*****

Faith stood just outside the gate, eyes closed and face upraised, relishing the feel of the sun on her face. She was free. How long she stood like that she wasn't sure, but eventually a voice broke into her reverie.

"If you stay like that long enough you're gonna start growing roots." Kate said, a smirk in her voice. Faith didn't answer, just smiled and opened her eyes. The ex-cop turned private investigator stood a few feet away, watching Faith enjoy her freedom.

"Hi." Kate nodded to the young woman's bag.

"That all you got?" Faith shrugged, picking it up and hefting it on her shoulder.

"Ready to go?" Faith glanced back at the prison that had been her home for the past two years, then looked back at the detective.

"Lets motor."

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

Kate stayed silent on the drive to Angel's office, wisely realising that Faith wasn't up to conversation right now. Glancing over she saw that the young slayer was entirely preoccupied with watching the scenery flash past. An intense look was on Faith's face.

"What are you thinking?" asked Kate, the first words she'd spoken since getting in the car. Faith shrugged.

"Not really thinking anything." she replied, still looking out the passenger window. Kate nodded.

This had to be slightly overwhelming for her. Kate herself was still getting used to the fact that she wouldn't have to drive two hours just to speak to her face to face. And speaking without glass in the way would be different. They'd only spoken once without the glass in the way, and that was when she was taking her confession.

Kate chuckled to herself as she remembered that night. Who'd have thought that two years later she and Faith would be friends. Or that she'd be working for Angel instead of threatening to kill him. It had been six months and she was still getting her head around that. Faith turned her head.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Me." she answered honestly. Faith furrowed her brow, then obviously decided to let the odd answer slide. She was used to getting weird responses from the detective, and had long ago given up trying to figure them out.

"So how close are the offices?" she asked, trying to keep the apprehension out of her voice. She wasn't sure what to expect when she got to Angel's, but was trying not to worry about it.

"We're here." Kate said, pulling up outside the hotel. Faith stared. She had known that the offices used to be a hotel, but it was still strange seeing it.

"Wow." she breathed. Trust Angel to choose this place. They got out of the car and went up to the door, where Faith paused to get a steadying breath before going in.

Only Cordelia was there, and she didn't even glance up from the paperwork in front of her, merely calling out hi. Faith walked up to the counter, eyes taking in a lot of odd details like the scorch marks on the stairs, and the bullet holes in a supporting column. Place had obviously been the site of a few hairy battles. She decided to quiz someone about it later.

"Hey Cordelia. Where is everyone?" Kate asked. She had been expecting Angel and Wesley to be there to greet Faith. Gunn would be probably be around later on in the day. She was slightly disappointed that no-one was here. Cordelia looked up from the paperwork in surprise.

"Oh. I thought you were Wesley. He went to get lunch. Angel got a call from Gunn. He'll be back in a couple hours." The seers brain finally registered that Faith was there. "Hi Faith." Faith nodded in response. Cordelia put the paperwork away and came out into the foyer, enveloping the slayer in a warm embrace.

Surprised by this gesture Faith stiffened, then awkwardly returned the gesture before pulling away. She wasn't used to people invading her space like that. Hadn't been before prison, certainly not now. Cordelia seemed oblivious to Faith's discomfort, practically pushing her down onto one of the couches.

"Want some coffee?" Faith nodded, as did Kate, who sat opposite. She had noticed Faith's discomfort, and was glad she hadn't tried the same thing outside the prison. Of course, she had some idea of what Faith needed. She'd picked up a few parolees in her day. Some were eager for human contact, but most she'd seen weren't used to it. You didn't spend two years in a maximum security prison without learning to protect your personal space.

"How you doing?" she asked quietly as Cordelia got the coffee. Faith just smiled and shrugged.

"Wonder what Wesley's getting for lunch." She was eager to eat something other than bland prison food.

"What are you hoping for?"

