Restoration and Regret
by Suki
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: M.E. owns all the rights and characters of Buffy and
Angel.
Note: This is a sequel to "Going Home" if it sounds interesting let
me know and I will continue. Thanks.
Feedback: Please if you like.
I am ready to leave this state this hospital all of it. B is at check in she's got our tickets back to Sunnyhell. I rock back and forth on my heels wondering if I am doing the right thing. They can't stand me there, hell I couldn't stand most of them when I was there.
This will never work!
"Penny for your thoughts?" She is tugging my arm waving a hand in my face.
"Hey! aww nothing really, stuff." How do you tell a gorgeous women that you are hot for you have doubts about going home with her? Note to self "Suck it up!"
"Come on, I can see the smoke from your ears." She's pulling me towards our gate.
"B, you're such a cheerleader sometimes ya know that?" I have to laugh she's so freaking cute.
"Listen Faith, none of this is going to be easy but well that's life okay." B gives our tickets to the flight attendant and we make our way to our seats.
"B, I know it's not going to be easy, I just don't want to make it hard on you." I flop down in my sit and start to pull out my headphones.
"Faith you have never made anything in my life easy, so why would I expect it to be easy now?" She stuffs her bag in the overhead compartment and sits down with me. "You can't use that until we take off ya know." She is looking down at my CD player.
"I know that!" I didn't but I can't let her know that, see I have never flown before.
"Oh okay whatever." I look over at her and she smiles at me. That warm California smile. I smile back. "See wasn't that easy?" She pats my hand and looks up at the on board demonstration for seat belts and oxygen masks.
"Cheerleader!" I stick my tongue out at her.
After take off I turn up the volume and try to drown out all the noise in my head.
Buffy tried to fill me in on everything that has happened in the past couple of years in Sunnydale. "Everyone has changed," she said. I think that scares me more than anything does at least the old enemies I knew. I know the things I've done and the people back then I did them to, now everything has changed. I have changed and they've changed but can we all get past this.
It's like she's read my mind and sensed the turmoil in me. She reached over and took my hand and gave it a little squeeze and she didn't let go even when they asked her what she wanted to drink, she didn't let go.
B and I talked the whole way back, she would occasional reach over and push the hair behind my ear or touch my leg. We never really left contact with each other that whole flight we were always touching somewhere.
I felt my heart go in my mouth when it was announced we would be landing.
I knew I wouldn't see them tonight but I would soon and I was scared. The cab ride to my old apartment took less time than I thought cuz here we are sitting in front and B is paying the driver.
"Ready?" She says and takes my hand.
"Ready as I'll ever be."
I should have spotted the construction truck out front but I didn't. I did notice the man in the hard hat carrying down a tool box. I looked at B and she just shrugged her shoulders.
The door was slightly ajar and we could heard voices inside I am sure one was Xander and I think the other is Red, umm Willow but the third I have no clue.
"I think we did a good job, I just hope Buffy knows what she is doing?" Xander bent down and picked up his tools that were on the floor in front of the large window he and a friend just repaired.
"I don't think any of us in any place to judge anyone, but I do hope Buffy knows what she is doing." Willow was winding the cord on the vacuum while she talked.
"Well it's all set and the paints dry finally." Dawn flopped down on the love seat. "When are they getting here, I'm starved." Dawn looked from Willow to Xander.
Buffy and Faith had stopped just in front of the doorway to her apartment and listened to the three talk. She squeezed Faith's hand and tapped lightly on the door.
"Hey we're back." Buffy gingerly entered and pulled the slight figure of Faith through the door.
Willow inwardly gasp when she saw the condition of the other slayer. Faith had lost some weight but what surprised her the most was the way Faith seemed to be carrying herself, she looked defeated and beaten down.
"Hey yourself." Willow choked out.
"Hi." Xander tipped his hard hat.
"Dawn?" Buffy was surprised to see her sister there.
"Hey, Hi Faith." Dawn got up from the sofa.
"Hey." A very small voice said slightly hidden behind Buffy.
They stood in silence for a few seconds before Dawn took over.
"So, let me show you what we did." She moved forward as if to take Faith's arm but she noticed the girl move further behind Buffy.
"Xander and Jose put in French doors and Willow and I cleaned and stuff, oh and we bought the little patio set and painted it so you could sit outside on the terrace."
Dawn was now standing with her arms out stretched like Vanna White.
Buffy chuckled a little and pulled Faith forward.
"Very nice Vanna." Buffy winked at her sister; Dawn blushed and stuffed her hands in her pockets.
"This is great guys thanks!" Buffy looked around the apartment.
Faith cleared her throat and was startled at how much attention it got from everyone. She released Buffy's hand and walked towards Willow stopping just a foot in front of her.
"Umm Willow I just wanted to say I am so sorry for your loss and for everything, I'm so sorry." Faith leaned in and slowly wrapped her arms around Willow.
The witch was in shock the girl that held a knife to her throat was embracing her and trying to comfort her about Tara. Willow looked up and saw Buffy arms folded across her chest with a small smile on her face. It was at this point that Willow wrapped her arms around Faith. "I'm sorry too Faith."
