, "It is kinda nice." She pulled her self up further so their eyes were at even levels, but also causing their bodies to rub together slightly. Both girls were about to lose control, and they both wanted to. Buffy smiled, (a sultry smile if you asked Faith) and got up to take a COLD shower.

Faith was left practically panting back in the bed, taking several minutes to recover. She was on the brink of screaming and running into that shower after the older girl. Faith was quite sure she couldn't take much more, and that she'd crack under the pressure. Her mind was stuck on her waking up. It couldn't seem to get past the smile of the little blonde's face, or how amazing it felt when their bodies pressed together. But what stuck out most of all was Buffy saying that she enjoyed it. She shook her self out of her thoughts, not wanting to worry about that right now, she had to get ready to go to school with Buffy.

Little did she know how long it had taken to stop thinking about it. As Faith started changing in the room, Buffy was waiting in the hall, having finished her shower. She peeked in just as the brunette had pulled her shirt off over her head. The blonde's eyes bugged as she saw that Faith slept without a bra on. She was facing away from Buffy, but had to turn around in order to get clothes out her bag. Faith didn't notice Buffy spying on her threw the crack of the door.

Faith was beautiful. She had such creamy olive skin and beautifully pert breasts. Buffy caught herself staring and quickly turned away just as her mom came out of her room. She smiled at Buffy as she made her way down to the kitchen. She asked Buffy if she wanted Coffee, Buffy nodded mutely. Suddenly the door opened and Faith bumped into Buffy's back.

"Whoops. Sorry B." Faith said, unable to look Buffy in the eye. Buffy reached down and put a crooked finger under the brunette's chin. She pulled Faith's face up and smiled at the nervous look on her face.

"Staring at the floor isn't gonna help Fai." With that she walked past her into her room. Faith started shaking. Buffy in a towel, and talking to her like that…'Did she just call me Fai?' she suddenly asked herself.

She went downstairs, to find Joyce in the kitchen waiting for the coffee maker to 'Ding'. Faith jumped up on the counter next to her. The older woman smiled at her, still looking tyred.

"Morning Faith. You're looking happy."

"I am." She said, realizing it was true. "I think things are sorta starting to turn around, and the Library just got a new shipment of books…life is good." Then she frowned, quickly adding "Except for Vampires."

"So," Joyce said with a knowing smile, "Angel giving you trouble?" Faith was slightly confused.

"What do you mean?"

"He's in the way. Between you and what you want. I can tell. But, in case you haven't noticed, Faith-" Joyce leaned in to whisper "He hasn't been around much lately has he?"

Faith was more then just a little shocked. Here was Buffy mother telling her that she knew that Faith liked her daughter. And she seemed to be okay with it. This had to be some kind of trick or a weird dream.

"Wh-Wh-What?" Faith stuttered. Joyce smiled at the young girl.

"Did you know that you talk in your sleep Faith?" Faith's jaw dropped. "The first night you stayed here I couldn't sleep, so I came in to check on you guys. You wrapped your arms around Buffy and kissed her shoulder." Faith flushed scarlet. She had no idea what to do now, though it seemed that Joyce had known for a while. "If I had to choose between you and Angel, it would be easily be a choice of you. You can understand her, and you can help her with her work. You aren't 243-years-old, and you would be a relatively 'Normal' choice compared to some of the things she'd gotten into. Compared to dating a Armageddon-Crazed Dead-Guy, the idea of my daughter dating a girl appears almost logical."

DING!

Joyce reached for a mug and filled it with fresh coffee, handing it to Faith. Faith had gone rather catatonic after Joyce had admitted that she favored Faith of Angel, but after explaining why she just seemed to slip in to a comatose state of mind.

"Morning!" Buffy yelled from the doorway walking over to kiss her mom. "Ooh!" She grabbed the mug out of Faith's unmoving hand, and drank it slowly. The hum she got off Buffy's close proximity seemed to shake Faith out of her stooper. She gabbed the mug back smiling and added sugar to it. She took a sip and it still tasted bitter. Joyce smiled at her and passed the non-fat-milk her way. Faith added milk to the brim and took a sip. Satisfied with it's new taste she quickly drank it down. Buffy was giving her a weird look. She took the near empty mug and drank the last little bit of the liquid. She coughed at spluttered slightly.

"Jeez Faith! Add some Coffee to your sugar next time!"

"What? It's good!" Buffy looked at her like she was crazy.

"I just thought you'd drink black coffee is all."

"Why? The whole dark-clothing dark-Coffee myth? That's so not true." She hopped off the counter and walked out to the front door, waiting for Buffy to fallow her. Buffy stood there for an extra second and smiled, then just as she was about to fallow Joyce grabbed her shoulder.

"Be good to her." She said, almost in warning. Buffy faltered, wondering what Faith and she had talked about. Had she done something wrong? Had she mistreated the brunette in some way? She nodded and walked out to meet Faith near the front door.

I'm Learning

They walked to school, almost silently, both thinking about what Buffy's mom had said to them. Faith was worried she'd do some thing to lose Joyce's trust. She was Happy that Joyce thought she was suitable for dating her daughter, but she did have a point: compared to a formerly psychotic Vampire, a girl looked pretty good.

Buffy walked along, trying to think of what she did that would make her mother warn her to treat Faith kindly. She thought she had been. Maybe she was scaring her. Forcing her to share not only a room but also a bed, and then the way she told her she had to do her slayer diaries. Maybe all that on top of the fact that she had told Faith that she enjoyed waking up in her arms was just too much for the brunette. As she walked she tried to figure out a way to remedy the situation.

Faith looked over at Buffy and saw that she was frowning. She put her arm around the blonde's waist, hoping she wasn't being too forward, and gave her a squeeze. Buffy smiled at her, and put her arm around Faith's shoulder. Just as they were climbing up the steps Xander and Willow caught up to them. Faith noticed Willow give Buffy a knowing smile as she linked Buffy's free arm. Xander tried to do the same with Faith's, but she pulled away from the group and chuckled.

"What?" Xander asked, sounding slightly hurt.

"There's no way all 4 of us will fit in the hall, let alone through a door all linked together like that." She said still laughing at the thought. "You look like the people for The Wizard Of Oz minus the flying monkeys." Xander broke away and put his arm through Faith's so they were now walking two by two. She grimaced internally, but forced a smile on her face.

Buffy saw the smile and her face dropped into an angry frown. Willow smiled and whispered in her ear.

"You've got it bad if you're jealous of Xander." Buffy turned to her smiling a sadly. "Buffy, I saw her put her arm around you, you have nothing to worry about. We all know Xander's got a crush on Faith, but I don't think you have to worry about that." Willow gave the slayer's arm a soft squeeze.

"I know, but it doesn't mean I won't worry." Buffy thought there was reason to worry. Willow didn't know about Faith's night with Xander at her Motel. She was worried that maybe the goofy young man might be more trouble then she expected.

Willow and Buffy when into Giles' Office to talk to the Librarian about books to use as references for their History papers. Faith sat at the table, Xander taking the seat next to her and scooting close. She gave him a look as if to say 'If you're gonna say something, say it now'. He got the message.

"Faith?" He ask nervously, "Why won't you see me again? I know you say your 'In Love' but I don't get it…" he paused as if giving it a last thought before continuing, "Who are you in love with?" Faith blushed and bowed her head. She was worried about this, and she didn't want to have to explain it, since even she didn't really understand it.

"Xand," she said slowly, "I told you before, you're a great guy, and I really hope that we can do the FRIENDS thing. I have to be honest with you though. There is no way in hell that you're gonna be the one I tell about my…crush – or whatever you call it!" she paused and took a deep breath. "Look. I don't think I have a huge chance with this nameless person, and if I don't then I'll keep you in mind. I have to figure out what'd going on in my head first."

"But maybe I can help!" he said, wanting to show he cared, "If he's a guy that goes here then I can put in a good word!" Faith blushed, and shook her head.

"It's not like that X-Man. I just have to give it time, and work this out on my own." She gave the loyal Demon-Distracter a soft punch on the shoulder and got up. Just then Willow and Buffy came out of Giles' office, heading in to the stacks to get their books. Faith followed the two girls, wanting to know if it was a topic she knew ("Helping B will get me extra Brownie Points!').

"Here!" said the copper-top handing Buffy a thick paperback book titled "A HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE" By Paul Johnson. Buffy gave out a groan and put it in her bag. Willow smiled and explained "You just have to look up whatever you're writing about in the Index and it'll tell you were to find what you need, that way you don't have to read the whole thing." Buffy smiled and looked at another book.

"Hey Red?" Faith asked, "You know where the poetry is?" Willow looked surprised and pointed to a shelf 2 stacks away. Faith waved a 'Thanx' and went over to the aforementioned section.

"Why does she want to know where the poetry is?" the witch asked skeptically.

"Because," Buffy said, unable to hold in the giggle at the look on her friend's face, "She loves to read." She didn't look convinced. "She does! She explained all about Othello and A Merchant Of Venice to me. She even recited poetry to me the other night! I'm telling you, she's anything but what you'd expect." With that Buffy went back to the shelf a small smug smile in place.

"Buffy?"

"Yeah Wills?"

"Have you…you know? Told her, I mean"

"No." She answered sadly, defeated by her own weakness. "I can't! I know there's chemistry between us, but I don't know what to do about it. What she knows it's there and since she doesn't…you know, LIKE girls…she's ignoring it. I just can't get shut down again. Plus, there's still Angel…not that he has a fighting chance anymore."

" 'Some Times What A Girl Makes Has To Be The First Move'…you told me that once Buffy, don't go back on me now!" Willow watched Buffy look over at Faith reading out a small poetry book. Both Slayers had little dreamy smiles on their faces, though the blonde's was a bit more mischievous then Faith's.

"Buffy…" Willow said in a reprimanding tone. "What's with the Smirk? Is there something you're not telling me?"

"We're sleeping together." Buffy whispered in her ear.

"WHAT!?" Willow yelled. Faith's head shot up to look in their direction. Buffy was worried that the brunette's Slayer Hearing had picked up on their conversation. She then realized that her best friend was about to have a panic attack.

"Jeez Red, this is a Library ya know!" Faith said laughing slightly, turning back to her book.

"Will!" Buffy gave her a firm nudge. "I didn't mean it like that! I just meant, you know, we're sharing a bed." Buffy couldn't keep the smile off her face.

"You're smiling. Explain!"

"This morning…" Buffy said slowly, trying to explain, "We had a little 'Thing'. I woke up, and she was all wrapped around me, holding while she was asleep." Buffy blushed and continued, "She woke up and instead of jumping out of bed screaming about how gross it was (that's what I had imagined she'd do), she sorta Slid up my body," Willow noticed the way Buffy's voice got kind of husky. Buffy shook it off and continued, "She apologized for crowding me, and I told here I didn't mind…" Buffy bowed her head in embarrassment, "I said it was 'Kinda Nice', and she said it was too. Then I had to go take a VERY COLD shower." Buffy looked up at her friend apprehensively, waiting for a telling off. It never came.

"Vixen!" she whispered, smiling at the blond. Buffy's eye's bugged as she playfully swatted her Best Friend. They grabbed the rest of the books they'd need and put then in their bags.

"Faith," Buffy called to the Slayer, who looked up smiling, "Walk me to class?"

"Sure B." she said smiling. Together they walked out of the library to Buffy's 1st period class. Willow smiled at their retreating backs. She walked down and set her stuff on the large table were Xander was still sitting. She noticed that he too watched the slayer leave.

"What's wrong?" she asked apprehensively, not sure if she wanted to know. She still kind of had a thing for Xander, as much as she wished she didn't.

"Faith." Was his short answer.

" 'Faith' what?"

"She won't go out with me." He said, as though even he wasn't listening to himself.

"Why not?"

"Some thing about being in love." He said as though he thought it was impossible. Willow looked worried, hoping that Buffy didn't get too worked up over Faith only to find out she was already in love with someone. Xander noticed Willows worried look and quickly added. "I think that may just be her excuse to turn me down. But if it is true, who do you think it is?"

"I dunno." Willow knew who she hoped it was, but wasn't sure how far hope would get her in reality. Both students packed up their bags and headed to their first classes, both thinking the same thing: Who Is Faith 'In Love' With?

If Pages Could Talk

Faith pulled a few books off the shelves and stacked them on the table to read. Yesterday had been pretty hectic, and today she was looking forward to just sitting back with some books until the after noon. She had a few favorites in store for today. "The Collections Of Poe" by Edgar Allen Poe, "Harry Potter & the Prisoner Of Azkaban" By J.K. Rowling, and "The Butterfly Jar" By Jeff Moss. She picked up "The Collections Of Poe" and just as she started reading the first poem, Giles came out of his office.

"Oh. Faith, I didn't see you there. Well you're dismissed, so feel free to leave." Giles didn't notice the little stack of books she had made. She thought he was kicking her out, so she gathered her selective reading in her arms.

"Sure thing G-Man," she said, head bowed disappointedly, "Just let me put my books back." As she started climbing the stairs back into the stacks he stopped her.

" 'Your Books'?" he asked sounding hopeful, "You had books?" he took off his glasses and quickly whipped them, wanting to see which ones she had picked out.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I put 'em back where I got them, promise."

"No! Faith, wait. What books did you take?" He was hoping they weren't the Watcher's Diaries, Slayers weren't allowed to read those.

"Just some kids books, nothing Armageddony I swear." She handed him the tree books, waiting to get yelled at for something. She had a feeling that he didn't want her messing up his library. She was surprised to see him smile as he read the covers.

"Have you ever read this?" he asked, indication to "The Collections Of Poe". She nodded as if to say 'Who Hasn't?'. "I had no idea you liked poetry Faith…" he suddenly realized he knew almost nothing about the new slayer. True, he had read the file the counsel had kept on her, but that was mostly medical history and the list of foster homes she had stayed at until she had been adopted by her watcher.

"Yeah," she said as he cheeks pinked, "Poetry is my soft spot. I can't write it very well. Anything outside of iambic pentameter ends up sounding like crap." Giles was taken aback, not only did this girl like to read poetry, she also knew how to write it in the proper Shakespearian form.

"What's this?" he asked indication the thin book with the cartoon of an empty jar and a little butterfly on it.

"Oh. It's a book of children's poems. My dad bought me that for Christmas when I was 6. He used to read them to me when I couldn't sleep." She gave Giles a sad smile. "One of my few happy memories of home." She looked down at her shoes, worried she might cry.

"I have something very much the same Faith," he said quietly, comforting the Slayer. "I always read my mother's diary from when she was 11around the time of the year she died. Memories are what allow things to live on forever." She looked up and smiled at him, holding out the "Harry Potter" book.

"Have you ever read this one?" she asked.

"No, actually. Though I've hear it's very popular among children." He took the book and looked at the cover. The picture of the two children on the back of a flying bird/horse made him chuckle.

"I bet you'd like it. It's full of subtext and there are loads of things in it that really make you think. There are going to be seven in the series, but only the first three are out. The fans have whole web sites devoted to possible future plots and things. I bet you'd like it."

"You think so?" he asked, seriously considering it.

"Oh Yeah!" she said enthusiastically, "It's great. And most of the monsters and artifacts in the stories are historically based in mythology: like the Sorcerer's Stone (though in England they call it The Philosopher's Stone), or Fairies, giant spiders, three headed dogs, unicorns, and all that good stuff. There's even a part where they have to write a paper on THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS for their HISTORY OF MAGIC CLASS. I think you'd like it. Don't think about it as a children's book, because without the cover you'd probably never be able to tell!" 'Some one could say the same thing about you to Faith' Giles thought to himself.

She took the book back from him, and quickly ran up to the stacks to get "Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone" for the old watcher. He took it from her smiling. He opened it up to the first page and read:

" 'Chapter One: The Boy Who Lived…' " he closed it and headed into his office.

Faith smiled and sat back down in her chair with her books. She picked up "The Collections Of Poe" and started reading THE RAVEN. Her mind wasn't in it though. Her eyes kept getting pulled back to "The Butterfly Jar." She stared at the cover for a minute.

She remembered sitting on her bed, at almost midnight, listening to her father read. The sound of his voice tired, but amused, his expression as if he was trying to look annoyed at his daughter but unable to stay upset at her. Faith slowly reached out and took the book in her hands. Feeling the cover's smooth plastic under her fingers, she held in tears. She missed her father so much. He was her world. When he left there was no one to protect her from her mother. She didn't blame her father for leaving, she would have left if she knew Child Services wouldn't drag her back. She carefully opened the book to a random page somewhere in the middle. She barely choked back a sob at the poem she'd opened to.

There on page 78 was her father's favorite poem to read. It was called "DAD AND ME"

"UP IN HIS CLOSET, MY DAD HAS A VERY OLD BASEBALL GLOVE,

THAT WAS HIS WHEN HE WAS A KID,

IN MY CLOSET, I HAVE AN OLD BLANKET CALLED SOFTIE,

THAT WAS MINE WHEN I WAS VERY LITTLE,

DAD NEVER USES HIS GLOVE ANYMORE,

AND I DON'T USE SOFTIE,

BUT DAD DOESN'T WANT TO THROW HIS GLOVE AWAY,

AND I DON'T WANT TO THROW AWAY BY BLANKET EITHER,

WE JUST WANT TO KEEP THEM.

AND IF YOU ASK US WHY,

WE SAY WE DON'T KNOW WHY, WE JUST DO."

By the time she had finished the poem she couldn't keep a tear from falling on the page. She quickly wiped it way, not wanting to damage the poem. The poem meant a lot to Faith. It symbolized her Father and the happy times they had before all hell broke lose. Like the small moment of joy while waking-up, before you remember what reality is, when you're still half asleep and your dreams are still racing threw your mind. Instead of a Blanket named SOFTIE, she had memories of her Father, and she hoped that wherever he was that she was his BASEBALL GLOVE.

A quiet chuckle from Giles' office shook her out of her sad thoughts. Hearing the librarian laugh was a fairly rare thing, and she was glad that he liked the book. Now she'd have someone to talk theories with. She had a lot of ideas about what was going to happen in the next installment in the series, and with Giles' big squishy frontal lobe she was sure he'd be able to come up with a few good ideas on what might happen next.

She picked up the book by Poe and opened it back up to THE RAVEN.

…………………….. * * * * *…………………

After several hours of reading some classic horror stories, and the first few chapters in "Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban" Faith was ready for some lunch. She dug into her pockets, looking to see how much cash she had on her. She only had a couple dollars, so she was Vending Machineing it today. She quickly poked her head into the older watcher's office to tell him she was going to get food.

He was so caught up in the book that he merely waved and mumbled. She smiled as she walked down the School's main hallway. As she stood in front of the old hunk of junk that dispensed food for low costs she felt her senses jump. She smiled.

"Buffy." She whispered. She turned to her right and saw the blond and Willow sitting in the Student's lounge with their lunches all spread out (along with a few books). She then saw Buffy frown slightly and stop talking to her friend. She looked around quickly before her eyes caught Faiths. They smiled at each other, then went back to their respective activities.

Faith bought her soda and chips, and headed back to her book. She silently poked her head into Giles' office. He was already almost tree-fourths finished. As Faith sat back down at the table, an idea quickly came to her. She got up and grabbed a book from the poetry shelf, and ran back into Giles' office.

"Hey Giles?" she asked, making a point not to call him G-Man anymore. He looked up, "Can I use this Copy Machine? I just need to make one Xerox, please?" he nodded and handed her his faculty copy-card. She put it in the card slot and lifted the lid of the 'Xerox 984'. She placed the book down on the glass after opening it to the right page. She pressed the flashing green button, and waited for the page to come out…

Faith's Gift

Buffy and Willow had been sitting in the student's lounge for a while now. They had been in there all threw their free period and lunch. The girls were talking about their papers, trying to tick out topics and trying to think of how to support each of the points they were trying to make. They had spent the last hour of so going threw their books, marking pages and highlighting. They were just talking about what was the better form of citation to use when Buffy felt it.

She suddenly stopped talking, mid sentence, and looked up. Faith was close, she could feel it, but she didn't know where. She looked around the Student's lounge, the benches next to the lounge, then as if drawn to them magnetically, he eyes snapped to Faith's. She gave her a short Smile, but quickly turned back to Willow, since she was trying to get her attention

"BUFFY!" Willow said sternly, "What's wrong?" She turned towards where Buffy was looking and saw Faith's retreating back. The copper-top smiled, turning back to her friend. "You've got it BAD!" she giggled. She got a playful swat for that comment, but that didn't stop her laughing at the Slayer's blush.

"Anyways!" Buffy said, trying to get back to work, "What do you think? Brackets or Foot -Notes?"

"Enough with the paper already, we've been talking about it for over and Hour and a half! I want to know about you and Faith. What has she done to you?!" Willow said in mock fear, "She Actually got you to do your homework!" They both laughed at that.

"She won't let me go to bed until I do at least two of my assignments." Buffy said, laughing,

"What do you mean 'She won't let you in bed'?"

"I mean she sits on the bed, and doesn't let me near it until I do two of the assignments and tell her what I've done."

"Are you serious?" Buffy nodded, "I should have done that ages ago!"

"HEY!"

"What? It works doesn't it?" Buffy still looked a little mad, "Think about it Buff: You actually did the work, and even if you don't get all of what you're doing the teachers are giving you credit for trying. That's better then your plan from before: Not do it at all and get no credit at all! And look at you now! We were just getting ready to write papers and it's not me explaining all of it to you and you just writing down whatever I say! You helped me with one of the topics I didn't know how to support. That's amazing Buffy! You're really starting to turn around…"

Buffy thought about this for a minute, and realized that it was true. Today, for the first time in a long while, Buffy had done the Reading for her physics class. She actually got to have a discussion with the teacher about the theory of Newton's second law of motion. she had also gotten back the first couple of home works she had done back. She had gotten 9/10s on all three of them! And because she did that History reading she earned an A- on the pop quiz they had been given.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." She smiled at Willow, and started to pack up her books. "Come on, French is Next. I have to go to my locker and get my books."

"Did you DO the French homework?"

"No, but I did do my Pre-Calculus! No more glares from Mr. Glick for me!" they both laughed until they got to Buffy's locker. A small piece of masking tape was sticking out of one of the vents. This was a little more then cryptic. Willow watched as she slowly entered the combination, then grasped the latch. She pulled it open and jumped out of the way.

Willow, who was not standing in front of the locker, covered her face with her arms, thinking something HellMouthy would jump out at her. She slowly uncovered her face to see a note hanging under one of the vents. Written on the front of the note was 'B'. Willow smiled and pointed, waiting for Buffy to look.

"What is it?" she asked quickly. She look inside and saw the note. She smiled as she plucked it off her locker's door. The sheet was folded twice, and as she undid the first crease she saw a short message:

" 'B,' " The slayer read aloud, " 'I was reading in the library when I remembered this poem, and it made me think of you.' " Buffy undid that last crease and saw text with more of Faith's writing at the bottom. Willow read over Buffy's shoulder:

" 'THE ROAD NOT TAKEN, By Robert Frost:

Two Roads diverged in a yellow wood,

and Sorry I could not travel both,

and by one traveler, long I stood,

And looked down one as far as I could,

To where it bent in the undergrowth.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear,

though as for that, the passing there,

Had worn them really about the same.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And both that morning equally lay,

in leaves no step had trodden black,

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads onto way,

I doubted if I should ever comeback.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I shall be telling this with a sigh,

Somewhere, ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and I-

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference."

Willow looked up as she finished reading the poem. Buffy had such a bright smile shinning off her face it lit the whole hallway. She looked back to the piece of paper, and silently read the little message Faith had left under the copied poem.

"B," it read, "I wanted to thank you for helping me chose the right path. I'll admit that I was about to head down the easy road when you stopped by motel the other day. And like the poem says, the path of a Slayer is far less trodden, and in need of wear, but at least it's a path I don't have to walk alone. -Fai "

Willow watched as Buffy carefully refolded the page and stuck it in her back pocket. She then took out her books, and wordlessly put then in her bag. As she relocked her locker the witch noticed that the Slayer was in a sort of trance, unable to stop smiling.

'I'm not gonna get a word out of her for the rest of the day!' Willow thought laughing slightly.

Faith was just finishing her last book when Xander walked in to the library. He sat down next to her and looked at what she was going.

"Research?" he asked, sounding disappointed.

"Nope," she answered wanting to finish the last 2 pages quickly, "Fun."

"Since when is reading some of Giles' fun? I've been doing it for years and I've never enjoyed it."

"There are other books in the library you know." She glanced at him quickly, "Have you even read for fun?" she asked, as though the thought was unlikely.

"Sure I have!" he lied, "All the time!" she closed the book and turned to him with a penetrating look.

"Why do I find that unlikely?" she said in falsely sweet voice, she hated to be bothered while she was reading. "Tell me some of the books you've read then."

"Uh," he faltered slightly. "I've read THE GIVER!" he named, remembering that he had read it in the fifth grade for a book report.

"School project, and don't lie. Every school makes you read that book, even the ones in Boston." She got up and went to put her books back on the shelf. Xander sat in his chair feeling sheepish.

"So," Buffy said as walked threw the doors, "Where's my favorite Slayer?" Faith blushed slightly from her hiding place in the stacks.

"I'm back here!" she yelled, "Just putting my books-" Buffy grabbed her and pulled her into a hug, "Back."

"Thank you." She whispered into Faiths ear, pulling away. "I loved the poem."

"Oh," Faith blushed slightly again, turning back to the book shelf so Buffy wouldn't see. "I love that poem. It was just, you know, fitting." She grabbed the second Harry Potter book and started walking down the stairs…until Buffy stopped her.

"Wait," Buffy turned her back around. "I…" she faltered, not knowing how to say what she wanted to.

"What?" Faith looked worried, "Tell me?" she asked in such a caring tone Buffy cracked.

"I loved it. And not just the poem…the fact that you left me something like that. No ones even given me little notes in my locker before." She blushed and looked at the floor.

"Won't be the last time," Faith put her arm around the Blond and led her down the stairs towards the Weapons Cage. "Promise."

"You girls ready for training?" Giles asked, stepping out of his office, book in hand.

"Sure thing G-man," she tossed him the second Harry Potter book (which he caught) and smiled. She

walked into the cage and pulled out a sward "What are we training with today?" she asked excitedly.

"Hand to Hand today Faith." He said, sorry to break it to the eager Slayer.

"Great!" she smiled, throwing the sward back into the cage, "Come on B, let's get started!" Buffy giggled, she had always found in funny how eager Faith was to train with her.

"You need a new Hobby, Faith. Sitting down all day reading leaves you too much energy in the afternoons." She grabbed her bag so she could change into some clothes to train in.

"Whatever, B." she said grabbing her own bag to change, "You're just sore 'cause you know I'm gonna kick your ass."

"Will NOT!"

"Will too…" she said in a sing-song voice.

"You are SO going down!" and with that they walked out of the library.

"They are so cute together…" Willow accidentally said out loud.

"WHAT?!" Xander yelled. Giles looked at her amiss too, wondering what on earth she could be talking about.

"I just meant…you know…they're funny when they fight." She knew it was a flimsy cover, but it was enough apparently, as both men when back to their respective activities.

Later the two slayer were training in library, having pushed the tables back and sent the rest of the Scoobies home. They were doing a sparing exorcize, trying to disarm and pin their opponents. Both were armed only with sticks (unwidled stakes), and their Slayer Powers.

"Come on B!" Faith said as she stopped circling the blond, "This is getting stupid!" they had been sparring for over and Hour and neither had managed to pin the other. They had disarmed each other a few times, but they always managed to get their weapons back.

"B this is LAME! I know that you're holding back,"

"Bu-"

"DON'T LIE TO ME! I know you are! Xander could hit me harder then that!" she yelled, "Okay, maybe not Xand, but Red could…- NOT THE POINT!" she said shaking her head, "B, how am I supposed to be prepared for the worst if you're babying me?"

"I don't want to hurt you, Faith. Plus, you weren't hitting so hard yourself!" Faith blushed, she too was afraid to hurt the other Slayer.

"Okay then," Faith said seriously, "We don't hold back. From now on we go full contact, no holds back, and no phantom punches. Okay?" Buffy shivered, she knew she could easily injure the other Slayer due to her insufficient training and lack of strategy, but as far as strength goes, Buffy knew she was matched. She didn't want to beat Faith out right, that would kill Faith's ego.

"Okay…" Buffy said slowly, and Faith advanced, "BUT!" Faith stopped in her tracks. "If one of us says stop, the other has to listen. Deal?"

"Deal!" and Faith jumped at Buffy.

Who flipped her on to her back as soon as she came into contact. Faith slammed into the ground, back first. Buffy tried hard to keep in the smug smile of her face, but it didn't work. Faith got up and started circling the blond like they had been doing before, only this time she was worried about really getting her ass kicked.

'How much was Buffy holding back?!' she wondered as Buffy punched past her face, forcing her look in the other directing. This was adequate distraction for the blond to sweep Faith's feet out from under her. Buffy caught her before she fell though, not wanting to see her bruise her self, she had to do all the Patrolling tonight.

"Thanks." Faith mumbled, looking up at Buffy.

"Come on Faith, just try again." Buffy said reassuringly.

They stood at the ready, Buffy giving her an encouraging smile, waiting for the brunette to attack. She ran at Buffy again, making it look like she was just going to tackle her like before, but at the last minute, she dropped to her knees and slid between the older Slayer's legs. She hopped up, and just as Buffy was turning she grabbed the girl's arms and slammed her down onto the ground. Buffy used all her strength to roll to the side, until she was on top, she tugged her arms to get them out of Faith's grip and hopped up. Faith got up too.

"Good Faith!" she said as she threw her steak at the brunette. Faith's eyes bugged at the fact that Buffy would try and stake her. She caught it between her hands, and looked up at Buffy. Buffy tackled her and pinned her, knocking the stakes away. Faith bucked and squirmed, trying to get free.

'This is SO embarrassing!' Faith thought, 'It was MY idea to do the full contact thing and here I am getting my butt kicked! UGH! What was I thinking…" Faith looked up into Buffy smiling face and stopped fighting. 'This isn't so bad.' Faith thought, realizing that the girl she loved was on top of her, holding her down.

'She smells like fresh bread and vanilla ice-cream…' Faith thought wistfully. She could feel the heat of Buffy's body melting into her. The warmth at the apex of Buffy legs was what got her attention the most. She was feeling kinda hot her self. 'STUPID POST-SLAYAGE LUST!' she thought to her self.

Buffy's hold on the younger girl softened, and she looked into her eyes. They were dilated and wide. She looked nervous yet eager all at the same time. Buffy could feel Faith's intense heat too. That combined with both their chest heaving against each-others' they were on the brink of losing control.

"Buffy…" Faith whispered, tilting her head up to meet the blonde's lips. Their speeding hearts slowed and it seemed like time stopped altogether. The feel of their lips together felt amazing. It was the most intimate thing Faith had ever felt, and she knew because it was she was in love.

Faith quickly pulled away and looked at Buffy, here eyes still closed.

"Holy Shit!" she whispered. Buffy eyes popped open, just as Faith pushed her off and started to run down the hall. Buffy got up and started running after her. They ran out of the library and down the hall. Faith noticed Buffy fallowing her, so she ran up the stairs. Buffy took one huge leap and landed at the top of the stairs, but Faith pushed past her and kept running. Buffy followed.

Buffy finally caught up with her and grabbed her by the shoulders, pushing her against the lockers.

"I'm sorry! I'm Sorry!" Faith whispered over and over, she then dropped to the floor and started sobbing uncontrollably. Buffy was surprised, she hadn't expected this.