"Tuna mayo sandwich." replied Faith immediately. That was one thing she didn't get in prison. She didn't even like it that much, but not having had one for two years she was looking forward to reminding herself what one tasted like. Kate quirked an eyebrow, then grinned. Before she could comment Cordelia came back with the coffee, and Wesley arrived with lunch, which he nearly dropped when he saw Faith.

"Faith!" Faith stood, regarding him with a blank face. He still avoided her wherever possible, and she still felt almost sick with guilt whenever she saw him.

"Wesley." Her calm greeting seemed to settle the englishman down, as he smiled at her.

"It's good to see you in something other than prison garb." He placed the lunch on the table and started unpacking it as he carried on. "I was hoping to get back before you arrived. I thought you might like something to eat."

"Yeah. Thanks." She took a look at the spread. "I can't wait to eat something different." She sipped her coffee, then chose a turkey sandwich, devouring it in seconds.

Wesley frowned, then shrugged, tucking into his own sandwich, as did Cordelia. Kate just sipped her coffee, and listened to the two discuss a case. She studied the slayer, noting how quiet she was. Something was bothering her, but she wasn't sure what, or how to ask.

After lunch was finished Faith announced that she was going for a walk. Kate volunteered to go with her, thinking that it would be the perfect opportunity to find out what was wrong.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

"You were pretty quiet back there." Faith shrugged. She was more of a listener than a talker. Not many people she enjoyed talking to at prison. And she wasn't sure how to act around Wesley and Cordelia. It was somehow easier when they were separated by glass.

"Don't normally talk to much."

"Really?" Kate seemed surprised. "I wouldn't have guessed that. You always talk so much when I visit." Faith shrugged again.

"I like talking to you. I don't have to censor myself."

"Oh." Faith glanced over at Kate, who was staring down at the sidewalk, a thoughtful look on her face. "So what's really bothering you?" She asked, fixing Faith with a look that plainly said she wasn't going to stop until she'd gotten the truth. Faith sighed inwardly. It was really difficult to hide things from a detective. Especially one as good at reading people as Kate.

"I'm supposed to stay with Angel." She said, once again grimacing at the thought of living with him for more than a few days. She looked away from Kate's eyes, instead stopping and sitting on a bench. Kate sat next to her, and Faith could feel the detectives eyes on her. "I don't think I can do it."

"Do what? Live with Angel?" Faith nodded.

"It'll be hard anyway, but I don't think spending my time with a two hundred and fifty year old vampire is gonna make it any easier." Faith explained. Ever since she'd found out she was supposed to be living with him when she got out, she'd been dreading it. Kate just nodded. Faith looked away, embarrassed to admit that she couldn't handle it. After a few minutes of watching the traffic Kate spoke.

"You can live with me then." Faith whipped her head round, eyes wide in shock. Kate just looked at Faith, face serious.

"What?" Faith couldn't quite believe it.

"If you don't want to live with Angel you can live with me. I have a spare room, plenty of space. I don't think Angel will object." Faith just stared at Kate. Finally she spoke.

"Why?" Why would anyone want to live with Faith? Especially someone who knew what she'd done and what she was capable of? Kate seemed oblivious to Faith's shock.

"I'd like the company." She said simply, waiting for an answer. Faith couldn't detect any trace of sarcasm in her voice, and had to conclude that she was being serious. She did want Faith to live with her.

"You sure Angel won't mind?" Faith had already decided she didn't care if he did. She was going to move in with Kate until she could get a place of her own.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

As it turned out, Angel didn't really have much to say about it. After it became obvious that both women wanted it, and that they had no doubts, he simply said that his door was always open, and that was the end of it. Much to the relief of both Kate and Faith, although they hid it quite well from Angel, and from each other.

After saying their goodbyes to the rest of the gang, who were busying trying to work out the location of a vampire nest downtown, they left. Kate considered what food she had in her apartment, and realised that if she was going to have to go shopping. Hoping that the market was still open she did a u-turn, and started planning what she needed to buy.

