Return to the 'Dale

by Cruel_Slayer
Rating: R

Disclaimer: Joss owns all characters; I'm just borrowing them for the sake of my own personal enjoyment and perverse hopes.
Spoilers: None. In fact the time line is a little fudged due to the fact season 5 was still ongoing when I started this whole thing. Just throw all Buffy knowledge post season 4 out the window for the sake of reading this.
Author's Notes: This is all wishful thinking for the most part. First attempt at writing fic so go easy on me. I apologise to all Xander fans cos I really do love him. Just the way things went. Feedback is like totally and gratefully appreciated if you think I suck please do tell me cos I won't finish the tale if no one wants to read it.

Faith stepped off the Greyhound and slung her bag over her shoulder. ‘Back in the ‘Dale,’ she thought, ‘tough crowd to please.’ She looked around a little anxiously.

“Faith,” a voice came from behind the brunette.

She would know that authoritative English accent anywhere and spun round to greet its owner, “G-m…Giles.” She had decided that maybe calling him ‘G-man’ probably wasn’t the best way to start things off. If she had learned one thing in prison it was give respect where respect was due.

Giles took off his glasses and cleaned them with a handkerchief he pulled from his pocket, “I trust your journey was good enough.”

“Well y’know,” she shrugged nonchalantly, “as good as you can get when there’s a kid who won't stop puking in the aisle next to you and a fat ass smelly drunk sat beside you. The joys of travelling coach.”

“Quite,” Giles replaced his glasses and smiled weakly, “shall we?”

“Sure. Lead on.” The pair walked to Giles’ car in a semi-awkward silence until Faith asked, “She doesn’t know I’m here, right?”

Giles stopped and sighed, “No she doesn’t. Although I’m not too happy about keeping this from her you know. She isn’t even aware you’ve been released early.”

“What can I say? Prison brought out the good girl in me.” She smiled but quickly stopped when she saw how serious he was being. “Listen Giles, I’m not here to hurt anyone. Cordy had a vision. She saw Buffy and me, side by side, fighting the latest champion of the Hellmouth. I wouldn’t have come back here otherwise. I may look stupid but I’m not.”

“I know. Faith, believe me I know. Everyone has done something in their past that they’re not proud of.” Giles smiled reassuringly.

“Whoa, nice ride.” Faith looked the car up and down and whistled.

Giles blushed lightly, “Thank you. Thought it suited the new ‘me’.”

“The new you huh?” Faith looked at the former Watcher a little quizzically as she climbed into the passenger side. “Does the new you use the new car to pick up new women?”

“It’s nice to see that even though prison has changed certain parts of your character, the charming part still remains Faith.” Giles blushed further as he started up the car.

As the engine roared Faith grunted in approval, “See that’s what I’m talking about. Let's crank this baby open and see what she can do.”

“Getting pulled over for speeding isn’t going to help you keep a low profile.”

“I’m not the one driving.” Faith flashed her cocky smile, full of arrogance, full of charm. Giles had to wonder how much of it was show and pretence as it had always been. He knew this girl had changed, he hoped in all sincerity it was for the better.

*****

“So you think we should do one more sweep?” Willow asked as she and Buffy walked down Sunnydale Main St.

“I will. You can head back to Tara if you like Will.” Buffy paused, “Was there too many ‘will’s’ there?”

“No I’m good. I’m happy to help with the slayage.”

Buffy sighed, “Problem is, there isn’t any slay-ees stepping up to be slay-ed.”

“Well maybe they are all just too scared to come face the mighty Buffy Summers.” Willow said trying to cheer her best friend up.

“Possibly. I don’t think I’m that scary though.”

“Well I’ve seen you first thing in the morning Buff and that’s pretty scary.” The hacker joked.

“Gee thanks Willow.”

“Hey isn’t that Giles?” Willow asked, pointing as his car drove past them, “And wasn’t that a girl with him?”

Buffy looked at her watch, 22:40, she furrowed her brow in confusion, “He told me he was playing the Espresso Pump till eleven tonight and I was to go and report back to him after patrolling.”

“Maybe it was a slow night and he packed up early.” The redhead offered in way of an explanation.

“Yeah that could be it. But considering the Espresso Pump is that way,” Buffy said pointing in the opposite direction to where Giles had came from, “I doubt it very much.”

“Giles doesn’t lie Buffy. There’s probably a perfectly good and Giles like explanation for this.”

“Let's hope so Will.” Buffy said taking off in the direction that Giles’ car had been heading.

*****

“Are you sure you’ll be okay here?” Giles asked as he pulled up outside the apartment the Mayor had purchased for Faith a few years back. She was gambling on the chance that the locks hadn’t been changed and the place was still owned by the Mayor.

“Well I didn’t wanna cramp your style and the fleabag motel that probably doesn’t exist anymore…”

“It does and you were more than welcome to ‘cramp my style’” Giles interrupted.

Faith smiled, “Well point being they didn’t seem like smart options. I don’t want Buffy to know I’m here until we know what’s going on for sure. Right now I’m just here in case. This seems like the perfect place to lay low. You said this area hasn’t been lived in for a while?”

Giles nodded, “Not since, the Mayor…” he trailed off noticing the slight hint of sadness in Faith’s eyes, “no.”

“Let's go see if the key still fits then.” The brunette said hopping out the car and approaching the door.

*****

Buffy paled as she watched the rogue slayer climb out of Giles’ car and walk up to the door of the apartment she had lived in previous to her coma and psycho revenge awakening.

“Giles doesn’t lie.” Willow whispered almost inaudibly.

Buffy started towards the apartment with Willow close on her heels. “He better have a damn good explanation to what the hell is going on.” She said trying to keep calm. As they reached the security door Buffy gripped the handle and turned it hard, breaking the lock.

“Uh Buffy,” Willow began, “shouldn’t we have just buzzed and they would have let us up.” The blonde drew the Wicca a look and she knew better than to question her friend’s motives further.

*****

Faith let out a breath she had been holding in since she entered the apartment audibly. “I, I…” she tried to form the right words.

“…didn’t expect to find everything the way you had left it.” Giles offered up as an ending to her thoughts.

“Got it in one G.” Faith looked around the apartment more in shock than anything else. She ran her fingers over the dust covered Playstation that sat atop the VCR and smiled. Her smile quickly faded. The memories of what had happened there a few years ago were still so fresh it made her head spin. The person she was, the person she still could be. ‘No,’ she thought ‘I can’t think like this. I’m not her anymore. That Faith is gone.’

“Faith are you completely sure this is where you should stay?” Giles asked again with more than a hint of concern in his voice.

“Yeah, Faith, sure you should stay?” Both Giles and Faith turned quickly to see a rather angry Buffy Summers stood at the open door to the apartment, the redheaded Wicca looking rather shocked and awkward behind her.

“B…B-Buffy, you weren’t…”

“Shut up.” Buffy snapped at Faith, “Giles, I want answers. And I want them now!”

*****

“So what you’re saying is,” Willow started, “that Cordelia had a vision and you came a runnin’ to Buffy’s aid. So why the secrecy?”

“If you want to put it so simply then yeah.” The brunette sighed and ran her hands through her hair, “Damn Buffy, it wasn’t meant to look so sordid.”

“Seems to be your trademark.” Buffy spoke harshly and didn’t look at either her former slaying partner or Watcher directly.

“Now Buffy, that’s not fair.” Giles defended the rogue slayer. He genuinely believed she was here to help and hopefully put some demons to rest, metaphorically and literally.

“Don’t talk to me about fair Giles!” Buffy looked at him directly, her eyes burning with confusion and anger, “Why did you lie if there was nothing out of hand going on huh? Answer me that!”

“We didn’t want you worried about something that was nothing at the present time. Until we knew what it was Cordelia saw you two battling and when it was going to rear its ugly head we didn’t want you under any more unnecessary pressure.”

“We?” Buffy scoffed and looked Faith up and down, trying to read the younger slayer. Trying to gauge what exactly her game was. When Faith killed a man Buffy still thought there was hope, when Buffy had to put her in a coma to save Angel and they had shared a dream that helped her to discover the Mayor’s weak spot she thought they had made peace. But after the body swapping revenge fest Faith had instigated Buffy was never letting her guard down around the Bostonian slayer again.

“You’ve been through a lot the past year Buffy, “ Giles continued, “with your mother, Dawn and of course Riley…”

“Stop right there.” Buffy silenced Giles. “I’ve been through a lot every year since I came here Giles. That’s no excuse.”

“Buffy…” Faith tried again but the older slayer put her hand up to silence her and Willow just glared. Faith sat on a nearby chair in defeat and put her head in her hands. This wasn’t the way things were meant to be going. She didn’t want to cause any more heartache and suffering for anyone. Especially not Buffy.

The blonde paced back and forth for a moment before she spoke, “Go.” She looked up at Giles, “And take Willow with you.”

“What?” Both Giles and Willow asked in unison. Faith looked up at Buffy a little confused and scared. Buffy had taken her down once in here, she didn’t want a repeat. She didn’t want a fight. The younger slayer looked over to the repaired window that they had gone crashing through and closed her eyes, trying to block out memories that just kept flooding back to her.

“You heard me. Go.” The blonde slayer repeated, “I want to talk to her on my own.”

Giles looked at Faith and the younger slayer nodded, “It’s cool Giles. Go. We had to have it out sometime. Anything she says to me I deserve.”

Buffy glared at Faith, she didn’t know what she was more annoyed about, the fact she was here or the fact that she had gained the respect and the asylum of Giles’ defence.

“I think we better go Willow.” Giles said heading towards the door. Willow followed reluctantly. Buffy watched them go. When the apartment door had been shut she sighed and turned to face Faith who looked more scared than Buffy could ever remember her looking in the short time she’d known her.

Suddenly very aware that they were alone Faith began to fidget. She didn’t know where to start. She’d tried apologising before she turned herself in and Buffy hadn’t been open to hearing it. Faith picked up the remote to the stereo and flicked it on. Surprisingly there was still a CD in the machine. The brunette stood up, Buffy drew her a look and she instantly sat back down again.

“So Faith,” Buffy began, “what’s the deal?”

“There’s no deal, B…uffy. I’m here to help.” She looked up at the blonde whose face hadn’t softened any. “Angel has been good enough…”

Buffy scoffed at the mention of the vampire’s name, “Angel always was a caring guy when it came to you. Y’know you guys bonded instantly over that whole vicious blood thirsty killer thing.”

Faith winced at the older slayer’s harsh words. “Listen Buffy, you can attack me all you want, I didn’t come here for a fight. Not with you anyways. I came to help.”

“You said that already.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know how I can get you to believe that, or what I can do to prove it.”

“You can leave.”

“Not while you’re in danger I won't.” The brunette stood and looked the blonde in the eyes. “I know I’m a worthless piece of crap and I know what I did to you was more wrong than anything else I’ve ever had the nerve to do. I’ve had a good few hours to think it over.”