"Faith, shh," she said taking the girl into her arms and comforting her. "It's okay. It's okay. Nothing wrong. We didn't do anything wrong. Shh, shhh, it's okay." she rubbed Faith's back in long slow strokes, rocking the girl in her arms. 'Wow,' Buffy thought, 'Big Bad Faith burst into tears over kissing me…was it really that bad?' she thought smiling sadly.

"Buffy I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it! It'll never happen again I PROMISE! Please don't hate me!"

"Shh Faith's it's okay," she gave the girl a squeeze, sorry to hear that she didn't mean it and that it's never happen again. "I could never hate you Faith. It's okay, we didn't do anything wrong."

"But I kissed you!" Faith yelled, practically in hysterics, "How can you say that?! Why can't you hate me? I would! I'm dirty and gross and I took advantage and-"

"FAITH!" Buffy shouted, giving the girl a gentle shake, "CALM DOWN! So you kissed me, what's so wrong about that. Like you said, slaying makes you hungry and…you know. The Need takes control of you and you can barely control what you do. I mean look: you slept with XANDER! It's happened to me too Faith1!…Well, not the sleeping with Xander part, but the losing control."

"You're not mad at me?" Faith asked, feebly. Buffy shook her head.

"How are you not running down the hall screaming?"

"Let me put it this way, Faith. I was more shocked by the fact that you called me 'Buffy'." Faith's eyes bugged slightly. "Come on Slayer," Buffy helped the brunette up, "I need to get home to write a paper, and you need to check the parks." The Blond put a comforting arm around Faith and led her back down to the Library.

Mothers & Vampires

Faith walked down the path, thinking to her self. She had a lot of thinking to do, that's why she took her time and checked ALL the parks in Sunnydale. She wasn't eager to head home.

'Home,' she thought to herself, 'I wonder if she'll still let me call it that . . ?' She worried about Buffy's reaction to their kiss.

'What if her initial reaction was just out of shock? What if she just said all that to get me to stop crying?' then she cringed.

'I can't believe I cried in front of B! She must think I'm nuts. How do I explain this to her? How do you tell a girl that you love her? What about Angel? I know Joyce said that he wasn't around anymore, and I'll admit that's true…but he's the love of her life! Her soul-mate! How am I supposed to compete with that?' She stopped and thought about what it meant to be a soul-mate.

'Is it possible to be soul-mate with someone who's soul is mated to someone else?' she stopped walking. 'Did that sentence make ANY sense?!' Faith started walking again, no wanting to be out TOO late. She knew Joyce would worry. The thought made her smile.

'I can't lose B.' she thought sadly, knowing it was true. 'I don't know what I'd do if I lost her. I don't want to find out either. I don't care how long it takes, and I don't care how hard it is: I WILL STAY AWAY FROM HER…But…I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT HER.'

Faith realized just how much Buffy meant to her, and she was shocked by how important the blond had become. 'What was I thinking?! I kissed her?! I could have lost my house, I would lose Joyce's trust with her daughter, I would lose B…' she stopped and worried about what would happen if she slipped again. 'Don't want to think about that!'

'Joyce is pretty cool for a mom. I bet Buffy doesn't know how lucky she is.' Faith's senses went off.

"NOT ANOTHER ONE!" she grumbled to herself. He popped out and did the roaring scary-face thing. He was blowing in the wind before he knew what happened. "Now serving number 9…" she said to no one in particular. The parks had been quiet, and they still were. She had staked 9 vamps in 7 parks, and she was ready to shower. She felt gross.

'I had to move in with the object of my desires!' she thought, slightly bemused. She tried to push down her post-Slay lust, but decided that she'd just have to deal with it when she took her shower. She had killed over 15 vamps since she moved in with Buffy, and she had convinced herself that she wouldn't have cracked and kissed Buffy had she dealt with her desires properly.

'I think I'm losing it!' she thought as she realized she had walked right past 1630 Revello Drive.

Faith walked up the porch, and stood in front of the door, about to knock when she remembered something. She reached into her bra (since she didn't have any pocket in her leather pants) and pulled out the warm piece of copper. Buffy had given Faith her key to the house. Buffy said she didn't need it as she knew how to get into the house without a key.

She put the key in the lock and slowly turned it. The latch popped, and she turned the knob. Walking in side felt different, having used her very own key to enter house.

'HOME' she thought to herself, liking the sound of it. She didn't want to do anything that would change that. Not if it meant losing Buffy.

Faith was just about to climb the stairs when Joyce called to her.

"Faith." She said, almost urgently.

"Hey, Mrs. S, what's up?"

"Nothing much, just wanted to make sure you got home okay." Faith smiled.

"I'm fine. Buffy asked me to check the parks so she could write her paper."

"Well, as a mother who's trying desperately to get her daughter to go to collage: Thank you." Joyce laughed slightly. "So, how did things go?"

"Um, Fine." Faith got the weird feeling that she was being stalled. "I got 9 tonight. I'm feeling kinda gross though. You mind if a take a shower?"

"Oh. No, not at all." Joyce looked apprehensive, "Why don't you come down and chat with me when you're done?" Faith gulped, worried that Buffy had told her mom about what had happened this afternoon and she was pissed.

"Okay." Faith said, then to try and get the older woman to laugh she added "How is it that the wind always shifts towards you after you stake a Vamp?" she gave a nervous laugh and walked the stairs slowly.

Faith got into the shower, enjoying the feeling of the hot water washing away her long and hard day. She stopped and thought though. She was happy. For the first time in a long while, she was happy. She got to do something today that she had dreamt about since she had arrived in Sunnydale. She kissed the woman she loved today.

'I love Buffy. And today I kissed her. And now I have to stay the hell away from her, or lose everything I've even wanted and finally have.' She washed and dealt with her Passions as quietly as possible.

'Better get some clothes to sleep in…' in reality it was an excuse to see Buffy. She thought the blond looked cute when she was working. 'She's so adorable when she does her Homework, the way her nose scrunches when she's thinking hard about something…' Faith slapped herself mentally, reminding that she couldn't think like that anymore.

Faith held her towel tightly to her self, and opened the door. As soon as she entered the room she wanted to run back out of it. Angel was sitting on the bed, facing the desk where Buffy sat. He was talking to her, and both stopped and turned to see who had interrupted.

"Faith!" Buffy said cheerily, "How'd it go? Are you okay?" she asked that last question in such a worried tone that it made Angel give her a questioning look. Faith steeled herself, and answered.

"Yeah, B. I'm fine." She walked over to where her bag lay on the floor, and opened it. It was empty!

"Oh! Faith, I put your stuff in my top droor. I hope you don't mind. This way you don't have to live out of a suit case." She gave the brunette a eager smile, and waited for her to respond.

"Thanks." She said smiling, then when back to her steeled, careless attitude as she said 'Hello' to Angel.

"Hello Faith." He said, rather curtly. She grabbed her stuff, and went to change in the bathroom.

Once Faith had changed into a Tank-top and a pair of work-out shorts she walked back down to the kitchen, to find Joyce waiting.

"I guess you realized Angel's here." She said without preamble.

"Yeah. It's sorta hard to miss a big, tall, broody Vamp sitting on the same bed where you sleep." Seeing Angel had put her into a sour mood. It was easy to hate the guy from far away, but to see him sitting there with Buffy doing…what ever it was they were doing-IT JUST BUGGED HER!

"I'm sorry you had to walk in on that."

"It's not like they were doing anything wrong. They are together, or whatever it is they do with each other. I really don't like that guy."

"I can't imagine why." Joyce said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Faith was too distracted to catch it.

"I'll tell ya why! She's a Slayer and he's a Vamp, and it's just WRONG! Soul or not that thing should be filling an ash-tray!" she caught the look and realized that Joyce had been kidding.

"So, what happened today?" Faith gave her a look as if to say 'Who Wants To Know?'

"Come on Faith, something must have happened. It doesn't take that long to check a park for Demons. Something happened to make you want to stay out as late as you did. Just tell me, totally unbiased."

"There was a thing this afternoon." She said, disbelieving that she was actually telling Buffy's mom this.

"And what would this 'THING' be?" she asked laughing at Faith's blushing cheeks.

"I was…and there was this thing…with training…" Faith realized that she was making no sense, so she gritted her teeth and just said it. "We were training, and I kissed her."

"And…" The older woman wheedled.

"And I freaked out. I took off running down the hall."

"She chassed after you, didn't she." It was a statement not a question.

"Yeah." She said sadly, as though admitting defeat, "She had to chase me up some stairs and slam me against some lockers just to get me to stop."

"What happened then?"

"I broke down Crying. I thought she'd be really mad at me."

"She wasn't though, was she." Again, a statement. "I bet she told you it was okay didn't she?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Faith, you're a smart girl. Would she it was Okay if it wasn't? Has Buffy lied to recently? At all besides Angel?" she gave the girl a mug of Coffee, followed by the sugar bowl and the milk carton.

"Thanks." She took it and added the necessary amounts of the two additives. "Is this De-Caf?"

"Yeah, I had to stop drinking Caffeine. Made me jittery." Faith giggles at the idea of Joyce jittery.

They both slowly drank their coffee. Thinking about what an odd couple they made. They both finished their drinks and Faith carried them to the sink. She stood next to it for a minute, thinking about Angel.

"I Really HATE that guy…" she accidentally said out loud.

"Who do you hate?" Buffy asked from the door way.

"Snyder. The slippery little Nome is a pain in the butt." Joyce nodded as if it wasn't a complete lie.

"I know, that weaselly little worm tried to keep me out of school."

"At least you won't have to deal with him next year. Well, assuming you graduate…" Joyce said in a threatening tone.

"Hey!" Buffy said Defensively, "I did my paper!"

"Why was Angel here then?" Faith asked, keeping as much malice out of her voice as possible.

"Because," Buffy told her, smiling "It's a World War I paper. He was there. I was using him as one of my Primary Sources. I said he was some guy I met at an old-folks home though. It's not like I could said 'I learned that Mustard Gas made your lungs turn to jelly from my interview with a Vampire!'."

"I didn't like that movie, they were all mope-y and violent."

"I never saw it, but it sounded cool."

"Just think of a bunch of Angels running around killing people and turning a little 10-year-old into a Vampire."

"Ugh. Never mind, crossing it off my 'To See' list of movies."

"So, B. How'd the paper go? What are the Numbers?"

"6 pages, 7 out-side sources (including Angel), and almost 7,000 words." She gave a sigh, proud of her hard work, but then frowned, "I think my fingers are gonna fall off…" she held them up and flexed them.

"Come on B, I'll show you how to deal with finger cramps." With that Faith led Buffy out of the Kitchen, Joyce sending a wink the Dark Slayer's way. She returned it.

Ann Landers and Dear Abby

Both Buffy and Faith walked out of the bathroom drying their hands.

"That feels SO much better!" Buffy said with a sigh, smiling thankfully, "How'd you learn that?"

"What? Soaking your hands in warm water when they're sore? That's pretty common knowledge B." Faith smiled at the older girl.

"I meant the whole massaging thing you did. That felt REALLY good." Buffy voice got kind of husky when she said that, causing shivers to run up Faith's spine.

"I used to keep a death grip on my stakes when I first started as a Slayer. I got Finger cramps a lot, so I used to have to do that all the time." She tossed her hand towel into the blonde's laundry basket.

"I used to keep Stakes everywhere! I had then tucked into my socks, I kept them up my jacket sleeves, book-bags, locker, in my gym bag with my cheerleading stuff in it-"

"OH. MY. GOD!" Faith said in shock, "YOU WERE A CHEERLEADER?!" she burst out laughing.

"Hey!" Buffy said, laughing too, "That was from BEFORE I had been a Slayer! Had it not been for that I would have been REALLY out of shape for all the Slayer training I had to do…" Buffy did a big fake pout at being teased.

"Aw, B, it's okay." Faith put an arm around the blonde's arm and shook her lightly, "I forgive you."

Buffy pouted more, and sat on her bed. Faith sat next to her and picked up her Slayer diary.

"How many pages do I have to do tonight B?"

"Oh, Faith, no." Buffy put her hand over Faiths and shook her head, "I couldn't ask you to do that. You did all the Slaying by yourself, that's more then enough!"

"That's okay, B. I want to." Faith sat there, seemingly waiting to be told what to write.

"Okay then, I will too." Buffy reached into her bed-side table and pulled out her diary. She opened it, and flipped to the first blank page. "Let's just write till it feel okay to stop."

"No way B!" Faith reached over and stole the Slayer's pen, "I just uncramped you're hand! I'm not gonna do it again, so no more writing for you!" Buffy tried to grab it back, but missed. She tried again, but once again missed. She got up and got a new pen from her desk.

"Ha!" she said smiling at the brunette.

"Fine, but tomorrow I'm gonna say I TOLD YOU SO when your hand starts to ache again." Both girls settled against the head board and started writing.

[ Dear Diary,

Another long and hard day as a Slayer. I staked 9 Vamps tonight! I went out to check the parks tonight while Buffy wrote a History paper. I checked all seven parks! A lot of walking and a lot of waiting. Other then that, it wasn't so bad. ]

Faith glanced over at Buffy. The girl was sitting about half a foot away from her. Faith fidgeted a little and pulled the cover of the diary up so Buffy wouldn't be able to see what she was writing.

[ I did something amazing today! I was training with Buffy, and we got really into it! We both just totally let go. We were doing full contact, because we had both figured out that the other was going easy, so we took it up a few notches. Of course, the floor is nice and clean since Buffy used my ass to wipe it! Ugh. There's an embarrassing moment! It had been my idea to do it and then she beat the crap out of me! (not really, we where sparring. Trying to disarm and pin) ]

[ Anyways! Back to the 'AMAZING' thing I was talking about! I had just been pinned and disarmed by Buffy when all of a sudden…time stopped. I can't describe it. I stopped fighting, stopped thinking, and I may have even stopped breathing. It was like, the only thought in my head was: 'Wow…Buffy's on top of me…' ]

[ I was REALLY turned on already, and the fact that she was ON TOP OF ME didn't help! WORST of all: SHE WAS HORNY TOO! I could tell! I felt it some how…plus since she was pressed into me I could really FEEL it! And all of a sudden she stopped fighting too. She just let go and we were just…THERE. ]

[ Here's the AMAZING (and also incredibly STUPID) part: I Kissed Her!!! I did it! I really did it! Just like all those dreams I told you about, except this was so much…] Faith couldn't think of a word to discribe it. The feeling she got from kissing Buffy compared to how she felt kissing someone else was no contest! 'Like comparing McDonalds' Big Mac to a Filet Minion from Chez Louis! One is barely USDA certified, the other is a rare delicacy to be savored!'

[ I don't think there are any human words for how incredibly sensual it was. I finally know what all those Poets mean when they talk about Love. How they can write about someone as though they're the center of the universe. Metaphorically Buffy's always been the center of my universe, but for those few short seconds she really was. The world revolved around her, and the feeling she filled me with. ]

[ My whole body stopped, and it felt like dying and truly living all at once. I couldn't breath and my heart wouldn't beat. It felt like being electrocuted. My body filled with Magical Energy and I seized up, and there was this HUGE power boost…! ] Faith looked up when she felt the weight shift on the bed. Buffy was leaning to the side, trying to read what Faith had been writing. Buffy's eyes left the page and caught Faith's. She blushed, and turned away smiling.

"B! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Faith slammed her Diary shut and pulled it to her chest tightly.

"Jeez! I was just kidding!" Buffy laughed at went back to writing, smiling slightly. Faith got up and moved to sit at the other end of the bed. "Oh come on Faith! I was just joking…Buffy got up off the bed and put her Diary away. Faith looked skeptic.

"Where you going?" she asked as Buffy was about to leave the room.

"I'm gonna call Will. Want to see if she finished her paper yet." She walked over to the brunette and wrapped her arms around Faith's middle. Faith closed her Diary again.

"Hey," Buffy said softly in her ear. "I'm sorry, okay? It was just a joke and I should have known better. Your privacy means a lot to you, and I respect that. I won't make any more jokes okay?" Faith nodded, too distracted by the waves of passion running through her at Buffy's closeness and kind words. Buffy kissed the younger slayer on the head softly. She walked out of the room, leaving Faith to her confused thoughts.

Best Friends Save The World

Buffy walked down stairs and down to the Kitchen. Her mom had gone to bed a while ago, and she wanted privacy for this phone call. The last thing she wanted was for her mom to hear all about her Love life, especially since it was all about a love for Faith. She picked up the receiver and typed the 7 familiar numbers.

"Hello?" Came the familiar voice of Willow through the phone.

"Hey Will, it's me."

"Oh, Hey Buffy! Need some more help?" Willow sounded almost eager to give the blond some advice.

"No that's Okay, I finished about a half hour ago." A 'Bing' came through the phone.

"Really Buff? That's great! I just finished, I'm shutting my computer down now."

"Wow! I can't believe I finished before you…Yay me!"

"Ha-Ha Buffy. I got caught up doing my bibliography; I had a bunch of Internet sources that I had to find Page Masters for. How'd you do?"

"I think I did okay. Almost 7,000 words! My hands were killing me after that…"

"I bet! I'm used to it, but then I again I spend about half my free time on the computer…and the other half fighting demons." Both girls laughed.

"And some times you battle demons by going on the computer!" Buffy laughed.

"So, Buffy," Willow said, her laugher calming down. "What's up? What couldn't wait until tomorrow?"

"I just wanted to see how your essay went. That and…other things…"

"Ooh! Buffy! Spill!"

"Guess what I did today?"

"BUFFY!" Willow yelled into the phone excitedly, "You told her?! I am SO proud of you!"

"Wait, Will." Buffy said sadly, "Don't get your hopes up just yet."

"Why not?"

"Because there's both good…and bad" Buffy said delicately.

"Well tell me the bad first, then tell me the good to cheer me up."

"But what if the bad was the result of the good, so I'd have to tell you the good first anyway?"

"…Huh?" Willow was a little lost.

"Why don't I just tell you in the order it happened in?"

"That makes sense."

"Okay, here goes………………"

"Buffy? You still there?"

"Yeah Will, I'm here. I just need to think of how to explain it."

"Take your time." Willow said encouragingly.

"Okay well, I guess it started with Faith and I training."

"Okay, what happened after that?"

"Well., we were sparring, and then all of a sudden, I was on top of her. We had been trying to pin and disarm each other, and I had done both to Faith. But she was supposed to trying and escape…"

"But she didn't?" Willow guessed.

"Yeah. All of a sudden she just stopped, and she was just looking at me. So I looked back, and it was weird -a good weird-…. . I just got totally sucked in. Here eyes were magnetic, and I couldn't look away. The entire world just melted until all that was left was Faith underneath me."

"…wow…"

"And then I stopped too. I let go and she still didn't move. We were there. That place between Overwhelmed and Underwhelmed…it was bliss. Then she whispered to me, and…and she kissed me."

"Oh, that sounds amazing" Willow whispered dreamily.

"It was. It stopped."

"What stopped?"

"My heart, the world, LIFE! It was like it all froze, and those few seconds went on for hours and yet it was all over so quickly………and that's when things got bad."

"What happened?" Willow was worried.

"She shoved me off her and ran off."

"Uh oh."

"Yeah, that's what I thought, so I chased after her."

"Did you catch up to her?"

"Yeah, and I had to shove her against some lockers just to get her to stop running! Then she broke down crying…just repeating 'I'm Sorry' over and over again."

"Maybe she was worried about you getting mad?" Willow asked delicately.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you said that SHE kissed YOU right?"

"Yeah?" Buffy said slowly.

"Well she'd a girl…" no response, "Kissing another girl…" still nothing, "Who owns the house that she lives in, and is the driving force behind her group of friends. NOT TO MENTION HER BUSINESS ASSOCIATE!" Short pause.

"Oh!" Buffy said slowly, "I thought I had been a bad kisser or something!"

"Yeah, right…" Willow said skeptically, "What happened after she started crying?"

"I comforted her! I wrapped my arms around her and told her that she didn't do anything wrong. That I didn't mind. She just kept apologizing and asking me why I wasn't freaking out."

"What did you say to that?"

"I told her…I told her it wasn't her fault!" Buffy groaned, she had just realized it had been the PERFECT time to tell Faith how she'd felt! "Ugh! Why am I so stupid?! I told her that it was the Slaying Lust, and that I didn't blame her…"

"Buffy?" Willow asked kindly.

"Yeah Will?"

"You can be really stupid sometimes." She said in just as sweet a voice. Luckily Buffy knew it was said to emphasize the point that Buffy was going to have to tell her sometime, and that she had missed an ideal opportunity to do it.

"And it's getting to the point where I can't hide it any more."

"You're not that stupid Buffy-" Willow started

"Not that!" Buffy interrupted, "The way I feel about her! I don't think I can take much more of this! She came home tonight and she took a shower. I could hear the water running through the walls…Angel was over helping me with my paper, but I couldn't concentrate!" Buffy gave an exasperated groan.

"Why not?"

"All I could think about was Faith in the shower! I think I'm going INSANE! I was never this Crazy off Angel…I think you were right when I said I had it bad."

"See? A Witch is ALWAYS right!" both girls laughed.

"I don't know about all Witches, or even about the 'Always' thing, but you were right about this…"

"Have the two of you spoken since she got home?"

"Yeah, we talked about Snyder and my paper." Willow heard Buffy voice drop over the phone as she continued, "Then, when I told her my hands had cramped because of all the typing I did, she soaked them in warm water for me."

"Ooh!" Willow said excitedly.

"Yeah, and then she started doing this AMAZING thing with her hands…" Buffy trailed off.

"Uh Buffy? I'm not sure I want the details about that."

"WILLOW!" Buffy laughed, "You have been spending too much time around Xander!"

"Why?"

"It wasn't like that!" she laughed, "She just started massaging them…Mmm…"

"That 'Yummy Sound' sounds promising!"

"You have NO idea!"

"Sounds like a busy night."

"Yeah, it was. But then I did something stupid."

"What?"

"Well, we were sitting on my bad, doing some Slayer Journal entries…and as a joke -It really was only a joke!- I leaned over to tease her. You know, to make it look like I was trying to see what she was writing."

"Uh Oh…What happened?" Willow's tone was accusing.

"She slammed the book shut and asked 'What the hell I thought I was doing'…I think she was writing about me. I don't think it was Slayer stuff, otherwise she wouldn't have minded…I don't think."

"And?" Willow prompted, tone unchanged.

"Well, she moved to the other end of the bed…I don't think she believed me about the joke thing."

"Would you have?"

"Well…I would have if it had been you!"

"Yeah, but what if you were Faith and it wasn't me?"

"Good point."

"Buffy, you have to be careful with Faith. I know she tried to act all THOUGH GIRL, but that's not what she's like all the time. She can't keep that up 24/7 and now that you two are living together she needs to be able to be herself around you." Willow was trying to be both supportive and reprimanding.

"I know. I want her to trust me! I want her to be able to be herself around me…"

"Did you at least tell her you were sorry?"

"Yeah," Buffy said laughing a little. "And I gave her a hug…" Buffy's voice was dreamy.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah…" Buffy had spaced out, "I wrapped my arms around her stomach and pulled her to me. She feels so good against me…Mmm…She smells like Cinnamon gum and Cherry Cokes…" Buffy was doing a good job of sticking her foot in her mouth.

"YOU'VE GOT IT BAD!" Willow laughed over the phone. Buffy crash-landed back to earth.

"Hey!" Buffy laughed…then she felt it. Her Slayer Senses jumped into hyper drive, Faith was coming down stairs. "I gotta go, okay Will?" Buffy had an edge to her voice and the Witch got the message.

"Okay, I'll see you at school tomorrow?"

"Yeah, see ya there. Bye!"

"Bye Buffy!" she hung up her phone. Buffy had just hung up the receiver when the door to the kitchen swung open. Faith looked at the floor as she walked into the room.

"I just wanted to see where you went." Faith whispered, "You were gone a while." she glanced at Buffy then back to the floor.

"Yeah, we got kind of side tracked." Buffy smiled and took Faith's hand. Faith still didn't look at her.

"I'm sorr-" the brunette started, but Buffy wasn't going to let her finish that statement.

"No, Faith, I'm sorry." Buffy put a crooked finger under the younger girl's chin, "That was really dumb of me, and I shouldn't have done it. I won't do it again I promise." Faith looked a little confused for a second, then she realized that Buffy was talking about her Diary.

"Oh, no B, I wasn't talking about that…" Faith paused, trying to figure out what she wanted to say.

"You meant about this afternoon?" Buffy stated slowly.

"Yeah, about that…B?"

"Faith, please don't be sorry." Buffy voice sounded hurt, "Please, be anything but sorry?" Faith was taken aback. This was NOT what she had expected at all. She gave the Blonde's hand a gentle squeeze and answered.

"I'm not sorry." Faith smiled and led Buffy upstairs.

Buffy woke up, snug under her covers. She was warm and happy and ready to start the day. Then she remembered: SCHOOL DAY. 'Now that I think about it, I think I'll stay in bed'

"Mmmm…" came the little moan from Faith. Buffy opened her eyes to find that she wasn't in bed alone again. Faith was holding her around the middle, her face resting against Buffy's back. One of her hands was stroking the blonde's side lightly. Last night had been weird, and yet completely normal.

Faith had led Buffy up stairs and they got ready for bed with out a word. They said good night, and climbed under the sheets. They both fell right to sleep, Buffy tried from writing her History Paper and Faith from staking so many vamps. Both were emotionally exhausted. They had no idea what the other was feeling, but desperately wanted to know. Buffy wrapped her arms over Faiths, and Faith stirred.

"B?" Buffy froze, she thought Faith had been asleep, "B? You awake?" Buffy stayed quiet, not wanting to be yelled at by the brunette. Faith just put her head back down onto Buffy back and pulled her in closer. 'I hope she's not mad' The blond hoped. Then she realized. 'WAIT A SECOND! Faith's awake?! Why is she still holding me?'

Faith nuzzled into Buffy hair, enjoying the light vanilla smell. She loved Buffy's hair, even if she wasn't really blond. Faith used to die her hair black, years and years ago. 'After Dad died…' she thought.

Faith lifted her head lightly, not wanting to bother the blond, and looked past her at the nightstand. It was going to go off any second. Faith dislodged her arms from under Buffy's and shook the slayer gently.

"B…" Faith said quietly, "B, come on. Time to get up." Buffy rolled onto her back and looked at Faith, faking a sleepy look, but her smile was real. "Come on B, time for school." Just then the alarm went off.

Faith reached over and turned it off. She had to lean over Buffy though, who was blushing profusely once Faith righted herself.

"Are you coming to school with me today?" Buffy asked, hopefully

"I was planning on it." She said smiling, "You own me a lunch, remember? Red can come too though, I don't want her to think I'm stealing her best friend away or something." Buffy smiled, and got up out of bed.

"I'm gonna go take my shower, okay?"

"Fine with me, you could use one!" Buffy hit the brunette playfully, happy that they could be so comfortable around one another. Buffy grabbed her bathrobe and left for the bathroom. Faith sat on the bed and thought about a few things: Her father, and her family to name a few. Then she thought about life back in Boston, before things got out of hand. She wished she'd known Buffy back then, things would have been different. But then she thought about her life now.

"This isn't so bad…" with that she got up and got dressed. She put on a pair of dark Blue jeans and a Black tank-top. She pulled on a black leather jacket, and walked down stairs to get some coffee.

"Morning Faith." Joyce said cheerily.

"Morning Mrs. S, mind if I have some coffee?"

"I made enough for 3, go right ahead." Joyce smiled as she watched Faith make her breakfast of sugar, milk and Java. "It's so nice to have another person in the house. Some times it feels like it's just been Buffy and I forever. I'm glad there's some else here," the older woman's voice turned to a whisper "Since Buffy's anything but a morning person…" Both woman laughed at that.

"I know what you mean! She sleeps like the dead!" Joyce stopped laughing at that.

"Are you kidding? She's the lightest sleeper I've ever known! Especially since she became a Slayer…that's why I got her room soundproofed while she was in LA. She'd hear me every time I'd get a mid-night snack."

"Really?" Faith was surprised; Buffy had been a pretty heavy sleeper all the time she'd known her. She didn't wake up this morning when they were snuggling, or the other night when she'd kissed the girl's shoulder. She didn't have much more time to think it about though, she could sense the blond coming. Faith turned to the door, and so did Joyce who wanted to know what the brunette was looking at. A few seconds later Buffy walked in.

"How do you two do that?" the older woman asked, totally amazed. Both girls looked at her, wondering what on earth she was talking about.

"What do you mean?" Faith asked.

"Faith, how did you know Buffy was going to come downstairs before she did? And how did you know exactly when she was gonna walk through the door?" Both girls blushed slightly, though neither knew why.

"We can feel each other." Faith explained, "We can feel when a Vampire is nearby, and we can detect magical beings as well. The stronger the magic, the stronger the vibe. Buffy and I are cut from the same cloth, so we can always tell where the other is." Faith sipped her coffee, and looked at Joyce.

"So, you know where my daughter is, even when you can't see her?" Joyce looked confused as she tried to digest this information.

"Sort of," Buffy explained. "We also have senses a lot stronger then humans do. I can tell Faith's up stairs even without the Slayer Sense. And besides, the sense only works for short distances, and I have trouble with direction."

"You do?" Faith asked turning to her, "I can always tell direction, and it's distance I always have trouble with?"

"Really?" Buffy asked, amazed, "Well, no wonder you and I make a great team." Buffy made herself a cup of black coffee, and sat at the counter next to her mom.

"So, about how close do you have to be to each other?" Joyce asked.

"It depends for me." Faith said, frowning in thought, "If I really stop and concentrate I can find her within about 8 blocks. But mostly I know where she is because my body forces me to know. I go from being regular Human Faith to Slayer Faith." Joyce nodded.

"I can tell where Faith is for a little more then half a mile, but I have a lot of trouble with 'where in that half mile' she is. Maybe it's because she'd always on the move though." Buffy joked. Faith smiled thinking about how true that might be.

"But, say for example," the older woman started, "One of you was captured (heaven forbid this happens), could you find each other?" The girls nodded. And simultaneously sipped their coffee. It was almost eerie how synchronized the two were.

"Come on blondie!" Faith called, finishing off the rest of her coffee, "Time for you to be Edge-imma-kated!" with that Faith grabbed her bad with her training clothes and walked out the back door. Buffy downed the rest of her coffee, and grabbed her bag.

"Buffy?" her mom said slowly.

"Yeah Mom?"

"Go easy on her today? Just let her win one round?" Buffy smiled, nodding.

Not So Secret Love

Buffy walked out her English class, and down the hall. She had French next, and she wanted to skip it. She hadn't done the homework for that class anyway, so she decided that she might as well. Buffy wandered out of the school and out side into the court-yard. She'd been doing a lot of thinking over the last few days, and most of it was about Faith. But other then that, she thought about Angel.

Kendra had been right when she'd said "Angel must eliminated", but Buffy knew she could never do it. Not again, the first time was bad enough. She knew that she'd love Angel, and that she always would, but she loved Faith more. They would make a good couple. Buffy was sure of it…'If only I could actually tell her!'

Buffy's absent wanderings had led her out school, and down the street. She was fallowing her feet, who seemed to have a mind of their own. 'What do I do now?' she thought, 'How am I supposed to tell the only man I have ever loved that I'm leaving him for a woman?' Worried addled the slayer's brain. She worried about what would happen if she left Angel for Faith, and Faith didn't want her.