"Uh, Kate?" Faith sounded confused. "You forget where you live or something?" Kate smiled and glanced at her passenger.

"I just remembered I have no food in the apartment. Thought it might be a good idea to stop at the market on the way." Faith nodded. "You have any preferences on what we should get?" Kate asked, realising she had no idea what Faith's tastes were. The brunette shrugged.

"I'll eat anything. Except cereal." She smiled to herself in anticipation. "I'm just looking forward to cooking something decent." She realised that Kate was giving her an odd look. "If you don't mind that is." she put in hurriedly, hoping she wasn't already assuming to much. To her relief the detective shook her head, and she was grinning now.

"I was just trying to picture you cooking." she teased.

"You don't think I can cook?" Faith said indignantly. "Well. I guess I'll just have to prove you wrong then." she said in a mock serious voice, although she was serious, and was hoping that she wasn't too out of practise. Funny thing about prison, they hadn't been that eager to let her work in the kitchen. She shook her head, and started planning what she would need.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

"So. Did I prove you wrong?" Faith watched as Kate tasted the chicken. From the surprised look on her face, she guessed that she had. Faith smiled, glad that the effort she had put into preparing the meal was worth it. She'd practically locked herself into the kitchen, ordering Kate to stay away. As she'd cooked some of the tension she'd been feeling since being let out faded away. Course, that could have had something to do with the wine she was drinking.

"This is excellent." Faith's smile got even wider, and she started eating her own meal, beaming proudly. Most of the meal passed in silence, but it was a comfortable silence. Faith took the opportunity to look around the apartment. It was just as she'd imagined it would be. Neat, uncluttered, organised. The detective had poor taste in music though. Right now they were listening to some woman power album.

While Faith looked around the apartment, Kate studied Faith. She couldn't help but admire how Faith's eyes sparkled in the candlelight. Kate had forgotten that she'd blown a fuse last week that left her without lights. She'd yet to get it fixed. When they were finally finished, and cleared the table Faith spoke.

"You have a great place."

"Thanks." Faith looked around suddenly, just realising something.

"Where's my bag?"

"I put it in your room." Kate pointed to the room at the end of the corridor. "That's you, right next to me, right across from the bathroom." Faith nodded, and yawned widely, then smiled sheepishly at Kate.

"Kinda beat. It's been a long day." Kate smiled. It certainly had been.

"It has been, hasn't it? Do you have something to sleep in, or do you want to borrow something?" Kate had noticed that the slayer didn't have much stuff of her own. She'd have to take her shopping tomorrow for some new clothes. Faith shrugged, all nonchalant.

"It's okay, I don't need anything."

"Are you sure?" Kate asked, concerned. Faith just nodded, grinning. For a second Kate didn't understand why she was grinning, until she remembered that Faith had told her once her reasons that prison sucked. One being that she preferred to sleep in the nude. She blushed, thinking about a naked Faith, then blushed even harder when she saw that Faith noticed. In response she gave the slayer a half-hearted shove, propelling her down the corridor.

"You better get some rest. You have a long day tomorrow." Faith smiled, then stopped, hand on the handle to her room. She looked at Kate, then at the floor, then at Kate again. Kate noticed this, and paused outside her room, waiting patiently. Faith looked down at the floor.

"Thank you." She said it so quietly Kate wasn't sure she had said anything at all. Before she could reply, Faith went into her room, shutting the door softly behind her. Kate stared at the door for a long moment, before going to bed herself.

*****
Part 2:

The next morning Faith went with Kate to see Angel. He insisted on having a few words with her, in private. Faith sat in his office, calmly meeting his gaze. She had an idea what this talk was going to be about.

"How are you?" He asked, genuine concern in his eyes. Faith shrugged.

"Five by five." He grinned slightly.

