Once More Around the Block
by Sulks
Rating: PG-13

Author's Notes: Okay, so I'm thinking Faith was about 17/18 when she went off to jail, so this is set about one year in the future (i.e right after the upcoming season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

Faith walked outside the gates of the Women's Correctional Facility, having been paroled after three years. She was twenty-one years old now, old in Slayer years, but fuck, she was still human, and in human years, being twenty-one meant you had the world in front of you. Okay, so she was a Slayer, and she probably wouldn't really live that much longer, but at the moment, she was indulging in thinking that life was ahead of her. Even if she had just gotten out of jail. With Angel's help she could get her juvenile record sealed, and things could work out. Faith raised her face towards the sun. She looked around for Cordelia who had agreed to pick her up, but she didn't see the brunette anywhere. Instead she saw...blonde hair and a horrible pastel blue coat. Buffy. Being dead obviously didn't do much for a girl's fashion sense.

"Hey," Buffy said, as she walked up to Faith.

"Hey," Faith returned, cautiously, ready for a fight, but not really wanting to get into one.

"Remember when you asked me how you could make it better?" Buffy asked softly.

"Yes."

"Come home with me, that's how you can make it better."

"And do what?"

"I don't know," Buffy said honestly. She reached out for Faith's hand. "Come back, make amends...you can have a second chance."

"Is this really what you want?" Faith asked, wondering if she were just entering into some emotionally masochistic trap that would end up making her heart bleed.

"Yes."

"Okay," Faith said, squelching the feeling that she was just about to enter into a situation where she'd be flagellated by everyone in Sunnydale, be forced to flagellate herself, and all that shit just because she couldn't get the blonde girl standing in front of her out of her system.

Buffy took out her mobile phone and dialed the number to the Hotel, "she's coming back with me," she said simply. "Okay, hold on." She passed the phone to Faith, "Angel wants to talk to you."

"Hey," Faith said.

"Hey. How are you doing?"

"I'm all right. Feels good to be out."

"Do you need anything?"

"No."

"Okay then. I'll be in touch. Cordelia wants to talk to you."

"Okay."

"Hi." Cordelia said breathlessly. "I just got in, and ...how are you?"

"I'm okay. How're you?"

"Good. You sure you want to go with her?" Cordelia asked.

"Uh-huh."

"I see you're as verbose as ever. God, you 'talk' to Angel too much."

"Heh."

Cordelia sighed. "I know you have feelings for her and all, but if it gets too tough there, you can stay with me, okay? Remember, you don't have to debase yourself to her."

"Thanks. I want to see you soon, I'll come back for a visit later."

"Good. Then I'll see you."

Cordelia and Faith had become friendly during the Darla and Drusilla fiasco. Angel had disappeared for a few days, and in desperation, Cordelia had gone to see Faith, in the chance that Angel had come to see her. He hadn't, but the two struck up a conversation, and it eventually led to a friendship.

"Okay." Faith fumbled with the phone for a minute and then passed it back to Buffy in exasperation. Buffy bit her lip to hide a smile, as she took the phone back and hit end.

The first half of the ride back to Sunnydale was excruciatingly silent. Buffy couldn't find a proper radio station, and she'd finally just turned it off, completely fed up with it. THAT had been a bit of a mistake because the car was left in uncomfortable silence. During the second half of the ride, Faith had fallen asleep and was snoring softly, her head pressed up against the window.

Buffy pulled into her driveway and took in a moment to observe the changes in Faith. She was slightly thinner than she had been three years ago, the muscles not quite as defined. She looked almost frail. She was also paler, which also made Faith look frailer. The hair was longer, and wavy. Her face was free of the heavy makeup that Buffy was so used to seeing Faith wear. But she was wearing the same clothes she'd worn the night she turned herself in. 'She's beautiful,' she thought.

"Faith?" Buffy called, "Faith?" she reached out to grasp Faith's shoulders. Faith pulled away with a gasp, and then blinked when she saw Buffy staring at her.

"Oh, sorry," Faith's voice was raspy from sleep.

"We're here," Buffy said needlessly.

Faith bit her lip. "Maybe I shouldn't stay here in your house," she said. 'Maybe this was a bad idea,' she thought.

"Where else would you stay?"

"I could find a motel, and--"

"Just stay," Buffy said. "You can have my mother's old bedroom. Tara and Willow are both...well, not occupying it."