'Faith's always going on and on about "Get some-get gone!", and I don't want that kind of relationship…I want to take her out on dates, and tell people that we're a couple. I want to kill demons with her, but most of all I want to TELL HER how much I LOVE HER!…'cause keeping it in is killing me!' She heaved a sigh, knowing that if she didn't tell Faith the Dark-Slayer would find out in a more unpleasant way.

'How'd I get here?' Buffy wondered as she realized where she was. It was the door to the mansion, and all that stood between her and Angel was a thick black Curtin. Literally.

"Are you gonna come in?" Angel called through the dark fabric. Buffy cleared her throat, and pulled back one of the folds. Buffy smiled at Angel, who was seated on his couch. The slayer slowly walked over to it, and sat down.

"Hey, there, Angel." Buffy said nervously, still not quite sure why she was here, or what she was going to do now that she was. "Thanks for all the great help on the paper last night!" Buffy quickly stated, "Ms. Miller said she'd give me extra credit for my interview-"

"Buffy," Angel said quietly, but sternly, "I know why you're here." His tone changed, to the caring one she remembered from her Sophomore year. "You wanted to talk about us. Our relationship."

"I did?" Buffy asked, realizing she that she REALLY didn't.

"You DO." Angel confirmed. He got up, and walked over to her. "I think it's appropriate, there's a lot we have to talk about." He put his hands on her shoulders, trying to get her to look at him. "why don't you start?"

"I don't know what to say." She whispered.

"Why don't you start by telling me how you're feeling?" he dropped his arms to his sides.

"I feel scared, and confused, and lonely."

"Do you love me?" he whispered. Buffy faltered at that. Her resolve was weakening, she did love Angel.

"I do." Buffy stated, bowing here head.

"But you also love Faith." The Slayer's head shot up at that, her eyes slightly bugged. "I know you love her Buffy, it's obvious." He gave her a small smile. "I'm not Xander, I do notice these things." Both laughed nervously at the crack about Xander.

"Buffy, I knew from the moment that I saw you that I'd love you for as long as I…un-live. I also knew that we could never really be together. I love you Buffy, but you should be with someone who can take you out into the day-light. Some one who can grow old with you…someone that can make love to you." He walked slowly over to the couch, his back to the Slayer. "I'm going to be unhappy until the day I turn to dust, that's my cause. It is my curse." He sat down slowly.

"I don't want to make it worse." Buffy whispered.

"It wouldn't. Knowing that you and Faith are happy…would make me feel a lot better then knowing that I'm keeping you lonely." Buffy shifted her weight from foot to foot, not sure if she was going to start crying. "You and I have a very rocky past. I killed your friends, I tortured your watcher, and hundreds of other things I'll never live down."

"You're not evil anymore."

"Yes I am." Buffy looked at him, slightly teary-eyed. "The demon is inside me all the time, Buffy. I can keep it down, but that doesn't mean it's not there. Every thought I have about something, the demon has another. It's a lot like schizophrenia. Every time I think about kissing you, it thinks about killing you." Buffy gasped. "I'd never let that happen, but that doesn't mean it doesn't think it."

"Is this Good-bye?" she whispered, almost silently.

"No. Not now, anyways. I'm going to move to LA at the start of the summer. Seems to be the best place for me." He said, smiling slightly.

"Los Angelus. The city of Angels. Makes sense. Angel and Angelous in the same body, and in the city named after them." Buffy sniffled slightly, unsure of what to say.

"She loves you too." Angel said, his head bowed. "I went to find you after I'd heard what had happened. I saw the two of you together at the cemetery. She cares about you. More then I know, probably. Plus, she has a real problem with me, and a vampire can practically smell jealousy."

"I'm not so sure. That's why I'm scared." Buffy started to cry, silent tears running down her pink cheeks.

"Give her a chance. If she says no, then…" Buffy waited to her his plan B, "…the sky is falling." He smiled sadly at her. "Trust me Buffy. She won't let you down." Buffy smiled as she walked towards the curtains.

"You still my girl?" Buffy turned back smiling.

"Always."

Buffy slowly walked back to school, Angel's kind words filling her head. It seemed more out of habit then reason that she walked into the Library. Faith rushed over to her.

"B, where've you been? I was waiting for you so we could go have lunch." Faith could some how see the dried tear marks on the Blonde's face and whispered, "B, you okay?"

"Yeah," Buffy said, coming to her senses, "I'm fine."

"You sure?" Faith asked quietly, taking Buffy's hand. Buffy looked down at their hands, realizing that maybe Angel was right.

"Yeah. I'm sure." She looked up, smiling at Faith (who still looked worried). "Is Willow gonna come or is she staying with Oz?"

"I'm Coming," Willow said, gathering her bag, "We were just worried about you."

"You guys want to go Off-Campus? Get some REAL food?" Buffy asked brightly

"YES! Please! One more day of Mulligan Stew and I think I'm going to hurl." Both the Slayers laughed at the Witch's comment. They all linked arms, and made their way out into the town.

Lovers And Fighters

The three girls had a wonderful lunch. They chose to go to a small Café near the Espresso Pump were you could get sandwiches, and sat at a table talking about all things non-HellMouthy. While Buffy went to the bathroom Willow turned to Faith.

"Faith?" Willow started, wanting to be kind yet direct, as the Older Slayer could be back any second, "I need to ask you some thing." Faith nodded, chewing her sandwich, "Xander told me you were in love." Faith audibly gulped.

"He did?" Faith asked, turning slightly pale.

"I just wanted to ask…" she leaned in close to whisper, "Is it Buffy?"

"Why would you say that?" Faith said, acting as though the very idea was ludicrous. 'Faith's not gonna be winning the academy award anytime soon!' Willow thought to herself.

"Oh, you know, 'cause I'm not blind." The witch answered causally. "The note you left in her locker, the way look at her, not to mention the fact that you take every opportunity to touch her that presents itself. Faith, I think you should tell her how you feel." The Dark Slayer snorted in sad laughter.

"Yeah, sure thing Red. I'll just go tell Straight-As-A-Slide-Rule Buffy, WHO HAS A BOY-FRIEND (point of fact!), that I'm in love with her…" Faith heaved a sigh, staring at the remains of her sandwich, no longer hungry. "She's happy Red. I don't want to ruin that." She glanced up at the witch to find her smiling at her.

"Faith. For your information, Buffy's about at linier as a U-Turn." Faith's head shot up at that, eyes slightly bugged. "Yeah, I didn't see it comin' either. But it's true."

"You serous Will?" Faith asked quietly.

"Um hmm. Told me so her-self. I'm not saying she's as queer as black sun-shine but…" Willow trailed off, seeing Buffy come back from the toilets. The short blond walked over and wrapped her arm around Faith's shoulders. She looked at Willow and asked

"Do we have time to grab some mochas be fore we go?" The witch nodded excitedly.

"I dunno B," Faith said in mock fear, "Mixing caffeine with Red might be a bad idea, do you own life insurance?" Buffy laughed and suggested Decaf as she went to pay the bill. Faith turned back to the copper-top to quickly ask "You don't know from 'Experience' do you?"

"What?" Willow asked, slightly confused. Then it sunk in, "OH!…Oh! No! Not like that, she just told me. I think you should tell her Faith." Faith shrugged.

"She only sees me as a friend." Faith picked up her coat and pulled it on.

"Right, and when was the last time you saw her hug ME or put her arm around MY shoulders?" Faith stopped straightening her Jacket, the thought hitting her like a ton of bricks.

"Ready to go?" Buffy asked, getting a nod from Willow. "I love this jacket." She said turning to Faith, and straightening it for her. "How come you can pull of the black leather thing so well?" Buffy asked with a fake pout. Faith shook herself out the naughty thoughts that comments ignited, and shrugged her shoulders.

"Must be the Attitude. Some people are just born with it." Buffy linked arms with Faith and they walked out of the café.

Later that afternoon Faith sat in the stacks reading from a book she'd been interested in. She knew that Xander, who was supposed to be doing research a few feet away, kept looking at her. She knew that he wasn't really doing the work (the book was upside down), and this was kind of pissing her off. She knew that they needed to find something to help them defeat the mayor. The fact that he was wasting time when he was supposed to be working really annoyed her.

"Hey Xand," Faith asked without looking up, "How's the up-side-down reading going?" Xander coughed and righted the book, Faith smiled smugly. She closed her book and walked over to the table. Giles walked in sipping tea, a book in the other hand.

"Is Buffy here yet?" he asked looking up.

"No sign as of yet, why?" Faith asked, opening her book again.

"I was hoping that you and she could do some weapons training today." He said smiling slightly at Faith.

She jumped out of her chair and jogged to the book-cage, flinging it open. After she'd unlocked the weapons closet she took her time admiring all the shinny objects, thinking of which to pick. She felt that familiar tickle, and knew Buffy was close. She grabbed an Ax and walked out of the cage, facing the Library doors. Buffy walked through seconds later.

The blond dropped her books as soon as she saw Faith. They hit the floor with a 'Snap' that made Giles drop his book and Xander come out from behind the stacks. Both men watched curiously as Buffy slowly took off her Book-Bag. Suddenly, she tossed it at the Dark Slayer. Faith knocked it away as Buffy made a dash for the weapons closet, laughing.

Faith dropped the bag and got to the Book Cage just in time to see the Older Slayer grab the Long Sward. Faith froze. She knew Buffy was REALLY good with swards, and she herself was just learning how to properly use the Ax. She slowly backed away as Buffy stood at the ready.

"Same as yesterday, Faith?" Buffy asked.

"Maybe not. To risky with the weapons." Buffy nodded, and advanced. She swung the sward, aiming for Faith's shoulder, and the Dark Slayer ducked. Faith made a swing at the Blonde's stomach but the other girl jumped back in time. They continued like this for several minutes, completely oblivious to the fact that Giles and Xander were watching. They didn't even notice when Willow and Oz walked in, closely followed by Cordelia.

The fight took up a lot of space, and the three teens cowered by the entrance. Giles stood behind the counter while Xander stood by the railing at the top of the stairs. At one point they had started fighting on top of the table. Then it happened! Buffy let Faith knock the sward out of her hand. The blond made a dive for it, but it was too late. She felt the back of the Ax being held at her neck. Faith had won the round.

Both girls were breathing raggedly, and their hearts were pounding. Faith threw the Ax so that it stuck in the floor, and held out her hand to Buffy. The blond took it, and thanked her. Both smiled as they made their way back to the weapons closet.

"…. . wow…. ." came Willow's whisper from near the door. Both girls stopped at turned. They had totally forgotten that they'd had an audience. Four mouths were hanging open and eight eyes were slightly bugged (Oz looked as surprised as he ever did). Buffy glanced at Xander to see that he was drooling slightly. She held in a laugh and grabbed a wooden staff and scarf from the Closet. She tossed the staff to Faith, who caught it.

"Hey Giles? Any updates on the whole Mayor thing?" Buffy asked as she tied the blindfold over Faith's eyes. Giles shook himself back to his senses. The entire interaction between the two slayers had taken him completely by surprise; he had no idea that Faith was so capable of holding her own against Buffy (little did he know that Buffy had let her win, fulfilling her mother's wishes).

"Um, no. Nothing new as of yet, but we're sure to find something soon." Oz, Cordy and Willow all walked over to the table. Oz reached down and struggled with pulling the Ax out of the floor. He tossed it at Buffy who caught it without looking. She put it down on the counter, smiling at Giles, and went back to Faith.

"Ready Faith?" she nodded, gripping the wooden staff tightly. Buffy crept silently around Faith, circling her slowly. She stuck her arm far out to the right and snapped. The brunette made a wild swing, and missed completely. Buffy giggled, and got a knock in the stomach. Buffy fell to the floor, surprised. She looked up to see Faith taking off the blind fold smiling knowingly.

"Got ya B!" she tossed the staff to Buffy and untied the scarf. Buffy got up to see that the rest of the Scoobies had focused in of their reading. Faith tied the Scarf around Buffy's eyes carefully, asking quietly if it was too tight. Buffy shook her head, which felt kind of swimmy, do to all the fighting and Faith's closeness.

Buffy could see nothing but blackness. She concentrated on listening, trying to hear Faith's breathing and Heart-beat. She could tell that Faith too circling her. She could hear the Dark Slayer's Docs shuffling on the floor. She pulled the staff in close, and turned to the right. She knew that Faith was right in front of her now. She could hear the faint whispers of the younger Slayer's even breathing. She could tell that she was trying to be a quiet as possible. Fast as lightning she swung at Faith. She felt the end of the staff make contact with her stomach. She didn't realize just had close Faith had been…

"Jesus B…" Faith groaned from the floor. "At least sharpen that before trying to stab me with it…ugh, I think I'm gonna puke." Buffy pulled the Blind Fold off quickly and dropped to her knees by the younger girl. She tossed the staff aside with a 'Clunk' and laid Faith down on the floor. She ran a worried had over Faith's cheek, and told her to lie still. She carefully started pulling the bottom of Faith's shirt up.

Buffy's mouth had gone rather dry. She had just hurt Faith! And now she trying to look under the girl's shirt. She pulled the shirt up a few inches, and found nothing. She ran her hands over Faith's pale-olive skin. It was so smooth and warm. Just touching it made shivers run up her spine. She felt Faith's abdominal mussels jump and twitch under her fingers. She looked up at Faith's face. Her eyes were pinched shut, but not in pain. She saw that Faith's chest was rising and falling rapidly.

"It's higher then that." Faith whispered. The feel of Buffy's hands on her skin was amazing. She had never felt so alive. Her heart was racing and her blood was almost boiling. 'How is it that just this simple touch from Buffy can get me so HOT!?' Faith asked herself. It took incredible self-control not to arch her back when Buffy had run her hand over her stomach.

Buffy pulled her shirt higher, stopping just below the girl's breasts. There, slightly to the left, she saw it. A circular welt, identical in width to the staff Buffy had hit her with. It was turning a light shade of blue in front of her eyes. Faith's Slayer Healing was taking over. Buffy gently ran her hand up Faith's side, wanting to check to see if she'd broken the girl's ribs.

Faith gasped, and her Back arched slightly. Buffy was being so gentle, it felt incredible. She was and the verge of panting. Her brain was in desperate need of oxygen as wild thoughts raced threw her brain. All she wanted to do was lie back and indulge in the soft caresses that Buffy was lavishing on her.

Buffy's heart was racing. Either she had REALLY hurt Faith or some thing else was going on. She ran her hand the rest of the way up Faith's ribs, and applied a light pressure to the bruise. Faith let out a small 'Urgh!' and winced at the touch. No ribs were broken, but she was going to have quite a welt for at least a few hours.

She heard Xander let out a groan, and Faith's eyes shot open. They both turned to look at the boy. Apparently their heightened Slayer Senses had heard it, because no one else had noticed it. Faith cleared her throat and pulled the shirt back down…over Buffy's hand. The blond looked down at the outline of her appendage through the thin fabric. Her eyes shot up to meet Faiths.

Both girls looked away as Buffy quickly retrieved her hand. Buffy nervously ran her fingers through her hair, and got up. She held out a hand for Faith as the brunette had done for her earlier. She grasped it, and pulled herself up, groaning in pain as she did so.

"Oh, Sorry." Buffy said quickly. Faith waved it off, but refused to make eye contact with the Blond. Buffy gently put a hand to Faith's face and whispered "You want me to get you an ice pack?" Faith could only look at the other girl for a few seconds, but nodded. As Buffy walked in to Giles' office Willow caught the Younger Slayer's eye. She had a slight 'I Told You So' smile on her face. Faith blushed.

Buffy and Faith walked through the Cemetery later that evening, both almost silent. Faith wanted to listen to Willow and tell Buffy how she felt, but she was too scared. She knew how SHE felt about the other Slayer, but she didn't know how Buffy felt about her. 'How am I supposed to find out?!' she asked herself, 'I need to know if it's worth even mentioning…I could handle just being Buffy's friend, but if I don't at least say something I'm gonna regret it for the rest of my life!…and Slayers don't live that long.'

"Hey, Faith? You okay, you've been awful quiet?" Buffy put a soft hand on Faith shoulder. Faith brushed it off, not wanting the Heady feeling she got every time the two of hem touched to distract her from what she needed to do.

"Yeah, B, I'm fine." Faith took a deep breath and was about to continue when Buffy interrupted her.

"Is this about what happened this afternoon?" Faith looked confused, "Because I really didn't mean to hit you that hard…I didn't know how close you were." Faith Shook her head.

"It's not that, B. I was just thinking about some things."

"Like what?" Buffy walked forward, linking arms with the brunette, "Think out loud so I can at least join in!" Buffy gave her a winning smile. Faith shook it off, still not wanting to be distracted.

"B?" Faith started slowly, "Where were you today?" Buffy's smile faded, and already Faith knew the answer.

"I was with you almost all day. Except for classes…" Buffy trailed off, not sure why she was avoiding what she knew the brunette was asking. She had no reason to hid it from Faith ('I did it for her!').

"You were late to meet Willow and I for lunch. You must have been off campus because I tried to feel you out…you were too far away." Buffy started walking again, head bowed. "Where did you go B?"

"I went off campus. Had some thinking to do." Faith caught up to her, avoiding the blonde's eyes. Buffy knew that Faith and Angel had some problems, but she didn't know why. Angel thought it was Jealousy, but Buffy wasn't so sure.

"Why couldn't you think on campus?" Faith asked, a harsh tone to her voice, "Or is the kind of 'thinking' you did allergic to Sun Light?" Buffy was surprised to hear the coldness in the other Slayer's voice. She walked a little faster, heading towards a mausoleum with a flickering light inside. Faith Followed her, realizing how mean she must have been. "B! Wait! I'm sorry!"

"Shh!" Buffy grabbed Faith, and pulled her behind an ornamental statue just in time. Six Vamps, all well dressed, were walking out of said mausoleum. "Mayor's guys. They came looking for something, and I think they got it. You think we can take 'em?" She turned to Faith who nodded mutely. Buffy pulled out a stake and tossed in to the younger girl.

"B, I'm sorry-" Faith started but was cut off.

"Apologize later, we have demons to kill." With that she jumped out of their hiding place, taking a Vamp by surprise. She staked him in the back, his dust filling the air with the stench of stale death. The other five turned around, Faith appeared staking another unsuspecting monster. They split and ran three ways. Two attacked Buffy, one attacked Faith, and the last one headed for the metaphorical hills.

Buffy kicked the first Vamp in the stomach, and ducked as the second swung at her. She was too slow, though, the First one managed to hit her in the gut. She staggered slightly, but regained her balance just in time to jump over a sweeping kick from the first vamp, dressed in a green business suit. She staked the second vamp in mid air, his dust blowing away in the wind as she landed, full force on her remaining attacker.

Faith, however, didn't have it so easy. Her opponent, though singular, was armed. And, oddly enough, with an Ax. He made some wild swings at her, but they were powerful. One came too close her comfort and she had to use her stake to block the impact of the blade. Fortunately, the Ax got stuck in the Stake, so when he tried to pull the handle back, he found his palms empty. Faith grabbed the Ax (with the stake still stuck in it sideways), and swung at the demon. He ducked, and she swung again. Miss, but he was looking scared now. With one last swing she managed to stick him with the stake end of her oddly arranged weapon. He burst into dust, and so did her stake (still imbedded in the Vamp).

Faith looked over at Buffy to find that she had lost her stake, and was not fending off an adversary unarmed. Faith took careful aim and called "B! GET DOWN!" Buffy ducked, and the Vamp turned to see what Faith was yelling about.

His dust settled as Buffy looked up at the Ax embedded in the tombstone above her head. Faith Offered her hand to the blond, pulling her up gently. They came together closer then Faith had expected. Their noses touched, both their hot breaths mingled and warmed the faces of the Slayers. Buffy turned away, dusting off her pants. Faith cleared her throat, and tugged the Ax from the block of marble it was wedged in.

"Uh, What were we talking about?" Buffy asked the brunette. The combination of fighting the demons and her face being so close to Faith's had sent her mind reeling. Faith bowed her head, digging the toe of her boot into the fresh gave below her feet.

"I was just saying…" Faith trailed off, It was hard for her to apologize to people. The only person she'd ever REALLY said sorry to had been Buffy, but it was still hard to get the words out. "That I was sorry about all that mean stuff I said about-"

"Angel!" Faith looked up to see a surprised Slayer looking back at her. She hadn't even noticed the hairs on her neck standing up. She turned around, finding Angel right behind her. He didn't look to Happy to see Faith, though he did smile at Buffy.

"Here, I found this on a Vamp on my way in." He tossed Buffy what appeared to be an amulet. It was made of gold and had a meticulously caved jewel in the center of it. Around the edges were what appeared to be engravings, written in runes that probably only Giles could decipher. He nodded at Faith, and gave Buffy a smile before walking off again.

"Well, that was abrupt." Faith said. She turned around to face the other slayer, and was just about to ask if Buffy wanted to take off with Angel when she saw Buffy's face. It was pointed downwards, and when she looked up there were tears in her eyes. Faith froze, not knowing what to do. The slowly, she took Buffy into a hug. As she Held the blond close she heard her whisper.

"I'm Scared Faith." Faith told her that she was scared too, 'though probably for different reasons' she told herself, and held the older Slayer tightly. 'I guess her little rendezvous with Angel didn't go down like I thought it did'. Faith could tell that they were no longer together as a couple, but that they still wanted to work mutually. Faith felt bad for Buffy, she knew that the Slayer loved Angel and here he was breaking her heart (or so she thought).

"It's okay, B. I'm not going anywhere. You'll be Okay. We'll all be okay." She slowly and softly ran her hand down the Blonds back, and felt Buffy shiver. She ran her hand back up and felt her shiver again. Realizing that now may not be the best time to try and seduce the Slayer, Faith simply held her tightly until Buffy gently pulled away.

"Thanks. It's been a long day." Buffy wiped her face, and took Faith's hand. As they walked home the brunette spent a most of the lengthening minutes staring at their joint hands. She loved the amount of warmth this simple act could fill her with. As they came up the path to 1630 Revello Drive, Buffy felt her neck tickle. She looked to Faith to see if she had noticed, but found the brunette too entranced in the sight of their hands. She looked around and saw Angel hiding around the side of the house, smiling slightly. She smiled back.

Just as they reached the porch the door swung open. Joyce came out, looking rather annoyed. "Where have you two been?! It's past twelve, and you didn't even call? Surely there must be phones in cemeteries!" As they walked into the house, they dropped hands, both not really wanting Ms. Summers to see them acting affectionately. But she had.

Saying Goodbye

Buffy awoke slowly the next morning. She snuggled deeper into the warm soft cushion beneath her head. The smell of Faith beset her senses, reminding the Slayer of Cherry Cokes and Big Red gum. Her eyes slowly opened, realizing that she was not sleeping on Faith, but instead on a pillow that she was keeping in a death-grip. She didn't have long to think, because her eyes fell upon her alarm clock next, telling her she had 15 minutes to get ready for school. Buffy shot up, wondering why the buzzer hadn't gone off like it was supposed to.

"Hey, easy B, you'll get a head rush!" Faith said, putting a hand on the blonde's shoulder. Buffy turned to look at her. Her hair was wet. She was dressed in her red-leather pants, a black tank-top and her denim jacket. "Here, I brought you some coffee." She handed Buffy the Mug, smiling.

"What?" Buffy asked, more then a little confused.

"We switched." Faith said, "I always take night showers, and you take them in the morning. Last night we traded, so this morning I took mine. I figured I'd let you sleep in, since you seemed pretty wiped out last night." She rubbed the Older Slayer's shoulder, then got up. "I'll meet you downstairs after you change." She got up off the bed and left the room.

As Buffy put on her clothes, Faith waited by the door downstairs. Not knowing who else to tell, she'd told Joyce what'd happened last night, as it had really been bugging her. In fact, I had kept her up all night. She spent most of it running her fingers through Buffy's hair, thinking about what Buffy had said…and did.

"Ready to go?" Buffy asked smiling.

"Sure, I told Willow we'd meet her in the library. She called to say she couldn't walk with us." Buffy nodded and they headed out the door.

"So, you gonna tell me?" Buffy asked. Faith stared at her, faking confusion.

"Tell you what?" she didn't want to have to do this now, but if Buffy wanted answers about what'd happened she wasn't going to keep them form her.

"Othello. You said you'd explain it to me?" She said, a note of flirtation in her voice.

"OH!" Faith remembered, relieved that it was only Shakespeare, "Yeah, sure. What Act were you supposed to read again?"

"Act Two. I have a reading quiz on it this after noon. Mostly thematic stuff, not too many quotes…I hope" she added. Faith smiled, and began explaining the book. She had a lot to explain, as Buffy obviously didn't understand the first act either (though she assured Faith she HAD read it).

Buffy asked Faith a few questions about Othello's motives and Faith did her best to explain with out giving away the end, or having to explain the sub-plots that didn't apply to Act Two. They had talked all the way to school, Faith spouting off a few of the more well known Quotes that might appear on the quiz, and Buffy was doing her best to soak it all in. But when they walked into the library, they froze.

"Ah. Buffy, nice to see you again. And this must be Ms. Faith…" Seeing a room full of tweed forced Faith into Slayer Mode. One thought ran through her head: Keep Buffy Safe! She grabbed Buffy around the middle and pulled the blond tightly to her.

"She's got a hostage!" one of the Watchers yelled, pulling out a gun. The others quickly followed suit. Quick as a flash Faith stood in front of Buffy, her arms raised out to her sides.

"Whoa! Hey! No, No hostage!" Faith yelled, "I'm unarmed, see? No weapons!"

"You ARE a weapon, Ms. Faith. We made you that way." Quinton Trevors replied dryly.

"I thought this was a public school. Why do they have guns here?" Willow asked, still rather shocked at the turn of events. Buffy tried to move from behind Faith, but the brunette wouldn't allow it.

"B, just stay back, okay?" she whispered to her, "I can handle this. Just stay behind me." Buffy nodded, and watched the Englishmen over Faith's shoulder. "What are you doing here? What do you want?"

"You, to be precise." Quinton said, picking at his nails. "We're here to take you back to The Watcher's Council to stand trial-"

"You can't take her!" Buffy yelled, outraged. Faith shushed her, giving a pleading look.

"On what grounds? What are the charges?" Faith asked business like.

"For the murder of Deputy Mayor Allen Finch." Both Slayer's eyes bugged, at the realization of who the dead man was.

"She gave testimony. As did Buffy, the only other witness. Why do you need to take her back to England? Wesley assured me that you had received the tapes." Giles asked, sounding suspicious.

"Yes, we did receive them," she said turning from Giles to the two Slayers, "And there's a great deal we've learned from them…" He said cryptically then became monotone again. "But there was extensive water damage to the body. It did indicate that there was one, Fast blow to the heart with a sharp wooden implement. This followed testimony. Most of the damage done to the body was post mortem. We simply want to take her before the Counsel and have her re-testify. Make sure her story hasn't changed."

"Yeah, right." Buffy said sarcastically, "If let you take her, I'll probably never see her again. What else are you going to do to here?" the blond demanded. Quinton looked to the floor briefly.

"There will be a few tests-" he started

"NO!" Buffy yelled, once again trying to push past Faith, unsuccessfully. "You lay a finger of her and I'll kill you!!" she ragged. Faith shushed her again.

"What tests?" Faith asked quickly.

"Reflexes. Blood and tissue samples will be taken to keep on file. That's all I assure you." He said, mainly to Buffy, still standing behind Faith. "It'll only take 3 days, and that's primarily because of the amount of time the flights take. I assure you she WILL be back then. You can even ask her if there was anything else we did to her." Buffy still looked angry. "There will be no injections, I assure you. We simply want to test her Slayer abilities and have her re-testify."

"Plus, you don't really have an option." One of the other Watchers said evilly.

"Hey!" Willow yelled, "Faith is an American citizen. You can't take her without the consent of the guardian! Otherwise it's kidnapping." Willow smiled at knowing the facts.

"We have consent. The Counsel IS her legal guardian. She was her Watcher's adopted daughter, then passed on to Giles when she came to Sunnydale, then he signed her over to Wesley when he was fired." Buffy looked to Giles as though her had just kicked her puppy. But he smiled, wryly at Quinton.

"Actually," Giles drawled, "I haven't signed THOSE papers yet. And now, I don't intend to. Faith stays, unless I get some details." By the time her finished he sounded more like Ripper then his Librarian self. Quinton Huffed in Anger.

"I assure, that is all that will happen. I give you my word, Rupert." Giles retorted that his word was meaningless. "That is all I can offer you."

"Well how about this," Buffy growled, "If she comes back with ONE HAIR out of place, I will beat every single watcher I EVER see for the rest of my life until they an inch from death." The room looked at Buffy, frightened, because they knew she wasn't kidding.

"You said she'd be gone for 3 days, correct." All the Watchers nodded at the blonde, "I want her to call when she lands in England, once after she's given testimony, and once before she gets on the plane. That's AT the airport! If she doesn't, I'll know that SOMEONE's lied…" she glared at Quinton. "Again." She growled. Buffy turned Faith around to face her.

"Do you trust these people enough to go?" she whispered, wanting to know if she was okay with this.

"They pulled guns on me, accused me of taking you hostage, and they locked you in a room with a psychotic Vampire. No, I don't trust them…" she said quietly, "But I trust you. I know that if anything happens to me, you'll be there to save me." She ran her hand over Buffy's cheek. "If I don't go I'll just make things worse. I don't want to know what they'll do if I don't…" she pulled Buffy into a tight hug. Buffy squeezed back. It had enough force to break the bones of a normal human.

"Have fun breaking in Wes while I'm gone." Faith whispered, pulling away. Buffy had tears in her eyes. She had this sinking feeling she was never going to see the Dark Slayer again. Faith picked up her training bag, and turned towards the Watchers. "Well, Tweedy, let's get this show on the road." They walked out the door, closely followed by the Brunette. As she walked through the door, she turned to face the Scoobys. She waved Sadly, and followed them out of the school.

Faith stood out-side the library doors, looking through the small circular windows, watching Buffy sleeping at one of the long tables. She looked so beautiful to the dark Slayer. 'She's always beautiful!' Faith thought, smiling at the soft tingle she got from being close to Buffy again. 'Four days is WAY too long! I don't ever want that feeling to go away.' Faith hadn't realized how comforting it was until she was in a town-car surrounded by people who had pulled guns on her only minutes before.

She watched as Giles stepped out of his office, book in hand, and quietly walked over to where the blonde rested. He gently shook her awake. A small smile spread across Buffy's face.

"Faith?" she whispered, as she opened her eyes. Her smile turned into a frown as she saw her watcher standing before her. He gave her a sad smile, shaking his head. "I'm sorry Giles. I just could have sworn I felt her near by…"

"You said that yesterday too." He said, trying to sound reassuring, "Are you feeling alright? After what happened on Friday with Willow, and your waiting for Faith…it is alright to take a night off." He wheedled, but Buffy just shook her head.

"No, with Faith gone it's only more reason to patrol. Besides, I was hoping she'd stop by. I have mom waiting at home to give me a call in case she goes straight there." Faith held in a laugh. She had been home, but she'd asked Joyce not to call Buffy so she could surprise her.

"Well, I don't think that she'll be coming by here tonight. Why don't you head home? It's 11:00 on a Sunday night, why don't you go get some work done."

"I did it all. There wasn't really much to distract me, so I did all of it on Saturday." She looked down to the floor for a moment, but quickly looked back up. "Besides, why would anyone think to come to a school on a Sunday?"