“Not enough in my opinion you haven’t.”

Faith sighed deep and hard and turned from Buffy, “Y’know B, I can’t make you forgive me and if you want to throw down,” she turned back and looked Buffy square in the eye, “then let's go. If it’ll make you feel better you can see if you can take me.”

“See that’s the old F I know.” Buffy said relaxing into a fighting stance, ready for whatever the Bostonian would try to throw at her. Although she felt a distinct lack of meaning in what Faith had said. It lacked the arrogance that Faith used to throw into a fight.

“I’m not that girl anymore.” Faith said echoing her earlier thoughts out loud as she dodged a right hand from Buffy.

“We’ll see.” Buffy said delivering a kick hard to Faith’s face.

The younger slayer felt her lip gingerly with the back of her hand, blood. She’d drawn blood. “Feel better?” Faith spat a little blood onto the floor and didn’t look up quick enough to block Buffy’s fist as it met with her nose. She stumbled back, only to find herself flat on her back as Buffy swept her legs out from underneath her.

“Okay, I know it’s been a while since we did this,” Buffy put her foot up against Faith’s throat. She had no real intention of putting any sort of dangerous pressure on the younger slayer’s throat, but she liked the feeling of power and control it gave her, “but I know you’re not fighting back here.”

“I told you I didn’t come here for a fight,” Faith grabbed Buffy’s foot and threw her onto her back, “but I didn’t come hear to get my ass kicked either.” She stood up and held her hand out to the blonde, offering to help her up. Buffy took it and as she pulled herself up, she took a hold of Faith and ran her into the nearest wall. “Jesus B!” Faith exclaimed as the air rushed out of her, she felt Buffy’s right hand connect with her face and her left connect with her ribs. The Bostonian wondered if this was going to take a resemblance to the beatings that the guards in prison had given her before she learned to control her mouth. Only difference is that this wasn’t prison and Buffy wasn’t a guard. Buffy’s barrage of punches kept coming and the younger slayer put up her arms to try and defend her face a little.

“God damn it why won't you fight back!” Buffy screamed as tears of frustration and anger began to stream down her face.

Faith decided she’d taken this long enough. She may not have been able to defend herself against prison guards, but she knew how to defend herself against Buffy. She caught one of Buffy’s hands before it connected with her body again and Buffy froze. “B, what do you want me to say? I’ve said I’m sorry and I’m here to prove to you I’m on your side now. Or at least that we’re on the same side.”

The older slayer freed herself from Faith’s grip and collapsed on the nearest chair in tears. Faith slid down the wall she had been held against and clutched her side. ‘Man, she just wailed on me.’

“I want to know why Faith.” Buffy said quietly, looking at the floor, “Why did you try and take away everything that was good in my life. You tried to take Angel, you slept with Riley in my body no less, you took…”

“This is what all this is about huh B,” Faith interrupted, as she felt a little bit of her old self rearing, “it’s about the stick?” Buffy glared at her and the younger slayer instantly regretted what she had said. She cursed herself. Sometimes old habits die-hard when you’re cornered. That was something she’d have to work on, that she had been working on. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. Old defences coming into play. Someone once told me I shouldn’t comment on things I know nothing about. It’s advice I’ve been trying to put into play.”

Buffy laughed bitterly, “Have you ever been in love Faith?” When the brunette slayer didn’t answer Buffy continued, “I mean have you ever been in love and felt that person being pulled away from you by someone who at one point had been your friend, someone you trusted? But not only once, twice.”

“We were never friends.” Faith winced as she tried to stand.

“Here,” Buffy said getting to her feet, “let me help you.”

“What now that you’ve kicked the crap out of me, you want to help me?” Faith smiled derisively and took Buffy’s help.

“It’s the least I could do.” Buffy said as she helped her fellow slayer to the couch. “I’ll get some ice for all the damage I’ve just caused you.” Faith lay back into the sofa and decided that next time she’d probably be better leaving Buffy to face whatever it was on her own. “You didn’t answer my question.” Buffy said as she came back into the room, “No ice by the way.”

“That would figure since no one’s lived her a while B.” The younger slayer decided maybe it was time to come clean. She’d had a lot of time to think about what she was about to say. But really when she’d envisioned the scenario it hadn’t involved a burst lip and broken ribs, of which she was sure she had a few. “If you want to know why,” Faith began taking a deep breath as Buffy sat in the armchair opposite her, “think back to a conversation we had that night at the mansion when I was all manic and psycho. You had everything I didn’t. To a certain extent at that time I believed you’d gotten my life and I was some reject who was just there when you needed extra numbers.” She paused and looked up, Faith thought she saw Buffy’s expression soften a little and felt a little bit of hope for the first time that night. “After the coma, well that revenge kick was carnal instinct. I woke up mad as hell and confused to boot. To gain some stability I thought I’d pick up right where I left off. When I found out you weren’t even with Angel anymore, well that just made me a little…urgh. I mean I was worth killing over him, but in the end you went your separate ways.” Buffy looked at her a little confused and a little bemused by the grunting but thought it best not to interrupt. This was as open as she’d ever heard Faith be. “To answer your second question,” the brunette took another deep breath and looked at the floor, “yeah, I’ve been in love. Once and only once. But no, I don’t know what it’s like to feel that person being taken away from me. What I do know is what it’s like to be around that person day in day out and never have them really see me. And I know what’s it’s like to see that person so in love with someone else.” The younger slayer looked up from the floor, directly into Buffy’s eyes, “I know what it’s like to feel them stick a knife in my gut and twist.” The look of recognition crossed across Buffy’s face and the slayers sat looking at each other, “What is it they say B,” Faith quipped trying to make herself feel less exposed and awkward, “you always hurt the ones you love.”

They sat in silence for what seemed like hours. Faith coughed and winced with pain instantly.

“I’m sorry.” Buffy broke the silence.

“What the hell for? I deserved every punch.”

“Yeah I guess you did. But I’m still sorry for using you as my punching bag.”

“Ah, slayer healing is wicked cool. I’ll be five by five in the morning.” Faith mustered a smile.

“I doubt that,” Buffy said standing, “slayer beating overrules slayer healing. You’ll have a few bruises I’m sure.”

Faith laughed a little and rubbed her jaw, “Bruises I’ll be proud to wear.”

“Well I need to get some, I, uh, I gotta go.” Buffy headed towards the door. If Faith had had the energy she would have followed. “Thanks,” the blonde said, “I think I finally get it and I needed to. But now I have to go do some thinking. We’re not good by any stretch of the imagination Faith.”

“Yeah I know. Lot to process. We’ve got a long way to go,”

“Little miss muffett counting down from 7-3-0” both girls said in unison and smiled, remembering the dream they had so obviously shared.

“Well I was,”

“Going.” The brunette finished the older slayer’s sentence. “Goodnight Buffy.”

“Goodnight Faith.”

*****

“So you’re still in one piece then?”

“You could say that Big Guy,“ Faith replied down her cellular phone “she didn’t hold back that was for sure.”

“Did you really expect her to?” Angel said with a slight smile.

“Not really no, in fact, I expected a lot worse. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again,”

“The road to redemption is a rocky one.” The vampire and the slayer said in unison.

“Ah you know me so well.” Faith laughed a little and instantly regretted it when she felt the searing pain in her ribs. “Remind me not to tell her she can beat on me ever again.”

“The price you have to pay.”

“I guess so A. Did you have to call me so early?” Faith looked at her watch, it was only 6 am.

“Sorry. I was just in from solving a case. Thought I’d check you were okay before I slept for a little while.”

“Well I’m five by five. I feel pretty good considering. I guess it’s cos I finally feel like my apologies are getting through.”

“She’s a pretty forgiving person.” Angel said with a little sadness in his voice. Faith wasn’t the only one to put Buffy through some trying times. If she could love him again, maybe she would accept Faith’s friendship once more.

“Well if anyone would know about that it’d be you.” There was a slightly awkward silence. “I’m gonna catch a few more hours before I have to go eat more humble pie.”

“Look out for yourself Faith.”

“You too Angel. I’ll call you if we need the cavalry.”

“Good morning.”

“Good night.” Faith said and hung up. She lay back and fell asleep for a few more hours, only to be awoken once again by the phone. “Mm-ello” she mumbled trying to get her bearings.

“Oh I’m sorry Faith. Did I wake you?”

She looked at her watch, 10 am, slightly better time to be woken at but not much. It was actually remarkable how her and Angel’s sleeping patterns were pretty similar. “Nah, well yeah, but it’s ‘kay Giles.”

“We’re training in the back of the magic shop in 30 minutes. Just wondering if you’d care to join us?”

“I-uh-d’you think that’s such a good idea? I mean, so soon? Did you ask Buffy?”

“A-actually, it was her idea.” Giles replied.

Faith smiled broadly at his answer and then reprimanded herself for being so goofy. This was serious. “Well then I guess I’ll make an appearance. Even though it’s a little early for me.”

*****

“She’s coming?” Buffy asked handing Giles a mug of tea.

"Thank you," Giles said taking the mug, “Um, oh yes, she’s coming.” He took a sip. “How hard on her were you last night?”

“How hard on her was I?”

“S-sorry, that didn’t come out exactly right. I just meant, how did it go?”

“It was a start. I beat on her a little though, she wouldn’t fight back.” Giles raised his eyebrows and took a sip of his tea. “Okay, I beat on her a lot.”

“Did you feel better?”

“Not really. Well sort of. I think I got out a lot of what I was feeling and so did she.” Buffy started to warm up a little.

“I thought you said she didn’t fight back.”

“She didn’t.”

*****

Faith walked in through the entrance of the magic shop and looked up as she heard the bell above the door signal her arrival. She still couldn’t believe that Giles owned this place. It wasn’t as if it had too good a track record for owners. Or that’s what Angel had told her at least.

“Morning Red,” Faith said a little awkwardly to Willow who was sat behind the counter, “Giles told me to meet him…”

“They’re through there.” Willow cut her off and pointed through to the back.

“Pretty handy place for you to be working huh?” Faith tried to strike up some sort of small talk with the witch.

“I’m filling in for Xander’s girlfriend.” Willow said making it clear she wasn’t interested in engaging in any conversation. Faith took the hint and walked through the back of the shop.

“Wow.” She said stepping into the training area Giles and Buffy had set up. “This beats the Sunnydale library any day for sparring room and equipment.”

“I do try.” Giles said sitting down the morning paper and rising to meet Faith. “Morning.”

“Yeah, I’d actually forgotten what those looked like.” She smiled and gave the punch bag hanging from the ceiling a light punch. The brunette winced and thought that training might not be too good an idea after all.

“Buffy told me what happened last night.” Giles said looking at Faith in a concerned manner. A look of panic crossed Faith’s face. Shit. He knows. “Well not in any great detail of course,” Faith let out a sigh of relief and Giles continued, “she told me she gave you a bit of a knock around.”