"I'm sorry about that," Faith said softly, remembering what Angel had told her about what had happened to the two witches. Tara had died, and Willow had gone crazy from grief and gone on a rampage, almost ending the world and killing people. Willow had gone back to England with Giles to figure out how to handle it all. Faith sympathised with the redhead, she knew what it was like to lose someone you loved, and she also knew what it was like to carry the kind of guilt that Willow must feel. But she couldn't help but take a little bit of satisfaction, remembering that Willow's self-righteous behaviour toward her was a little premature.

"It's okay," Buffy sighed, "she's happy in England, I think she's always wanted to study at Oxford, and Giles can help her in a way that I can't...come on, I'll show you the room."

They entered the Summers home, and Dawn came pounding down the stairs. Dawn threw herself at Faith. "Faith! Hey! It's been a long time!" Dawn exclaimed with worshipping eyes. She disentangled herself from Faith and turned to Buffy, kissing her sister on the cheek. "Did you have a good drive?"

"Yeah, it was great," Buffy said with a smile. "Were you okay by yourself?"

Dawn rolled her eyes dramatically. "Give me a break, Buff." She bounced up the stairs.

"So that's the little sis, eh?" Faith commented, "nice to finally put a face to all the stories."

Buffy turned to face her, "you mean you don't remember her?"

"No," Faith told her, "I guess I was exempt or something from the spell. When Angel told me about Dawn, I thought he'd been hit in the head too many times, but then he explained."

"She worships you," Buffy said somewhat poutily. "I mean, what am I? Chopped Slayer liver?"

Faith winced. "Bad imagery, B."

"Come on," Buffy said, "let's see the room." They walked up the stairs. "This is yours now," Buffy said.

"Geez," Faith breathed. "It's huge. Are you sure I should take it though, I mean..."

"Dawnie and I already have our own rooms, so it's only logical you'd take this one...Angel bought you some stuff, it's in the closets." Buffy smiled apologetically at her, "the money's kind of tight for me and Dawn right now, but there are some uhm, stuff that Angel couldn't buy you in the drawers." Buffy's cheeks were slightly pink, which Faith took to mean the aforementioned items in drawers were undergarments.

"Thanks, B," Faith said sincerely.

Dawn walked into the room and flopped on the bed. "Let's rent a movie tonight you guys," she said. "Come on please?"

Faith glanced over at Buffy who shrugged her permission.

"All right!" Dawn exclaimed, "and I'll go get a pizza, and we can pig out and stuff." She got to her feet and hugged Faith, "make yourself at home, roomie!" she called as she left.

"Sorry," Buffy apologised, "I know you're not really into the touchy feely stuff, but she has memories of you that...she adores you."

"It's okay, B. She seems like a good kid."

"Except when she gets into trouble, which means it must be Tuesday."

Faith chuckled, "at least she has you to get her out of trouble," she briefly wondered what might have been if someone like Buffy had been in her life to get HER out of trouble when she was younger, but shook off the thought. 'You did have Buffy in your life, you little idiot, you just didn't know how to take her help.' And truth be told, she wasn't sure if she would have liked Buffy's brand of help-- they were completely different types of people, and Buffy obviously didn't know how to handle someone like Faith, and Faith didn't know how to handle someone like Buffy. It was unfortunate, really. It wouldn't have made such a difference if they hadn't been Slayers, but being endowed with such power always made a difference.

Buffy cleared her throat. "Well, I'll let you get washed up, I'm sure you want to...I don't know. There are clothes in the closet and the drawers, so why don't you get changed, if you want."

"Thanks," Faith said softly, grateful.

She headed into the adjacent bathroom as Buffy walked out of the room. 'My room,' Faith thought, with a little bit of wonder.

Buffy walked down the stairs towards the kitchen when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey."

"Angel. Hi."

"I just wanted to see if you got home okay."

"I'd say yes, since I'm answering the phone."

"How's Faith?"

"She's taking a shower."

"Buffy...this is for real, right? Not some way to get back at her?"

"Of course it's for real, what kind of person do you think I am, Angel?" Buffy asked defensively. "I know it's been a *while* since I died and all, but I'd like to get things in my life figured out, and one of them is Faith."

Angel winced at her tone and the memory of her death, but forced himself to be a little harsh. Sometimes, Buffy needed that. "Buffy, I mean it. If this is some way to make her pay for what she did to you, you send her back to me *right* now. She's come a long way, and I don't want her to go back into the darkness."

Buffy rolled her eyes, a little angry, but more hurt that things between she and Angel were the way they were. "Yeah, as I recall you used that line on her before, and it didn't work."

"She wants to make amends, Buffy," Angel said softly, "she has all the best intentions, don't ruin this for her if you're still angry with her."