"How was your first night out?" Faith shrugged again. It had been pretty damn good. A good meal that she'd cooked herself, enough wine to make her pleasantly drowsy, and a real bed. It had almost been too much for her. She'd barely had the energy to strip off and climb under the covers before falling into a dreamless sleep.

"Okay." Not that she was gonna share that with him. He nodded at her answer.

"What are your plans for today?"

"Kate said something about taking me shopping." Faith shrugged once more, it was quickly becoming her favourite form of expression. When she didn't volunteer any more information Angel stood up. He had on what Faith had termed his `pensive face'. He wanted to ask something, and it didn't take a genius to figure out what.

"I don't know what I'm going to do Angel." He looked at her, surprised.

"How did-" Faith held up her hand.

"It was kinda obvious what you were going to ask. It's all I've been able to think about." Faith stopped, and lowered her gaze to the floor. Lots of hours thinking about life on the outside, but she still had no idea what she was going to do. She'd come to the conclusion that she was just going to `go with the flow' so to speak. "I'm not gonna decide right now. I can't." There was almost a hint of pleading in her voice, and she knew that Angel picked up on it. He paused, looking down at her thoughtfully. His face gave nothing away.

"You know that I'm always here for you, if you want to talk." Faith nodded, already knowing that she would ignore his offer. She wasn't much for heart to hearts. Especially not with someone whose heart didn't beat.

"I know." It was nice to know that he was there anyway. After a few minutes of sitting in silence Faith decided that she'd had enough brooding for one day. "I better go. I think Kate wants to hit the shops before they get busy."

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

"So what did you and Angel talk about?" Kate was waiting for Faith to emerge from the changing room, and was trying to get the slayer to talk. She'd barely said two words all morning.

"He wanted to know what I'm going to do now I'm out." Faith answered loudly. Kate nodded, she'd figured as much.

"So what are you going to do?" she asked as the door opened, and Faith stepped out.

"I don't know." Kate nodded, appraising the slayer. She was wearing tight black combats and a blood red shirt that emphasised all the right curves. Faith waited for Kate's approval.

Kate was wondering if she ever wore anything else. All the outfits she'd chosen where the same. Tight black pants, basic figure hugging tops. Kate nodded that she liked this combo. And just like all the others it looked good on her. Kate suspected that a burlap sack would look good on the slayer.

Faith smiled, and went back into the changing room. "So what are your plans for the rest of the day?" Kate shrugged, realised that the slayer couldn't see her.

"Angel wants me to check out a lead for a case. Shouldn't take to long." Faith emerged from the changing room carrying her choices. Kate eyed the collection, wondering how much it was going to cost her. "You finished, or do you want to get some more stuff?" She asked, hoping that she was finished. Angel didn't pay her enough to buy a large brand new wardrobe for the slayer. Thankfully Faith nodded.

"I'm done." They made their way to the counter, where Faith dumped it all in front of a harassed looking teenage boy. "So what's the lead?"

"I have to check out a warehouse on Devaro. There's been some reports of `gang activity' there. We think that's where they might be holed up." The boy rang up the bill, which wasn't as high as Kate had first thought, while Faith took the bags.

"Want some back-up?" Kate glanced at Faith.

"You sure?" She didn't want to push her into some action on her first day out. Faith nodded.

"I'm sure." They left the store, Kate eyeing Faith speculatively. "'Sides, if the lead turns out right, I don't want you going in alone." Faith didn't meet Kate's eyes as she mumbled the second part.

"Well, I wont be `going in'. I'm just checking it out." Faith shrugged, still not meeting Kate's gaze.

"Still. Anything could happen." Kate smiled, realising that Faith was worried about her.

"Well, as long as you're sure, it can't hurt to have someone watching my back. Actually, it'll be quite nice to have some back up for a change." Faith beamed, and Kate had to stop herself from laughing at the eager look on her face. "C'mon, lets get some lunch."