Giles nodded and went back into his office. Faith watched as Buffy put her things away. She paused, half way through putting a book in her bag. She lovingly ran her fingers over it, looking at it sadly. Faith realized that it was her diary. 'What's B doing with my Diary?!' she wondered, silently walking through the library doors. Buffy seemed to have come to a conclusion. She put the diary down, "Don't worry Faith, I'll rescue you!"

"Am I really worthy of a rescue?" Faith called. Buffy turned, stunned, towards the brunette.

"FAITH!" she called excitedly, running full force towards the girl. Buffy jumped into Faith's outstretched arms, knocking the wind out of her. Faith hugged her, enjoying the extra warm tingle she got from their closeness. Faith felt warm droplets run down her neck. She realized the Buffy was holding onto her for dear life, as though her life depended on their hug. Faith held her close and gently ran her hands down the blonde's back.

"Shh, shh B. It's okay." She whispered, "I'm alright. Look, I'm back, everything's going to be fine. Why are you crying?" Buffy just held her tighter, and sniffled quietly. "Let's get you home, I have a cab waiting out front." Buffy nodded, and unwrapped her legs from around the brunette (Faith was sorry to see them go). Buffy picked up her bag, but turned around to get Faith's Diary. Faith beat her to it.

"Hey B, what's this doing here?" Faith said, playfully, holding up the leather book. Faith looked at it and noticed that there was a rubber band around it, and a post-it marked 'DON'T READ!' in Willow's handwriting. "You didn't read it did you?" she asked skeptically.

"No," Buffy started, blushing slightly, "It was just keeping me company." She lifted her bag, and waited for Faith to lead the way, which she did.

"What do you mean?" Faith asked laughing slightly.

"It was just…" Buffy sighed, "I missed you. A lot. And I know how much you love your Diary, how much it means to you, and…it's this little part of you. It's full of all these thoughts and feelings and dreams that originated from you and…well. It was like being able to keep a little piece of you with me when you were away. Like, you weren't completely gone."

She put her arm around the blond and led her to the cab smiling. Faith opened the car door for her, sliding in after. "What happened while I was gone?" Faith asked excitedly.

"You wouldn't believe it if I told you!" Buffy said laughing.

"Well now you have to tell me." Faith scooted in closer, wanting to hear. Buffy noticed her move, and scooted a bit closer her self.

"Well," she started slowly, "Do you remember when Cordelia made that wish and she was thrown in to that other dimension?" Faith nodded. "And how the Demon that granted the wish turned mortal? Well, She tried to do a spell to get her powers back, but she couldn't do it alone…So she asked Willow to help her. But, of course, she lied to Willow telling her some story about a lost necklace. So they did the spell together, but instead of getting her powers back, Anya (the now human Demon) brought an Alternate-Reality-Willow to Sunnydale!"

"Wow, two Willows?" Faith said laughing, "I bet there were all kinds of crazy high-jinx going on with the two of them running around!"

"You don't know the half of it!" Buffy said, in almost uncontrollable laughter, "She was a Vampire!" Faith stopped laughing.

"What?!"

"Yeah! Tell me about it! And you should have seen her! She was walking around in a red and black leather corset and these leather pants! She looked-"

"Hot?" Faith guessed, interrupting. Buffy laughed.

"I was going to say 'Dominatrix', but…yeah, I guess. In her own Evil, Skanky, and 'Kinda Gay' way."

"Whoa!" Faith said, halting all speech, "Did you just say 'Kinda Gay'?"

"Yes, I did. Vamp-Willow was a body of work. She tried to take over the Bronze, and turn all the people there into Vampires. She was going around and licking these girls' necks…she and Real Willow (the one from Sunnydale) got kinda cozy and she tried to Change her. But Good-Willow shot her with a trank-dart, so we locked her in the book cage and switched their clothes. The we sent Good Willow into the Bronze to cool things down, that didn't work so well (Willow is almost NOTHING like her other half, even she trying to act like her)."

"What happened?" Faith asked.

"Well, Willow wasn't as Evil and demanding as they expected her to be, so they saw right through it. So then we all ambushed the club and saved the day."

"And Vamp-Willow?"

"We sent her back to her own reality. Willow didn't want to stake her, and I didn't think I could. It was odd, they were so alike, and yet so different. Willow hugged her Evil-Half good-bye, and the Vamp got a hand-full…" both girls started cracking up.

"I'm sorry I missed that! I almost hope that I get to meet this Evil Twin some time!" They both got out of the cab, and Faith paid the driver. Buffy put her arm around the Brunette's shoulder, and they walked up the steps together. Joyce had gone to bed.

As quietly as possible they went up to their room. Faith took a shower, having felt gross from the 11-hour-flight from London. When she came back into the room, Buffy was sitting on the bed writing in her diary. She looked up and smiled at Faith when she walked in. Faith quickly changed behind her towel (to Buffy's disappointment) and sat on the bed next to the blonde. "I missed you." She said solemnly.

"I missed you too Faith." She Smiled, then socked Faith hard on the shoulder.

"Ow! What was that for?" She was more shocked then hurt.

"THAT was for not calling me! You had me scared to death, do you know that? And why were you gone so long? They said three days, not four!" Faith smiled, it was nice to know that Buffy cared, even if her affection was lightly misguided.

"I am NOT a very good flyer. That's why I took a greyhound from Boston to Sunnydale. When I got on the plane, the man next to me said that having a drink makes you feel better about being in the air…I think I may have had a bit too much, because all I remember is waking up the next day at about 3:30 in the afternoon with a hangover and a-" Faith paused, she was going to say Tattoo, but then Buffy'd want to see it, so instead she said, "Headache. I was told that the counsel had adjourned for the day, and they wouldn't meet again until the next day."

"But why didn't you call?" Buffy looked hurt.

"I'm sorry I didn't call. And even if I did do you have any idea how huge your phone bill would have been? Besides, what was I going to say? 'Hey B, I'm drunk off my ass in another country, what's life like back where you are?' " Faith sighed, she hated having to tell Buffy about all the stupid childish things she did. It made her feel dirty, like she wasn't good enough to be Buffy's friend. The blonde sighed and closed her Diary.

"That was just one day." Buffy said, a lot more calm and understanding now that she knew. "You could have called when you felt better, or at least to tell me that you had been sick and had to stay over an extra day. I'm sorry you didn't feel well, and I'll remember that you don't like planes in case we take any trips in the near future." She hugged Faith, and rubbed her back gently. "I just worry. I kept having all these bad dreams about them brain washing you and locking you in rooms with hordes of Vampires…" Buffy gave her an extra squeeze, and Faith flinched. Buffy pulled away.

"No, No Vampires, just a horde of Watchers." She rubbed her left side gently.

"What happened?" Buffy asked, sounding worried.

"It was my fault. They wanted to see how good I was at defending my self against a group. They would put me in a room with Watchers. First it was two, then it was three, then five, then seven…then it was ten. I had done really well in all of the other tests, these guys were about as good a Wesley on a Bad day! I got a little showy…I gave them an opening, and they took it. I don't blame them. I got hit in the ribs with a small hand mace. I'll be fine, they X-Rayed it and said that it was just a broken rib. It almost completely healed on the plane, all that's left is a bruise."

She lifted her shirt, and showed the blonde. It was a bruise, and it was healing before the blonde's eyes. But she still wanted to kick the nameless watcher's butt for breaking Faith's rib. She gently ran her hand over it. 'Kiss it and make it better' she thought, but quickly pushed it out of her mind. She took her hand away, and Faith put her shirt back down. "You'll be fine by tomorrow." Faith nodded. Buffy put her Diary away in its drawer, and climbed under the covers, quickly followed by Faith.

Faith got comfortable while Buffy turned off the light. Just as Faith was settled, she felt Buffy wrap her arms around her middle. Faith went slightly stiff, not because she didn't like it but because she was suddenly quite nervous. No one had ever really shown her affection like this before. Buffy nuzzled into the brunette's hair, and kissed the back of her neck. Her heart was racing now, this was NOT what she'd expected from Buffy when they got home! But she was certainly enjoying it.

"I really missed you Faith…" Buffy whispered in her ear. Faith melted into the Slayer's touch, lavishing in the warmth of their closeness. "You don't mind, do you?" Buffy asked, the trepidation obvious in her voice. Faith shook her head, and wrapped her arms over the blonde's.

A Fresh New Start

Faith woke abruptly to the feeling of Buffy getting out of bed, and the cool morning air hitting her. Reaching up quickly and grabbing the blonde, Faith pulled her back under the sheets.

"And where do you think you're going?" Buffy shivered at the husky-growl that came from the Brunette's throat.

"Faith!" the blonde protested unconvincingly, "I have to shower! Some of us have school…?"Faith just held her tighter and nuzzled into her neck, causing Buffy to giggle. "You're really into this whole sharing-a-bed-thing, aren't you?"

"Well…" Faith said leaning up so she could look Buffy in the eye, "I've never really done it before. It's a new experience for me…" Buffy looked kind of sad.

"You never did the sleep-over thing when you were young?" Faith shook her head.

"I didn't have many friends, and my house wasn't one you'd want to invite people over to, ya know?" Buffy nodded. From what little she'd heard from Faith she'd pieced together that Faith's Boston Home-Life had been pretty bad.

"Well, you have friends here, and I am going to have a sleep-over for you. We can invite Willow, and Xander, and Giles (though only to be polite, 'cause we both know he's gonna say no anyways)…" Faith laughed, and Buffy giggled too.

"Or…" Faith whispered, calming down, "You and I could have our own little private sleep-over right here…?" Faith was trying to sound enticing, and it was working like a charm.

"Faith, we have private sleep-over every-night!" Buffy laughed, reminding her. She pulled back the sheets once again, and got up. "I'mma go take a shower." Buffy leaned down and kissed Faith's forehead lightly.

Faith smiled as she watched the happy little blonde walk out of the room, a slight spring in her step. Last night had been one of the best nights of sleep she'd ever had. She'd barely slept a wink in England, she wouldn't trust those watchers as far as Xander could throw them! She'd spent most of her nights writing letters to Buffy that she knew she'd never send. Remembering the letters, she checked the bad she brought back with her. Yup, they were safely tucked into the side-pocket. Getting up, Faith changed into fresh clothes.

Faith walked downstairs to find Joyce sipping coffee, and reading the paper. She smiled at Faith walked in, and pointed towards the coffee pot, to show that there was more. Faith quickly poured herself a cup, and added the necessary amounts of Sugar and Milk to weaken it.

"So, did you surprise her last night?" Joyce asked.

"Yeah, it was great! Thanks for you help, by the way." Joyce nodded, and put her mug down.

"I bet she was pretty happy to see you?" Joyce had a knowing look in her eye, and something told her that the older woman already knew what was going on. 'Which is weird,' Faith thought to her self, 'Because I barely even know!'. Faith nodded, and sipped her Coffee.

"Did you know she'd been carrying my Diary around?" Faith asked, no accusing, just as though she though Joyce might find it funny too. She nodded.

"Yeah, I knew. She never let it leave her line of vision! She even had it on patrol with her, carrying it in a back-pack…it was kind of my idea." Faith's eyes bugged at that, and she quickly swallowed the coffee in her mouth so she wouldn't spit it all over the kitchen.

"YOUR idea?!?" Faith gasped.

"Mine and Willow's, actually. Buffy was really upset by your leaving, she came home sick that day and told me. Willow came over later to see how she was…we suggested that she keep something of yours with her (I meant like a jacket), but she REALLY wanted your Diary…" Joyce sighed, "So, I put the rubber-band on it, and later on Willow put the post-it on there to remind her not to open it. I don't think she did, but I know she wanted to."

"I don't think she did either, Buffy's pretty trustworthy." She drank down the rest of her coffee, and refilled the cup. She added the slightest bit of milk, and walked over to the fridge. Leaning against it, she held it out. Seconds later a smiling Buffy walked through the kitchen door and grabbed it.

"That still gets me! I have no idea how you two do that…" Joyce mused to herself.

"Please!" Faith joked, "If you had Slayer hearing, you'd hear this lead-footed-ninny clomping down the stairs too!" Faith ruffled blonde hair, and Buffy nudged her back, fixing the damage. Buffy picked up her bag, quickly followed by Faith, who waved to Joyce as the headed towards the front door.

As soon as the stepped out onto the front porch, Faith grabbed Buffy into a kiss. Buffy gasped, not only at the unexpected affection, but also at the feeling it brought. She felt like Magic was seeping from Faith's lips to hers, and her body shuddered at the contact. Warmth spread through her body, and stayed even after Faith pulled back. Buffy finally open her eyes, capturing velvety brown ones. She noted a hint of fear in them and smiled, glad that she wasn't the only one who was afraid. Both girls turned at the sound of a throat being cleared.

"Hey guys!" Willow said nervously, "Mind if I walk with you to school?" Faith chuckled, and they both nodded, heading down the block.

"Hey Red?" Faith asked slowly.

"Yeah Faith?"

"Could you not tell anyone about us for a while? We'll tell everyone eventually, but until then I think we'd both like to keep it kinda quiet . . ?" Faith glanced at Buffy, who nodded quickly.

"Sure! I don't mind…but I think you'd better tell everyone soon, because I've never been that good with keeping secrets." Faith looked to Buffy for confirmation, and the look on the Slayer's face was all the evidence she'd need. Willow would tell if they didn't. Faith nodded.

"Give us three days, okay? Just so we can set things up to tell people. We'll probably have told some people before then, but can you try and keep in under you hat for three days?" Willow looked a little pale, but nodded. They kept waling, and talking, discussing the Mayor's plans for ascension, and how things were going with Willow and Oz. Nearing Xander's corner, they all smiled as they saw him waiting there.

"Hey ladies! What's News with all of you?" Xander asked jovially. Buffy looked to Willow, who had groaned and gone rather white. Quick as a flash Xander had Faith in a big Bear-Hug. Once the child of good-intentions put the Slayer back down, Faith smiled good-naturedly. "So! How was Watchers' HQ? Did they have you re-testify? Are you here to stay?" The questions came at her like a hail storm.

"Creep, Yes, and Yes. They're in this 17th century château full of book and little rooms full of people that are running testes…Oh! But I met a Slayer-In-Training! She was cool, so we hung out. She was from London, so she showed me around."

"Cool, very cool! Did you miss us while you're gone?" Xander looked hopeful.

"Now, do you want honesty, or would you just like me to say 'Yes'?" Faith asked, jokingly.

"I just go with my delusional 'Yes' thank-you…" the young-man smiled and held open the doors for the four of them to walk into the school. As the walked down the halls, each hopped that some bit of truth about the Mayor's ascension had been recovered.

Friends And Lovers

[ Takes place about a week after A Fresh New Start]

It was a cool night in the town of Sunnydale, and all the little girls and boys were tucked away into their bed. But that was just good ones, all the one's who had a responsibility to save the world from total annihilation…were a sleep leaning against a book-shelf. Well, that's where Xander Harris was, anyway.

So there he was, fast asleep, dreaming one of his recently more frequent dreams about Slayers. It never changed. First, Buffy would come to him, and tell him that she was deeply in love with him and had been for years but simply didn't tell him so as to keep him out of harm's way. Then, as they were speaking, Faith would show up, and profess her undying love for him as well. Then the two would get in to a fight to the death in which some clothes were torn, and all to get to be his girl-friend. Just as it was getting to the part where they both agreed to share him, he was rudely awakened by a book falling on his head.

Rubbing his head, he got up, and walked to the banister. There he saw one of the objects of his affection. Buffy was leaning over the head of the table, hands on either side of a book full of demons. They had acquired the books of ascension (now hidden in Wesley's apartment) from a particularly frightened demon, and it hadn't been cheep. Originally he asked for FIVE THOUSAND Dollars, but they got him down to Three and protection should her ever choose to come back to Sunnydale. Though the demon assured that he would never return, he seemed desperate for money to escape the Hellmouth. Xander smiled and watched as Buffy turned the page, letting out a degusted 'Eww!' as the picture of a particularly warped demon. All the Scoobies had been spending all their free time looking up and learning about some of the more deadly demons.

Just then Faith silently slipped in the library doors, Xander hid behind the nearest bookshelf, not wanting Faith to catch him ogling Buffy. He stuck his head out, and saw Faith look around, and tiptoe towards Buffy, smiling slyly. He wanted to see the blonde's response to being surprised, he knew from experience that scaring a slayer was a bad idea for a joke. He watched as Faith, instead of shouting in her ear, or poking her in the ribs, slowly and leisurely wrapped her arms around the blonde's waist.

"Hey." Faith whispered, her voice low and throaty. Buffy smiled, but kept her eyes on the book. She leaned in rested her head on Buffy's shoulder.

"Where's Wesley?" she asked quietly. Faith laughed.

"Don't worry, he's not here. I think Giles was right about not telling him, that guy would squeal like a pig, and run right to the counsel." The brunette held Buffy tighter, and looked at the book her self. "I kicked his ass pretty bad, and last I saw he was limping back to his car to go home…where's everyone else?" Buffy turned around in Faith arms, wrapping hers around Faith's neck.

"Oz has a gig at The Bronze tonight, and Willow went home to do her homework before going to watch. Cordy has cheerleading at the game tonight, and Giles left hours ago. Besides they all know, so no big shock there. Just you and me…" she smiled, and Faith pulled her closer. Xander was really confused now, 'What the hell are they talking about?'

"Well, I guess that's everybody…" Faith leaned in and kissed Buffy lightly, who smiled and kissed back. Xander's eye nearly fell right out of his head. He stood there watching in shock as the two women he adored kissed each other with rising passion. Suddenly, Xander felt all the blood that had once been making him blush now head southward. Xander turned away, leaning against the book-shelf, but it was no use, he could still hear them kissing. He pinched his eyes shut, willing himself not to hear it. Suddenly, he didn't hear anything. 'Go Xander! That mind-over-matter really worked!' he thought.

"Fai, what's wrong?" her heard Buffy ask.

"Someone's here." She said slowly, "Can't you feel it?" Xander's eyes popped open, panic flooding his system.

"Yeah, I do…" Xander heard light foot-steps head towards the stairs up to the stacks and closed his eyes again, whispering to himself 'I'm not here! I'm not here! I'mNotHere!!!'

"Faith!" Xander's eyes opened, Buffy was standing right in front of him looking shocked. Seconds later Faith came up the stairs running.

"Shit!" she turned around, and tried to run back down the stairs, but her sleeve was caught be Buffy, pulling her back. She winced and looked away.

"Tell me you told him! Please?!" Buffy looked pissed, and Faith actually looked scared.

"Uh…" she looked down at her shoes, and at the ceiling, but not at Buffy.

"Faith!" Buffy yelled, "We agreed! I tell Giles and my mom, and you tell Xander and Cordy! You didn't tell Xander!?" Faith sighed, and looked and Buffy sadly. "Faith, you were supposed to tell him *first*, and you said you would." Faith looked to Xander apologetically, and was met with a hurt glare.

"I'm sorry Xander. I know how you feel about Buffy, and with what happened between us…" she sighed, and walked over towards Xander, who took a step back. Now it was Faith's turn to look hurt. "Xander, you're probably my best-friend within the Scoobies, and I knew that this would cause problems. I knew this would come between us, and id didn't want to lose you as a friend. You're a really great guy, and I love hanging out with you and fighting with you but…I'm with Buffy."

"Why?" Xander asked, desperation thickening his voice. She smiled and looked at Buffy, taking her hand.

"Because, she's Buffy." Buffy blushed, and turned away. "You of all people must know what it's like to feel this way. Can you really blame me?" she asked, smiling at Xander. He smiled back.

"True. I've been a part of the Buffy obsession. I hope you two are very happy." He took a deep breath, almost not believing what he was about to say. "I give you my blessing."

"Thanks Xander." They said together.

"Just to give you the heads up, you can't tell Wesley." Faith said seriously, "Giles thinks that he'll tell the counsel and then they'll take Buffy away. Apparently, they're already suspicious because of the testimony tapes." Faith looked nervous about telling him, but he just smiled, and assured them that their secret was safe with him. They both thanked him.

"I think I'm gonna go home. I'm kinda tired, and I have some work to do for tomorrow." They smiled and waved as he walked out.

Xander walked down the hall and out to the front doors before he realized he'd left his Back-pack in the library. Turning back to get it, he thought about what had just happened. The two women he loved most besides Willow and Cordy were now together. He sighed, and wondered why he was so un-lovable to all these women. As he reached the doors to the library, he looked inside.

"B! Calm down! It's fine!" Faith tried to console her girl-friend.

"No it isn't! He's one of my best-friends, and you promised to tell him first! Faith, I can't lose him. Not now with the ascension so close. We need him, heck we need all the help we can get…But Xander-" Buffy was quickly cut off by Faith grabbing her and Kissing her fiercely. After a few moments, she pulled away, leaving a rather shaky looking blonde in her wake.

"B, I'm sorry. But Xander's my friend too. Hell, he knew I liked you before anyone. Even before Willow or you, he knew. I just didn't tell him that I was in love with a girl. I thought he'd freak, and I KNEW he'd freak-out if I told him it was you I was lusting over." She hugged Buffy, and kissed her lips lightly. "I finally have family and friends like I always wanted, and I don't want to lose that for anything."

"I know Faith. And I'm sorry I got so mad. But Xander means a lot to me, and I don't want him to think we were hiding this from him." She kissed Faith lightly, and pulled back. Then, as though thinking better of it, she leaned in again, and kissed the brunette passionately. Xander groaned at the sight, and the two girls sprang apart. Xander blushed, and pointed to the table. The girls looked and saw his bag sitting there. Buffy smiled, and tossed it to him.

"Thanks." He smiled, turned to leave.

"Hey X-Man!" Faith called. He spun around, and saw the girls grabbing their things. "Why don't we walk you home on our way out to the Cemetery?" She smiled at him, and he returned it. Together the three of them made their way out of the school, each thinking about glad they were to have the others.

Making Out, Monsters, & Movies

After dropping Xander off at his house the Slayers made their way to rest-field cemetery. They walked between the rows of head stones, hands clasped, looking for the three new graves. Faith had always loved holding hands with Buffy, it gave her that 'down-low-tickle' because of their Slayer-senses, but it seemed more than that…as though touching upon the deepest recesses of her heart.

They stopped at the fresh graves, and sat down. Buffy leaned against a statue of the Arch Angel Michel defeating Lucifer while Faith leaned against a raised tomb. Faith watched the older Slayer as she looked down at the patch of bare dirt, deep in thought. The brunette felt like she knew everything about Buffy except what she was thinking, though if she really wanted to know she knew she'd only have to ask.

"Hey B," Faith asked, "What're you thinking about?" Buffy looked over and smiled.

"Ah, nothing important." She said walking over to her girl-friend. "Just thinking thoughts." She wrapped her arms around Faith's waist and held her close.

"What thoughts?" she asked, kissing blonde hair. Buffy hummed, and smiled.

"Prom." She stated, tone unreadable. "I was just wondering about two very different things." Faith looked down at her, indicating to continue. "I was wondering what would happen if I showed up with a girl as my date…and what you look like in a dress." Faith's eyes bugged.

"Me? Dress? No Way!" Faith laughed and squeezed her girl-friend.

"Would you even go?" Buffy asked, sounding skeptical.

"How can you even ask that?" Faith looked surprised, "Leave my girl dateless on her senior prom? Not likely." She kissed the top of Buffy's head again. Buffy giggled and pulled back so she could face the brunette fully.

"At least promise me you'll wear something OTHER THAN leather?" Faith smiled slyly.

"And here I thought you liked me in leather?" Buffy smiled back.

"I like you *out* of leather even more…" Faith's eyes glazed slightly, and purred deep in her throat. The blonde smiled, and licked her lips, looking down at the brunette's.

"Mmm, is that so?" Buffy nodded, eyes fixed on her girl-friend's deep red lips. Faith leaned in slowly, breathing warm air over their lips. Buffy actually whimpered in anticipation. That did it.

Faith leaned in quickly, running her lips firmly over the blonde's, tasting the sweet peach of her lip-gloss and the natural vanilla flavor that lay beneath. Her grip on the older girls' hips tightened. Pulling her in close, the warm hum of their slayer senses exploded as Faith began gently sucking on those luscious lips. Buffy moaned, cupping her girl-friend's cheek in her hand.

Faith ran her tongue over the blonde's bottom lip, sighing deeply when it was met with Buffy's. As they ran together every nerve in brunette's body was shocked into life. She shivered, wrapping her arms more soundly around her girl-friend's waist. Buffy gently took the younger girl's lip between her teeth, pulling it gently and smiling. Faith quickly lifted her up, placing her on the tomb, standing between the older girl's parted legs, kissing her soundly.

Faith let herself get lost in the kiss, absorbing every nuance of the feeling of being so in love. Faith knew that she'd never felt this way before, and she doubted she ever would again. After all, this was Buffy, and there was only *one* Buffy. She felt Buffy's legs grasp her hips firmly, and moaned. With incredible mastery or Slayer-Skill, Faith pushed Buffy onto her back, and climbed over her. Buffy wrapped her arms tightly around Faith neck, pulling her in close and kissing her deeply. Just as Faith's hand began tickling the exposed part of the blonde's stomach, she felt hands on her shoulders.

"Faith, wait." The younger girl pulled back and looked down at the girl beneath her.

"What? What's wrong?" Both girls were more than slightly out of breath, their chests heaving against each-others'. Buffy looked away, and sighed. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes.

"We have to stop." She said quietly.

"Why?" Faith sounded annoyed, but she was just nervous, she didn't mean to pressure Buffy into anything.

"Faith…" Buffy said slowly, "I'm just not comfortable with this." Faith felt her heart sink, and her veins run cold. 'Is she saying what I think she's saying?' she asked herself.

"You're not attracted to me?" Faith said so quietly Buffy almost didn't catch it, as though afraid that saying it aloud would make it too real to deal with. Buffy just looked up at her confused. Faith rolled off her, jumping down from the top of the tomb, looking almost angry. She ran a hand quickly through her hair, facing away from the blond.

"Faith-" Buffy started, but was interrupted.

"No. No B, I don't believe it. Why would this make you uncomfortable? Why? What is it about me that you find so unattractive?" Faith sounded hurt, and it killed Buffy inside. She smiled shyly.

"It's not you Faith…"

"Then what?" Faith sounded near tears.

"This." Buffy said, pointing down at what they had been kissing on. Faith looked down at the tomb, a look of bewilderment marring her brow. "I just don't like the idea of making out on top of some dead-guy's grave is all. It's not you, Faith, I swear." Faith looked skeptical with a smidge of sheepish. Buffy hopped down herself and wrapped her arms around Faith's neck once again.

"You have to stop thinking like that. Not everything that goes wrong or makes me mad is because of you." Faith blushed. Before she'd come to Sunnydale Faith almost never said 'Sorry', not for anyone or anything. But the past week had been full of 'I'm Sorry's from Faith to Buffy. She couldn't explain it, but she felt like everything was her fault.

"I don't want you to go along with me about everything because you're worried I'll get mad if you don't agree. Just be honest with me. Tell me what you think, what you feel. That's all I want from you, Okay?" Faith nodded, and Buffy smiled. "Besides…" Buffy said slowly, pulling the brunette even closer, "You know I think you're Very, Very-" Buffy wrapped a leg around one of the younger girl's, " – *Very* attractive. Don't ever question that." Faith's whole body shook as Buffy began nuzzling her neck softly.

"Mmm…B?" Faith purred quietly.

"Yeah Fai?" she whispered back, her warm breath tickling her girl-friend's skin.

"Can I ask you somethin'?" Buffy nodded.

"You can ask me anything." Faith pulled back suddenly.

"Are you trying to kill me?!" Buffy looked shocked. "We can't kiss at school because your principle is out to get you, we can't be seen together at the library because Wes will run squealing to the counsel like the stuck-up-pig he is, we can't be together at your house because then your mom will make one of us move down onto the couch, and now we can't even kiss in the grave-yard…!!!" Faith looked like she was ready to scream.

"Faith, I'm sorry-"

"No, B, I'm sorry." Faith said, calming down slightly, "I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. It's not your fault. I'm just…frustrated." Buffy nodded and held her close. "I'm not used to this whole self-control thing. I'm trying, ya know?"

"I know. You're doing really well too." Buffy kissed her lips softly and sighed. "Okay, how about this? Kissing in the graveyards is fine with me as long as it's not on any fresh graves, tombs, or in any mausoleums…okay?" Faith nodded. 'It's better than nothing.'

"Alright. I think I can handle that." She smiled and kissed Buffy softly. Just as she pulled away they heard a deep growling behind them. "Whoops, forgot." Pulling a steak out of her sleeve and plunging it behind her the vampire burst into durst. "Looks like it's feeding-time for the UnDead…" they both let go of each other and faced the fresh graves. Two were already dug-up, the second risen standing there growling at them.

"Slayers!" Faith gave a huge, fake scared gasp.

"Vampire!" he advanced, swinging his fists wildly, the brunette ducked, and hit back, hitting him square in the jaw. He went flying back-wards, smacking into the side of a ornamental statue. Growling, he got up slowly. Buffy knocked him back down with a flying kick to the chest. He fell to the ground stiffly, moaning, unable to get back up.

"Dust." Faith said smugly as she slammed the stake home. They walked back over to the only grave left. They stood there, waiting…but nothing rose.

"Maybe he's shy?" Buffy guessed.

"Or maybe he ain't a vamp at all." Buffy shook her head.

"No, Willow checked the coroner's report pretty extensively, this guy was bitten." Faith still looked skeptical.

"Maybe he was just a snack? They don't change ALL of them ya know…" Buffy smiled at Faith and nodded. They both headed out of the graveyard, hand in hand, walking back to their house.

As they stepped inside they were welcomed with hellos from Joyce. Buffy went upstairs to do her homework as Faith stayed in the living room to watch a movie with the older woman. Joyce had picked a movie that she knew Faith would like so she'd get a chance to talk to her. She popped in the tape and sat back on the couch with the Dark-haired teen-ager.

"Have you ever seen The Bone Collector, Faith?" Faith shook her head, looking at Joyce.

"No, but I really wanted to. I like those crazy Psychological-Thriller movies. Plus, I'm a big fan of those crime shows too, ya know? Like NYPD Blue, Law and Order, CSI…" Joyce was surprised, Faith didn't seem like a person that cared all that much about the law.

"Really? Have you ever thought of maybe being a lawyer?" Faith actually laughed.

"Yeah, right! Me, a lawyer."

"Why not? You seem to enjoy it?" Faith looked pensive for a second, and responded.

"I prefer to look at the law as a helpful suggestion." Joyce smiled, and the movie started. As time went on they talked about little things, how Slaying was going, how Buffy was, what was going on at school with the Scooby-Gang. About three fourths of the way into the film, Joyce turned to Faith, a very serious look on her face.

"Faith, I need to ask you some thing." Faith nodded, knowing that this was no longer 'Joyce: Second-Mother', this was 'Joyce: Girl-Friend's-Mom". "Do you love my daughter?" Faith felt very caught in the headlights, but nodded.

"I do. Very much. I've never loved anyone like I've loved B – Uh…Buffy." She blushed at her slip up, but tried to keep eye contact to show she wasn't kidding. Joyce smiled slightly, and leaned in slowly.

"Does she know that?" she asked quietly. Faith looked away. She had not told Buffy that she Loved her. She wanted to, she just wasn't sure if she was ready yet. It was a huge step for her…she wanted it to be perfect. "Maybe you should let her know?" Faith nodded, and they both went back to watching the movie, a plan forming in the back of the teen's head. Buffy came down just as Joyce was rewinding the tape, Faith was up-stairs taking her shower.