"I'm *not.*" Buffy insisted. "Like it or not, Faith is a Slayer too, and that means she and I...we shouldn't hate one another." After a beat she added, "and anyway, don't they say the road to hell is paved with good intentions?"

"Buffy--"

"I'll talk to you some other time, Angel."

God, she still loved him so much, and she knew he still loved her. But she was resigned to the fact that they could never be together, and she was hopeful as well. Just because she still loved Angel deeply, would always love him, that didn't mean she couldn't find love with someone else-- even if all her relationships since him had failed pretty miserably.

"Deadboy call again?" Faith asked quietly. She was dressed in a tank top and a thin pair of shorts and was toweling her hair dry.

Buffy jumped and whirled around. "God, Faith! You scared me."

"Sorry." Faith paused before she resumed speaking. "I'm kind of wiped out. I think I'll go to sleep. Tell Dawn I'm sorry about the pizza and vi--"

"I'm home!" Dawn shouted, running in carrying two large pizzas and a several videos.

"Dawn, Faith's tired right now, and she--"

Dawn's face fell, "you're too tired?"

'Fuck,' Faith thought. 'She's fucking cute, she must've learned pouting from B.' She fumbled for a reply before she finally gave into Dawn's pleading look. "No, no. I'm fine...what did you get?"

Buffy smiled at her.

"Scream, True Lies and []." Dawn bounced into the living room to set up the VCR.

"Thanks," Buffy said. "You didn't have to though, I know you're tired..."

"It's okay, B." Faith reassured. "I want to."

"Come on, let's grab some plates and napkins and sodas."

They decided to watch True Lies first, apparently some boy that Dawn had a crush on had a massive thing for Arnold [] movies, and she'd been renting a steady stream of them for the past two weeks.

"Hey," Dawn said, "doesn't that girl look familiar?" she asked, pointing to Arnold's character's daughter.

Buffy squinted and leaned forward, "you're right, she does."

The girl on the screen spoke with rising indignation, her cheeks dimpling as her voice began to rise.

"She looks like Faith!" Dawn exclaimed.

Faith scowled. "She does not look like me, she's what? Fourteen?"

"And you were never 14?" Buffy teased.

"No, I was born 21 and beautiful," Faith said dramatically, "I never went through a painfully awkward stage like that girl's so obviously going through."

"What're you talking about?" Buffy said in amazement. "She's really pretty! You just know by looking at her she's going to turn out really good looking."

"Ha! So you DO like them young!" Dawn razzed, poking her sister in the ribs. "Boy, see if I ever bring another friend home. Oh, wait, sorry, most of them are going to be 18 soon, that's too old for you, right, Buff?"

Faith guffawed with laughter, and exchanged a high five with Dawn.

"Oh, you!" Buffy exclaimed, standing up to leap on Dawn.

"You'll spill my Coke!" Dawn squealed.

Faith stood up, intent on making a very hasty exit, she just knew any minute now food would go flying, and she was *clean* damn it, she smelled *really* nice and fruity for the first time in years.

"Where do you think *you're* going?" Buffy demanded as she spotted Faith creeping away.

"Uh, to my room?"

"Get her!" Dawn yelled. The Summers sisters advanced on Faith. She *almost* made it to the stairs, before she was tackled. The three of them were a hopeless tangle of arms and legs.

Eventually, they calmed down. Dawn went upstairs to take the first shower while Buffy and Faith stayed downstairs to clean up. Once Dawn was gone, both Slayers were instantly sorry that she'd gone. It was still only the first day they'd spent together in years, and without Dawn to diffuse the tension, things were edgy between them.

"So..." Buffy said, "meeting tomorrow morning with Xander and Anya okay?"

Faith felt dread as she heard the words, but merely nodded her assent. She *did* want to set things right in Sunnydale. Not that she'd cared all that much about them in jail, she just cared about one particular Sunnydale citizen. Three years in jail and she was still obsessed with keeping Buffy's attention. For the time being, she'd do what Buffy asked, although there were no guarantees about what the future would bring.

Secretly, she was a little suspicious of Buffy's intentions, but that was just the kind of masochist she was. She knew that it was probably better if she'd gone to Angel's but she had a thing for Buffy, and that was all there really was to it. Still, she had her pride-- she'd always had an excessive amount of it, and she wasn't willing to debase herself. If things got too rough in Sunnydale, she thought, she would just bolt and head to L.A. Angel had told her that his door was always open to her. Still, for the time being, she might as well stay in Sunnydale, and stay with Buffy.

...continued in Truth or Dare...