“Yeah you could say that.” Faith smiled and slipped of her jacket, the crop top she had on revealing the fresh bruising round her ribs. “I deserved it though Giles. And it’s not the first time she’s kicked the crap out of me.”

“Won't be the last either.” Buffy said playfully walking into the room, “Feel like a rematch?”

“Yeah and this time I won't be holding back.” Faith said picking up Buffy’s bait. She wasn’t sure why the blonde slayer was being so jovial but she decided it was best just to go with it. Plus she had missed this. The punning always was the fun part of sparring. Well apart from the getting sweaty with Buffy part. ‘Okay new thoughts’ Faith thought as she warmed up.

“Think you can take me?” Buffy asked as Giles shook his head. He really couldn’t believe how easily they had slipped back into this.

“Isn’t that my line?”

“Is it copyrighted?” The duo made their way over to the matted area of the training room and eyed each other up.

“Is your face?”

“Huh?” Buffy asked a little confused. Faith took advantage of the blonde’s confusion and kicked her in the stomach.

“First rule of combat B, don’t be confused by your opponents inane comments.”

“Nah I thought-that-“ Buffy blocked a right from Faith and tried to sweep the brunette’s legs from under her, “was- just the- first rule of- fighting with- Faith.”

Faith jumped Buffy’s sweep and attempted one of her own, this time she was successful and Buffy landed hard on her back, “Score one for the rogue.” Faith grinned and wound up to deliver a punch to Buffy’s head. Giles watched on in approval. He was glad that in the midst of everything that had happened the slayers remembered what it was like to work and play as a team. Something he knew they were meant to be.

“Giles! We could do with you through here.” Willow called from the front of the shop.

“Will you two be okay if I go help Willow?” Giles’ question fell on deaf ears as the slayers continued to pun and spar. “Guess so.” Giles exited the room and left them to it.

“Hey, where’d Giles-oof” Faith landed on her back and rolled over before Buffy could connect with her face. “No fair, time-time out” Faith said a little out of breath. She lay on her back and tried to get a little air back into her lungs.

“Aww c’mon,” Buffy said panting, “Surely you’re not that much of a wuss these days.”

“Where’s Giles?” Faith repeated her question.

Buffy looked round the room, “Will must’ve needed him up front.” Buffy gave Faith her hand to help her up. Instead Faith pulled Buffy down and rolled her onto her back, so that she was pinned down under Faith’s weight.

“Sucker.” Faith laughed, “When will you ever learn that whenever you offer me your hand I will do this?”

Buffy was suddenly aware of the position they were in but didn’t really feel the need to move anytime soon. She had spent most of the night lying awake in bed thinking over what Faith had said. As she looked up into the eyes of the younger slayer, who was currently wearing a rather childish grin on her face, it all seemed to sink in. Faith was in love with her. Faith loved her. Faith. The younger slayer caught the look in Buffy’s eye and got off her quickly. She headed over to the counter and grabbed a towel and a bottle of water.

“Y’know for a minute there B,”

“It sorta felt like old times.” Buffy finished her sentence.

“Yeah.” Faith mumbled.

“Faith,” Buffy began. Faith just knew that this was going to be a patented Buffy Summers' babble about how she was feeling right now by the way the blonde had spoken her name. She didn’t really know whether to be scared or to switch off for fear of boredom. “Faith,” Buffy said again, “turn around and look at me.” Scared. Definitely scared. The Bostonian stood deadly still and refused to turn around. “Fine,” Buffy said, “We’ll do this the Faith way.” Buffy walked up, placed her hand on Faith’s shoulder and gently turned the brunette round to face her.

“B-b-uffy, I, I can’t…” Faith stammered looking anywhere but at the little blonde in front of her.

“Now there’s something I never thought I’d see. The mighty Faith, the rogue slayer stammering in front of me.” Buffy joked trying to make the situation less awkward for Faith. The blonde couldn’t recall a time other than last night that Faith had looked so vulnerable. “Faith look at me,” Buffy repeated, this time her voice more soft than demanding. Faith finally gave in and locked eyes with the older slayer. “That’s all I needed to know.” She whispered and leaned up to meet with the dark slayer’s lips. Buffy wasn’t too sure why she was doing this, I mean girls, never really an option she had considered before. But she saw that look in Faith’s eye and after her confession last night she would have been idiotic not to try this out. She had after all spent a lot of the rest of the night awake wondering if maybe she had had feelings for Faith all along and never really realised it.

Faith couldn’t quite believe this was happening, especially after last night. The blonde was so tender, so gentle, it was like no other kiss she’d ever experienced. The little slayer had placed tentative kisses on her lips as if she was testing the water, before parting her own and seeking access with her tongue. Access that Faith was all too willing to give her. She had waited so long for this moment, felt like she had been waiting her whole life. Maybe she had. A thought suddenly came into the younger slayer’s head, ‘Buffy Summers is kissing you, what are your hands doing by your side woman! You know what they’re for!’ Faith brought her arms up around Buffy’s waist and pulled the blonde closer to her, if that was possible, and deepened a kiss she hoped would go on forever. As she felt the older slayer’s arms wrap round her neck a vision suddenly appeared in her head, Buffy as a kid playing with some other kids, Buffy and her parents having fun on vacation, Buffy’s first patrol, Buffy’s parents arguing and Buffy’s watcher dying. Not only did she see all that, but she also felt what Buffy had been feeling at the time.

“Shit!” the younger slayer broke the kiss and any contact with the blonde and clutched her head, “What the hell was that?” The rush of emotions, both her own and Buffy’s was giving her a monumental headache. A thought suddenly occurred to her, if she had seen all that from Buffy’s life, then Buffy could have…she looked up at her fellow slayer and saw tears beginning to fall down Buffy’s face. “Buffy,” Faith stepped forward.

“Don’t, don’t touch me!” Buffy said trying to process some of what she’d just seen and felt. There was just so much pain, so much hate and so much anger. She thought she’d known what it was like to be Faith when they had switched bodies, but she hadn’t even come close. “I need to get some air.” Buffy said grabbing her coat and running out of the training room.

“Buffy! Wait!” Faith called after her, she considered giving chase but knew it was best just to let the blonde go. Faith turned and kicked the punch bag hard, “God damn it!” she cursed.

“What happened?” Giles said re-entering the room looking rather worried, “Buffy just,”

“Yeah I know,” Faith interrupted him, “I don’t know what happened, we were fighting and then we were…something weird happened.”

“Something weird?”

“It was like we could see each others memories.” The brunette said shaking her head, trying to figure out exactly what they had experienced. “I think what she saw freaked her slightly,” Faith looked at her feet, avoiding Giles’ stare, “I don’t blame her for bolting.”

“And this all happened whilst you two were sparring?” Giles inquired, never really recalling reading about past instances of this occurring. Although in saying that there had never been two active slayers for any length of time before.

“Um, yeah,” Faith faltered a little. Well she couldn’t tell him the truth. “I should probably…” the younger slayer made a move towards the door to see if she could find her fellow slayer.

“Oh yes, of course,” Giles moved out of her way and let her step past, “good luck.” Faith stopped and turned back to look at Giles, “We’ll try and find out anything on what could have caused this.”

*****

Buffy stood in front of the mirror in her bathroom and looked at herself long and hard. She couldn’t shake the images of Faith’s childhood, of Faith’s watcher being killed. More than that though she couldn’t shake the pain and the hatred that she could only assume were Faith’s feelings. The blonde splashed some cold water on her face and walked through to her bedroom. She knew she had to go talk to Faith sooner or later. The elder slayer lay back on her bed and closed her eyes. Right now she was thinking later.

Faith paced backwards and forwards outside the Summers home. She’d checked a few places with no success and found her feet had sort of brought her here without her really realising. ‘I can’t just go knock on the door’, the younger slayer thought. Joyce’s car wasn’t in the drive but that didn’t necessarily mean she wasn’t at home. Faith would rather deal with one trauma at a time. Apologising to Buffy’s mother and for that matter Buffy’s friends and getting them to trust her again was something she would deal with eventually. She considered her options and decided that climbing up to Buffy’s window was probably the best one. The brunette began to climb the tree at the front of the house and paused as she got to the top. Hesitantly looking in Buffy’s bedroom window she saw the older slayer laying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Faith smiled at the site before her and gently tapped on the window.

Buffy jumped slightly and looked towards the window, she sighed deeply upon seeing Faith and got off the bed to let her in. Apprehensively she opened the window and gave Faith her hand, “Forget to use the doorbell F?”

The younger slayer smiled a little sheepishly, “I didn’t feel like facing your mom B. I thought I’d deal with one trauma at a time.”

“So you thought you’d scale my roof?” Buffy smiled as Faith shrugged, “My Mom’s out of town staying with my Aunt. She needed a little down time after the, um, the operation.”

Faith took off her jacket and tossed it onto the bed, “So B, we gotta talk.”

“This is a first. You wanting to talk about stuff.”

“Yeah well, things change.”

*****

“Find anything on that, the, um, internet Willow?” Giles asked looking up from a book he had been looking through.

“Nothing concrete.”

“We could do with the usual numbers here to lend a hand.”

“Yeah darn tootin’, pretty inconsiderate of Anya and Xander to take a holiday from the Hellmouth.” Willow said sarcastically.

The phone rang, “H-hello,” Giles answered, “right okay. Well I’m glad you found her. No, no we haven’t been able to find out anything substantial yet. Yes, yes of course. I’ll call you if we find anything. Okay, goodbye.”

“Faith?” Willow asked

“Yes,” Giles replied, “just wanting to know if we knew anything further.”

“Well we don’t. And I want you to know that I’m only helping look for Buffy’s sake. Nothing to do with Faith.”

*****

“You hungry?” Buffy asked as Faith followed her through to the kitchen.

“Not really. I prefer to work up an appetite.” Faith glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall, “Shouldn’t we be out there already?”

“You want to go to work?”

“Wouldn’t mind. There are only really three things I do these days, eat, sleep and slay.”

“And you used to lead such a colourful life.” Buffy smiled, “Come on, we can walk and talk.”

*****

“So what your saying is, is that the vamp action has been a little thin on the ground?” Faith asked as they strolled through one of the many cemeteries in Sunnydale.

“Yep. Which is making me totally nervous. I mean they only ever do this when something is going on.”

“Talking of things going on,” Faith began the conversation that the slayers were to have inevitably, “what happened when we were, you know…”

“Kissing?”

“Yeah. I mean, I’m guessing if I saw and felt stuff from your past and judging by your freaking out, you saw and felt stuff from my past.” The younger slayer stopped walking and looked Buffy in the eye.

“I saw. I felt.” Buffy said the latter part more quietly, “Faith,”

“Buffy don’t. Don’t even think about pitying me. I don’t need that.” The brunette looked at her boots and scuffed the ground a little with them.

“I wasn’t going to pity you. I was going to apologise. I never had any idea that things were so rough for you. Always.”