"Where's Faith?" she asked off-hand.

"Shower." Joyce put the movie back in its box, placing it on the table. "Oh, Buffy! Before I forget, I'm going on a buying trip for the gallery for the three days before your graduation. But don't worry," Joyce said smiling, "I'll be home in time to see you get your diploma." Buffy smiled and nodded.

"Where are you going?"

"L.A., There are a few auctions going on that week that I've heard are going to be fairly extensive. Should be good for business." Buffy nodded. "You'll both be good while I'm gone?" the older woman sounded almost skeptical.

"Slayers' Honor." The blonde said, holding up her hand. She kissed her mother good-night, and headed back up-stairs. She changed and got into bed, waiting for Faith. Faith came in, wearing a towel, and blushing slightly.

"I thought you were still down stairs talking to your mom." Buffy shook her head, and pulled the covers over her head, giving Faith some privacy. Faith changed quickly and jumped into bed next to the blonde. "Hey." She said smiling.

"Hey." Buffy said quietly. Buffy kissed her girl-friend's lips softly, and pulled back. "So how was the movie?"

"Good. I think you'd like it. Want to invite the Scoobies over to watch it tomorrow night? Have a Friday-Movie-Fest thing? Should we invite Giles?" Buffy smiled, and Faith blushed. "What?"

"Nothing…you're just adorable." Faith shook her head and looked away."

"I've been called a lot of things B, most of them not so great names…but I think that's the first time ANYONE has ever described me as Adorable." Buffy took Faith's chin in her hand, turning her back towards her.

"Then I guess they don't see you like I do." They both smiled, and kissed briefly. Faith went to pull back, but Buffy held the brunette close. She ran her tongue over Faith's bottom lip, asking for entrance. Faith pulled back with a great feat of will.

"B…"

"I know." Buffy said slowly. "Can't blame a girl for trying, right?" Faith shook his head, and smiled slightly.

"I know. It's just…" Faith looked away quickly.

"What?"

"Kissing you is just…and in Bed…it's just-" Faith sighed and thought about what she wanted to say, needing to word it carefully. "…I know you're not one to just jump into a sexual relationship, and I'm trying to respect that, but you and me in bed…?" Buffy nodded. "I'm trying, I really am, but I can only be pushed so far, ya know?"

"I know." Buffy kissed her lips quickly, and lay down on her back. "I'm sorry if I'm making things harder for you?" Faith shook her head.

"Nah, it's a good kinda challenge." Faith smiled spooned herself around her girl-friend.

"Good night Faith."

"'Night B."

Then next morning, after taking her shower, Buffy leaned down and kneeled by her bed. Under the covers was Faith. The brunette was sleeping lightly, and seemed so peaceful. `Which is odd', Buffy thought, `Because right about now she'd usually drinking coffee with my mom…'. She got up off the floor, and gently kissed Faith's lips. She stirred slightly and smiled, kissing the blonde in turn.

"Morning sleep-head." Buffy said quietly. Faith mumbled something, and the older Slayer laughed. "So I've heard…" she said, not really sure of what she was agreeing to. Faith opened one tired eye, and looked at the clock.

"You'd better hurry up, Willow will be here to walk with you any minute." She closed her eyes again, not wanting to see Buffy frown. She knew she would be. Then came the question that she knew was coming.

"What about you? Aren't you the one that's a little behind on their morning routine?" There was an edge to her voice, like a person being overly cautious. Faith opened her eyes slightly, and got ready to do something she told herself she would never do again: LIE TO BUFFY.

"I think I'm gonna sleep in…" she said slowly, making it sound as convincing as possible. She knew that she couldn't lie to the blonde anymore. `But this is for a good reason,' she reminded herself, `She won't mind later…'. After making up her mind on the matter Faith continued. "I'm not feeling too well…I'll come by the school at lunch and eat with you though." she added quickly, not wanting to miss out on Quality Buffy-Time.

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked gently, "Because if you're sick, maybe you should stay in bed." She stated firmly. "I don't want you getting up and walking around if you're sick. Do you want me to ask my Mom to stay home and take care of you?" she asked all this quickly and quietly. Now Faith knew she was in for it, she didn't plan on this getting past Buffy. She most certainly didn't want Joyce bothered by it either.

"No!" she said, a bit too quickly, "No, No…it's okay B. Just need to stalk and trap a few more `Z's, ya know? Didn't sleep as well as I'd have liked to last night." Buffy's face fell slightly, and she got up completely. Faith smiled widely.

"Don't worry, B," she said quickly, reaching for the blonde's hand, "It wasn't you. That was the part that made being awake pretty tolerable." Buffy blushed slightly and smiled back down at her girlfriend. "I'll meet you for lunch, okay? And don't tell your Mom, I don't want her to worry, alright?" Buffy nodded, but Faith knew it was fake. She knew she'd tell Joyce the first chance she got. But that was okay, because Faith just got an idea.

"Okay, but if you're still asleep or you're still kinda tired, *promise* me you'll stay in bed?" Faith nodded, and kissed Buffy's hand quickly.

"I will." Just then, Joyce called from down stairs.

"GIRLS!" she yelled from what must have been the bottom of the steps, "WILLOW'S HERE! YOU TWO READY TO GO?!" she called, seemingly forgetting they had Super-hearing.

Buffy leaned down and quickly kissed Faith's lips, meaning for it to be chaste…but changed her mind. Seeming to remember that she might not see the brunette all day, she quickly took Faith's face in her hands, and kissed her deeply, and the younger girl was not one to refuse. She licked at the blonde's lip and passed her tongue into the sweet mouth she had come to know and love. The smaller girl whimpered and moaned, enjoying the playful nature of her girlfriend's kisses. Hearing her mom call again, she pulled back slowly, still in a daze.

"I'm Coming…" she whispered, out of breath. Buffy Opened her eyes to the shocked expression and overly cocky-grin on Faith's face. After blushing profusely, she cleared her throat and stood up straight, "I'M COMING!" she yelled back down. She smiled and closed the door, quietly making her way down the stairs. Faith flopped back down onto her pillows and took a few deep breaths. After hearing the front door close, she got up. Looking cautiously out the window she saw Buffy and Willow making their way towards school. Smiling, Faith watched them go. Just then, there was a knock on Buffy's door.

"Faith?" Joyce said quietly. She didn't seem that shocked to fine Faith out of bed. Leaning in the doorway, she had a slight smirk on her face. "You feel fine, don't you?" she asked lightly. Faith smiled and nodded, opening `Her Drawer' and taking out some clothes.

"I thought about what you said, so I decided…I'm gonna tell her." Faith wasn't looking but she could almost feel the smile on Joyce's lips. Dropping her clothes on the bed, she quickly ran into the bathroom. After coming to a skidding halt, she peeked back out, looking to the older woman. "Do you think you could drop me off on Oak Street on your way to work?" she asked. Joyce frowned slightly.

"What's on Oak?" She asked quietly. Faith blushed and went back into the Bathroom.

"Smithton's Antiques and Jewels…" she said quietly. She started brushing her teeth just as Joyce leaned against the doorframe not five feet from her. The middle-aged-Mom had a smirk that could make the cockiest of people quiver in fear.

"And, uh…what are planning on getting there?" Faith washed her mouth out, and put her tooth-brush back in the little cup.

"Something that was worth lying to her, that's for sure." She said, smiling slightly. Joyce smiled back, and moved away from the door so the brunette could pass.

Phase Two of: The Plan

Later that day, faith walked into Sunnydale High-School's library to find Oz and Willow at the computers doing some research (as always), and Giles and Wesley sifting through books. Seconds after passing through the doors, Buffy almost crashed into her with a (human-)bone- crushing hug. After a second of enjoyment, Faith realized that Wesley was not more then 30 yards from where they were standing. After making sure his back was to them, she gave Buffy a quick kiss on the head, and pulled her away.

"Mom told me that you were feeling better." Buffy said happily, "So, you ready to test that so-called `Cast-Iron-Stomach' of yours with some good-`ole-cafeteria food?" Faith grimaced, and looked to Willow and Oz, who gathered their stuff and walked towards them. The Slayers led them out, and in the lunch-room they met Xander (sitting with Cordy) at a table saved for their group.

"Hey X-Man." Faith said, taking the seat next to him and twisting it around. "What's on the menu?" she asked, smiling at him. He smiled back for a second, then saw Buffy sit down on her other side and it faded slightly.

"Uh, Hot-Dog-Surprise." He said, holding up what looking more like chili than anything Ball-Park-Frank-like. She just smiled, and tossed him a bag of chips she got out of the vending machine.

Faith watched as, across the table, Oz and Willow ate quietly and smiled at each-other through the corners of their eyes. `They are *so* in love…' Faith thought, glancing at Buffy, `I wonder if she already knows how I feel about her?'. Buffy looked up at her, and smirked slightly, laying a hand on her knee. Faith smiled back, and felt a gaze on her neck. She turned to find Xander just looking away. He was looking down at his plat with s light scowl. He glanced at Cordy who was checking out some Foot-ball-stud at the next table who had dropped his fork. Then, the boy's expression turned to a full Scowl. He was feeling lonely, Faith realized. She could feel for him, she'd felt that way too.

"Hey Faith?" Willow called quietly, interrupting the brunette's thoughts. "Now that you're feeling better do you still want to come out with the rest of us later?" Faith looked to Buffy who smiled.

"Remember? You wanted to invite all the gang over to watch that movie you liked?" Faith thought for a second and then remembered their talk last night. After nodding, Buffy continued. "Well, I was thinking, we could stop by The Bronze, patrol to and from there, then they could come over and watch the movie." Faith blanched slightly. Buffy seemed to notice too. Not wanting to confuse her, Faith quickly answered.

"Yeah, B, that sounds great!" she said looking to Xander, realizing that he could use some cheering up, "But uh…are they *all* going to be with us while we go Slaying?" Faith asked quietly, not wanting to have to give Buffy her big talk in front of all the Scoobies. Buffy gave her a slight smirk, a small glint in her eye.

"Why?…Is this about the deal we made last night?" Faith paused for a second, and then recalled their Chat Atop a Tomb (and each-other). She blushed slightly, and shook her head.

"Nah, I had something else in mind…" she replied with a softness that seemed to surprise everyone but Buffy, who just smiled back.

"Well, I think we can maybe meet them all there, and then maybe they can catch a ride with Oz. Meet at our house after they help him pack his Van…once the Dingoes sign-off?" Buffy asked, turning to the group. They all nodded, except Xander who looked away. A fake smile spread across his lips.

"Hey X," Faith said turning towards him, he looked back rather blankly, "You ever seen the movie Girl Interrupted?" Xander thought for a second, then nodded very slowly.

"I think I may have seen parts of it…Cordy and I were kinda…*you know*, so I didn't catch all of it." He turned and smiled at Cordy, who looked like she'd rather not think about it. "Why?" he asked.

"Well, you know that blonde girl…" she said, raising her eye- brows slightly, as though hinting him, "She's in this one too." His eyes were lighting up already.

"Really?" he asked excitedly, "So is this thing for blondes normal with you?" he asked, getting a smack from Buffy and Cordy. Faith laughed until she got a smack too.

"Ow!" Faith yelled quickly, "What the heck was that for?" she asked Buffy, still laughing. Buffy blushed, and went back to her food, mumbling about she thought she was special. Faith sighed, and smiled, putting her arm around the back of Buffy's chair.

"Aw, B, don't worry," Faith said, leaning close to whisper into her ear quietly, "You'll always be my favorite Blonde…" Buffy smiled, and turned to face Faith. Their faces came together a lot more closely than they'd expected. Their warm breaths caressing each-others' faces, Kissing would be the most natural thing to both of them right now; on-lookers be damned. Just then, they heard a throat being cleared behind them, and the Slayers turned to see Snyder standing short behind them.

"Besides," Faith said, quickly pulling back, a flimsy smirk in place, "We all know you're *Naturally* blonde!" The table cracked up, save Buffy, as the Snyd-Man walked away. Buffy pouted, and half- glared at the brunette out of the corner of her eye. Faith pretended to lean back in her chare, when really she was trying to discreetly run her leg between Buffy's. It didn't go all that smoothly though, as the blonde's face turned bright red and dropped her fork. Willow, oblivious to the movement under the table, looked worried about the older girl.

"Buffy, are you okay?" she asked quickly, Buffy nodded, and looked slightly surprised at Faith. She, in turn, wrapped an arm around her girl-friend, and put on a concerned face.

"Yeah, B," she said in a sarcastic worried tone, "Maybe you're getting whatever was wrong with me this morning…?" Buffy elbowed her under the table, and Faith recoiled, laughing. The rest of the table, save Xander, was totally confused. Meanwhile, the dark haired boy was laughing into his lap.

"Okay…did I miss something?" Willow asked slowly. Six laughing eyes met with six confused ones, and they all broke out laughing. Just then, Faith got up, and help out her hands to Buffy.

"Ready to go, My Crazy-Lady?" faith said affectionately. Buffy took the offered hands, but the look on face was one of mirthful doubt.

"I bet you say that to all the girls…" she said flatly.

"Nah, B…just you." She said, linking arms with her, walking back down the hall. "But then again, you're probably the only Crazy woman I know – " I slight smack to the back of her head shut the brunette up rather quickly.

"Hey! Truth hurts!" she defended herself playfully. Buffy just chuckled and shook her head.

"What am I going to do with you?" she asked rhetorically.

"I could think of a few things…" Faith whispered playfully, leaning in to whisper the rest into her ear as the Library doors came into view. "And most of them could get us arrested!" she said in that deep throaty voice that made Buffy's knees shake a little.

" *Faith*," Buffy warned as she pushed them through the doors, letting go of the younger girl's arm. "At least try and be civil?" Buffy asked. Faith nodded, and took a seat at the table, letting her feet rest up on the shiny surface.

"Okay…for you." She said, just load enough so that it couldn't reach Wesley's ears as he walked out of Giles' office. Buffy mouthed a `thank you' as the snooty Watcher stood waiting for their attention.

"Ah, I see that you're both here. Very good. We believe that the counsel is quite close to a break-through with those books that you've manage to obtain." He said, body stiff, tone slightly miffed. "However much that may help, there is still the matter of what the next step is. The books are helpful with strategy, but they're no help on the details of taking down the Mayor." He said, pacing in that slow way they had come to relate him with.

"What do you mean?" Faith asked, bored with the answer before he ever started talking.

"The counsel wishes to take the fight to the Mayor, find out what he's up to exactly." He said pinching him thumb, index, and middle finger together to emphasize his point. "Once we find out some of the Dark Rituals that he's up to we can help narrow down what kind of Demon he's trying to transform into." He took a deep, suffering breath and continued. "Giles and I are to remain here until *much* later this evening and try and figure out a plan on how to find some of these details." Wesley was not obviously no eager to hand out with Giles.

"Alright, we all have plans later, but we'll try real hard to think of ideas." Buffy said, sarcasm just noticeable under her `I-Really- Wanna-Help' tone. Faith held in a laugh, and just then the bell rang, causing both girls to look up.

"Ready for class B?" Faith asked, quickly. Buffy nodded and they walked out of the library briskly, eager to leave the British-Brigade to the book work. "What do you have now?" she asked, fallowing the blonde down the hall.

"History…" Buffy groaned as she approached the right door. "Then Pre-Calculus, and then French." Faith nodded, and leaned against the lockers next to the door. Buffy looked from the door to her girl-friend, and back again. A sad look on her face.

"Hey, come here…" Faith said quietly, s playful smile on her face. Buffy blushed and approached slowly. Faith put her hands on the older girls' hips and pulled her close, sandwiching her self against the lockers. Smiling widely she leaned in for a kiss only to be stopped by Buffy's index finger. A large pout marring her features, Buffy shook her head No. Faith smirked evilly, and sucked the finger into her mouth. The blonde's eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets. They seemed to catch the attention of someone as they both felt eyes on them.

Letting go of Buffy's finger, Faith let her eyes wonder the hall. They fell upon a face that was now as red as it's hair. Both Slayers shook their heads, and smiled at Willow as she quickly walked past them into the room, muttering about public decency. Both girls stepped back and laughed, silently thankful that it had only been Willow that'd caught them being openly intimate. Giving Buffy a wink, Faith gave the girl a gentle shove towards her class.

"I'll meet you in the library at 3:00, okay?" Faith said quickly, walking down the hall back-wards. Buffy nodded and entered her class. Taking her seat next to Willow, Buffy noticed that the Witch was quite red in the face.

"You okay there, Will?" she asked her friend.

"Slut!" she whispered back loudly, her voice an octave or two higher than it would be on most days. After realizing what she said, and seeming the shocked look on Buffy's face she quickly started stammering. "Uh, I-I-I mean…Uh, Yeah! Sure! Great, fine, good! I'm all of the good…there, that is…" She sighed and turned to face the class, still slightly pink cheeked.

"Right, sure thing Will…" Buffy said, taking out her pen and paper. `I think Faith and I may have broken something internal this time…' the Slayer mused.

All That Potential

Faith and Buffy walked quietly through the cemetery, stakes in hand, slightly over-dressed for Slaying. The afternoon was fast, and the brunette was wondering where all the time had gone. It seemed that one minute she was picking up the ring from the jewelers, the next Buffy was calling for her to finish dressing. As they walked between the graves the younger Slayer kept one hand in her pocket and the other nearly snapping her Stake in half. In her left pocket she had a piece of paper and a maroon-velvet box and it seemed to be burning an invisible hole.

"Faith," Buffy said slowly, Faith turned quickly to face her, obviously on edge. Buffy noticed too. "Are you okay? You seem sort of…high-strung." The blonde said gently. Faith shook it off, and looked ahead of them.

"Just trying to keep my eyes open, I have a bad feeling about to night." She said kind of quietly, more to her self then to Buffy. The older Slayer looped her arm into Faiths and smiled.

"Don't worry, It's gonna be great. You, Me, Dancing…not to mention a nice, calm Vid-Fest at our house with the Scoobies…No worries." She smiled, and Buffy ran her hand down Faith's arm and into her pocket. The brunette was enjoying it until she realized what else was in there besides her hand. Eyes bugging slightly, she suddenly Kissed Buffy hoping to distract her from what she might have found. Slightly shocked but delighted, Buffy pulled her girl-friend close and smiled into the kiss. Pulling back slightly, Faith kissed her forehead.

"What was that all about?" Buffy said, a slight laugh under the surface.

"What, now I need a reason to kiss you?" she asked jokingly, "Besides, you know how I get after Slaying…" Faith kept walking, not looking at the blonde. She heard her stop and suddenly speak.

"But we're in *the middle* of Slaying, and besides…we haven't gotten any Vamps yet…" Faith quickly tried to think of a reason, but soon didn't need one. She was blindsided as a Vamp that had hidden tackled her. "FAITH!" Buffy yelled, quickly engaging in full- out combat. She ran over and through the creature off her friend. She grabbed it by it's collar and slammed it into the side of a Mausoleum. It slid down into a limp pile, and Buffy tossed her stake to Faith. "Would you do the Honors?" she asked dramatically. Faith smiled, and stood in front of the bleary-eyed Monster. Slamming the wood home and watching the dust settle, she wrapped her arm around Buffy's shoulders.

"Touch Down Slayers!" she said, leading them towards the Bronze.

As the two young women entered the club, they waved to the stage. Oz nodded in their direction, and they smiled back. The Dingoes always drew a fair crowd, being Sunnydale's best local band. There were people flooding in and there was actually a bit of a line out the door. As they headed over to the table in the back they saw that Xander was sitting with Willow as they both watched their significant others (both past and present). Taking the seats next to the excited teens, they were greeted with fond Hellos.

"How was Slaying?" Willow asked a bit loudly, trying to be heard over the music. The two nodded, and Faith pulled her chair close to Buffy's.

"Not bad; only one, but it was kinda early." Faith looked out over the crowd and her face fell when she noticed Cordy dancing with some nameless boy who must have been a swimmer due to the body-shape. Glancing at Xander, and then back at Buffy, Faith realized she needed to do something. The young boy's face fell as he noticed it too. Looking to her girl-friend for the silent `Okay', Faith got up from her seat.

"Hey X-Man?" Faith called lightly, "What's say you and me show Cordy what she's missing?" she said calmly. Xander looked out to the dance floor, then back at the brunette. He smiled and nodded. "Alright, I'll meet you out there, Okay?" he walked towards the floor, smiling.

"BRING HER BACK IN ONE PIECE!" Buffy called to the boy's retreating back. Faith chuckled and kissed the blonde's cheek lightly. Leaning over, she whispered something in Willow's ear.

"Hey Red," she said, making sure that only the Witch could hear her, "Whatever happens, *don't* let Buffy near my jacket!" she said tightly. The redhead gave her a questioning look, which Faith could only answer with a wink. As the younger Slayer headed out to the dance-floor she wiggled her eyebrows at Buffy who smiled at her giddiness. After a couple songs, the band took a short break, and all the Scoobies were back at their table. Oz walked over and wrapped his arms around Willow. Faith, in turn, pulled a nervously giggling Buffy into her lap, and started whispering to her about Xander's Dancing problems. Meanwhile; Xander and Cordy tried not to look at the happy couples while also trying to ignore the eyes of each other.

"I think you'll like this next Song," Oz said, voice ever stoic, "It one of the few songs where I wrote the words, and not just the sets." He said, smiling at Faith and Willow. They looked at each other, wondering what the Musician could be talking about. As Devon waved the werewolf back to the stage he kissed his girlfriend and jogged to the side steps. Grabbing his guitar and flipping the strap over his shoulder, he smiled at the table of Friends.

The song started with a low, deep, bass-heavy tone. It was slow, but not a slow song. The people in the crowd knew it was only a matter of time before it became fast again. Devon approached the mike, and began to sing the band's newest song.

"Hey, Oz told me about this!" Xander said excitedly, "I saw him writing the words out in Chemistry a few days ago…It's called `Leather Clad Princess'." Willow looked at Faith, a slight glint of worry in her eye. As they stopped and listened to the lyrics, and heard that it was about a girl…

"She walks through the Night, Shadows shielding the Light, Bloodied and Broken, But always Out-spoken, My Leather Clad Princess."

As the words hit the blonde, she looked at Faith, who seemed to be as amiss as everyone else. The only one who didn't have a Lost Look on his face was Xander who was dancing slightly in his seat. He looked at the table and saw that all the girls seemed to be slightly apprehensive.

"What?" he asked quickly, "Vampire Willow gave him the idea." He stated simply. There were three comfortable sighs to be heard, and Xander continued. "It's about how much Soul Willow has. He said he was so amazed at what Willow was like as a Vampire that he couldn't stop thinking about her. He realized that all the things that made him fall for Our Willow were completely gone, and how sorry he felt for his own alternate-universe-self for never getting to know the Real-Willow." Willow had the cutest Puppy-Dog-Eyes when she heard that. She looked back at the Stage and Oz blew her a kiss.

"Way Deep Down Inside,
A Spiritual Pesticide,
Darkness and Pain,
Never to be Slain,
The Only -
Leather Clad Princess!"
As the song ended the club roared with cheer. They loved it when there was a new song, and this one seemed to be a new favorite. Before anyone could stop her, Willow ran onto the stage, grabbing Oz in a fierce hug. Devon approached the Mike and laughed slightly.

"That was our latest Oz Addition, titled `Leather Clad Princess', for the liking of Willow Rosenberg." They both bowed slightly, the Witch's hair matching her face. As she exited the stage, he announced the next song. "And here's a slow one for ya, called; `Forever – For always – For now'." Faith pulled the blonde in her lap a bit closer, and whispered in her ear.

"How about you and I go Dance for a bit, Huh?" she said gently, getting up and letting Buffy stand on her own feet. The blonde smiled at her and allowed herself to be lead to the dance floor. She felt the slight tension in Buffy's body, and realized why. The older girls eyes were flitting around the dance floor, looking from person to person. This would be their first dance a couple, at the Bronze, with other people. She was nervous. Faith could understand, but she wasn't afraid.

Taking her hand and placing it around her neck, and the other in her own hand, faith pulled her close. She watched as Buffy closed her eyes, a shy smile on her face. She wrapped an arm around her waist and smiled as she felt the Blonde place her head on her shoulder. They swayed slowly to the music, taking in the movements of each other and fading away on a cloud of joy. She felt Buffy let go of her hand and wrap it around her neck with her other one, pulling them close. She in turn placed both hands on the older girls hips and kissed the top of her head.

She saw Larry, a boy Buffy had introduced her to when she'd first arrived, give her a thumbs up as he danced with a skinny looking junior. Faith smiled back, and whispered for Buffy to turn around. Her nodded at her with a smile, and Buffy blushed as she nuzzled back into the brunette's neck. Faith shivered lightly, and heard her girl-friend giggle in response. She ran her hands over the blonde's back, causing her to shiver in turn. As the song slowed and soon stopped, they pulled apart lightly. Buffy's eyes once again searched the dance floor, but didn't seem to find anything amiss.

"See," Faith said gently, taking the girls hands in hers as she led them back to the table, "That wasn't so bad, was it?" faith plopped down in her chair again, and Buffy nodded to her self.

"No, It wasn't bad at all." She slowly slunk towards Faith's chair, eyes on the floor slightly. Glancing up quickly, Buffy climbed onto the brunette's lap, almost as though she thought Faith wouldn't notice.

"What wasn't so bad?" Willow asked them quickly, coming out of her Dingoes induced revere. The two Slayers looked at each other, and then back at the witch. The red-head nodded and smiled. "Your first Couples-Dance at the Bronze…" she said happily, "I remember the first time I dance with Oz like that." Her face fell slightly, "I stepped on his feet, and he was tripped by Xander from behind." Shacking it off, she smiled at them. "How did it go?" she asked excitedly.

"I think it went well." Buffy said happily, looking at Faith, "We got the A-Okay from Larry, and no one yelled or threw rotten food at us…so I'd said it went better than I had expected." Faith gave her a small squeeze, and a smile.

"Hey, B, Quick thinking like that. No-one'll give a damn here. Besides, you're safe with me." Faith ran a hand over Buffy's hair temporarily forgetting that Willow was nearby. Buffy smiled at how affectionate Faith was becoming, and kissed her lightly. Faith held her close, but noticed Willow looking away from then, eyes averted to the Snack-Bar area. Frowning slightly, she cleared her throat. "Hey Red," Faith asked delicately, "Are you Okay with us? I mean, are we making you uneasy?" Willows eyes widened, and she shook her head in almost a blur.

"NO! No, No, No! Not at all! I was just, ya know, giving you your little private moment." She said gently. Smiling nervously.

"Really, Will…If we're making you uncomfortable, just let me know. I'd rather that you be honest with me?" Buffy said gently, glancing back at Faith. Willow looked down at her lap, and then back at the Slayers.

"It's nothing. It's just new is all. My Dad…he's very Old- World, and he raised me that way…But I have no problem with it. I was just thinking about how he could think two people, who are so obviously happy, could be doing something `Wrong'…you know?" Willow asked quietly. Buffy nodded. She also noticed Willow divert her eyes again. But this time, she saw where they landed.

At the Snack bar was a girl. She was sitting alone on one of the stools, sipping Orange-Slice from a glass bottle, and glancing around. She was a little taller than Faith, with longish, blonde hair that fell forward a bit. She seemed slightly introverted, and Buffy suddenly wondered why someone so shy would come to a club like The Bronze (people knew it was not wise to come alone). She was also wondering why her Slayer-Sense was buzzing slightly, and from this girl's direction. Tapping Faith's shoulder lightly, Buffy got the younger girl's attention.

"Hey Faith," Buffy said in a whisper, "You see that Orange-Drinking- Blonde at the bar?" Faith looked, and nodded.

"You mean the one Red's `not' looking at?" faith said in a slight giggle. Buffy nodded. "Yeah, what about her?" she asked quickly, sensing that Buffy was serous.

"Is she setting your Slayer-Sense off?" she asked even quieter, now that Willow was trying to act like she wasn't attempting to listen in. Faith closed her eyes, and concentrated. She was getting a slight vibe from that side of the club, but she wasn't sure if it was the girl. "I dunno, maybe." Faith said quickly. Leaning in close, she whispered tightly, "I'm going to investigate, you keep an eye on Red and make sure she stays focused on the Wolf-Man, okay?" Buffy nodded, and allowed Faith to get up. Buffy took the brunette's seat, and watched (with Willow) as Faith made her way over to the taller blonde.

They both watched as Faith tapped the girl on the shoulder, and she jumped slightly. They hadn't even noticed that the band had taken a break.

"Hey," Oz said suddenly, Both girls almost flying out of their chair. "Potential Vamp?" Oz asked nodding to where Faith was talking to the girl. Buffy nodded mutely as Willow hugged Oz, and glanced at Buffy. "Can I snag a sip?" Oz said, his constant nonchalant attitude in place. The Witch nodded and handed over her glass of Coke. He sipped it, and Faith's hand snaked around Buffy's shoulder. Turning to face her girl-friend, Faith smiled at Willow, then looked back at her girl-friend.

"Not a Vamp." She said gently, "She's visiting UC Sunnydale, and her over-night tour-guides brought her here, but she thinks they may have left without her." Buffy sighed in relief slightly, but Willow looked slightly stricken. "Don't worry, I called her a cab." Faith said before Willow could respond. The red-head smiled, and watched as the blonde looked back over at their table.

"What about the vibe?" Buffy asked quickly. Faith shook her head, slightly confused.

"I dunno, but it gets stronger as you get closer to her. I'm not too worried, though. It doesn't seem to be a bad mojo I'm picking up." Faith said, wrapping her arms around Buffy's middle.

"Magic." Willow stated, looking into her cup of cola. The table looked at her confused. She glanced up for a second, then sipped her drink. "She's Magical. I sensed it almost as soon as I saw her. She's powerful too, much more powerful then Amy…" she trailed off, then looked back at the blonde, who looked away at noticing the Red-Head's attention. "But I don't think she knows it, and that's the weird part." She furrowed her brow, and looked back at the stage. The rest of the table looked at her in silence, glancing at each-other, wondering what Willow was talking about. "Oz, you're needed back on stage!" Willow said excitedly, kissing him as she shoed him back to the back of the club.

Faith took Buffy's hand and lead her to the dance-floor. Buffy quickly took Willow's hand too, and the three girls made it to the front of the stage.

The three of them dance to the music, swaying and laughing, having a great time. All the while Buffy would glance back at the blonde, and see that she was watching them too. She didn't seem `Bad', but there was something about her…

"What was her name?" she quickly asked Faith as they danced a bit closer for a second. Faith chuckled, and looked back at the blonde who was getting up, and heading out-side.

"Umm, Clara, or Mara…something like that." She spun Buffy quickly, causing her to bump into Willow, who just laughed and dance along with them. Buffy saw that the girl was gone, and turned to Willow.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom, you two keep dancing." They both nodded, but Faith knew where Buffy was going: Outside. Buffy stopped at the table, grabbed a stake out of her purse, and headed quickly for the door.

Once outside, Buffy looked down the ally both ways. There was no movement in the far-end, but she also didn't see the girl walking towards the street either. Glancing around quickly, Buffy jogged towards the street area. As she looked past the bend she came face to face with the Girl. The blonde stepped back slightly, and smiled nervously.

"S-S-Sorry…Didn't s-see you there." She said quietly, stutter obvious in her voice. Buffy smiled. This was *not* a Bronze regular. Holding out her hand, she smiled.

"Hi, I'm Buffy." The girl took the hand, and the blonde did notice that the vibe got stronger as you got closer to her.