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

Faith studied the warehouse with an experienced eye. It was definitely home for some vamps. It looked as derelict as the ones it was squeezed between. Broken windows and old graffiti, rubbish strewn about nonchalantly. But Faith could see tiny differences.

Like how one of the doors looked in perfect working order, and how the small area around it was free of rubbish that was piled everywhere else. And how there were broken windows on almost every floor, except for the ground floor. There, all the windows were boarded up and barred. And none of the others gave her the creeps like this one was.

She could feel it, like an itch she couldn't scratch. Death filled that building, and Faith was desperate to go in there and wipe it out. She felt like her blood was screaming at her to commit some serious violence. Swallowing thickly she turned around and walked away from the edge of the roof, back to where Kate was standing.

"There's definitely some vamps holed up in there." She managed to force out, struggling to suppress the urge to kill something. Kate looked at her, concern showing clearly.

"Are you okay?" She asked stepping closer. Faith shut her eyes, and finally won her inner battle. She nodded slowly.

"Yeah. Just didn't realise how long it's been since I had a good slay." After a few deep breaths, she managed to open her eyes, to look directly into two pools of blue. Kate was standing a lot closer than she'd realised, and was watching Faith intently, concern showing in her eyes. She was so close that she could smell the perfume Kate was wearing, something light and floral. And now she felt a new surge of emotions that she couldn't even begin to identify.

"Do you need more info, or can we motor?" she asked in a weak voice. Kate stared at her for a few more seconds, trying to read how Faith really was. Whatever she saw, she backed off a little, giving Faith the space she wanted.

"I think we've got enough for now. If Angel wants any more, he can come out here himself." She said forcefully. Faith let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

It wasn't until they were back in the car and driving away that Faith realised just how much the situation had gotten to her, and she turned to look out of the window, face blank and eyes dark. Slaying hadn't been an issue in jail, no vampires or demons to get her blood up, but now she was free the urge to go out there and whoop some undead ass was back in full force. And for the first time she wasn't sure if she could do it.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

After dropping Faith back at the apartment she headed on to Angel's, to tell him about the warehouse. She hadn't made up her mind about telling him Faith's reaction at the warehouse. She was worried about the young slayer. The drive back had been completed in total silence, with Faith only responding with a grunt when Kate had dropped her off and told her she would be back soon. It was as if she wasn't really there at all. When Kate had gotten a good look at her, the young woman's eyes gave nothing away as to what was really going through that beautiful head of hers.

Wait a second. Beautiful? Kate pondered that, parking the car on the street. Yes, Faith was an attractive young woman, and Kate had found herself thinking about her constantly these past few days, but that was just because she was living with her, right? Right? After a few more minutes of pondering Kate shook her head, and decided to think about it later.

"Hey Cordelia, Angel in?" The actress/seer looked up, a distracted look on her face, and waved a hand in the general direction of the garden. Kate took that as a yes, and headed to the garden. Angel greeted her with a tiny smile, a mere lifting of his usual frown. She smiled back, very briefly and made her way over to sit on the bench beside him.

"I checked out the warehouse." She never bothered with small talk, preferring to get right down to work.

"And?" He looked at her expectantly.

"It's definitely a nest." He nodded like that was there answer he expected.

"How many?" Kate looked away. Usually she got close enough to get a rough estimate on the odds, but she'd been so worried about Faith that she'd left without her usual look around.

"I don't know, I didn't get close enough to find out." When she looked up she saw Angel staring at her, waiting for her to explain. "Faith could sense the vampires. Since she was tired I decided to take her back to the apartment so she could rest." She lied, not looking Angel in the face.

"How is she?"

"Alright. It's gonna take her a few days to adjust though." Angel just nodded, again looking like that was the answer he expected. Kate really hated that look sometimes. Biting her lip, she shook her head, and turned the conversation back to work.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

When Kate eventually got back to the apartment she was surprised to find Faith in the kitchen, cooking dinner. It must have showed because Faith shrugged.