“Well you weren’t supposed to find out either. I didn’t know you had lost a watcher.” Faith looked back up at the little blonde in front of her, trying desperately to steer the conversation away from herself.

“Yeah. My first. Merrick. He was a good man and I watched him die.”

“Just like me.” Faith said saddened. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“It was in the past. Didn’t seem relevant.”

“Well I’ve got Giles on the case.“ Faith said trying to dig them out of the depressing hole of memories they had fallen into.

“You told Giles?!?” Buffy said a little surprised and angry.

“Don’t get your panties in a bunch B, not about us kissing. I told him that it just happened when we were sparring.”

“Good. I mean, no that didn’t come out right.” Buffy stumbled over her words, “I meant, good you didn’t tell him we were kissing but the actual kissing wasn’t bad.”

Faith cocked her head to the side and smirked, “The actual kissing wasn’t bad huh?”

Buffy couldn’t help but grin at the arrogance Faith displayed. She had decided it was definitely one of the qualities that drew her to the brunette. “Yeah it wasn’t bad.” Buffy thought a minute, then said more seriously, “Think that’ll happen every time we kiss?”

‘Every time?’ Faith thought ‘must mean she wants there to be a next time.’ The younger slayer stepped forward and gently placed her hands on Buffy’s hips, pulling her close. “I dunno. Want to find out?” Without waiting for an answer, Faith dipped her head and kissed the blonde deeply. After a minute or so Buffy broke the kiss.

“Think we’re safe from memory sharing?” she said breathlessly.

Faith nodded, trying to regain some sort of composure. The heat generated by both their bodies and the feeling of Buffy’s hands on her ass were making it particularly hard to breathe. “Are you aware of where your hands are?”

Buffy smirked and instead of answering, captured the brunette’s mouth with her own. Hands roamed and explored while tongues did the same. Suddenly the blonde froze and Faith knew before their kiss was broken that they weren’t alone. Something growled from behind her. "On the count of three." Buffy mouthed to her fellow slayer. Faith nodded in recognition. “One, two,” Faith bent down and Buffy leapfrogged over her, punching the vamp behind them square in the face, “three!”

Faith spun around to see what they were up against. Three vamps, the one Buffy had, one running from the left, one running from the right. Buffy blocked a punch from the vampire and quickly staked him.

“I’ll take the one on the left,” she said

“Well guess that leaves me the one on the right.” Her fellow slayer replied.

“Got stakes?”

“I always come packin’.” Faith pulled out a stake from inside her jacket and ran to meet her prey. She tackled him round the waist and knocked him flat onto his back, “Oh it’s your lucky day pal. I’ve got some excess energy I’m just itching to burn off!” She delivered a series of punches to his face before raising the stake high, just as she was about to ram it home he spoke,

“We are the messengers, for Him we are not afraid to die!”

And then, poof, he was dust. ‘Damn’ Faith thought ‘Now I want to know what he was talking about.’ She stood up and turned around to see Buffy walking towards her. “You okay?” she asked the blonde slayer.

“Fine. Routine lackey, idiot vamps from what I gathered. You?”

“I dunno B. Mine said something before he met the pointy end of my stick. He said ‘for him we are not afraid to die’.” Faith winced and rubbed her side lightly, “My ribs are giving me wicked pain still. Battle, not fun.”

“I’m sorry about that you know.” Buffy said frowning.

“No you’re not B. I deserved every punch and you felt righteous delivering them.”

“Maybe so. But I still feel bad.”

Faith stepped forward and put her arms round the blonde’s neck, “Well then maybe I’ll just have to let you make it up to me.”

Buffy stole a quick kiss, “You hungry?” she said echoing the question she had asked earlier.

“Starved.” The brunette replied a little too enthusiastically.

*****

“Y’know B,” Faith said taking a bite out the slice of pizza she was holding, “when you asked me back here I really didn’t think we would be eating. Well not pizza anyways.”

The blonde blushed and laughed as she took a sip of the soda she was drinking, “Well F what were you expecting?” she knew full well what the brunette was thinking.

Faith raised her eyebrow and smirked, “Well…I thought we could take care of the other part of the hungry and…”

“I beg you not to finish that sentence.” Buffy smiled and sat down next to Faith on the sofa, flicking on the T.V. as she did so.

“Aww come on B, I’d be gentle.”

Buffy turned to face the younger slayer, “Faith.”

“I was only joking Buffy.” Faith interrupted sensing the serious tone in Buffy’s voice.

“I know. But I have to say this.” Faith turned and looked at the blonde next to her, Buffy brushed a stray hair out of the brunette’s face and started, “I don’t do one night stands, well not anymore, and,”

"B," Faith interrupted her again, “I know this. Don’t worry. I’m only teasing.” She had waited so long for this that she wasn’t going to risk messing it up because of her hormones.

“I just need this to go slow. Girls were never really an option for me, before, well you know. Plus with this whole memory-sharing thing, I think we need to keep our hormones in check. For our own safety and sanity rather than anything else.”

“Girls are an option now?” Faith asked, suddenly aware that the gap between her and Buffy had become practically non-existent.

“Well, one girl.” Buffy replied, she could feel the younger slayer’s breath on her face and her own breathing was fast becoming irregular.

“Anyone I know?”

“You might.” Buffy said before kissing Faith deep and hard. The brunette broke the kiss and planted little kisses down Buffy’s neck and collarbone. Buffy ran her hands over Faith’s thighs and up her sides.

“Okay that tickles,” Faith laughed lightly and continued to plant tender kisses over any patch of bare skin showing on Buffy’s body.

“D’you want to stay here tonight?”

Faith tore herself away from Buffy’s sweet scented skin and looked at the blonde a little puzzled, “I thought you wanted to take it slowly?”

Buffy swatted the brunette playfully on the arm, “You’re sleeping on the floor. That is if you want to stay. I just thought it’d save you walking back across town.”

The brunette thought for a moment, “Yeah I guess. I don’t really feel like being by myself tonight,” she smirked and went back to kissing her way up Buffy’s neck, the blonde eagerly lifted her head and let Faith get on with it. The younger slayer planted soft kisses along Buffy’s jaw line and stopped just before she reached the blonde’s lips, pulling away. “You sure I have to sleep on the floor?”

Buffy stood up and made her way to the foot of the stairs, “Nothing you could do could convince me other wise?”

“Nah I bet you I could think of something B.” Faith smirked and got up of the sofa.

“Take a cold shower F.” Buffy playfully reprimanded her fellow slayer.

“Only if you join me.” Faith wrapped her arms around Buffy’s waist and pulled the blonde forcefully towards her.

“You wish.”

*****

Faith lay awake staring at the ceiling from the floor of Buffy Summers' room. She’d been lying awake for hours. Little did she know but the blonde in the bed next to her was doing the same.

“Faith?” Buffy said quietly into the darkness.

“Yeah,” the brunette answered, more than glad that Buffy was awake. Buffy scooted to the end of her bed and looked over the edge so that she could see Faith, “I officially can’t sleep.”

“Me neither.”

“Why d’you think now?” the blonde asked.

“You’re the only one that can answer that question Buff. If it’d been up to me this would’ve happened the day after I hit Sunnydale.”

“Why d’you think we got those visions though?”

Faith sighed and took the blonde’s hand, “I have no idea B. But if there’s an explanation you know that Giles will find it.”

“Yeah I know. But it’s still bothering me. Plus we still don’t know what on earth it was Cordy saw us battling.”

“C’mere,” Faith pulled the older slayer off the bed and wrapped her arms and her covers around her. She planted a kiss on her forehead, “This will figure itself out. Try and get some sleep.” Buffy attempted to move and return to her own bed, “Um, where d’you think you’re going?” Faith asked.

“Back to bed to try and get some sleep.”

“Nah you’re not.” Faith said pulling Buffy back down into a tight hug.

“You were sleeping on the floor for a reason.” The elder slayer said settling comfortably into Faith’s embrace.

“Cos you don’t trust me?” Faith asked, taking a guess at the reason.

“Well yeah,” Buffy said kissing Faith lightly on the lips, “plus I don’t trust myself.”

Faith smiled, “Well I don’t know about you, but I can speak for myself. And I say you can totally trust me.” Faith ran her hand down Buffy’s back and over her ass.

“Hey,” the blonde smirked, “what happened to ‘you can totally trust me’.”

“Oh I’m sorry, are those my hands wandering?” The brunette smiled smugly and kissed the blonde.

“Behave or I’m going back to my own bed.”

“Okay, okay I’ll behave.” Faith closed her eyes and almost silently said, “Just sleep with me tonight.” Buffy closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against the brunette’s. Both slayers drifted into a deep sleep.

*****

“So what you’re saying is we no jack-all?” Faith said while looking at some statue in a display cabinet in the magic shop.

“Um, basically.” Giles said, taking off his glasses and cleaning them.

“Ri-ght. So we dust some creepy vamps that were too easy to kill who ramble about HIM, we’re having freaky Roswell-esque visionary experiences and we no nada. Okay, I just wanted to have that clear.”

“Faith.” Buffy said with a slight warning tone. The younger slayer shrugged and sat down. “What do you suggest we do Giles?”

“The only thing I can suggest is that you keep patrolling and wait for your adversary to seek you out.” Giles furrowed his brow, “The only person that I can ever recall being referred to as “Him” is the devil himself. And that would just be ludicrous.”

“Cos he doesn’t exist right?” Faith asked.

“Well, not so much that. It’s just he hasn’t been seen for many of thousands of years, more than that in fact. But we’ve all seen enough in our time to know not to be as foolish as to presume that he doesn’t exist at all.”

“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” Buffy said, tossing a stake in the air and catching it again.

Giles smiled slightly, “Indeed. But to be honest, I don’t think the chances of Satan coming to Sunnydale are very high.”

“So what were the vamps talking about then?” Faith asked looking slightly confused.

“Well that’s what I’m working on. Willow’s gone to get Tara, so at least we’ll have another hand to lend a, well, a hand.”

“And I’ll come back after I’ve checked in with Mom. She’s just got back into town.”

*****

Faith sat and watched the two witches from a spot on the floor she had taken across the magic shop. It’d been almost two hours since Buffy had left. Watching the Wicca’s together, Faith was starting to feel like something was definitely missing from her side. Buffy. The feeling left her a little scared and uneasy. She shook the thought from her head, turned her personal stereo up a notch and tried to concentrate on the book she was searching through. Giles had given her a pile to work through, to see if she could find anything about people sharing memories. So far all she was reading about was telepathy. Which wasn’t really what had happened. It wasn’t as if they could read each other’s thoughts, it had all been about past memories and feelings. Out of frustration more than anything else, Faith slammed the book shut, stood up and began to pace.

“She’s giving me the wiggans being here.” Willow said as she glanced at the brunette pacing the other end of the shop.

“Willow,” Giles said with a slight sternness to his voice.