"Tara." She replied shortly. "Y-Your friend Faith called m-me a cab." She said, finally looking up at Buffy.

"She's my girl-friend actually," that just sort of slipped out before she could stop it. Buffy looked at Tara quickly, wondering what her reaction would be. Instead of a shocked look, she saw a small smile. "She, uh, told me what happened to you…that's rotten luck. I hope it doesn't change your mind about Going to UCS, though. I'm headed there next-year, so just know that not all the students are like that." Tara smiled, and looked down at the ground.

"W-What are you doing out here, all your f-friends are inside d- dancing, aren't they?" Tara asked quietly. Buffy nodded, and smiled at the girl.

"Just wanted to make sure you made it to your cab alright. Lots of people get hurt in and around this club. Not very wise to go alone." Tara smiled, and watched as a cab slowly made it's way up the street.

"Well, th-thanks for your concern. I hope to maybe s-s-see you next year?" Buffy nodded, and closed the cab door for her. tacking the stake she'd hidden out of her sleeve, she headed back into the club. As she made it in through the doors, she saw that the band was just starting to pack up, and the DJ was taking over for the later-hours of the evening.

"Where'd you go, you missed the last dance?" Willow asked as she helped Devon carry his microphone stand out to his car. Buffy just shrugged, and looped arms with Faith who had just slipped on her jacket.

"Slayer, sacred duty, yadda yadda yadda…" Faith looked at her side ways, silently asking if she had slain the blonde. Buffy shook her head, and the brunette smiled.

The Poetic Truth In Faith

As Faith and Buffy walked home from The Bronze, they said almost nothing. A comfortable silence fell over them, and faith had temporarily forgotten all her nervousness about what she was about to do. But then, she felt Buffy nuzzle her neck slightly, and it all came flooding back. `What if I tell her and she freaks out, and then she never kisses me again?' Faith asked herself silently, `I don't think I could live without her anymore, I just love her too much…'. Buffy seemed to sense the sudden change in Faith, and looked up at her as they approached the gates of the only cemetery on the way to the Summers' Home.

"Faith, are you okay?" Buffy asked her gently, leaning her chin on the brunette's shoulder. Faith nodded quickly, not looking at her, and sighed.

"Yeah, I guess I'm just nervous." She didn't even realize that Buffy had no idea what she was in store for. She felt Buffy give her arm a squeeze and nod slightly. Then the blonde stiffened slightly and turned to look at her.

"Wait, what are you nervous about?!" she asked quickly, slightly confused. Taking a deep breath, Faith pulled away from Buffy and turned to face her fully.

"This…" she breathed in a massive breath, but at the slightly worried look on the older girls face, her mind briefly shut-down. "I don't want to go Slaying tonight." Buffy's face turned to one that was worried about Faith's sanity. She nodded slowly, so she could tell that wasn't all. "I, uhm, I need to tell you something." Buffy now looked worried again.

"What is it?" she asked slowly, Faith noticed her body tense, and knew the blonde was expecting bad news. Reaching into her pocket quickly, she pulled out a worn piece of folded binder-paper. She tried to increase it, and then handed it, with shaking hands, to Buffy. Buffy didn't look at it right away though, for a few seconds she kept her eyes on the younger girl.

"I didn't know how to say it, really, so I wrote this." she said pointing to the paper, and looking down at her feet. Buffy looked down finally, and read the note slowly out-loud (to Faith's dismay).

"Her darkened eyes; enchanting,
Those sparkling emeralds shine,
Her beauty they're enhancing,
How I've wished they're mine,
"I've watched those carring eyes,
Flutter, and turn away,
I know my heart would fly,
If they should ever turn my way,
"Her cheeks are rosy pink,
Her hair is like spun gold,
Now I can't help but think,
That with her I could grow old,
"I Love her with all my heart,
And be two women, from end to start"

"I know it's not really great, I tried to do iambic pentameter, but that kinda fell through…It's not my best, but I just…well, it just kinda came out, and it seemed to say it a lot better then I could on the spot…" Faith mumbled down towards her feet, glancing back up at Buffy every now and then. The blonde's eyes were fixed on the page, almost unwavering.

"When did you write this?" Buffy asked, now seeing the worn state of the paper she was holding. Faith looked up suddenly at being addressed. Thinking, she could not remember.

"Uh, when I was in England, at the Watchers' Counsel." That was all the brunette could narrow it down to. Buffy tried to smile, but she couldn't. It was too small a gesture for what Faith had done, and she was at a total loss of words. `When did you write this? what the hell was I thinking?!' she berated herself. "OH!" Faith said suddenly. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a little black box…A Ring Box. "I, uh…had this made for you. I think you'll like it." Faith said, voice a little shaky. She obviously wasn't as sure as her words were. When she opened the box, her trembling fingers had a hard time grasping the smooth silver of the ring.

"Oh My God…" was all Buffy could get out. It was a smooth silver band, simple, and yet was distinctly Faith. It reminded Buffy of a Roman Pillar, the way it curled slightly. It was slightly think, and little heavier then most of the rings Buffy had owned, but that also seemed fitting.

"There's a…inside the, uh…" Faith turned it slightly so that Buffy could see the inside of the band. There was an inscription that read `More Than Slayers…'

"Oh My God…" Buffy said again. That seemed to be the only words in her vocabulary. Her brain was completely shut down. This was not very comforting to Faith, she had expected some kind of reaction (possibly even a bad one), and this frozen response was something she hadn't planned for. Thinking it was best to say it her self, Faith took Buffy's hand in one of hers, and the ring in other.

"B, I know that it's probably obvious already, and that after the poem this might be a bit of an Over-Kill, but…" she slipped the ring onto Buffy's left middle finger, which was already slightly pale with the tan line from Angel's Clahdah ring. "I Love you, Buffy. I love you so much…" her voice cracked slightly, and Buffy suddenly pulled her into a hug. She held her, and kissed her head lightly. Faith just held her, and Buffy held her too. They stood there, hugging, smiling and almost crying, for what felt like forever, and yet even that wasn't long enough. They didn't even notice the Oz Mobile zoom past them…

Faith, The Story Lady

"Faith, I – " Buffy started, but Faith suddenly squeezed her so tight, that it became hard for her to breath, so she was forced to stop.

"B?!" Faith asked quickly, "I'mma have to ask you a favor…" she said quickly, voice tight, "I need you to not tell me that you love me back. Weather it was gonna be for real, or if you were just gonna say it `cause I gave you something shinny, I need you to not say it." Buffy gave a slight whimper of pain, and Faith let go as though she had been burned. "I – I – I'm sorry…I didn't mean…"

"Faith," Buffy said slowly, voice a little shaky, "What can't I tell you – " Faith's face went starch-white, and Buffy was forced to stop there again. This was obviously something serious to Faith. But that wouldn't stop Buffy from the information she wanted. "…How much I care about you?" She said delicately. Faith sighed slightly, and sat down on the curb, running a hand through her dark mane.

"Hey, Faith…Sweety, what's wrong?" she asked gently. She sat down next to faith, wrapping her arm around her waist, gently kissing her temple.

"I think…There's something else I need to tell you…" Buffy nodded, and rested her head in the brunettes shoulder.

"I'll listen to anything you wanna tell me." Faith's breath hitched slightly, and she looked up at Buffy, eyes worried.

"But…you might not like to hear it." Buffy gave her a sad smile, and kissed her cheek quickly.

"If you wanna say it, then I want to hear it." She said firmly, quietly. Faith rested her arms in her lap, and took a deep breath. This was obviously a heavy topic, and Buffy was glad. Weighted conversations always seemed to turn out for the best with them, besides, Faith obviously had something important to say.

"You're the first person I've ever been in love with." She said quietly, "I've never…Felt, anything like this. I've read about people being in love, and I've heard people talk about what it's like, but…it's never been like this. This is…beyond the words, past the stars and over the moon. I've never felt this happy, B…or this scared. And that's really saying something." She looked at the blonde sadly, and Buffy pulled her a little bit closer.

"My life, wasn't easy. I'm not saying that to show off, or for you to feel sorry for me, `cause that's the last thing I've *ever* wanted from you…But I know it wasn't. And I don't mean from a Slayer Point Of View. I mean from a PERSON's point of view." Faith sighed deeply, and looked at Buffy. "I'm going to have to tell you some stuff, and it's not all pretty, but I think then maybe you'll understand, alright?"

"Anything you want to say, Sweety." Buffy said gently, rubbing Faith's back.

"When I was about ten, my Dad moved out. Life before that had been okay. Not GREAT, mind you, But it wasn't as bad as it got after he left. My mom, who had always been a drinker, started hitting it hard. Once the amount of alcohol she needed reached a price she couldn't afford anymore, she turned to drugs. Stupid, I know, because the same thing happened, but faster. This took place over about two years, and all that time, I would be in school, signing up for all kinds of after-school programs, anything so I wouldn't have to go home. `Cause now that my Dad wasn't around…there was no one to keep her from hitting me when she was trashed. That's when the Library came into play. I would take the T down to the Boston University library, and I would stay there and read and read and read…" Faith sighed, a look of happy-remembrance on her face.

"I started doing it because I was terrible at reading, and I needed something to do after my activities classes finished. Reading took me a long time, so…I figured it was something that would *take up* a long time. As time went on I started to get better and better, and the time I spent in there became longer and longer. Reading was an escape on so many levels…" Buffy took Faith's hands in her, and steadied them. The brunette glanced at her, and gave her a thankful smile. "One night, when I was almost 13…I came home about 10:30 and my mom was sitting on the couch…that was my bed now…and there was a man there with her. They were talking about something, drugs I later realized, and about how she was gonna pay for them. I wasn't listening, and I had gone into the kitchen to get some food. All I found were bottles, and when I turned around to leave…the man was standing there behind me. My mom had sold he to him in exchange for whatever it was she was buying." Faith heard Buffy give a startled gasp, and tried to continue.

"I don't remember much, but I do remember screaming, and crying, and begging my mother for help, but she told me to just shut-up and to `go with the nice man in his car'…as he dragged me out-side, I managed to get away. He tried to chase me in his cart, but I hid in a trash-can. All I could think about was my Father. He said that if my mom ever did anything really bad to that I should go to him. I tried to do it before, but Child cervices always took me back. They said that my dad was un-fit to take care of me…though I have no idea how my mother was in the first place…" Faith sighed, and her voice shook as she spoke.

"I ran, and I ran, too afraid to take the T anywhere, thinking that he might be on there looking for me. I ran all the way to my fathers – and let me tell you, just being there was scary. He lived in the WORST place in Boston. Not a good place for a 12-year-old to be at past eleven. My Dad was a bartender, so he worked really late. I was waiting on the stoop of an abandoned house across the street, trying to get out of the rain that had started, when I saw my Dad walking home. He had a woman with him…she had her arm around him…and I just got so angry. He was happy again. He had a life without me. And I suddenly wished that he was dead." Faith voice cracked loudly at that, "I was *SO* mad that he… that he had moved on from me, and the thought that he could just leave me there with my mother…" Faith took a deep shuddering breath, and looked at Buffy.

"Well, be careful what you wish for." Faith clenched her hands, and pinched her eyes shut tight. "This car was pulling slowly up the block, and the men inside started yelling at my Dad…apparently, he hadn't moved on; this was just some friend of his that worked at the bar with him. The guys in the car thought that he was `Taking Her Home', and her boy-friend was in that car. He was pissed. He started yelling, and then, he started shooting. Soon the whole street was ripped with bullets…and I watched my Dad fall…all I remember was that I was grabbed from behind, and thrown into the abandoned house." Faith took a deep breath, and continued, her voice no longer so shaken. "I don't think I stopped crying for about 12 hours, and I don't think I moved from that dusty patch on the floor for about as long….

"When I did move, it was because someone had tossed a plate of food towards me on the floor. I jumped up, and looked around. There were about Nine people in the abandoned house with me. They were squatters, a gang of children…who's lives, like mine, had only be worsened by Child-Services. They had saved my life, I later realized, as I looked at the holes in the door I had been standing against. And best of all, it meant I'd never have to go home to my mother again. I didn't talk to them for the first three days, about. I sat in a broken chair by the window and watched the police and street cleaners tidy the mess my Father and his lady-friend had left behind." Faith sighed, and glanced at Buffy, a sarcastic smile in place.

"I stayed with them for a long time. I was the go-to girl. They made me steal things, and distract people, all very small scale, and I didn't mind. Life with them was far better than it had been for a while. But as I stayed, I also started to get to know them all really well. The Alpha-Male, so to speak, was named Ronnie – "

"Ronnie," Buffy asked quickly, "You told me about him, you said he was a dead-beat…" Faith had told her about him shortly after the incident with Kokistose, while they were trying to fight against Jack The Abusive Boy-Friend. Faith chuckled slightly, and smiled.

"Yup, that's the guy. Now you know what I mean. But, it gets worse; all the guys I told you about pop-up in this story." Buffy nodded, and let the younger girl telling her about Boston. "Well, he was always watching out for me. I was one of three girls, but I was the youngest of them. He made sure that I was left alone by the other guys, and well…I think I read a little too much into why he was doing it. I seemed to get it into my head that he was looking out for me because he liked me. So, I started to REALLY like him back…I was about 14 when I realized it was because he had ulterior motives." Faith gave a disgusted laugh.

"We had just barely escaped a little raid-and-chase by the cops, and that always meant a calibration. I had always refused to drink because I had seen what it did to my mother. Well, I dunno *how* he did it, but Ronnie got me so drunk I could barely see, let alone walk straight…He took me into this back room, and…well…" Faith trailed off, and Buffy just sat there silently, still holding her hands gently and not moving.

"All I remember was him telling me that he loved me, pain, and the wet-rotten smell of the mattress that I woke up on. That and the vomiting, and pain the next morning. Ronnie's best-friend (and supposed little brother), Steve took care of me. This guy was the klepto I told you about. But he'd steal things from cars and building and anything with a lock. He was always up for a challenge. He took care of me, and when I went out to talk to Ronnie, he told me to `Leave him the fuck alone', and that I was just some dumb girl. I tried to run-away, but Steve fallowed me. When I asked him why he wanted me back there he said it was because he *did* love me. I just kinda nodded, and fallowed him back to one of the houses. He and I were really close after that, and though it pissed of Ronnie a lot, we were sorta seeing each other. Steve would always tell me he loved me, but I never said it back. After about a year of he and I necking in the basements of abandoned buildings and alleys…I slept with him. It SUCKED!" faith chuckled, but the laugh soon cracked, and she had to hold in a sob.

"When I woke up the next morning…Steve…he was dead. The whole house, every one…all of them dead. Vampires had attacked the house, and I had just been left there. What a way to wake upon your 15th birth-day, huh?" Faith said sadly, and as she looked at Buffy she saw tears running down her cheeks. Faith reached over and wiped them away, and Buffy smiled sadly at her. "The next thing I know, as the cops are about to take me away, this woman shows up. She's about 28, tall, kinda stern looking…and British to boot. She'd been looking for me for a year, and tracking the Vampire-Gang that attacked my house for about as long. She took me up town a bit, on the T, all the way to Beacon street," Faith chuckled, and looked at Buffy, smiling her first real smile since the story started. "Which I'm sure you have NEVER heard of. She had rented out two rooms at the Beacon Street Bed and Breakfast, and that was where she'd been living and tracking me from." Faith took a deep breath, and looked back down at her hands.

"She saved me. She told me what had happened, and what I was and I…I panicked. I told her she was crazy, and her response was `Crazy or not I *am* your guardian now, so you are to stay with me and I shall prove it to you'." Faith chuckled, repeating the quote in a half decent English Accent. Smiling sadly, she went on. "That night, she took me back into the house. She showed me the bodies, and we watched them rise. I saw the faces of the boys and girls I had lived with for almost two years run at me with their Game-Faces on. Edna, my watcher, tossed me a stake, and as though I had been doing it my whole life…I staked Ronnie. After that, Steve came at me and…him too. Edna dusted the rest, and from then on…I never doubted her. I *WAS* a potential Slayer, and she trained me." Faith looked at Buffy again, smiling a Sly-Cat- Smile, and a laugh just below her voice.

"She used to tell me about Slayers. She'd always ignored the Counsel's orders about Slayers not being about to read the Diaries of Watchers and past Slayers. She'd read them to me like story books, always adamant about the fact that they had all been great, and important, and just like me. We both had no idea that I was next to be called. But what she did know, was that by then there had been two Slayers at once. I was about 16 when she told me about the Calling of Kendra. She told me about how well you and she had fought together to take down a foe. She loved to tell me stories she'd heard about you and Giles, and how there had finally been a `Modern-Slayer' as she called it…she said that you were her Favorite Slayer." Faith kissed Buffy's temple lightly, and stayed close to her ear as she spoke.

"She told me that if anything happened I could always go to Sunnydale, and that there I would be safe. I must have heard that everyday for two years. Once I was called she always emphasized the point that I wasn't alone, and that I could always find you if I needed to. She said that if I passed the Curciamentum at 18, she would take me to meet you. By the way, that's why I wasn't around for you're big ONE-EIGHT, Giles knew I knew and made me keep away from you so I wouldn't tell. I locked myself in that dingy motel room for three days, I was constantly calling Giles to make sure you were alright…" Faith laughed at herself, and then looked back to the blonde.

"After she died, well…I tried to make my way to Sunnydale. It was the only place when I KNEW I would be safe. I've never handled grief well, as I'm sure you can see, and on the way here I had stopped at a club in Nevada. That was were I met Kenny. He was a drummer in the band the night I stopped in, and he was just coming onto me like there was no tomorrow…and there was me, just wanting for all the pain to stop, to leave me alone…" she trailed off.

"Not my finest moment, I know, but…death changes people. Makes them act in ways they REALLY regret later." Faith took a deep breath, and looked at Buffy, here eyes so serous that it almost scared the blonde. "Every person I have loved or truly cared for, from my Father and mother, to Steve and Ronnie have ended up Dead. I have NEVER loved anyone like I love you B. And all the people that have ever told me that they loved me have ended up dead…and I just don't think I could live without you anymore. You're the reason I'm alive, the reason I'm not rotting away in an abandoned building in Boston. If you love me, then do me a favor, and don't tell me." She finished sadly. She looked a way and a tear ran down her cheek. "No matter how much I'd love to hear you say it." Buffy pulled her into a tight hug, holding her close, and whipping away her tear.

"Faith," Buffy said gently, the brunette's face between her hands, "You don't have to worry about me. I've taken care of my self for longer then most people have to, and now that I have you…I know I have nothing to worry about. We look after each other, and I'm not afraid to tell you…" Faith tensed, and Buffy sighed, "That I *REALLY* `Care For You'." She finished sadly. Faith smiled at her, and kissed her lips lightly. "I'm going to tell you some day…and when I do, I'm gonna show you that it's not gonna be like last time. Because this time, it's *US*, and there's never been anything like that before." She sighed, and snuggled into Faith's neck lightly. "Because I do, Faith. I really do." Faith smiled, and picked the blonde up, lifting her to her own feet.

"How could you feel that way about some junked girl like me?" she asked, as though honestly confused by it. Buffy just smiled back.

"Because." She said simply. Faith waited for the rest of it, but Buffy shook her head. "I'll tell you why, as soon as I'm *allowed* to tell you." She said, almost as though daring Faith to accept the challenge. The brunette smiled, and wrapped her arm around Buffy's waist, pointing them home. She felt Buffy reach for her other hand a grasp it in her own as they turned down Revello Drive, the Oz-Van just in sight. It was as Faith gave the smaller girls hand a squeeze that she felt the ring she'd given her. It was warm, and smooth, and Faith enjoyed the feeling of it on Buffy's finger. As the two girls approached the house they saw that the rest of the Scoobies were inside. Opening the door they walked into the living room where their friends were sitting.

"Hey Guys, sorry we took so long," Faith started, but Oz interrupted.

"Actually," he said, looking to Xander, "We just got here as well. I had to drop some stuff off at Devon's and Xander demanded that we take him to rent that `Girl Interrupted' movie." Faith laughed, and sat down on the couch. Buffy flopped down next to her, arm wrapped around her shoulder, head nuzzled into the younger girls neck.

"We just called Cordy," Willow said as she popped `Bone Collector' into the machine, "she should be here in about ten min-" Just then the door-bell rang, and Cordelia let herself in. "…That is, if she drives at a Sane speed-limit." Willow finished under her breath. They all settled down, and Joyce brought them some pop-corn and sodas. As the teens settled in, the Slayer fell asleep, and nobody even noticed until the credits rolled…

= = = ( Taking Action ) = = =

The next morning found Buffy and Faith in the Library. Faith sat at the head of the table, Buffy to her right, holding her hand secretly under the table. Willow across from the blonde, with Oz at her side with his arm around the back of her chair. Xander sat next to Buffy, trying not to look at Cordelia as she leaned against the counter. They were all listening to Wesley drone on and on about the night before and what they had done. He even started listing the books he'd looked through, and soon Xander had fallen asleep with his eyes open, practically.

"That's great and all," Faith interrupted, not able to take it anymore, "But what did you *figure out*?" she stressed. He cleared his throat and straightened his jacket slightly. Faith nodded, she knew what was coming.

"Not a great deal." He replied huffily, "I fear this may be a task that you all may have to join in on. There's little else we can achieve on our own and as much as I hate to admit it, we're going to need you help." He sounded like he'd rather vomit then push out that last sentence.

"Our help?" Willow asked confused. Hadn't they been helping the whole time? Where was he going with this, she wondered?

"Now, we'll have to keep this very secret. The counsel doesn't know that the Slayer is collaborating with anyone besides Faith – "

"Who's also a Slayer…" She practically growled.

"Yes, well, besides that they have no idea anyone else even knows about your `Scooby-Club', and there's no need to thank me for that. I'm sure I'm only doing what any other watcher would have done in my circumstances." He smiled humbly, and raised a hand slightly, as though preparing to wave away any thank-you coming his way. It was a waste of energy. Even Cordelia looked at him sideways for that.

"As I'm sure you all know," Wesley said quietly, " The identity of a Slayer is supposed to remain a secret. Any of those that have even learned of her distinctiveness out-side of the Counsel are killed to keep them from revealing her identity." Both slayers looked around the room worriedly, taking in the shocked face. "You two never wondered why there are such strict rules about isolation for Slayers? It's to save lives, not to keep them in line." He said darkly. This was getting creepy now.

"So the new plan is as fallows. You are now under my command with a little help from Giles, or course," He said as a brush-off, the earlier part of the sentence causing more surprise then the last, "are we shall all stay here, tonight, as long as it takes, and we will think up a plan of attack on City Hall." He said as though it was final.

"Hey!" Faith yelled, getting up out of her chair, forcing he hand to drop out of Buffy's. "They don't `serve' you. They're our friends, and they're here because they care. They don't have a JOB, or a CALLING, they're here because they're good people and they feel they have a right to help save *their* hometown. So don't you start ordering them around like it's something noble." The room looked on in silence as Faith told Wesley off. Willow smiled, as did Xander. Cordy even had to hid a smirk, and OZ, nodded in the affirmative. Buffy smiled, and looked to her girl-friend proudly. Faith started walking away from her chair, and stood in front of the Table, hands on it as she looked over her company.

"I never knew there was a price for knowing you guys," she said sadly, "and if I had I would have told you that it's not worth it. I know I can say the same for Buffy," she smiled over at the blonde, who winked back, "but something in my gut tells me that you'd all still be here all the same. Even Cordelia. Now if you've changed your minds, that's alright too, you've risked your lives enough and you've prove yourselves to be great friends above and beyond. But we could still use all the help we can get." The room was silent, and they all looked on as she leaned off the table.

"What do you have in mind?" Willow asked, having an idea of what the brunette was getting at. Faith smiled, and turned to Giles to give him a small thumbs up.

"Alright. I know this is gonna sound a little weird, but I had a dream last night. I think it was from watching Mission Impossible too much on TV, I dunno, but here's what it was about." Faith smiled, and started telling them about her dream.

"Okay, so B and I are secret agents, and we need to steal this top- secret computer-file from the Mayor. So we beat up one of his Vampy- lackies, and he tells us where it was hidden. From there, Willow hacked into the computer system to try and get any files she could through that medium. After we found out that me realized there was something bigger going on." Faith sighed, and looked around the room.

"I think you're right." Buffy said slowly. "That sounds like a good plan. Willow? Can you hack into the City Hall computer and try and find out what's inside?" Willow nodded, and she turned to Xander, "Xander?"

"I know, I know; get the doughnuts." He said in a dull tone. Faith chuckled.

"Not this time Xand. I need you to go bribe Willy-The-Snitch and try and get some information out of him. Try and find out the name or description of any of the Mayor's Vampire-goons. That way we can just kill him after we get the info out of him and he won't have a chance to tell on us."

"But – " Wesley said, but was quickly passed over,

"Oz, Giles, Cordy, if you could all head down to The Hall of Records and get print-out of the lay-out of the Mayors office maybe we can find some way to get in and out unnoticed so we can actually pull off a heist of some kind once we know what he's up to?" Faith asked them quickly, they nodded, and once again Wesley foundered.

"But – "

"Once you have that we have everything we need to get a plan in motion. All we would need was perhaps a good look at the Mayor's Day- Planner or possibly find out something else that he needs, like with the books of ascension." Willow nodded and quickly got to work with the computer, Oz kissed her as he headed to door, flipping his Van- Keys. Cordy, Giles and Xander all got ready to go as the Slayers sat back down.

"STOP!" Wesley yelled, "Stop right this instant!" he yelled. He looked extremely miffed, and it didn't suit him. He ran a hand over his hair, and calmed slightly, though it was obvious that it he was still on edge. "I'm in charge here, and you're not leave until I say we leave." The room looked at him as though he was nuts. Willow wondered if he was listening at all during the duration of Buffy and Faith's plan. "This is all happening too quickly and I think we need – "

"Wes." Faith said quickly, "Hop on the train, or get off the tracks." He looked like he was about to growl at her, but Faith just smiled back. "You're free to go. Meet back tonight at about eight and we'll go over what everyone's got." The room moved again and everyone left to go out into their day. Wesley fallowed the Slayer back to her seat. Leaning in a bit too close for comfort, he began to whisper to her angrily.

"This is Mutiny!" he floundered.

"No…" Faith said darkly, "It's thinking up a plan my watchers couldn't. What have you done? You sat here all night reading books that got you nowhere! Meanwhile I went out and had fun with my friends. And not only that, you couldn't even think up the plan of `lets take the offensive'…" he looked pissed.

"Perhaps I should change my mind? Maybe the counsel would like to know of your activities with the other students in projects that are supposed to be classified." Faith's eyes widened, but Buffy was unfazed.

"Oh, I don't think you'll want to do that, Wes." She said, leaning over Faith to get in his face. "Our loyalty doesn't lie with the Counsel. It's with the people that care for us and help us and love as dearly. You want to be the only watcher in history to cause *two* Slayer to defect from the Order…be my guest. But I think I have a better plan." Buffy leaned in, and snidely whispered to him, "Why don't you just sit still and be a good little lap dog while we do our god-damned jobs, alright?" Wesley pulled back and nodded. Even Watchers could fall for the classic Slayer- intimidation tricks. He quickly walked back into Giles' office and poured himself some tea. Buffy turned to Faith and smiled sweetly.

"Don't worry." She said gently, getting up and taking Faith's hand, "Watchers are easy, once you have then trained the right way." Faith chuckled, and fallowed Buffy around the table.

"Where are we going?" Faith asked quietly. Buffy smiled, and started pulling Faith up the stairs.

"Nowhere special." She said, pulling both of Faith's hands and walking deeper into the stacks. "Just wanted some quiet time with my Favorite girl…" Buffy said sweetly. Faith actually blushed a bit, pulling her arms around the blonde's waist.

"You going Dress shopping with Red this week?" Faith asked quickly. Buffy nodded, and then stopped.

"Why do you ask?" she sounded like she suspected something.

"What, I don't want to know about my Girl-friend's whereabouts?" Faith defended, laughing. Buffy smiled, and wrapped her arms around Faith's neck. "Besides, I want to go shopping at the same time. I figured we could surprise each-other with what we're wearing." Buffy nodded, and smiled.

"Are you going to wear a dress?" she asked excitedly. Faith laughed and shook her head.

"I think I've filled my dress quota for the year. Besides, I only have the one."

"When did you wear a dress?" Buffy asked quickly.

"At homecoming!" Faith defended quickly, "I got all dressed up and told off Parker because he came with a date…did you not even notice?" Faith asked, sounding disappointed. Buffy blushed and looked away. Faith actually pouted, "I only wore it because I thought you'd like it."

"I'm sorry sweety." Buffy said gently, "I wasn't there for very long. All I did was show up for the crowning, and then I talked to Giles and Cordy for a sec, and then I left. I only saw you for a second, and you were dancing kinda provocatively with some junior…it upset me so I left." Faith smirked at that.

"It `upset' you?" she asked slowly. Buffy nodded, and nuzzled into Faith's neck. That made the brunette shiver, though only slightly. "You liked me back then?" Buffy nodded, letting he nose tickle the gentle skin of her girl-friends neck. Faith practically purred, and Buffy kissed her pulse-point gently.

"Yeah, Faith…I liked you back then. But I doubt if I even knew what it was." Their Slayer-senses were zinging off the charts, and Faith quickly leaned back against a book-case, worried that he knees would give out. Pulling Buffy's face up to hers she claimed the blonde's lips in a kiss. It was soft, and gentle, and warm, and Faith was glad that no one was left in the library because they would have fainted if they saw her act so caringly. It was a loving kiss, one meant to communicate something that words could not express. And it was hers. Hers and Buffy's.

"Faith?" Buffy asked gently, pulling out of the kiss, "Can I tell you now?" she asked, hope obvious in her voice. The brunette shook her head sadly, and Buffy pouted sticking her lip out as far as she could. Faith chuckled and sucked it gently between her own. Buffy moaned, and she could feel Faith run a finger past the waistline of her pants. Suddenly it felt as though her whole body was on fire, and both girls pulled away quickly.

"What was that?" Faith asked her first. Apparently she'd felt it too.

"I don't know." Buffy gasped, "but it think it may have something to do with out Slayer-Sense." Faith nodded, and looked Buffy up and down. She still felt slightly burning…in a good way, of course. The brunette smirked, and pulled the blonde in for another smoldering kiss. Buffy moaned across the dark Slayer's red lips and smiled into their kiss.

"I have an idea." Faith stated quickly between the small kisses she was placing along Buffy's neck, down to her collarbone. "Why don't we try a few `experiments'?" Faith said suggestively, causing the blonde to giggle, and try and pull out of her grasp. She almost got out until Faith pulled her back in. "Come on, it'll be fun, we can test out this crazy vibe we got going on?" Faith said between laughs.

"Faith, No!" Buffy whispered loudly, "We're in the library! There could be a student or one of the Scoobies could come back!" Faith nodded, a wide smile on her face.

"I know, B…I was just messing with ya." She said lovingly, running a hand over the golden locks she loved so much. Buffy kissed her nose gently and then her lips, pulling away finally to turn to Faith.

"Hey," she said quietly, "Why don't we fallow Xander's idea and get some food for everyone? Doughnuts, pizza, soda, whatever?" she offered gently, knowing full well that faith wanted to stay here and share some more secret kisses. The brunette nodded, and lead the way back down the stairs.

"Hey, at least it'll give us something to do." Faith smiled, "I love giving out orders. This way I can arrange it so that I'm the one with the free time." Buffy chuckled and they both left the library, not informing Wesley, and on purpose. That little git was getting to be a nuisance.