"I like to cook." was all she said, and Kate nodded mutely. She wasn't complaining because Kate didn't like to cook. If she didn't need to eat, she wouldn't cook at all. "How was work?" Faith asked, pouring a glass of wine and handing it to Kate, who accepted it gratefully.

"Better than usual. No demons to kill today." She said, leaning against the counter and watching Faith check on what was no doubt another delicious meal. "Unfortunately I had to listen to Cordelia and Wesley bicker all afternoon. As usual." Faith threw a grin at Kate, who was scowling at the thought of having to put up with it for four more hours. She was surprised that they could go on for that long without taking a break.

"Aw, poor detective had to baby-sit the kids by herself?" she teased lightly, as Kate just shook her head.

"That smells delicious." she said, taking in a deep breath and savouring the aroma of fish and herbs.

"It'll be ready in ten minutes." It struck Kate how ridiculously domestic the whole scene was, and she had to smile. Who would ever believe that Faith could be domestic? Or her for that matter. "What are you smiling at?" Faith asked suspiciously.

"Nothing. Need a hand?" Faith waved her away.

"I got it covered. You go and relax." Kate did as ordered, sinking into the couch and flicking on the tv. As she waited for Faith to announce that dinner was ready she thought about what had happened earlier in the day. Trying to decide if she should bring it up, or let it lie. She didn't want to push Faith one day after release, but she didn't want her to feel she couldn't talk either. With a sigh, and a large swallow of wine, she decided to follow Faith's lead.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

"So did Angel say anything about you taking me to the warehouse?" Faith had been wondering what the big guy would think about her helping out Kate. They were both sitting on the couch, watching tv and relaxing.

"He didn't say anything about it. Just asked how you were doing." Kate answered, watching Faith fidget beside her.

"And how did you answer?" Faith asked quietly, not looking at Kate.

"I said you were okay, slowly adjusting to life on the outside." Kate replied after a long silence. Faith sighed with relief, glad that she hadn't mentioned Faith's weird behaviour on the roof. They sat in silence for a few more minutes, pretending to watch the tv, sipping their wine, before Kate broke the silence.

"What are you planning on doing tomorrow?" she asked, turning to face Faith, who shrugged.

"Don't know. Might walk around for a bit, get to know the city. Or at least the neighbourhood." she added with a grin. Kate grinned back, glad to see her mood had improved.

"Well, I have some work to do tomorrow, but if you want we can meet for lunch." she suggested. Faith smiled.

"I'd like that. But only if you're buying. I don't have any money." And wasn't that the truth. She didn't have a dime to her name, hadn't for a long time now. She really had to get a job. She couldn't live off Kate forever.

"Sure." Thankfully Kate didn't press her on the money issue, for which Faith was grateful. She'd forgotten how perceptive the detective could be.

"Where do you want to meet then?" Kate immediately reviewed the best places to go for lunch, then realised the point was kind of moot. The slayer didn't know the town yet.

"How about you meet me at Angel's, and we can go from there." Faith nodded slowly.

"Noon sound good?" Kate nodded, noon sounded great. This time when they sat watching the tv the silence was more relaxed, and there was no need to fill the silence with meaningless chatter.

It was still early when Faith started to get tired, and she trudged off to bed, tossing a mumbled `good night' back at Kate, who was engrossed in the crime show they had been watching. Jail had really changed her sleeping patterns, and she couldn't wait to get back into the rhythm she had before, she thought, stripping off and sliding under the sheets.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

Faith woke up just past three am, well, she bolted upright, eyes wide, barely containing the scream that threatened to erupt, shaking like a leaf. Sweat was pouring off her, and her heart was doing it's best impression of a steam locomotive. For a few panicked seconds she didn't know where she was, then it all came flooding back to her.