“What? Am I supposed to just forget all the trouble and bothersome bother she’s put us all through?”

“Not forget but maybe forgive. She’s trying to change, she’s apologised to all…”

“Not all.” Willow interrupted.

“Okay,” said Giles sighing, “but she’s apologised to all who are here at the moment.”

“H-he’s right you know.” Tara spoke, looking up from the book she had been studying, trying to actually not get involved in the argument that was about to begin.

“Huh?” Willow said turning to face her girlfriend, “How can you say that when you don’t even know her?”

“Remember when she switched body’s with Buffy and I knew she wasn’t B-buffy?”

“Of course,” Willow answered, “You pretty much saved Buffy’s life.”

Tara smiled, “B-but you remember how I k-knew?”

“Her aura,” Giles said, “Of course.”

“Let me guess,” Faith said taking the earphones out her ears and swaggering over to the table the others were sat round, “I’m giving off good vibes now.” Tara nodded and Willow averted Faith’s gaze, not realising the brunette had be listening into their conversation. “Listen Red, I know you don’t like me. You never really have. You saw a threat to yourself within me and you were right about that in more ways than one in the end. But I’ve apologised and I can’t do much else than that.” Faith shrugged and began pacing in front of the table. Willow didn’t say anything, she just looked at the book in front of her and an awkward silence fell over the room.

“Faith are you okay?” Giles asked, “You seem a little tense.”

“You know me Giles. I don’t like to sit around and wait for the action to come find me. This research thing never was my forte.”

“Didn’t think your vocab stretched to words like that slayer.” A familiar voice said jovially from the entrance to the back of the shop.

The group turned, a little surprised, to the source of the voice. “Now what in the hell are you doing here?” Faith said smiling “Can’t be good if the big guy is here.”

“Angel,” Giles said standing and moving towards the vampire.

“Hey Giles.” Angel said shaking the Englishman’s hand, “How’s business?”

“Well I’m not dead yet.” Giles replied smiling wryly.

“Hey Willow, Tara.” Angel said walking into the shop and browsing round the shelves, carefully avoiding the direct sunlight, “Where’s Buffy?”

“Now why am I not surprised to hear you ask that?” Faith said sliding up onto the counter. “Where’s the English patient?” the brunette asked.

“Actually he didn’t drive me,” Angel began to say as the door to the shop opened and finished the sentence for him.

“Y’know some things never change, this town still looks the same.”

“Well, well. If it isn’t my favourite failing actress.” Faith said hopping off the counter and taking a slightly defensive stance. Angel smiled and shook his head, as the others looked on a little concerned.

“I see by the way you’re dressed today that the Sunnydale thrift store must’ve had a sale in the skanky ho’ department.” Cordelia retaliated as Faith closed the gap between them and glared at her. Giles stepped forward to make some sort of interjection when Angel put his hand out and stopped him. The librarian looked at him a little confused and then looked back to see the two girls hugging.

“Now there’s something I never thought I’d see.” Willow said as she stood up.

“I’m going to call Buffy. She probably got caught up at home.”

“So back to my original question,” Faith said, “What the hell are you guys doing here? Not that I’m not glad to see you or anything.”

“Cordelia had another,”

“Mind numbing, obscure vision about you and Buffy.” The ex-cheerleader interrupted the vampire.

“Oh, anything more to go on?” Giles asked suddenly very interested.

“Well, um, you know. I’m not usually Mrs Full of Tact. But I think I’d rather talk to Faith and Buffy first.”

Giles raised his eyebrows and looked a little surprised by Cordelia’s request.

“Well if you think that’d be best.” He glanced at Angel sceptically.

“She wouldn’t tell me what she saw either.”

“Buffy’s not at,” before Willow could finish her sentence the door to the magic shop opened and Buffy stepped inside.

The slayer looked around a little shocked by the amount of people in the magic shop, “Who arranged the family reunion?” Faith’s face lit up as the blonde entered the shop and Cordy looked between the two slayers intently.

“Buffy,” Angel said with distinct warmth in his voice, “how have you been?”

Faith felt a twinge of jealousy as the ex-lovers greeted each other and exchanged pleasantries. Even though she knew they were long past being over, she couldn’t help but feel this way. “Cordy had another vision.” Faith said crossing her arms over her chest.

Buffy looked to Cordelia, “What did you see?”

“She’s being wicked secretive.” Faith answered before Cordelia could.

“Yeah. As much as I’d like to hang out here with all the creepy magic stuff, is there a place we can talk?” Cordy said looking around herself a little uncomfortably.

“It’s not creepy.” Willow said defensively.

“Sorry Willow. I didn’t really mean any offence.”

“Oh and what about me?” Giles said with mock offence in his voice, “I’m only the owner of the shop full of creepy stuff.”

“Guys.” Buffy said, “Can we be serious a minute?”

“How ‘bout we go to my place?” Faith interjected steering the conversation back round to the point.

“Great. I’ll drive.” Cordelia announced heading towards the door.

“Don’t loose it this time.” Angel warned.

“I loose your car once and you are still holding it against me.”

“I had to wear a pink motorcycle helmet.” Everyone turned to look at the brooding vampire and tried to suppress their laughter.

“Now that I wished I’d seen.” Faith said smiling broadly, “I miss “Mandy” and the pink helmet? No fair.”

“Come on slay-girls. Let's get going.” Cordelia opened the door and the younger slayer followed.

“Giles, can you guys keep looking for anything remotely useful?” Buffy asked stalling at the door.

“Of course. You’ll let us know if what Cordelia has to say is of any use?”

“C’mon B, let's motor.” Faith shouted from the passenger seat of Angel’s Plymouth.

“I better go.” Buffy said, “I’ll check in before we go out on patrol.” The blonde turned and walked out the magic shop.

*****

Buffy sat in a chair opposite Faith and was finding it hard to keep her eyes of her fellow slayer.

“So Queen C, what did you see?” Faith grinned and uncrossed her legs.

“Do you live to try an antagonise me?” Cordelia asked half seriously, sitting down next the brunette slayer.

“She lives to antagonise everyone.” Buffy joked.

“Ooh, watch yourself B, I may have to punish you if you keep insulting me like that.”

“Can I have that in writing?”

“Girls!” Cordelia said interrupting the pun-fest. “Y’know I didn’t believe it, but now I do.” Both slayers looked at Angel’s secretary a little confused.

“Huh?” Faith asked.

“Yeah I second that.” Buffy agreed, “Give us something that makes sense.”

“My vision. I didn’t believe it. I thought the powers that be were having some sort of joke. You know these visions are vague at the best of times and I only pick up brief glimpses and feelings?” Faith nodded as Buffy just listened to what Cordy had to say, “Well in my vision I saw you guys, um, making out somewhere and there was so much passion and want and love.” Cordelia looked up to see Buffy blushing profusely, “Well you get the point. Then something attacked you guys and I was left with a mind numbing headache.”

“So you guys had to come all the way from L.A. to tell me that?” Faith said trying to suppress the grin that wanted to spread across her face at the sight of Buffy’s discomfort.

“I had to see if it was true.” Cordy looked at Buffy and then at Faith, “And it is SO true. Plus you guys were pretty scared of whatever it was attacking you. I thought some back up wouldn’t be such a bad idea.”

“Did you get a look at it?” Buffy asked.

“Unfortunately no. But I got the feeling that you guys knew whatever it was already.”

Buffy stood up and began pacing the floor, “I don’t like this.”

Faith stood up and stopped Buffy pacing by placing her hands on the older slayer’s hips, “Hey. I don’t like waiting around much either, but at the moment there’s nothing else we can do.” The blonde slayer looked up at Faith and nodded. The brunette leant down and tenderly kissed Buffy. If her words wouldn’t reassure her then she hoped that this would.

“Ah-hem!” Cordy cleared her throat loudly and blushed, slightly embarrassed by the slayers' open display of affection.

“Sorry.” Buffy apologised, “Sorta forgot you were there for a moment.”

“That seems to happen a lot when we’re around each other.” Faith mused and moved to sit down where Buffy had been sat previously.

“I’m guessing nobody else in the Scooby gang knows?”

“Nope.” Buffy said as she slid onto Faith’s lap and into her arms, “I’d like to keep it that way, until we figure some stuff out that is.”

“Sure.” The ex-cheerleader smiled, “Y’know Xander is going to have a field day with this when he finds out. He always did have a thing for you slayer types.”

Faith laughed, “I never even thought of that.”

Cordelia thought for a moment, “Where is he and that obnoxious girlfriend of his anyways.”

*****

Xander picked himself off the floor and dusted himself off, “Man that was a good one! It’s sort of like riding a bike, you never quite forget how to do it.”

“You’re not Xander.” Anya stated as she cowered in the corner of the room.

“You know who I am.” Xander looked her straight in the eye and the ex-demon just nodded weakly.

“Why are you here?”

“To take back what is rightfully mine.” Xander stepped up to the mirror and regarded his visage carefully, he looked down at his body, “This isn’t in too bad shape.” He tugged at the bottom of his shirt, “shame about the dress sense though. I’m going to have to pick up some new clothes.” He turned to Anya and sighed, “After I’ve killed you of course.”

*****

Buffy gave chase to a vampire as it entered one of Sunnydale’s many cemeteries. Suddenly another vampire overtook her and seemed too pre-occupied with running from something to notice her. The blonde glanced quickly behind her to see her fellow slayer gunning up the rear. Both slayers quickly came to a halt when they saw where the vamps had led them.

“Shit,” Faith said slightly out of breath, “I think we’ve just been played.”

The slayers looked about them, there had to be about fifteen vampires at least.

“Need a hand?” Angel stepped out of the shadows.

“Nice to have you lurking.” Buffy said, “Any extra hands are welcome.” The vamps rushed the trio, who quickly jumped into the action. Angel quickly dispatched two vamps into dust, while Buffy engaged in some close range fighting with her fists. Faith got slammed up against a mausoleum wall; she struggled a little under the vampires grip until her knee connected with his groin. He stumbled backwards growling. Faith quickly took advantage of the opening and rammed her stake home.

“Enough!” a voice growled from the shadows. The vampires backed off.

“You okay?” Buffy asked Faith as she rejoined her fellow slayer and Angel.

“Fine. I’m not getting a good feeling about this though.”

“I know.”

The owner of the voice stepped out of the shadows, “Bravo ladies, Angelus, nice fighting.”

“Xander?” Buffy asked confused and more than a little shocked.

“It’s not Xander.” Angel stated, faltering slightly as the realisation of the situation hit him. To the slayers it may have looked like Xander but it definitely wasn’t him. He was dressed too smartly for one and there was something not quite right about the look in his eyes.

“Well spotted.” Xander leant against a headstone and lit a cigarette.

“What the hell is going on here?” Buffy looked to Angel for some answers and then to Xander.

“Oh,” Xander said standing up straight, “where are my manners?” He flicked the cigarette across a few headstones, “Please allow me to introduce myself, I’m a man of wealth and taste.”