That evening found The Slayers waiting in the bushes out-side of City Hall. Willow had succeeded in hacking into the Mayor's personal files and she'd found out about a delivery that was supposed to arrive that night. Something by the name of 'The Box Of Gavrock', and it wasn't going to be cheep for the Honorable Mr. Wilkins to obtain. The exchange was probably going to take place in the Boardroom, and they were hoping to drop in and interrupt the meeting, so they'd brought Angel along for back up. And, just to be overly cautious, they'd brought Willow in case they needed to get to it Magically.

So there they were, two Slayers, a Souled-Vampire Ex-Boyfriend, and a best-friend with cosmic-Witchy-power, and they were hiding in the bushes. Not to mention that Faith was starting to get fidgety. The currier was supposed to have arrived almost 15 minutes ago, and they'd already been sitting on the slightly cold ground watching for a total of half an hour. A large black limo drove up and a severe looking man with a snake tattooed onto his face stepped out. With him was a mystic looking box cuffed to his arm, and it was then they knew they had the right guy.

"Finally," Faith sighed irritably, "Took him damn long enough." Buffy smiled at her through the corners of his eyes, and Angel chuckled almost silently to himself. Faith glared at him for a second, then realize it wasn't a spiteful laugh, it was one of agreement. Buffy placed a delicate hand on Faith's leg, and smiled. The look on the blonde's face was one of comfort, expressing a don't-mind-him, I'm-only-thinking-of-you attitude on the older girls behalf.

Faith smiled, {Man, does she know me or what?} the brunette thought. Faith smiled back, but then her eyes drifted past her girl-friend's ears to Angel's face. It was blank, but she knew what he must be feeling, {Lord only knows how pissed off I'd be if I'd seen B look at someone *else* that way} the girl thought. Faith placed her hand over Buffy's and started running her fingers across it suggestively. Just as the limo pulled way Buffy removed her hand and placed it on the brunette's face.

"It's one thing to be sweet," Buffy whispered, standing up along with the others, "And it's another to be cocky. I don't mind you being affectionate, but when it's to mark your territory…don't waste your time." Buffy said quietly enough so at least Willow wouldn't hear it. Faith looked down at her feet slightly, becoming embarrassed.

"I-I'm sorry." The younger girl mumbled, regretting belittling their relationship simply to rub it in Angel's face. Buffy lightly ran her thumb over the brunette's cheek and smiled.

"I know." She said softly, "and that's why I know you won't do it again." Faith smiled sadly, and Buffy put an arm around her waist as they turned towards the building. Holding Faith close Buffy spoke quietly in her ear. "Remember the plan; you go ahead and take out what little guard you can, but stop if you see something that you can't take alone."

"And *don't* get cocky, Faith," Buffy added quickly, "I don't want you getting hurt if you don't have to. Also, that's why Angel's here, so wait for us. Once you get to the ladder at the side of the building, roll it down and start climbing up to check out the situation." Faith nodded, and kissed the blonde's cheek quickly. Buffy smiled. "It's a good plan, Fai, and I'm very proud of you."

"Thanks B." Faith smiled, and stealthily crossed the street. The blonde watch her for a second, the turned to the other two people in the bushes.

"Angel, you ready?" Buffy asked, the vampire nodded, and showed the large padded bag they brought to carry the box out. "Good. Willow?" Buffy asked, turning to the slightly pale witch, and smiling at the look of mixed excitement and nerves.

"I have everything I need, I just have to be there to do it." she rambled slightly, her voice slightly more breathy with anticipation. The blonde smiled, and looked both ways before crossing the street. As they made their way to the right section of building, they passed two small dust-piles sitting among the grass. {Seems the Mayor had extra guards out tonight} Buffy thought. Once they made it to where the ladder was supposed to be, they not only found it descended, but also with a brunette Slayer leaning against it.

"What's going on?" Buffy asked worriedly, Faith simply smiled, and waved to the ladder. As she helped Willow up, fallowed by Angel, she explained.

"Just as I got up there to scope things out," Faith said quietly, "they both left the room. Wilkins gave Snake-Face-Guy a HUGE wad of cash and then had this vampire throw down a spell to protect the box." She said quickly, holding the fixture so Buffy could climb up as well. "That's not all though, he's also got it guarded electronically." She said, slowly climbing onto the roof after her girlfriend.

"What kind of guard?" Angel asked, looking down through the slightly cracked sky-light.

"A sensor," faith said, carefully pulling the window open and pointing down into it. "It's under the box. We move it, we set it off." She said simply. Buffy sighed, realizing this was going to be a little more complicated then she thought. "I say we get Red to do the spell, then send her back to the van with Giles and Wesley. After that the three of us grab the box, take out the three guards waiting just out-side the door, and tear back outta here before the rest of his lackeys get in." Buffy nodded, and motioned for Willow to do her thing.

"Okay, here goes nothing…" Willow said quietly, pulling out a giant bottle of a light-green power. As she slowly started chanting in what Faith recognized as Latin, she poured the substance over the box. It started to glow in an invisible dome around the box, and slowly as it became brighter and the powder started running out, the dome suddenly popped. "Oh Yeah," Willow said smugly, "I'm bad." The three girls chuckled, and Willow packed the book she'd been reading from back into her bag and placed the bottle in gently after it.

"Get down with your Wicca self, Red." Faith said, congratulating her quietly, "Now hurry and get gone before B and soul-boy here start having to worry about you." Willow smiled and waved, slowly climbing back down the ladder. As the younger girl looked at her two counter parts, they all looked slightly worried.

"Here goes nothing." Buffy mumbled, suddenly jumping through the window and grabbing the edge of the sky-light at the last second. Silently lowering herself down the rest of the way, Buffy held her arms out for the bag. As Angel lowered it down to her, Faith fallowed the blonde's example and dripped down into the room as well. Pulling out a stake, the Dark Slayer walked to the door and stood poised at the ready. Nodding to say she was good to go, Buffy suddenly lifted the box, setting out a loud buzzer. As soon as it went off the door to the conference room sprung open and a vampire was dust before it crossed the threshold.

"Angel!" Buffy yelled suddenly, tossing the bag up through the sky-light and hopping down to meet Faith in battle. As Angel could be heard running off with the box, the two girls fought back to back. After dusting the last two vamps they tore out the door, and ran all the way to the exits, lucky not to run into anyone on the way. They made it outside just in time to see Angel run in one direct, and for them to choose another. They'd done it; Faith's plan worked. And more than that; it meant they would win.

Fair Deal; One =

As Faith and Buffy jogged happily up the steps to the school, they smiled at each other. Tossing her arm over the blonde's shoulder the Dark Slayer hugged her girl-friend close as they made their way to the library. Passing through the doors they were met with worried faces. Dropping their embrace and approaching the box, they looked around. Faces were still marred with anxiety.

"Hey Gang!" Faith said, voice hinting at caution, "Ready to shut this sucker down?" the rest of the room looked at each-other, and she turned to Buffy. But the blonde wasn't looking at her, she was looking at the Scoobies…she was looking around the library.

"Where's Willow?" The Slayer added slowly. Angel bowed his head and looked at the slightly edgy watchers.

"We thought she stayed behind with you…" Giles whispered delicately. Both the Slayers' eyes bugged and their faces paled.

"How the fuck did this shit happen?" Faith asked slowly, and icy rage to her voice. There was a sudden grunt and a chair was smashed against the library doors.

"Call City Hall!" Buffy growled. Giles removed his glasses and Wesley smoothed out his hair.

"No." The young watcher said solidly. "We need to destroy this box – "

"WHAT?!" Up-roared the gathered Scooby-collective, even Cordelia. All their expressions showed their combined shock that he wouldn't even consider it.

"This box," Wesley reiterated, "Is the towns best hope of survival. Are you willing to risk the lives of this entire city; your friends, your families, just to get her back?" He questioned coldly. "Now, I want Willow back as much as the rest of you – "

"No You Don't!" Buffy yelled at him suddenly, he seemed shocked that 'his Slayer' would talk back to him like this, "If you wanted her back like we did, you'd make the trade." Buffy approached him slowly, her eyes a light with a rage Faith had never seen before. "Even if the Mayor doesn't get it back; he'll find another way. And we can't do this without her. Willow has been in on the Slaying since before she knew what it was, before she was even asked to help…we CAN'T win without her." The blonde growled, and Wesley gulped, though he held his ground.

"We *will not* trade." He said slowly, refusing to take Buffy's insubordination lightly, "We have the means to destroy this box, and that is what we must do. It's obvious that your connections to these *civilians*" he said the last word with a shudder of distain, "Are effecting your ability to remember the prime objective. You're purpose if to save lives…by allowing this box to fall into the Mayor's hands you – "

"I need a volunteer to hit Wesley!" Xander said suddenly. Wesley sneered at him, and Faith pulled her fist back.

"You might want to duck and cover now, Wes." Buffy offered.

"Now wait just a moment!" He said haughtily, "I have done nothing to warrant violence towards myself, and I am still not only in charge here – but I'm also in the right!"

Before anyone could say anything else, and before Faith's last nerve was stepped on, there was a loud smash. All eyes turned to see the ruined earn where the spell to obliterate the box had been held. And there, next to the pedestal, was a panting yet ever calm Oz. All the Scoobies stilled and watched him, where as Wesley's eye were fixed on the botched spell and it's ruined container.

"Make the trade." He said evenly. He seemed as calm as ever, and the only people who knew any better were the Slayers and Angel. The souled Vampire could hear the boy's heart hammering in her chest, and the Slayers could spell just the right amount of Werewolf blood lust seeping from the small musician. Giles nodded silently, and headed into his office. The Scoobies smiled sadly to each other and gathered around the box, now looking rather meaningless on the desk. Wesley, though he knew it was hopeless, was on his hands and knees trying to gather up the bits of the spell.

Fair Deal; Two

As the remainder of the Scoobies walked about the school locking doors, the Slayers stayed in the cafeteria. Buffy stood stiffly facing the main doors, deep in angry thoughts. Giles, Xander, and Cordy were locking up all the possible paths to get into the school other than the one they wanted, and Wesley was in the library. He'd refused have take any part in the trade and had accidentally lock himself in the weapons cage…and no one had the heart to let him out, except Cordy (who was convince to act otherwise). Oz sat in one of the room, stake in hand, his rapidly tapping foot the only true sign of his discomfort.

As the remainder of the Scoobies walked in, Faith placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder. She was so tense it even shocked the brunette. Xander stood by one of the last doors, locking it, a large baseball-bat with an iron hook in his hands. Giles locked the windows, and then tossed the keys to Faith.

"Come on B," she said, wrapping and arm around the girl's waist, "Let's lock up the kitchen doors." Buffy simply nodded and walked tersely behind the counter. Faith walked ahead of her, looking back through the corners of her eyes. As soon as they passed through the doors, Buffy was slammed against the wall.

"What the-" was all the blonde could get out before Faith's lips crushed against hers. Buffy was completely shocked, to the extent that at first she simply allowed herself to be kissed. But as she felt the brunette's strong hands wrap around her middle, she started kissing back.

Within seconds she was swept up in the passion flowing from the younger girl's lips, totally freeing her from the stress of the hour before. As she pulled her girl-friend in closer, she gently cupped her face in her hands. Feeling wetness on her cheek, Buffy pulled away, wiping the tear from her face. As she frowned in confusion, she looked up and saw that it's wasn't hers. Faith's lower lip was trembling, and tears were running down her soft cheeks. The next second Buffy was wrapped up in a hug that could have broken a human's ribs.

"It could have been you, B." Faith sobbed, almost in a whisper. Without warning the girl's legs gave out and she started to fall. Buffy, to surprised to catch her, simply held her close as the brunette fell to her knees. Holding the blonde tightly around the middle, burring her face in her girl-friend's shirt, Faith cried openly; allowing the Slayer's body to muffle her cries. Buffy was shocked, gently stroking the soft russet tresses as Faith's body shook with her sobs. Her cries subsiding, Faith looked up at Buffy who smiled sadly down at her.

Dropping to her knees herself, Buffy hugged Faith tightly. The Dark Slayer's breath hitched and she sniffled slightly, hoping against hope that Buffy would understand. She was just so scared! She was scared for Willow, scared of what would happen to the two of them, what the counsel would say, how they would beat the Mayor now…the list went on and on, and Faith was completely overwhelmed. But Buffy just held her, gently caressing her back, telling her things would be okay, that everything was alright.

"I think I get it now." Faith said, her emotions under control again. "About the isolation?" Faith started slowly, "I never wanted this, not for Willow, not for any of the Scoobies…it never mattered before; I didn't have *anyone*…is was just my watcher and I, no friends, no lovers…no one mattered." Faith sighed and wiped her eyes, "Just look at us! We're willing to risk the lives of hundreds of faceless people in order to get Red back…and even with that knowledge, I'm still doing it! I know people are going to die because of it…and I'm still going to do it. For Willow, for you, for Oz, and Xander. But what about all those people who die? Their families? Their loved ones and their futures…I know all this and still…it doesn't matter. Because Red's my friend." Faith sighed sadly.

"I'm a murderer again…I'm going to get lots of people killed, and I'm doing it to save Willow." With that the brunette stood up, pulling Buffy with her. "Promise me something?" she asked slowly, and Buffy nodded, looking at her to continue. "Promise me, what is this should ever happen to us, that you'll let me go?" Buffy's eyes darkened, and she stepped back, her face disgusted.

"What?" she asked harshly.

"I'm not worth it. B." Faith said slowly, "I've killed people, I'm no good! I can't be a good enough Slayer to warrant the deaths of others. I was born to die, and to save lives doing it. Please, tell me B…tell me you'd save them instead of saving me?" Faith was pleading, but she didn't care. Buffy shook her head, and closed her eyes.

"No, Faith." She said solidly, refusing to look at her. "I won't do it. I could never do that. I couldn't live knowing I'd killed someone who loved me and that I – " she paused, swallowing, " – That I care about, deeply. I could never do that, and you know it. Your life, *as a slayer*, and my lover is worth far more not only to me, but also to the entire world. I could never do it, so please don't ask me to." She opened her eyes slowly, and swiftly held up her hand as Faith looked like she would refute.

"Could you do it, Faith?" Buffy asked, almost coldly, "Could you stand there, and watch me die, even if you knew it was what I wanted?" Faith's whole existence went slack as the thought hit her. She almost fell again, and her brain froze. The sheer idea that the imagined sequence had on her was enough to cripple her mental capacity. Buffy took the brunette's face in her hands, and looked at her sternly. "Then don't *ever* as me if I could." With that she kissed her girl-friend fiercely, and held her tightly for a few minutes. Their embrace was broken when their heard a car pull up out-side. Breaking apart, Faith wiped her eyes again.

"Come on," Buffy said gently, pulling Faith by her hand back towards the doors. "Lets make the trade." Faith stopped her, and turned the blonde to face her. Reaching down she started to button the blonde denim jacket, trying to cover the wet-marks she'd made on her girl-friend's shirt. Buffy smiled, and kissed the brunette's cheek gently. "Let's get this over with."

Fair Deal; Three

As the two slayers walked home, they kept silent, their eyes peeled for any activity that shouldn't have happened. The trade hag gone well enough. It was obvious that the Mayor was *not* up on his gossip, and for that the Slayers were happy. He'd gone on and on about how Angel had no right to treat the woman he loved the way he did. About how Buffy and he as a couple would never work. Little did he know that the two had already gotten the memo. Though the knowledge that others knew as well as they did upset the Vampire and his Ex-Lover. Buffy hadn't said much since then, and Angel had simply left once the group spilt up.

"There you two are!" Joyce said impatiently as she stood on the porch. "I where have you been? Do you have any idea what time it is?!" Buffy simply walked right past her, and headed up to her room without a word to her worried mother. "Faith, what's going on?" Joyce asked, a cross between annoyed and concerned.

"We got into some trouble tonight." The brunette stated gently, not wanting to worry her. "We wanted to start fighting the big-bad at his own game…take the offensive and all that…it was my plan, and it worked. All up until the last second." Faith sighed, and sat on the bottom step. "It nearly cost Willow her life, and in the end we did all this work for nothing. We had to take it all back to save Red, and…they said some pretty bad stuff about Buffy's relationship with Angel. I think the whole night's just hitting her kinda hard." Joyce nodded, and sighed.

"Well, I wanted to catch you before you both went to bed." She older woman said walking over to the dining room table and picking up a large envelope. "This is for you," Joyce said, handing it to her. "For your prom…dress, or tux, or whatever you'd like to get." Faith's eyes widened, and she tried to hand the package back. "Faith, I want you to look nice, and I know that – although you'd never admit it – you want to look nice to. Besides, I know you don't have that much money, and I want to repay you, for how happy you've made my daughter." The older woman smiled, and Faith accepted the envelope awkwardly.

"Thank you." She said, quietly, fidgeting slightly, not used to receiving gifts. Joyce just smiled, and picked up a small folder from the desk.

"I, uh, also wanted to remind you two," she said gently, "That I'm leaving for my trip down to L.A. the day after tomorrow. I have a early flight out, so I'll probably be gone before you guys are up, and I want to be PERFECTLY CLEAR when I say I want *no parties* while I'm gone…Okay?" Faith blushed and smiled. That wasn't what she'd been expecting, but it was fine by her. She'd been anticipating something more along the lines of 'don't violate my daughter'…but that didn't seem to be Joyce's style.

"Alright, I'll make sure Buffy knows." Faith said gently, heading up the steps. As she took her shower, she tried not to think about the coming weeks. She had to shop for Prom, fight Vampires, beat the mayor…but more than that…she was worried about Buffy. She knew that they were getting closer and closer to the next unspoken level in their relationship, and she was nervous.

Faith chuckled to herself as she turned the water off a few minutes later. Faith, worried about sex…the very idea seemed like an Oxymoron in and of it's self. But it was true, she realized. She wanted it to be more than that, like the kind of things she'd read in all the books she'd read over her life-time…she wanted it to be special, to be something that Buffy would remember and cherish. A memory of Faith that no one could take away, one she'd never want to forget. As she walked into the darkened room where her girl-friend slept, she sighed.

I Love Her, was the last thought to pass through her head as she slipped under the sheets behind the blonde. Wrapping her arms around the older girl, she smiled as Buffy turned around.

"What's wrong?" The girls asked groggily. Faith simply shook her head and slowly leaned into kiss her. she was stopped with a finger on her lips, and sad smile. "I don't want to tease you…" she said slowly, but Faith didn't care. Leaning in she captured the lips she'd fantasizing about all night. As the blonde's tongue sought entrance to the young girls mouth and was granted, Faith moaned. I just hope she's ready, she thought. Pulling back with a smile, Buffy kissed the brunette's nose and held her close, laying back down again.

"Good night." Faith whispered. Buffy kissed her neck and sighed.

"Night Faith."

Slut-Bomb Cinderella

As Faith looked down at the bright pink dress she had on, she couldn't help but shudder. She looked like a ballerina-birth-day-cake that'd exploded. Shaking her head and choking down the growl in her throat, Faith tried to remember how the hell she got herself into this situation. Oh, right, she thought to her self, I asked for it…I should have seen this coming. Thinking back on the day before, Faith couldn't help but laugh coldly. She really should have known better.

The Scooby meeting had just been released, and Willow and Buffy were talking prom-dresses in the corner. Faith, knowing that Buffy wanted her dress to be a surprise, walked towards the door. As Cordy picked up her stuff and started to head out of the library, Faith put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. When Queen C turned around and saw none other than Faith attached the hand, to say she did a double take would be putting it lightly.

"I need your help with something." She'd said. After Faith explained that she wanted a prom dress, and wanted a good, one that would look good, Cordy's eyes widened. She made some rude comment about 'Mutton Dressed as Lamb', Faith had not idea who mutton was so this was a little lost on her, but agreed nonetheless. Told her she had to go just then, but Faith should meet up with her at 5:00 at April Fools clothing store. Faith agreed and walked behind the desk, watching Buffy and Willow talk in whispers.

She could have heard them if she'd have wanted to, but she sort of wanted to be surprised. Tapping her hands on the little desk, trying to keep the bored away, she looked at the computer. She turned it on, thinking about perhaps playing a game of Solitaire, and waited for it to boot-up. Faith wasn't so good with electronic things, all the Scoobies knew this, her lack of patience with certain things (including computers) was no secret. So when the thing started beeping, saying that it'd have to shut-down and restart again…Faith at to hold in the urge to spin-kick the damn thing.

'I'll do something else,' she thought to herself, 'there's gotta be something around here to keep a girl busy.'. Looking around the desk, she didn't see anything except the card-filing directions and the stamp. Sighing, she kneeled and looked down into the shelved behind the desk. Now *there* were some fun trinkets.

There was Oz's Trank-Gun, an old Rolling Stone Magazine of Giles' that Faith had read a million times already back at her hotel, a few other things along with The 3rd Harry Potter book….being kept open at a very specific page with some sort of paperweight. It was some kind of medallion, or amulet. Turning it right-ways up on the book, Faith looked it over. It seemed familiar. It had little markings on it, ones Faith knew she couldn't read, but wanted a closer look. Picking it up to look at it more closely, Faith placed her hand on the books' pages.

"Faith?" Called Buffy, she could be heard getting up from her sitting place at the big desk. "Faith, where are you?" Faith stood up, hiding the medallion by her side, not sure if she should touch it.

"Right here, B." Buffy smiled and came a little closer, leaning on the desk, just smiling at her. that wasn't odd, but when Willow did the same thing…that *was* a little odd. "Uhhh, you girls done talking secret-stuff?" she asked slowly. They just smiled, and the Faith heard Giles come out of his office, sipping tea and grinning himself. "Okay, do I have a huge monkey on my back that only you can see…what? What is it?" Giles came closer, and Faith tossed the amulet back onto the book, not wanting to get found out.

Buffy and Willow pushed off from the desk, and Giles stopped in his tracks. They all looked around at each-others slightly, and Buffy gave a slightly surprised look at Willow. Willow blushed terribly and mumbled as she walked back to the Long Table to collect her bag. Giles reached under the desk and closed the book with the amulet inside its page, then walked back to his office.

"…You ready to go?" Faith asked, wondering what'd just happened. Buffy'd told her that she just needed to ask Willow one last thing, then they could go out and get lunch. Faith walked out from behind the desk, and stood by the door, looking in at Giles reading his book. The Harry Potter one was off to the side, the page with the amulet in it noticeable due to its size. Maybe it had something to do with everyone's sudden interest in her…

"Ready to go?" Buffy asked, smiling. Faith nodded, distracted by the happy attitude of her girl-friend. She all but for got the Amulet, completely caught up in her little lunch-date with her smiling Slayer. Alone in a little sandwich ship talking about simple things, only talking about slaying as an intro in a story of another subject. They talked about their favorite songs, Faith asked what life was like for Buffy in L.A. when she was younger, what she did as a child. Faith was fascinated. She'd never lived a life like that; she thought things like that were made up, things people wish for but never really have.

Once they'd gotten back to school Faith kissed the blonde in the stacks before sending her off to class. After, Faith went in search for a book. After picking out one and heading back into the main-area, she saw Wesley enter through the double doors. After looking from the large table where the Watcher now sat, and then back at the stacks, she realized that she'd rather sit on the floor, far away from him. She didn't trust him; he hadn't earned it.

When 3:00 rolled around, and the Scoobies came wondering back into the library, Buffy called her girl-friend out of the back of the library. Giles set up some mats, and explained a drill. During a break Faith asked a question that'd bothered her for a while; why it was still always Giles that taught them their training, not Wesley – they're New, Real Watcher. Wesley straightened his tie and said that he was focused on the research more. That the counsel knew that Giles was good enough at training as Buffy was still alive today, but they didn't trust him with the research; they were worried he'd been out of sync with cross-referencing for too long.

Once it got to be about 4:30, Faith stopped, much to both Giles' and Buffy surprise. Wesley protested as well, saying that her training for the day was inadequate, that she couldn't leave, and that she *would* stay. At that both Buffy and Faith got their stuff and left. Once out-side Faith asked her girl-friend to go home, and Faith would meet her there for Patrol. After a raised eyebrow and a little hairy eyeball, she agreed. All the way to April fools, Faith looked over her shoulder to make sure Buffy hadn't fallowed. She hadn't.

The brunette had been a bit early to meet Cordy. She figured she should just go in, start looking around, get a feel for what the shop had. She wanted to see if this was the right sort of place for 'her', be able to explain to Cordy what she knew she *didn't* want. She never expected to find Cordy in there, with a name tag, getting told off by what must have been the manager for needing to leave early.

"Hey, C…I'm not getting you in trouble am I?" Faith asked, surprising Cordelia, who hadn't seen her standing there. She jumped, and looked both scared and shocked.

"Uh, no…I'm just uh…"

"Working here?" Faith offered for her? The Mighty Queen C bowed her head in shame, and nodes slightly. "Hey, at least you got a job…if I ever needed something; I stole it, or the Counsel or Ms. Summers provided it for me. For whatever reason you have this job, good for you." Cordy looked up, and was surprised to see that Faith was being sincere. She'd been expecting sarcasm. "I'm gonna guess you want me to keep this job secret from the rest of the Gang, am I right?" Cordy nodded, and Faith simply smiled.

"Any idea what you're looking for?" Cordy asked, sounding all business. Faith explained that she wanted a dress, a simple one, and one that she could move in easily (in case of unscheduled Slaying). Cordy set to work after asking her measurements. They must have gone through all the dresses in the store before resorting to the pink Ballerina-birth-day-cake dress. And Faith was loosing her patients.

"C!" she yelled, as the height-of-taste brought over what faith could only describe as an Olive-puke colored dress. "I can't do this anymore! I hate shopping, for clothes above all else…and all these dresses are just NOT me!" Cordy gave her a tired look, and walked up to the side of the mirror where Faith was looking at the disaster that was the dress she had on.

"Isn't the whole reason why you're here is to look nice for Buffy?" She asked rather snidely, "You don't want to go to her Prom looking like the raging bull-dyke you seem to dress as on most days, do you? If I didn't know any better I'd think you were just doing this to make it look like you'd tried…bet you already rented a Leather Tuxedo or something…" At that a thought came to Faith.

"C, you're a genius!" The fashion-queen looked at her, confused then shocked.

"Faith! I was kidding about the leather tux, don't you Dare! We paid for a group Photo already and I am *not* – " but before Cordy could say anything else Faith dashed to the changing room and almost tore the dress off herself in an effort to remove it. jumping back out again, she smiled.

"Queen C, new plan!" with that Faith described what she now wanted and the two set to work, albeit a little begrudgingly on Cordelia's part.

Our Time

Later that night, after the Chosen two got home from Patrol and getting a light snack, they two went to their evening routines. Buffy finished all her homework, having started it earlier while Faith was out, and Faith took a shower and wrote in her Slayer Diary. It was short but sweet. It told about the dress shopping Chaos, what she was going to wear, and how much she was looking forward to it; it actually surprised her. As Faith sat on the bed, she was also a bit shocked at how nervous she got when she heard Buffy close her books and declare herself finished.

"You're done?" Faith asked, almost apprehensive, "All of it?" Buffy smiled and nodded, putting her books away. Tonight was the night before the Prom, and it also happened to be Joyce's first night leaving them alone in the house. Faith was excited about that, but she couldn't help the trepidation she felt about tonight. As Buffy took her hair out of it's tie and pulled up the covers, Faith took a deep breath.

"You sort out everything you needed to do?" Buffy asked, sitting in the bed, covers over her crossed legs. Faith realized she was waiting for something. As she looked over herself she realized she was still on top of the covers and chuckled nervously as she crawled under them herself.

"Uh, Yeah. All sorted." She said, a little haltingly, calming slightly once her head hit the pillow. She calmed even more as she felt Buffy wrap her arms around her middle and smile as her cheek rested on her shoulder.

"That's good." She mumbled, "It's good to be sorted…" she said through a yawn. They just lay like that, still quiet, eyes open, breathing, enjoying the silence. Then Buffy suddenly sat up a little, placing a hand on Faith's cheek. As the blonde looked into her eyes, saying nothing and smiling for many long seconds, Faith felt something stir in her. she didn't know what it was, it was something new.

She thought she would have felt awkward; this silence, the fact that Buffy seemed to be taking in every detail of her eyes as they looked back at her, the fact that the blonde was smiling. But it wasn't rude. Perhaps that was why. Faith was used to people touching her, people had touched her all her life, and she was used to people looking at her, leering was an everyday event, but…the touch was gentle, caring and hesitant. The look was soft, not grading or shallow; it was more meaningful that something as quizzical as a look over. It was as if Buffy was trying to see how deep her eyes went. As if she wanted to see if she'd hit bottom.

She must have liked whatever she'd seen, because she smiled a little wider and leaned forward until her lips gently brushed the brunette's. She'd meant for it to be short and chaste, but as soon as she started to pull away, Faith's hand held her. A gentle hand, on the jaw by her ear, asked her to stay. And she did. And as the blonde felt the warm lips of her girl-friend grasp her own, and the sweet tongue slide over her lips, she couldn't help the heat that flashed through her.

"I thought you didn't like it when I kissed you?" she asked in-between what was becoming many, heated kisses. Faith gave a throaty chuckle, and gently pulled the blonde more on-top of her.

"I always love it when you kiss me, B," She said, still chuckling, "You know that." Buffy smiled through her kisses, but pulled back a few seconds later (to Faith's dismay).

"I meant in bed." She stated, looking like she was really going regret something. She smiled sadly at Faith, then looked down at their position, then back to the brunette. Faith raised and eye-brow. "I mean, isn't this the reason why we don't kiss here in the first place?" she said quietly. Faith's raised eye-brow made Buffy's eyes widen as it hit her; what Faith's intent was for tonight. The blonde cleared her throat and gently moved back so that she was sitting next to Faith.

"B – "

"No, Faith, please…Just let me uh…Explain." She said, her nervousness not lost on her girl-friend. Faith sighed as she realized, and looked to the ceiling.

"You're not ready…you don't want to . . with me…" She stated, not a question. It wasn't mean, it was disappointed, it was remorseful. 'you practically jumped her, Faith, you idiot! What the hell were you thinking?!'. She'd not expected the little giggle Buffy'd given as an answer.

"No, I am, and I do, I just want to wait." She said, still giggling slightly. Now that was not what Faith'd been expecting. She looked at her, and saw that Buffy scooted closer to her, tugging her arm to get her to sit up as well. "Faith, I want you, you should know that. You should know it in every touch I share with you, with every kiss or look, because I always have and I always will." She places a gentle hand on her cheek, and tucked away a few stray russet hairs, "If you really can't tell, then…look harder." Faith chuckled, still slightly remorseful.

"I know. Just…a little lost on the 'why' still." Buffy kissed her cheek, and started rubbing her girl-friend's back. She leaned her head on her shoulder, and they both sat there quietly.

"It's largely because of something I can't tell you." Faith turned to look at her suddenly, as if to ask what she was keeping from her. Buffy mouthed 'I Love You', much to Faith's dismay, as her eyes widened in horror. "I do, you know it, regardless of weather or not I say it Sweetie. But that's why. I don't want to just…do it, the first chance we get. It's my mom's first night out of the house, and I want to know that I'm doing this because it's the right time, and not just because I can…You're worth more than that to me. We're too good to waste something like this. You and I, together, are worth more than that."