Faith pulled away from her and looked at the others. "I am sorry to all of you, I hope you can find it in your hearts to give me a second chance, if you can't I'll understand but I want to stay in Sunnydale and slay, it's the least I can do." She looked over at Buffy and smiled.
"Well I for one am starved, anyone feel like pizza and a few beers?" Xander looked around at the women.
"Me!" Dawn yelled as she raised her hand.
"Minus the beer." Buffy said as she pulled Dawn into a hug.
Later after three large pizzas were destroyed they sat around Faith's living room talking.
"So Faith are you going to work for the council?" Dawn looked nervous she still didn't know what she should or should not say.
"Ummm, well B, I mean Buffy said they would contact me and let me know what's up, in the mean time I will be working at the shelter in town, it's part of my parole agreement."
She looked around at the room and all faces were turned to her it made her uncomfortable and she blushed a little. Buffy had placed herself sitting at the floor in front of the sofa reached over and squeezed Faith knee as a sign of support, a gesture that didn't go unnoticed by all. Willow had noticed the glances that the two had exchanged all night. She would have to ask Buffy later just what was going on with Faith, her phone calls from Boston had been short but Willow got the impression that Buffy had made an emotional decision regarding the other slayer.
"Well, I'm beat and have to be at the site early, can I give anyone a lift home?" Xander stood and stretched his lower back.
Willow and Dawn both raised their hands.
"Okay that's two, Buffy?" He looked over at her.
"I'm gonna stay awhile then do a patrol on my way home, thanks anyway." Buffy never took her eyes off Faith as she spoke.
"Okay, let's roll ladies." He ushered the women out.
"I'll walk you down." Buffy got up and moved to walk out with her sister and friends. "Be right back Faith."
"Ummm guys, thanks for everything, I mean it, I'll make it all up I swear." Faith stood as she spoke. "And I promise to never hurt Buffy again." She looked directly at Willow when she said this passing along an unsaid thought between the two.
Willow nodded in her direction. "I hope so Faith I really do, Night."
Buffy walked them to Xander's car. "So let me have it." She waited for them to start on her.
"I hope you know what you are doing." Xander said then he hugged her and unlocked the car.
"Does that mean you'll give her a chance?"
"Sure why not Buffy, don't get me wrong she scares me a little but she looks like she's been through a lot."
"Yes she has, thanks Xander." Buffy hugged him.
"Will?" She looked to her best friend; she needed Willow to be okay with Faith being back.
"Buffy I want her to be okay, as far a forgiveness, sure we can try, I mean I will try." Willow shrugged her shoulders. "Buffy what's going on with you two, I mean the looks and the glances?"
Buffy looked around at her family. "I honestly don't know, but I kind of want to find out, I hope you can understand it?"
Dawn spoke first. "I understand, well kind of, she's a slayer, you're a slayer, you understand each other, it's like two of the same species of animal, they need to be together to exist or something like that, I think?"
"That's about it Dawn, thanks for saying it for me." She hugged the younger slayer.
Buffy said her good-byes to the group and made her way back upstairs.
She found Faith out at the terrace looking at the little patio set Dawn and Willow had gotten her.
"Hey, you okay?" Buffy stood behind the younger girl.
Faith turned and threw her arms around Buffy and cried.
"Oh god Buffy I'm so sorry." She sobbed as Buffy held her.
"I know Faith so am I."
"They were so nice to me, god I don't deserve it." Faith wiped her eyes as she walked back in the apartment.
"You may not feel that way now but in time, everything will be okay. Faith you look tired why don't you get some rest, I'll come by in the morning."
As soon as she said this she saw the look of fear play across Faith's face.
"Or I could stay a while until you fall a sleep?" Buffy walked up to her and rubbed her hands up and down her arms trying to help her shake off the feeling.
"Thanks Buffy, that would be great."
"Stop calling me that."
"What?"
"Buffy, it just sounds weird coming from you."
"Okay B, as long as it makes you happy." Faith smiled at her.
"I'm gonna get undressed." She thumbed towards the bedroom.
"Sure, okay." Buffy opened her suitcase on the floor and pulled out the only clean thing in it, a large screaming eagles tee shirt Faith had given her. She quickly undressed and waited for Faith.
"You staying over?" The brunette walked back in the room noticing Buffy in the shirt.
"Yeah you don't mind do you? I'm too tired to patrol and I figured you don't want to be alone and I don't want to be alone…" Buffy was babbling and she knew it.
"It's cool, as long as you don't mind sharing?" Faith walked back to her bedroom.
By the time Buffy got there Faith was under the covers. "Smell it B it's so clean."
Buffy crawled under the covers and brought them to her nose. "Smells like Willow washed them and if I'm not mistaken burned a few incense in the place, probably protection for something."
Faith turned on her side and faced Buffy. "That was really cool what your friends did for you."
"I think they did it for themselves and for you." She turned and now faced Faith.
"I told you we all had a rough year, they all wanted second chances this year so why should they deny you?" She reached over and moved the loose hairs away from Faith's face.
"You look tired sweetie." Faith smiled at the term of endearment.
"I am but I'm afraid to fall a sleep, what if I wake up and you're not really here?"
Buffy kissed her lightly on the lips. "I'm here Faith." She pulled the younger girl into her arms and they drifted off to sleep still wrapped in each other's arms.
...to be continued...