“Cut the crap!” Faith said getting decidedly impatient with the situation, “As much as I’d like to hear you recite Rolling Stones songs all night, get to the point.”

Xander smirked, “I’ve came for what is mine.”

“Me.” Angel said looking Xander in the eye.

“Oh no, no.” Xander laughed, “Now Angelus don’t flatter yourself. I’ve come for them.” Xander approached the slayers and smiled.

“If you hurt,”

“Silence!” Xander boomed at Angel. The vampire uncharacteristically shrank away and shut his mouth. The slayers watched him with a mixture of fear and surprise. Buffy had never seen anything that Angel was so outwardly afraid of. The fact that this was Xander was making it even harder to comprehend. Xander reached out and stroked the faces of the slayers. “You belong to me.” Buffy tried to move but found that she couldn’t. Faith was having the same problem. “But now is not the time. You aren’t ready to know.” And with that Xander turned and walked away, signalling for the remaining vampires to follow.

*****

“It was just so creepy Giles.” Buffy said sinking into the English man’s sofa and closing her eyes. She sighed deeply.

“It was really Xander?” Willow asked quietly. She was finding it hard to take in what the two slayers and the vampire had relayed to the group assembled in Giles’ apartment.

“He wasn’t Xander.” Angel said stepping through from the kitchen.

“Certainly looked like him.” Faith argued.

“It was Him.”

“But you just said it wasn’t.” Willow said, slightly confused.

“No I mean it was Him. Satan, Lucifer, whatever you want to call him.” Angel said with more than a flash of fear in his eyes.

“Son of a bitch,” Faith said looking at Giles “So the vamps we dusted the other night weren’t just waxing hyperbole?” Buffy looked at her fellow slayer, a little surprised by the fact she knew such a word.

“Quite,” Giles said looking for a book amongst his collection “seems that the devil has business in Sunnydale and has chosen Xander’s body as his vessel.”

“Why Xander though?” Willow asked she was beginning to become a little distressed. Tara squeezed her hand for comfort and the redhead offered a weak smile in return.

“Probably figured that this would screw with your heads more.” Angel stated.

“Yeah if you know the body then you’ll be less likely to whack him.” Cordelia offered.

“Oh my god!” Buffy exclaimed standing up, “Anya!”

“She’s dead.” Xander announced, suddenly appearing at the top of Giles’ staircase. Everyone jumped as they heard the familiar voice utter such cold words. “What?” he asked as he climbed down the stairs into the English man’s living room.

“D’you take great pride in breaking into people’s homes and scaring the shit out of them?” Faith asked aggressively taking a defensive stance.

“So feisty.” Xander said laughing, “It’s a shame you wandered back onto the good side of the force. We could have had some fun. I had a special place for you and the Mayor. But now things are so…uneven.”

“Xander?” Buffy asked, hoping that any small trace of her friend was still there somewhere.

“He’s not able to come to the phone right now. Please, feel free to call me by any one of my many names. My personal favourite is Lucifer.”

“Okay Luci, I’ve had enough of your shit!” Faith ran forward and tackled Xander to the ground.

“Faith no!” Buffy cried as Angel stepped forward to hold Buffy back from getting involved herself.

Xander laughed hard and pushed the younger slayer off him effortlessly. She landed hard with a thud and felt her arm snap as she landed on it. The others winced as they heard the sickening snap. Tara leant over and whispered something to Willow and the redhead nodded, clasping hands with her girlfriend. The witches began to chant as quietly as they could.

“Faith are you okay?” Buffy asked as she and Cordelia helped the brunette to her feet.

“Five by f…ouch.” She winced as she felt the pain from her arm and went decidedly pale. The brunette slayer shrunk back down onto the floor before the girls could stop her. Buffy glared at Xander.

“Such comradery. It’s touching.” He sneered, “Especially after all she…urgh!” Xander doubled over and clutched his stomach. The witches looked up and began chanting loudly. Xander growled and backed up towards the door, “Ah good little white witches are in our midst I see. Well done.” He tried to steady himself as he stumbled out the door, “This is far from over slayers!” Xander ran across the courtyard into what was left of the night.

Everyone turned to the witches, “What was that?” Buffy asked the question everyone was thinking.

“I-it was something I read in a b-book a wh-while ago.” Tara answered, “I h-honestly didn’t think it wo-would work.”

“Well it did,” Giles said as he cleaned his glasses, “good show.” Willow beamed with pride for her girlfriend.

“We need to get her to a hospital.” Angel said as he picked Faith up and supported her.

Cordelia held her hand out to Angel, “Give me the keys, I’ll drive.”

“It’s okay I’ve got it.” He made a move towards the door, when Buffy stepped in front of him.

“You can’t drive.” He looked at her a little puzzled. “In case you forgot sunrise isn’t too far away.”

The vampire looked at the clock on Giles’ wall, “Oh.” He carefully passed Faith to Buffy.

“I’d rather you stayed here and looked out for them anyways.” The blonde said.

“Yeah big guy,” Faith said weakly, “us slayers know how to look out for each other.”

Buffy smiled and the three girls headed for the car.

“So can you give us much information on our foe?” Giles said looking at Angel, “Being that you’ve been to hell and all I thought you may have some inside thoughts.”

Angel sat down and shrugged, “The problem is not what I do know or don’t know. It’s where to begin.”

*****

Faith looked down at her newly plastered arm and frowned.

“Penny for them.” Buffy said looking at Faith. The brunette didn’t say anything; “Okay then…how about a kiss?” The blonde gently kissed Faith. The younger slayer couldn’t help but smile. “See that’s better.”

Faith looked at her arm again, “I guess…I dunno.” Faith sighed and thought about what she was trying to say, “The way he just effortlessly shrugged me off and managed to do this…” the brunette trailed off as she held up her arm. “It was a bit scary y’know B. I mean I haven’t felt that helpless since…” she wanted to say since we fought, you stabbed me and I ended up on the back of a truck, but thought better of it, “…it’s just what would happen when he actually tries?”

“I know,” the blonde put her arm round Faith’s waist and pulled her close, “but there’s two of us here and we can do this.”

Before Faith could open her mouth to argue Cordy drove the car round to meet them. Buffy climbed into the back and Faith followed. “Home?” Cordy asked.

“Home.” Buffy replied, “I called my mom while Faith was getting all plastered up. I don’t think she was very impressed that I hadn’t checked in and the sun was up already.”

“Did you tell her I was here?” Faith asked anxiously.

“Yeah.” Buffy replied. “I also told her that you’d be staying with us for a while.”

“You did what?” Faith asked looking at Buffy like she’d finally gone mad, “C’mon B. I can’t handle eating any more humble pie at the moment. I just wanna go back to the apartment and sleep.”

“I’m not leaving you alone with the devil wandering around Sunnydale in one of my best friend’s skin.”

Faith knew that this wasn’t a negotiable issue. Once Buffy Summers had her mind set, then it wasn’t the easiest thing to change. She sighed, “Fine.”

“Good.”

An awkward silence fell over the car as they drove towards the Summers’ home in the early hours of the morning. “When I spoke to Angel he said he’d called Wesley and Gunn.” Cordy said trying to make the atmosphere a little less awkward, “They’re going to come down some time today. According to Wesley the news that the devil is on our plain is causing a bit of a fuss all over.”

Faith brightened slightly at the news, “It’ll be good to have the whole team here.”

“Or you mean it’ll be good to have Gunn here.” Cordelia said with a smile.

“Well he’s the only person who can antagonise you more than I do and that’s something you have to respect. You’ll love him B.”

“Will I?” The blonde asked curiously.

“No.” Both brunette’s said in unison and then laughed. Buffy looked a little puzzled.

“He’s hot headed, never listens to anything anyone tells him, he’s reckless, and he’s rude. The list goes on.”

“Sound like anyone else we know?” Cordy asked. Buffy laughed as Faith flipped Cordelia the bird.

“At least I don’t have the hots for him.”

“I don’t either.” Cordy fired back all too quickly.

“Uh-huh, whatever.” Faith said, “You keep living in denial for as long as you like.”

“Do you want to walk the rest of the way home?” Cordelia asked. There was no answer from the back of the Plymouth. “Didn’t think so.”

*****

Faith faltered on the doorstep to Buffy’s house, “B, I really don’t think this is such a good idea.”

“Hey,” Buffy looked Faith in the eye, “Y’know my mother is a pretty understanding person. Well, she tends to deal with things in a denial-ly type of way.”

“Yeah but I held her hostage and was wicked mean to her.” Faith began to fidget and pace slightly, “Never mind the whole, oh I tried to kill your daughter thing.”

“Faith, c’mon you can do this.” The brunette just looked at her, “You came back to help me, you told me you loved me,” Faith looked at her feet, “you’ve made peace with nearly everyone else. Come on you can definitely do this.” Buffy stepped close to Faith, “You can do this because I love you.” Faith looked up a little shocked and the blonde just flashed a grin at her as she moved to open the front door.

“Buffy is that you?” Joyce called from the Summers’ front room as the girls reached the bottom of the stairs.

“Didn’t think she’d be up yet.” Buffy whispered to Faith as they turned back.

“Yeah it’s me Mom.” Buffy walked into the living room.

“Where is she?”

Buffy looked behind her and signalled that it was okay to Faith who was hesitating in the darkness of the hallway. The brunette stepped forward awkwardly, “Hey.” It was all she could really think to say. She was tired and sore and this was the last thing she wanted to be doing.

“Faith.” Joyce said standing up.

“Jo-, um Mrs Summers, if you don’t want me here, which I would totally understand,” Joyce didn’t say anything and the brunette just sighed, “then I’ll just go.” Faith turned and headed for the door.

“You’re not going anywhere.” Buffy said stepping in front of her.

“B, just get out of my way.” Faith said getting irritated, “It’s 7 am and I just wanna get some sleep before we have to figure out what the hell is going on with Xander or the devil or whoever the hell wants to kill you, um, us this time.”

“She’s right.” Joyce said. Faith turned and looked at Buffy’s mom totally confused, the blonde looked over Faith’s shoulder and smiled at her mother appreciatively. “You aren’t going anywhere. I may not be completely sure of where your loyalties lie these days but you obviously have my daughter’s trust. And that is something I have learned to respect.”

“Thanks.” Faith mumbled and looked at her feet. She seemed to be doing that a lot recently, apologising and trying to avoid making situations any more awkward than they were.

“You girls better go get some rest.”

“Thanks mom” Buffy stepped forward and hugged her mother tightly.

*****

Faith woke the next morning, or more than likely it was the afternoon, she was feeling a little disorientated and groggy. The brunette slayer put it down to the painkillers they had given her at the hospital. She turned onto her other side and was met with an empty bed, hearing the shower running she presumed that’s where the blonde was. Faith frowned, something didn’t quite feel right about her left arm. She looked at it and thought a minute. It wasn’t in plaster anymore.