"I'm not coming with you to the Prom tomorrow." Faith said calmly, out of the blue. Buffy picked her head up, a scared look on her face. Faith smiled a little, and took the blonde's free hand. "I thought I should tell you now so you're not freaking out when I don't join you in the Limo." Buffy's mouth was opening and closing, no sound coming out. "I have to pick up my clothes from the tailor tomorrow afternoon, and I'm meeting Cordy at the hair-make-up place and she's setting me up…but I'm taking a cab over. The only appointment I could get was a late one, so…I'm taking a cab over."

"What?" Buffy asked, slightly confused and floor to say the least.

"I know you want our out-fit to be a surprise; so naturally I couldn't get ready here, B. I'm getting ready at the Salon-place-thing, what ever it is." Buffy smiled sadly. She wanted the brunette with her. Faith leaned forward to kiss her head, and put the blonde head back on her shoulder. "Don't worry, all the other Scoobies know, and I'll be there for pictures and dancing; now worries." Buffy hugged her Slayer around the middle and nuzzled into her neck.

"Promise?" Faith nodded., pulling them so they were laying down again.

"Promise. I wouldn't miss that for anything, Baby." Buffy smiled, and spooned around her girl-friend as they settled. Faith turned off the light off, and listened as Buffy's breathing became slower and slower, slowly slipping into sleep. "Hey B?" Faith whispered quietly.

"Hmm."

"When are we gonna…consummate 'Us'?" she asked even more quietly, hesitant. She felt a gentle kiss between her shoulder-blades and then a cheek against her back again.

"When the time is right. When it comes naturally to us." Faith smiled. She did like the sound of that. " 'Night Fai."

"Good night Buffy." She whispered silently, closing her eyes.

A Wonderful Evening

The night had been perfect, far better than Buffy would have hoped. She'd gotten read at Willows, allowing Faith to get ready at her house should she finish early wherever she was, though the brunette assured her she wouldn't need it. Willow looked amazing in her dress, which Buffy helped her pick out earlier that week, and the witch helped Buffy deal with some of the more difficult elements of her dress as well.

By the time the Limo arrived, Xander and Oz opened the doors for them, allowing them in. Inside, Anya, and surprisingly Cordy, were already waiting. It turned out that Faith had persuaded her to come, as the younger Slayer had paid for part of limo but wasn't using it, and Cordy had no ride there. She said it was a 'thanks for saving my prom' present, which Queen C took gratefully.

They stopped for dinner, eating quickly and carefully so as no food would get on their clothes, and all the while Buffy looked out the window. As she sat wondering where Faith was, what she was doing, when she was going to see her…she was anxious. A part of her wanted Faith there with her, but another piece of her was glad that she wasn't there just then. She was surprised how excited she was getting over simply what her girl-friend was wearing. So she sat there, barely listening to the conversation, and thinking about Faith.

Once they arrived at the Prom, it was about 9:30, and the activity was just starting. They had their pictures taken individually as couples; Anya with Xander, Willow with Oz, Cordy with Wesley (who was chaperoning), and Buffy waited. They all had to wait, because they'd paid for a large group photo. So they Danced, and ate the little goods provided as they drank spiked punch, and they had fun. But Buffy's eyes never really left the doors. She was waiting, and the others knew it.

Willow managed to get her to dance with her and Oz while Xander was bored to tears hearing about Anya's demon days, and actually got her mind off her counter-part for a moment. But then, when Willow and Oz stopped dancing suddenly, and their eyes were fixed on something behind her, she couldn't help the shiver that ran up her spine. Her Slayer sense was being triggered. Turning around quickly, the blonde felt her breath catch in her throat.

It was Faith. And she looked amazing. She wasn't in a dress, but this seemed better than almost anything Buffy had though of before. She wore a business suit, black with thin pin-stripes running up and down, tailored to fit her every curve and hug all the right places. She wore a white tuxedo shirt underneath it, unbuttoned a little, with an almost maroon rose tucked into the whole in her jacket. She looked so mature, grown up; it took the blonde's breath away, even if she was wearing her steel-toe Docs like always. Her hair had been done so that now it was almost in ringlets at the ends, all pulled up into an elegant bun at the top of her head. In one hand was a corsage and in the other…a stake?

"Sorry I'm late." She said, blushing terribly. "Duty called." She muttered. Buffy wrapped her up in a giant hug, holding her tightly, the smile on her face so large that worried what would happen if it got any larger. But as they pulled apart again, and Faith took in what Buffy was wearing, Buffy felt her own cheeks blush. She'd never gotten that reaction out of anyone before. For once, Faith seemed to be at a loss for words. "Buffy…" was all the managed before she just had to stop again.

"You look incredible, Faith." Buffy whispered, taking bother the girl's hand in hers, "Remind me to find a way to dress you up more often." She said, a laugh underneath her smile.

"So, you're not mad I'm not in a dress?" Faith asked slowly, as though it'd really been bothering her. Buffy just chuckled looked down at the floor for a second.

"I was serious about what I said before, Faith…you'd look beautiful to me in Gucci or in your training sweat-shorts…all that matters to me is that you're hear, sweetie." Buffy leaned forward and kissed the brunette gently, enjoying the smile she felt creeping along her partner's lips. But when some boys nearby started commenting and whooping slightly, and Faith pulled away, she was not as pleased. "Shut-up, you jerks," she said to them, happy to see that they were startled that they'd even said anything, "You're just jealous because I've got, what you want." She said smugly, pulling Faith over towards the rest of the gang.

Everybody loved Faith's clothes, even Cordy, who was quite pleased with the way they'd turned out. Faith tied on the corsage she'd gotten for Buffy, and their friends cheered at it. Both girls were inseparable, and anyone who looked at them could see it. The group headed back to the photo-area, and had a group show with all the Scoobies and Giles, Wesley and Anya sitting out (even Cordy didn't protest to that). As the rest of the Scoobies went back towards the dance floor, Faith gently pulled Buffy away from the camera-man again.

"Faith, what's going on?" Buffy asked soothingly, "You look great; let's get our picture taken?" Faith picked at her freshly painted nails, and looked at the ground.

"Maybe we shouldn't." She said slowly, " 'Cause, yunno…how people show these pictures to their kids, and grandkids, and…I don't want you to look back, and be, well…ashamed of yourself, or me, or…Us." When Buffy heard this her heart broke a little bit for the brunette. She genuinely believe that the blonde was only going to love her while they were together. If only there was a way she could convince her otherwise.

"Faith," Buffy said, tucking a finger under the younger girl's lowered chin, "I could never look back on anything we've ever done with nothing less than reverence. We've had out bad moments, yes, all couples do Faith…but the good ones so out-weigh the bad that they're nothing in comparison, sweet-heart." Buffy kissed the girl's forehead gently and smiled. "I will never feel this way about another person ever again, Faith, do you know why?" The brunette's shook her head. "Because there is only one of you, Baby. And once in a life-time love only comes one in a life-time." At that Faith's head sprang up, that familiar look of fear in her face. "Come on, Let's get our picture taken."

"Whatever you want, B." Faith said quietly. The rest of the evening went well. They'd danced, they'd laughed and drank punch, and listened as the awards were given out. Cordy won Prom Queen, along with Hogan of the basket ball team as her King, Xander was bummed about not winning class goof-ball, and no one was shocked when Willow won the 'Most likely to succeed' award. But, when Jonathan of all people got up on stage and asked for Buffy…that did take people buy surprise. As the short, therapy ridden boy got on stage, and went on and on about all the great things Buffy had done, and the school and other had neglected to thank her for or notice at large…the only person that noticed the happy tears welling in her eyes was Faith.

As the younger girl gently shoved her partner towards the stage to receive her shiny umbrella 'Class Protector Award', Faith couldn't help but think back to how *her* evening had gone. It wasn't quite what she'd hoped for, but once she'd gotten to the dance, it was like it all had melted away.

The Taylor had been full to bursting with people trying to pick their clothes up after work, and he'd misplaced her suit. As if that wasn't enough, she'd had to take it with her on the bus to the salon as she was already running late, and once there she felt that she'd been violated. She'd learned why she'd never bothered with any of that before then; it was agony! Hey hair was pulled, and stripped, and filled with all kind of gung, then she was wrapped in foil and left to bake so she felt like leftovers. While all this was going on the manicure and pedicure people where ripping her cuticles out and muttering about over-clipping her nails, talking about what a mess they were. After curlers, and more baking and trying to get dressed while not messing up her hair…and then just trying to get a cab! Good lord…'Never Again' was Faith's thought on the matter.

But then, as she got out of the Cab, and heard that loud dancing music from inside, and saw the happy people walking into that gym…she faltered. The smiling faces of the couples, even all the clichés of the moment and what was supposed to happen that night, they all made Faith suddenly feel like the air around her was starting to close in. As she saw a slightly drunk girl leaving with an overly eager guy…the tingle she felt from their passing by didn't help. She fallowed them, telling herself it was just to make sure they made it to the Car okay, but then, when the guy vamped out, and started attacking his drunk companion…she jumped.

He was not expecting a Slayer interrupting his plans, so to say he was shocked would be putting it lightly. Faith specially tried to find something she could Slay in if need be, and she was glad. This guy had obviously had a bit of that punch as well and was not exactly up to speed. She was pretty disappointed that almost as soon as she's pulled the Stake out of her boot he was blowing in the wind. It had managed to take some of the edge off, but then the girl fainted, and she had to carry her to a cab out-front. After looking in the girl's purse she told the driver where to take her, and she headed inside.

When she first walked through the doors, and she felt the eyes of people near by on her, she couldn't help her skin tingled. She didn't like it. she'd used to love people looking at her, she used to crave attention, but now…she didn't like it. She knew what they wanted when they looked at her, she knew how they thought of her, and she knew somewhere deep down…she wasn't like that anymore. She didn't want whatever they had to offer; Buffy gave her so much more, and expected nothing in return. Buffy meant more than any of them, and she treated Faith like she herself was priceless.

So when she saw all the Scoobies freeze upon seeing her, her nervousness spiked. And as she saw Buffy slowly turn and taking in the sight of her, it all melted away again. she saw the change in her, the way she seemed to sink into her thoughts, and her eyes widen. But at the same time, it made her blush. She did good, she told herself, she did that to Buffy, made her that happy. And at hearing Buffy say she looked nice and she'd have to do it more often…Well if it mean she got to see that speechless look on B's face again, she reconsidered, perhaps she could tolerate it little more often than once?

After the blonde came back from the stage with her little prize, Faith couldn't help but chuckles at the big happy smile on her Girl-friend's face. People started dispersing, as it turned out that Buffy's award was the last one for the night. She opened the little umbrella and twirled it over her shoulder, and giggled a bit.

"Faith," she said, grinning but serious, "I want to thank you. Because…as much as this is mine, it's yours as well. I know it's just a little trinket, but what it stands for, the work we do; the long hours, the thankless jobs and the nights that turn into days reading musty old books…you've been what's kept me going this year, Faith. I don't think I could have done all this without you, Fai. You're the reason half these people are here tonight. You're the reason they'll go off to college, have a family and have a future. And I want to whatever it takes so that you have that same chance." Her smile had slowly faded from her face, but the serious look said it all. Buffy meant every word of it.

As they broke apart and headed for their table where the other Scoobies were sitting, they all chatted for a while, and Buffy dropped off her umbrella. As they made their way back onto the floor, couple by couple, slowly the Slayers were left alone. Sitting next to each-other, hands clasped on the table in front of them on the table, and silently taking in their surroundings. They both felt their Vampire Senses go off, but Faith noticed that Buffy didn't tense when she felt it; she sighed. Slowly turning around in unison; there stood Angel behind them.

"Faith," Angel said calmly and evenly, "May I dance with Buffy?" Faith tensed until she felt the soft thumb run over the back of her hand. Smiling smugly, she got up, pulling the blonde with her.

"*ONE* dance, Soul-Boy." She said almost amusedly, "Then I want her back, and in one piece, alright?" Both Angel and Buffy nodded, and he took her out onto the dance floor. As Buffy took Angel's hand, the younger girl couldn't help the feelings of un-ease that ran down her back, but when the blonde sent her a half grin and a wink her way…she felt a whole lot better. As Faith made her way over to the DJ, Buffy and Angel had a little talk.

"Are you Happy?" The Vampire asked his dancing partner. She smiled sympathetically, and nodded. "Then that's all that matters, Buffy. You've been so much happier since she arrived, and I honestly think it's because you're together. True you and I can understand each-other on a much deeper level than most, but…there's more, things I couldn't understand unless I was a Slayer, that I think she can tap into. And I hope that she doesn't waste this wonderful opportunity she has to be with you." He smiled sagely, despite his young looks, "There are very few people who will even understand how lucky she is to have you."

"Thank you, Angel." She whispered as the song ended and faded into another. Faith walked up behind him, and tapped his shoulder.

"Mind if I cut in?" she asked, holding out her hand to Buffy, who accepted. Angel bowed out of the way, and walked on to talk to Giles. "So, what did you and Angel talk about?" Faith asked as they danced to a faster song, something disco-like and playful. "Anything us Slayer-types should be worried about?" Buffy chuckled and leaned back against Faith's chest.

"Nope, not a care in the world." She said happily and she caught Willow's eye as she danced with Xander, "Just wanted to tell me things I already knew." She smiled and wrapped her arms around the one around her waist. Faith kissed the side of Buffy's neck, and laughed, content at exactly what was going on, forgetting whatever she'd expected tonight to be like. Catching the eye of the DJ as the song slowed, she nodded and he gave her the thumbs up. "What's going on?" Buffy asked, seeing this interaction. Faith leaned down and whispered in her ear as the slow notes of the next song started.

"I want to dance with you." She said quietly, kissing the tips of her pink ears. Gently holding the older woman's hips, she felt Buffy lace her arms around her neck and close her eyes. Slowly, they began to sway, as though their every muscle was connected. One motion, one dancer, one Slayer. One love.

"It's such a mystery,
How you found something in me,
That I never knew was there,
But you uncovered it so easily,
You turned me like a season,
And I began to change,
You wrapped your arms around me,
Now I'll never be the same,"

"That's how love works,
That how love moves,
Like a river running through you,
Sometimes it lifts you,
As high as heaven,
It consumes you,
That's a given,
That's how love moves."

Faith closed her eyes too, thinking about all that'd happened to her since she's left Boston. She'd been so scared, so at ends with what'd happened to her watcher, her calling, her entire life. All she knew was that there was a light at the end of her journey; she had to get to Sunnydale, because in Sunnydale she'd be safe. She'd be with the Slayer; with Buffy. But once she'd gotten there, nothing was like what she had expected, even she wasn't the same person she usually was…and just as things got their darkest, when things looked their worst, the gods smiled at her, and Buffy understood. She's saved her.

"I've seen walls that could never be broken,
Come tumbling down,
I've heard the voice of love calling,
Without making a sound,
See, I was touched by an angel,
The day you took my hand,
You know that you're the miracle,
That makes me everything I am?"

"That's how love works,
That how love moves,
Like a river running through you,
Sometimes it lifts you,
As high as heaven,
It consumes you,
That's a given,
That's how love moves."

As she felt the small fingers playing with the hairs at the base of her neck, she smile widened. She'd never thought, of all the places she'd end up, at Buffy's prom, and ad her date no less, was not on there in the slightest. But here she was, because there was no where else she'd rather be. Without even realizing it, even while they'd been fighting, Faith had fallen, and fallen hard. It'd only gotten worse once Buffy had invited her into her home, into her family, and slowly, there wasn't anything Faith wouldn't give her the blonde Slayer now, not a single thing she could deny her whether it was a kiss or the sky; she would give it to her. Because she'd given Faith so much more without reason.

"Sometimes it's a whisper,
Sometimes it's a storm,
Sometimes it reaches forever,
With it's everlasting arms."

"That's how love works,
That how love moves,
Like a river running through you,
Sometimes it lifts you,
As high as heaven,
It consumes you,
That's a given,
That's how love moves."

As the song quieted and slowed to the end, Buffy and Faith kept swaying. They didn't let go, didn't stop, eyes still closed, enjoying the silent, still company of their partner. Faith's heard this song on the plane ride back from London, and had written to Buffy about it on one of the little scraps of paper they gave to all the passengers. That was before she'd told the blonde how she'd felt about her, before she felt she ever could. Little did she know that at those same moments, Buffy wanted nothing more than to do that same.

Had she known, she might not have wasted as much time as they had; all those patrol they could have spent arm-in-arm, all those nights alone in her motel when she could have been snuggled in with the smaller Slayer…but she was happy none the less. Happier than she'd ever been before in her life. 'Then why do I have this feeling it's all going to come crashing down any second now?' she wondered as she felt Buffy pulling her arms back around her middle.

"Faith?" Buffy said quietly.

"Hmm?" she mumbled, unable to talk just yet, unwilling to break this little perfect moment between them yet.

"I'm tired," she said, yawning lightly, "Take me to bed?" She said quietly. She said it innocently, sounding genuinely weary, but through some medium that Faith couldn't name, she knew what the blonde meant. The blonde turned around in Faith's arms when she froze.

"There's a cab waiting out front to take us home, and I already told Xander and Willow we'd be leaving a little early…" she said quietly, comfortingly, "They're all taking the Limo home. What-say we go home, Hmm?" She said, grasping the brunette's hands in hers. Faith now had a very deer-in-the-headlights look on her face, but Buffy never stopped smiling.

"Lets go home" she agreed slowly, unable to help the smile that crept over her features, regardless of her nervousness. Buffy took her hand, and lead her out of the Gym. Looking back over her shoulder she waved at the collected Scoobies at their table. Xander slack-jawed, Cordy smug, Giles and Wesley cleaning their glasses, Oz taciturn as ever, and Willow smiling widely and giving a double-thumbs up. The blush the colored her cheeks and ears was certainly warming her for the coming events of the night.

= = = ( Rightening ) = = =

As the two slayers made their way out-side and Buffy beckoned a cab over, Faith felt her palms becoming moist. As the yellow Toyota approached the curb, Faith quickly opened the door for the blonde, who smiled and got in. Climbing in after her, Faith couldn't help the nervous smile that came to her face as the blonde deftly climbed onto her lap.

"You want me to wait for your dates, Ladies?" the driver said, adjusting the mirror for a second, catching their eyes before touching the toll-meter on the dashboard. Buffy chuckled, laying her head on Faith's shoulder.

"That's okay, it's just the two of us." The small blonde replied quietly. The driver nodded and pulled away from the school. Looking behind them at the Gym they were leaving in their wakes, Faith lost herself in thoughts of every topic and reason. So much so, that at first she didn't notice Buffy kissing her neck near where her head lay. But, when she did she couldn't help the small shiver that ran down her spine. It felt cold, but as it passed there was a heat in her stomach that seemed to spread out to the very tips of her toes.

"So, uh…where you two need taken?" The driver said gruffly, clearing his throat, "The Downtown Apartments, or something?" He said, almost as though he was trying to be nice while pointing out that he knew what the situation was. Faith grinned at that, and couldn't help it growing when she realized she'd never need to take anyone to a seedy motel like that again if she didn't have to.

No, the Dark Slayer thought to herself, no smelly starchy sheets with mystery stains of them for me…I get a real bed, in a real house, with warm covers and a beautiful woman that loves me; one who asked me to bed her like a real couple; like we're something special. And it was then that she realized they were. They were something special, they weren't an everyday thing, and slowly Faith was starting to like that idea. It wasn't just the way she felt about Buffy, it was also the way Buffy felt about her.

"Revello Drive, please," Buffy said quietly, picking her head up for a moment, "Just off of Hadley. House 1630, with the large tree in front." Faith wrapped her arms around Buffy's waist as she sat side-ways on the brunette's lap. After a few minutes of silence from both the girls in the back and the driver they arrived in front of Buffy's house.

Buffy stepped out of the car, and Faith paid the driver his fee. As they made their way inside the house, which Buffy had left unlocked for her girl-friend, they slowly and tiredly paced their way up to the blonde's room. The seconds seemed long to Faith, as though time had been stretched out and with every step she took up the stairs, her heart felt like it had beaten a hundred times.

"Finally," Buffy sighed as they opened the door to her room, "It's so good to be home." Faith just nodded mutely, not trusting her tongue at that moment. Which was new to her, she always had a snappy come-back or a smart joke to say…'Maybe because this isn't a time for jokes?' she thought to herself, 'Maybe because I just want to be honest right now'…Whatever the reason, she was glad, because as Buffy pulled off her shoes and she did the same…facing the bed, she found her self completely lacking the words for anything.

But she could still laugh. And she did – nervously, as that was something she didn't have control over just than – while watching Buffy try and reach the zipper at the back of her dress. She could touch it, brush her fingers against it, but she couldn't get it at an angle to pull it down. And to Faith that was funny, and a huge part of the reason she hated to wear dresses in the first place. When Buffy turned around to see why Faith was laughing, the blonde blushed and gave a fake scowled; obviously a little embarrassed herself.

"Well, be a polite girl-friend and help me then," She said, laughing a little at her predicament. "The zippers hidden between some of these crease-y fold things…" Now Faith couldn't even laugh. 'I'm undressing her!' she thought, silently stepping towards the dress with her soon to be lover trapped inside. She took a gentle hold on the zipper, pulled it down half way, and then it jammed. "Oh, great!" Buffy grumbled quietly, "The one time I really don't want to be stuck in my clothes." At that Faith tugged at the zipper again and it opened all the way to the bottom. "How did you…?"

"Slayer Strength." Faith said smiling a little, "Always handy in a jam." Buffy smiled and wrapped her arms around Faith's neck. Consequently, this move also made the dress fall to around Buffy's ankles. All the newly exposed skin of her girl-friend's body caught her attention quite quickly. "Wow." She whispered, not even sure it she'd said it aloud. True, Faith had seen a great deal of her girl-friend; training clothes left very little to the imagination…but she was quickly learning that imagination is sometimes nothing compared to reality. She was beautiful, and she was Faith's.

Her breasts, though still encased in a strapless bra, were so pale and soft, like fleshy pillows of soft pink. Her taught stomach was smooth, yet solid, and Faith knew it was stronger than a stack of bricks. She ran her hands over her girl-friend's silky back, along the curve of her spine, enjoying the way her tickling touch made the woman in her arms tense with anticipation. Soft skin and pale wonders aside, there was one thing the younger Slayer had not expected, and that was what Buffy was still wearing on her bottom-half.

"You wore a thong?!" Faith asked surprised. Buffy blushed and leaned her head against Faith's cheek. The blonde giggled sheepishly while Faith tried to subtly lean foreword to get a better look.

"It's not my fault! I had to wear them or I'd have panty-lines!" she was giggling, and Faith knew it was cute. Also, she was thankful, she'd not expected to be this tense.

"Why didn't you just get seamless underpants like mine?" Faith asked, pulling down the hem of her pant-suit to show her soon-to-be lover. Buffy looked, and saw the thin silk panties, a small but good-natured frown coming to her lips.

"I wish I knew they existed…" she grumbled, "Wearing a thong is like admitting defeat to a wedgie for however long you're in your dress or whatever." Faith laughed and started undoing the fastening on the waist-line of her trousers. She undid the clasp, and the button, and as she pulled the zipper she felt Buffy's hands against her butt. As the fabric loosened, her partner tiptoed her finders along her rear, pulling the fabric lower slowly, until the pants fell free and hit the floor. Now she was nervous, she had one big surprise left for Buffy to find, and she had a feeling the blonde wasn't going to be too pleased with it.

Luckily, she didn't notice just then. The older girl ran her hands up the center of the girl's torso and over her small shoulders, letting the pin-stripped jacket fall to the ground. With the pants and dress. Her girl-friend just smiled up at her, working her way up from the tails of Faith's tuxedo shirt until it fell open and revealed a full chest the older Slayer hadn't seen since the girl's fist night living with her. She'd forgotten how light-headed the sight made her feel. As Faith shrugged off the frilled white shirt, Buffy ran thumbs over the waist-line of the thin silk panties that hid her partner's final secret.

However, as she felt some of the supple flesh beneath her fingertips rise a bit, her left brow arched of it's own accord. And as she moved to see what caused the embossing of her lover's stomach, she was pulled flush against the brunette beauty. The feeling of their bare and exposed skin touching so intimately for the first time; more than they had in training sessions, more than while pressed up against a tree and kissing in Shady Acers, Faith felt a bit woosey at the contact and wondered how she'd functioned so seductively in the past. 'I don't think I did,' the younger girl realized, 'I don't think anyone else has made me feel this nervous or this intimate before'.

"Faith…" Buffy whispered, raising her free hand to the brunette's cheek, caressing it softly, slowly, once again looking into it as deep as it would go, as if searching for a bottom to hit. And again, as once in the past, Faith felt the nameless emotion stir inside her, the warmth from within at feeling her lover there in her eyes – but she shook herself out of it. She had some explaining to do.

"B, I gotta tell you something." She started, sitting the blonde down on the bed, and kneeling between her legs. "You remember when I went to England, and I got really – really – incredibly drunk on the plane and missed my meeting with The Watchers' Counsel?" the blond nodded, her expression worried. Faith sighed and gritted her teeth, knowing that this would definitely take away from the romantic mood they had going before.

"Well, I woke up with more than just a hang over…" she said, trying to lay it out as gently as possible. Buffy's eyes widened, and Faith saw water quickly gathering in the corners of the blonde's sea-green eyes as one of her lips fought not to tremble. Then it hit her, "No – NO!" she said, chuckling, "Nah, I was alone, I swear…I'm talking about something along the lines of a little more permanent…" she was trying to hint at it, but the blonde wasn't biting (though the sigh of relief the older woman gave a few seconds before said a lot). She took the blonde's hand and placed it on the edge of her panties where she'd felt the abrasion before.

"Faith what is that?" Buffy asked slowly, squinting in the dull light of the room. The only light came from the hall out the half-open door and the just-past-full-moon from the open window. The blonde could just make out a small brown circle poking out over the top of her waist-line on Faith's right hip. She looked up at her, and the younger girl gave her a motion, telling her to take it off and see. Both girls were apprehensive; the look on Faith's face told the blonde all she needed to know – she was not going to like this…

"You WHAT?!" Buffy yelled, the undergarments falling around the younger girl's knees. Buffy sat on the edge of her bed, eyes wide, mouth agape, staring at this startling revelation that had been hidden from her all this time. It was a Heart, with a stake through it on one side, and a large, thick, black gothic 'B' on the other side. Faith just stood there, mostly naked, with her girlfriend gawking at her now naked sex, but was more preoccupied with a tattoo that anything else. "…you got this is London?" she asked, voice slightly horse, eyes closed, head in her hand. Faith kneeled down again.

"Yeah."

"Your first day there?"

"Yup."

"So…before you and I were dating?" at that Faith couldn't help but chuckle. Putting a hand on either cheek she pulled the blonde's face up to hers again.

"We might not have been dating, but that doesn't mean I wasn't in love." She stated it, 100% serious, and if the words themselves didn't get Buffy's attention her tone did. The young girl believed it, and that meant is was real.

"B, I've always lived by the seat of my pants, so when I met you and all these feelings I had for you knocked me flat on my butt – telling me to do crazy things like let my emotions get involved, put down roots, trust people and act selflessly…I don't know why I did it, but when I look at you, I don't question it. You're my reason, and I won't ever regret it; because I'm better than I was, and…yeah. I love you. No reason why, I just do." She said it quietly, but the tears that had been gathering in the blonde's eyes fell down her cheeks, wiped away by Faith's thumbs. "And I'm not getting it removed." She said firmly, to which Buffy scowled at her for a moment, but it faded.

"We'll see about that…when you're 50 and it's so faded and wrinkled that you can't even make out what it is." She joked, running a hand over Faith's as it rested on her cheek. The brunette just scoffed and smiled.

"Like I'm gonna live long enough to see that! Besides, the only one who'd see it would be you, and you don't mind, right?" Buffy just took a hold of both of Faith's wrist gently, smiled sweetly at her, and pulled her in close for a kiss. It started slow, and warm, and the blonde never let go of her captive, even as the kiss changed. It became hotter, and a bit wilder, Buffy sucking on the full lower lip of her soon to be lover as she puller her in close – and then suddenly Faith found that she'd stopped. The blonde had puller her so close that now her ear was closer to her girl-friend's lips; which was kissed softly before a nearly silent whisper graced past her consciousness.

"I love you."

At first she didn't think she'd heard right; but her heart knew better. She'd made Buffy wait way too long as it was, and she knew that tonight wasn't going to happen without those words being said to her. But that didn't stop her fist instinct to run as far away as she could, as fast as her Slayer legs would carry her. It didn't matter just then that she was naked except for a bra and that she had already known before the words had been said to her. So as she tried to pull her wrist free, gritting her teeth and panting in fright, she only caught the odd word of what Buffy was saying to her.

"Faith – Knew – Arrested – Hurt Yourself!" and at that point it seemed the blonde'd had enough, as Faith found herself face-up on the bed with Buffy pinning her down by more than just her wrists. She stopped struggling for a second to take in her surroundings and admire the view. Buffy shoot her hair out and it fell around her like a canopy her face, which smiled sadly down at her…But almost as soon she started to fight it again; though now it was half-heartedly.

"Faith, sweetie, please." Buffy said, slowly, holding her down but gently, trying to calm her. "Faith, stop it, it's alright; everything will be fine honey…" and eventually, Faith stopped. It was just so much more real! She'd thought she knew, somewhere deep down she knew that she did know – but hearing it for herself from the woman herself…she was surprised how different it was. 'from the horses mouth', so to speak. She'd loved hearing it, and she wouldn't trade it for almost anything.

Almost anything. That was the catch. She knew that Buffy's admittance of that would result in the girl's death, and she knew nothing was worth that. She also knew that at this point she probably wouldn't survive it. But as Buffy let go of one of her wrists and she felt it float up to the soft cheek of her girl-friend, she knew…if Buffy really meant it, there was no keeping her from saying it – even if she really did understand the consequences…Buffy was just that kind of girl, whatever that was, and Faith loved her for it anyway.

"I Love you so much." She said steadily, and kissed her. The kiss was slow, and deliberate, Faith made it so. If this was going to be their last, then she'd have something to remember in heaven, and something to keep with her on earth when her lover was gone. As her hand crept up the blonde's tight abdomen to the base of her beasts, she felt the girl take in a shuddering breath through her nose, and sigh as Faith popped open the front-clasp of the older woman's bra. They broke apart, smiling slightly, and Buffy nuzzled her ear lightly as she asked the last question of the night.

"You still want to do this, Fai?" the brunette nodded, kissing the woman's temple lightly.

"I've wanted this – wanted you – for so long, I need it." The blonde nodded and kissed down her neck, down to a black bra strap as she gently guided it off the tan, olive shoulders. Soon it was joined by the other, and minutes later both were naked and lying shaking next to each-other, anticipation making them nervous and expectations exciting them.

"You're going to have to guide me through this; I've never been with a woman before…" Buffy whispered slowly, the slight blush from her cheeks not lost on Faith, who chuckled in response.

"Me? I've never done this before!" she laughed, "Nothing but stick, you know that – Ronnie, Steve, Kenny, and Xander – they sound like women to you?" she asked jokingly. Suddenly Buffy looked a littler serious.

"Well then what are we gonna do?" Faith just puller her close, indulging in the warmth the body against gave off in waves.

"I think we'll figure it out." And kissed her.

Through the night and into the early morning they discovered each-other, and the pleasure of being together as lovers. Almost the entire night, even as they slept, Faith had that feeling in the pit of her stomach as though hidden away; the nameless emotion she couldn't quite decipher or explain, but as the sun came over the top of the hills above Sunnydale, it was gone, but not for long.

Chapter 12
“From This Day, Until the Ending of the World, We In it Shall Be Remembered…”