“That’s the nifty thing about dreams.” Faith looked up quickly and found Xander stood where Buffy’s bedroom door should have been. “You always look like you remember yourself looking like. Or how you want to look.”

Faith got out of Buffy’s bed and punched the air a few times with her recently injured arm, “Wanna see if it works as well as I want it to?”

“I didn’t come here for a fight slayer.”

“So what are you invading my dreams for then? I mean, it’s not like you didn’t do enough damage last night.”

Xander chuckled slightly, “I am sorry about the arm. My intentions aren’t to do harm. I just wanted to talk to you alone.”

“She’s not alone.”

Faith jumped slightly, “Geez B,” the blonde slayer appeared, seated on the end of her bed, “a little warning next time?”

“Sorry,” Buffy smiled at Faith, “it’s your dream. Seems you wanted me here and here I am.”

The brunette thought about it for a moment and shrugged.

“Interesting,” Xander mused, “Being that we’ve never had two slayers before I really am having fun interacting with you.”

Both slayers looked at each other and then to Xander, “We’ve?” they asked in unison.

“I guess I won't bore you with all the statistics that your watcher has told you…” Xander trailed off as he thought, “Or possibly he hasn’t. Never mind, that’s not the issue.” Faith sat down on the bed next to Buffy and both slayers gave HIM their full attention. “Truth is that this world is older…”

“Than any of us truly know, it wasn’t a paradise, demons roamed it, the slayer was called to rid the world of demons and make it safe for humans, blah, blah, blah. Get to the part where you tell us something we don’t already know.” Buffy said getting angry.

Xander growled slightly at Buffy’s insolence, “Very well.” He leant against the wall, “As you have been told Miss Summers, your power is rooted in darkness. My darkness. The first slayer was borne of my power. My child.”

“And you expect us to buy that?” Faith asked.

“You know deep inside that it’s the truth slayer.” Both slayers remained silent as they contemplated the thought, “It was never meant to be like this though. Most slayers didn’t live beyond 18 years and therefore never really became inquisitive enough to want to know where they came from. Unfortunately you have forced me onto this reality Miss Summers.” Buffy looked like she was going to say something but was silenced as Xander continued, “As for the loophole that created you,” he waved his hand towards Faith, “that was a sorry, sorry, mistake.”

“Screw you.” Faith said standing up defensively, “The only mistake you made was coming to mess with us.”

Xander laughed and shook his head, “To think I almost had you on my side as well. Wilkins was so sure you’d become a valuable asset to my city of Pandemonium. But well, he’s dead.” He looked at Faith with more than a faint hint of disgust, “And you’re all repenting.”

Faith flinched at the words. Even though she knew the Mayor had been evil the feelings she had for him were still there. He was still the only one that had loved her. She noticed a distant ringing.

“Sorry girls,” Xander said clapping his hands together, “time’s up.”

“What?” Buffy asked a little shocked, “I thought that you were here to explain. That was hardly an explanation.”

He motioned towards Faith, “She wants to wake up.”

“No I don’t.” Faith blinked her eyes open and found herself face to face with Buffy in the blonde’s bed. “Dammit.” She cursed herself and rolled onto her back.

“I was just thinking the same thing.” Buffy said yawning and stretching. “I hate dreams like that. I’m going to go all out and say that was beyond riddles and prophecy.”

“I’m just sorry I woke up before he told us anything that made any sense.” Faith ran her hand through her hair and sighed.

Buffy sat up and rubbed the brunette slayer’s back, “Don’t worry about it. We’ll get up and get this info to the gang and see what we can decipher on our own.” She smiled, “I mean, c’mon it wasn’t going to be as easy as him just handing us the answers.”

Faith shrugged, “Yeah I guess. What time is it anyways?”

Buffy looked at the clock beside her bed, “Whoa, it’s 3 in the afternoon. Didn’t mean to sleep this late.”

“Yeah well it’s not like we got to bed at a normal hour.”

“That’s very true.” Buffy scooted closer to Faith and wrapped her arms around the brunette’s waist. She kissed her fellow slayer deeply, Faith sighed as she parted her lips and gave Buffy’s tongue free access to her mouth. Buffy broke the kiss and sighed contentedly, “We better get to the Magic Box.”

Faith groaned slightly, “I was enjoying myself here.” She leaned into the blonde trying to recapture her in a kiss.

“Nuh uh, no you don’t.” Buffy said and slid of the bed to her feet. “I’m not getting distracted by you. We have to go check in.” The blonde opened her closet and looked around for something to put on.

Faith pouted and let out a heavy sigh, “What, you won’t give your injured girlfriend a little sympathy?”

Buffy spun around, pastel red top in hand, she raised her eyebrows, “My girlfriend?”

The brunette uncharacteristically blushed, “I um, I didn’t mean to say that, it sorta just slipped out.” She mumbled, tangling the bed sheets up in her good hand.

Buffy smiled and walked over to the bed. She leaned over and kissed Faith gently on the lips. “I’d be glad to give my injured girlfriend sympathy when we don’t have an elsewhere to be.”

Faith smiled and blushed a little more, deciding to change the subject to avoid any further embarrassment she looked at the top in Buffy’s hand, “B, do you own anything that isn’t in a pastel shade?”

Buffy looked at the brunette and scowled defensively, “I like pastel’s. D’you own anything that isn’t black or leathery.”

“Ah you know what they say B,” the younger slayer shrugged, “black and leather are better whenever.”

“Where do you come up with that stuff?” Buffy laughed.

“What can I say? I had a lot of time to think up shit like that in prison.” Faith got out the bed and walked round behind the blonde.

“Y’know I’m sure I had clean pants in here somewhere,” Buffy rooted around in her closet half dressed and mumbled, “This is what happens when you have clothes in two closets.” She froze for a moment as she felt Faith’s arm slide round her waist and pulling her back, “Faith…” Buffy complained, “We have to go to the Magic Box.” She tried to insert a tone of authority into her voice but it wasn’t working.

The brunette didn’t say anything; she just pulled the little slayer close against her body and placed gentle kisses along her shoulder and up her neck. Faith knew what she wanted and the sooner she got it then the better. This going slowly thing was going to kill her. It was a lot harder than she ever thought it could have been.

Against her better judgement Buffy relented and relaxed back into her fellow slayer, arching her head back and leaning it on Faith’s shoulder. Faith took the blonde’s minor submission as a cue and slid her good hand slightly under the waistband of Buffy’s underwear. Replacing the arm round the blonde’s waist with her plastered one. She nipped and kissed her way up and down the elder slayer’s neck and gingerly inched her hand lower, barely touching the blonde for fear of her pulling away. Buffy let out a soft moan and rolled her hips slightly. Upon hearing and feeling her fellow slayer’s response it was all the younger slayer could do to muster the will not to throw Buffy back on her bed and eat her out till she screamed in pleasure. But slowly was the way to go with Buffy unless she changed it up a gear.

“Buffy?” Joyce called from downstairs as she slammed the front door shut, “You home honey?”

The blonde instantly froze and any chance Faith might have had went completely out the window as her fellow slayer pulled away and scrambled to grab some pants.

“I hate my life.” She said throwing her hands in the air in defeat, turning to gather up her own clothes. Buffy laughed a little as she finished getting dressed. “Yeah laugh it up," Faith said pulling on her black jeans, "it’s real funny."

“Awww, what’s the problem?” Buffy asked mockingly, knowing full well what Faith’s problem was. Before the brunette could answer there was a knock on the door, “Yeah.” Buffy answered.

Joyce opened the door, “Hey. Didn’t think you’d still be here.”

“We slept for longer than we planned. We’re just about to go see Giles now.”

*****

Faith hit the ground hard and rolled onto her back, trying to gather her thoughts into some sort of coherent battle plan. She flipped herself back onto her feet quickly and looked over at the blonde who was barely holding her own against Him. They never had quite made it to the Magic Box. Faith wasn’t too sure what angered her more; the fact He had said he wanted to see how “his slayers” would do fighting him or whether he had attacked them in blatant broad daylight as they took a shortcut through one of Sunnydale’s many graveyards. Faith ran back into the melee and was quickly ejected again and thrown against a tombstone by a hand she didn’t even see coming. She hit the stone with such force that it cracked and collapsed under her. The brunette let out a small scream as she landed on her bad arm.

Buffy saw Faith hit a tombstone and winced, before she could rush to her fellow slayer’s aid, Xander grabbed her by the throat and easily tossed her in a heap next to Faith. He laughed and bent over as if he was trying to catch his breath, “Wohee, girls. That was a good one. Although I expected a little more fight and a little less bleeding.”

Buffy gingerly got to her feet, “I’m getting sick of this. You said you came to take what’s yours. So make your move big shot!”

He just laughed harder, “Okay, slayer, okay. I never could resist a cute one.” He smirked and clapped his hands together. “Here’s the deal girls. I need one of you to come on home with me.”

Faith looked from Xander to Buffy with a look that mixed horror with shock. A roar of thunder rumbled across the Californian sky and both slayers looked skyward.

“Yeah that’s right,” Xander looked up to the sky and then back to the slayers, “Isn’t it great how the weather seems to sense my flair for the dramatic? Anyways. Yes, one of you lucky slayers is getting a trip to hell.”

“I’ve already been. Didn’t think much of it.” Buffy said stepping defensively close to Faith.

“Oh you hadn’t seen nothing blondie. Well anyways, you might get another chance to make a better judgement.”

Rain slowly began to fall as the slayers tried to process the information.

Faith shook her head and looked Xander in the eye, “How do you decide which one of us to take?”

As he had done so many times before, Xander laughed and shook his head, “I’m not going to. You are.” The rain started pouring and lightning cracked across the sky. Buffy stood there in shock, Faith just looked at the ground not sure of what to say or do. “You have 24 hours ladies and then I’m coming to collect what is mine.”

“Why?” Buffy asked. But before she could get an answer he was gone from sight.

*****

“Thanks Joyce. Yes, yes I’ll call you when they get here.” Giles hung up the phone and turned back to the expectant group, “She said they left there over two hours ago.”

Willow looked out the window with a decidedly worried look on her face, “But it’s daylight out, so nothing too bad could have happened, right?” Tara placed a reassuring hand on the redhead’s shoulder.

“Well now that we know they’re officially missing or waylaid or whatever why don’t I go look for them.” Gunn made a step towards the door, “I was never too good at the sitting and researching shit. I’m more of a doing man.”

“I’ll go with you.” Cordelia offered. Gunn looked at her sceptically, “I know the area better than you do. Plus I’m no better at the researching than you are.” Gunn shrugged.

“Be careful.” Angel said, “Just because it’s daylight doesn’t mean that He won't show up. I’ll head underground and ask about down there. Faith and Buffy may have headed through the sewers if they got into trouble.”

“I’ll keep trying Faith’s mobile phone.” Wesley said stepping towards the phone.

*****

Faith’s cell phone rang as she and Buffy walked into her apartment. They had ran there for shelter when the storm began getting particularly nasty. The younger slayer pulled it out of her soaking jacket pocket and switched it off without even answering it.

“That might have been the gang looking for us.” Buffy said as she peeled back the blonde hair that was plastered to her face with rainwater into a rough ponytail.

“I know.“ The brunette flung her soaking coat in the corner and kicked of her boots. “I just didn’t think we should check in till we know what we’re going to do. Till we’ve talked about this alone.” Faith sat on the edge of the armchair and pulled off her sodden socks. “Plus I need a warm shower and some clean clothes.”

“They’ll be worried.” Buffy said. Not really putting any tone into her voice at all. It was more a statement of a fact than anything else. She stepped forward so she was stood in front of the seated brunette and wrapped her arms around Faith’s neck. Suddenly she was filled with a sense of déjà vu. So much of this situation reminded her of the first, the only, time she’d made love to Angel. The blonde blinked and tried to shove that thought to the back of her mind. It had been a long time ago and she’d grown up as a person a lot since then. But still the thought was there. Only difference was she had slept with Angel and then stabbed him, this time it was going to be the other way round.

Faith wrapped her arms round Buffy’s waist and looked up to meet the blonde’s beautiful eyes. She felt like her heart was going to break into a thousand pieces all over again. Ultimately one of them was leaving and she knew who it should be. “I know.” She said again. The brunette felt like every breath she took was filled with heavy lead. “Buffy…” Faith began. She didn’t quite know how to say what she wanted to. She wanted to tell Buffy that she loved her more than anything on the face of the earth. And because of that she’d go to hell because the world would be a better place without her. Instead she just sighed and looked away from Buffy’s gaze.

Buffy tilted Faith’s face back up to look at her. She knew what her fellow slayer was thinking and didn’t even want to consider it. Neither of them was going anywhere. They would find a way to defeat this so they could stay together. ‘Why is it when I start to love someone with my whole heart they get whipped away to hell or they die or I kill them or they just run’ she thought to herself. Before she could stop it a tear ran down her cheek.

"Hey," Faith said softly, standing up “we’ll figure something out.” Faith kissed Buffy gently and began to cry herself. She couldn’t bear this situation; it was going to tear her in two.

Buffy broke the kiss and wiped the tears from the younger slayer’s face, “Faith,” she said almost inaudibly “will you…”

The brunette cut the elder slayer off with a kiss. She didn’t need to hear what she was going to ask. Faith gently lifted Buffy off the ground, careful of her plastered arm and the elder slayer wrapped her legs around Faith’s waist. ‘Thank god this is a studio apartment’ Faith thought as she supported Buffy’s weight with one arm and headed over to her bed, never once breaking the kiss that was growing more passionate with every step she took.

*****

Faith woke reluctantly, her head on Buffy’s stomach and smiled as she felt the blonde’s arm draped over her shoulder and her other hand locked tightly with her lover’s. Faith thought about that word for a moment and smiled further. Then the realisation of their situation hit her and her smile quickly faded. She would have been content to lie there all day, listening to Buffy’s steady heartbeat and feeling the movement of her breathing as she slept sound. But the Southie slayer had a job to do, well it was more like a sacrifice to make. The sacrifice being herself. The old Faith would never have given up her life for anyone. Let alone for love. But she wasn’t that girl anymore. That girl had never ‘made love to anyone’. Faith cringed a little, she still hated that tag, but after her night, well afternoon, with Buffy she was starting to warm to it a little. Pity she wouldn’t get the chance to see if it would grow on her completely. The brunette shifted slightly and Buffy stirred. This was going to be a difficult position to get out of.

*****

“Still nothing?” Willow asked as Angel walked back through the magic shop.

“Nothing.” He said leaning against the counter.

“Our run was a bust too.” Gunn said cleaning his axe.

“D-did anyone actually check Faith’s apartment?” Tara asked.

The gang all looked at one another, “I’ll go now.” Angel said picking the coat he’d just removed up off the counter and shrugging it on.

*****

Faith stood in the doorway between her bedroom and her closet and watched the blonde as she slept. Buffy lay on her front, the sheets drawn up just above her ass. Faith sighed deep. She was just so damn peaceful and beautiful. Everything Faith had ever wanted and then some. A single tear ran down the brunette’s face and she blinked hard, holding back more that were sure to follow. She was going to be strong. This wasn’t a time for emotions to get in the way. Faith moved silently over to the bed and placed a note she had written for Buffy on the pillow next to the blonde. Before she changed her mind she quickly and quietly headed out of the apartment.

*****

Angel backed away from the window and leant against a nearby wall. He wasn’t sure how to process what he had just witnessed. For once he wished he’d actually rang the doorbell instead of sneaking around, the tender scene between Buffy and Faith that he had just been witness to hit him hard. Admittedly he felt a little guilty spying on something that just shouldn’t have been seen by another. There was clearly love there and he knew what this meant. Faith was about to do something stupid. Buffy had that effect on you when you loved her. You’d go to hell and back for her. “Shit,” Angel said thinking out loud. Suddenly everything was clear. He had two options, go after Faith and talk her out of it or head back to the magic box and rally the troops. Angel thought for a second and leapt over the side of the roof, opting for the former.

“Jesus Christ!” Faith cursed as the vampire landed in front of her, stopping her dead in her tracks.

“No. Just me.” Angel said breathing a little heavy from the exertion of the leap.

“What the hell are you doing big guy and where the hell did you come from?”

Faith was twitchy. She knew exactly where Angel had been and what he’d probably seen.

“I was looking for you and Buffy. Everyone was starting to get pretty worried.” Angel sidestepped to block Faith’s path.

“Well as you probably saw, we’re both fine.” Faith said a little defensively, she didn’t like the fact Angel had been lurking. Plus she didn’t know how this would change her relationship with him.

“Faith, what’s going on between you two is your business.”

“Good. Glad you know that.” Faith tried to continue her mission but Angel blocked her again, “God damn it! If you want to do this the hard way then we can.”

"Hey," Angel grabbed Faith by the shoulders, “What’s going on? I haven’t seen you this way in a long time.” The vampire was getting worried.

The younger slayer took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to focus her thoughts; “If I tell you what’s going on you’ll try and talk me out of what I’m going to do.”

“He wants to take one of you back to hell.” Angel stated looking Faith in the eye.

“More to you than good looks aren’t there?” Faith smirked and laughed bitterly, “So you gonna try and talk me out of it?”

“Is there much use?”

“Not really. You know why I’m doing this right?” Faith caught the vampire’s look before he averted his gaze, “Yeah, how stupid of me, of course you do.”

“I still can’t let you do this. Sorry Faith.” Angel threw a punch and the slayer blocked it and instinctively threw one of her own. Angel reeled backwards and his demon came out to play.

“Guess we’re doing this the hard way then.” Faith kicked Angel square in the balls. As he fell to his knees in pain, she delivered a series of hard hooks to his face and knocked him unconscious. Angel fell limply to the ground and Faith began to cry again. It was turning out to be a painful night and she hadn’t even got to hell yet. The brunette slayer grabbed the vampire by the collar of his shirt and dragged him into a nearby alleyway. She carefully placed him in a dumpster in case he wasn’t conscious by sunrise. “Sorry, big guy.” She said quietly closing the lid on the dumpster.

*****

Willow looked up from the book she was trying to look through and rubbed her eyes, “Surely there’s something really simple we’re missing.”

Giles picked up a small red book from a drawer in his desk, “I think maybe there is.” He dropped the book onto the table.

“The bible?”

“If there’s anyway to banish Him from here it’ll be in there.” Giles took off his glasses and cleaned them, “How foolish of us not to think of it before.”

*****

Buffy woke up and instinctively rolled over to make contact with Faith. She opened her eyes groggily when she realised that the other side of the bed was empty. ‘Well Buffy you certainly know how to pick them?’ the blonde thought as she sat up and ran her hand through her hair. She noticed a piece of paper on the bed next to her, picked it up and unfolded it,

	B,
	  I didn’t want you to wake up and realise I wasn’t there but this was the 
	only way I could do this. Don’t think I got some and got gone because you 
	should know that you mean more to me than anything. That’s also the reason 
	I’m doing what I’m doing. You know I’m not too good with words so I’m going 
	to try and say this as quickly as I can. I’ve gone to offer myself to Him. 
	The world will be a better place with you as the slayer. I hope that you 
	understand. I love you Buffy. I’m sorry it had to go down this way. I’m 
	sorry our whole relationship had to go down this way.
	
	Faith

Buffy scrunched the note up and threw it at the nearest wall. ‘God dammit’ she thought, ‘leave it to Faith to try and be the hero.’ The blonde got out of bed and quickly began throwing on her clothes. She couldn’t be sure how long ago Faith had left and whether it was too late to stop her from giving herself up. The elder slayer thought about her options and picked up the phone to call Giles. If she was going to do this she’d need the troops no doubt.

“Hello,” Giles said as he continued to skim through the bible.

“Hey Giles it’s me.”

“Buffy, thank god. Are you okay? Angel came out looking for you hours ago and never returned.”

“Yeah I’m fine. Meet me at the school, the entrance to the Hellmouth to be precise. I don’t have time to explain.” Buffy slammed the phone down and picked a few weapons out of Faith’s weapon chest before running out the door in search of the devil.

*****

“Oh god, what happened to you?” Cordelia asked running to Angel’s side as he half walked, half stumbled back into the magic shop. She quickly stopped when she caught a whiff of him, “Oh man, really, what happened to you?”

“Faith.” The vampire stated sitting down, “Where is everyone?”

“What? Has she gone all phsyco slayer again? I mean honestly I should have mega life insurance working with you two. I mean you get a happy and it’s hell on earth, she gets screwed over somehow and we’re all dead. How do I know you people?”

Angel gave the ex-cheerleader a pointed stare as he sat down.

“Oh okay, um, they’ve gone to meet Buffy at the Hellmouth. I stayed here in case you or Faith showed up.”

“Of course,” Angel stood back up again, “Come on, we have to go lend a hand.”

*****

Faith looked around her surroundings a little wary, "So this is hell huh?" She turned to face the devil and was a little startled at his real form.

He smirked; well at least that's what it looked like he had done, "I'm sorry, I should have warned you."

"Oh hey, no problem."

"Ready for the journey?" He spread his wings and flexed them a few times.

"Journey?" Faith asked.

"Oh yes. This," He motioned around him, "this is just the beginning of my kingdom. Really, you haven't seen anything yet."

"Why am I thinking this isn't a good thing?" Faith stepped forward peered over the edge of the ledge they were stood on. All she could see was darkness.

Lucifer stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the brunette slayer, she shuddered at the contact and he laughed slightly, "Time to go home." Before Faith could protest, He spread his wings full and leapt off the ledge, carrying them into the darkness and beyond.

...continued in Everything...