She was safe. In Kate's apartment. Alone. She tucked her knees up under her chin, closing her eyes and taking deep, calming breathes. Well, trying to take deep calming breathes. She was still a little shaky after the nightmare, and it was hard to relax.

Five minutes later she had calmed down enough to be angry that the nightmare had come back. It was a familiar one, that came back to haunt her most nights. She still didn't know for sure what it was about, and she didn't want to either. Every time she had it she woke up scared shitless, and had no compulsion to find out why. She had her suspicions though, and they all started with `B'.

With a sigh she realised she wasn't getting any more sleep that night. Getting up, she pulled on a robe that Kate had given her, and headed into the living room. The apartment was dark, but Faith navigated the furniture with ease, thanking her slayer senses for enhanced night vision. She didn't have to worry about stubbing a toe or knocking a shin like most mortals.

After a few minutes of searching, she was rewarded with the remote, and switched on the tv, settling down to watch late night horror movies. They always cheered her up.

*****
Part 3:

That was how Kate found her the next morning after showering and getting dressed. The slayer was giggling, watching cartoons. She could tell that she had been awake a while from the fact that she was completely alert and overwhelmingly chipper. Kate just growled something when Faith handed her a coffee, nice and strong.

"Well, I'm glad one of us is chipper." she commented sarcastically as Faith started preparing breakfast for them both. Faith handily ignored the comment, concentrating on the eggs and bacon. After finishing her first cup of coffee, Kate felt more like a human, and turned her attention to Faith. "So how did you sleep?"

"Alright." Faith placed a plate of food in front of Kate, and started tucking into her own, not meeting Kate's eyes. She knew the young woman was lying, but played along.

"Never figured you for a morning person." she commented, almost offhand. Faith shrugged, continued eating.

"I just woke up early today."

"How early?" Kate tried to keep her tone light.

"Couple hours ago." she said, meeting Kate's eyes for the first time. She saw the challenge in them, daring Kate to contradict her. Wisely, Kate backed down.

"Thanks for making breakfast." Faith ducked her head, and Kate could swear she was blushing.

"I like cooking. Besides, it's the most important meal of the day." She mock protested. Kate grinned.

"I could get used to this. Having all my meals cooked for me I mean." she hurriedly added. Faith definitely blushed this time, and Kate decided to stop teasing her. They finished breakfast in silence, listening to the morning news. Half eight rolled around much too quick for Kate's liking, and she groaned.

"I have to go. Don't want to be late for work." Faith relaxed, and sat back.

"Still want to meet for lunch?" Kate nodded, draining her coffee and grabbed her jacket from the hook by the door. She pulled the door open, then glanced back at Faith, who was watching her from the couch.

"See you at noon." She smiled brightly before shutting the door.

Once she was gone Faith was at a loss what to do. She knew she had told the detective that she was going to wander around and get to know the city, but she didn't want to do that. She was too edgy to wander aimlessly.

Despite having only had three and a half hours sleep, she was full of energy. After a few minutes watching the news, she decided to try and find somewhere to train. She really needed to take the edge off, and since it was too early for patrol, she needed to try another kind of workout. With that decided she quickly cleaned the breakfast dishes, showered and changed into something more appropriate for going outside than a robe.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

Faith strolled nonchalantly into Angel's knowing full well that she was a half hour late.

"Hey guys. What's happening?" she asked casually, leaning against a pillar and looking them over. Wesley and Cordelia looked up from the computer they were staring at when she spoke. Wesley looked almost disappointed to see her, and Cordelia just looked annoyed that she had been interrupted.

"Where have you been?" And that would be Kate. She glanced over at the blonde, and immediately felt guilty for being late. Kate looked pissed off, but beneath that Faith could detect worry. For her? Maybe.

"Sorry. Got a little lost on my way here." she quickly explained, giving the detective her most apologetic look. It obviously worked, because her eyes softened as she walked closer to Faith.

"Well, you're here now. Ready to eat?" Faith smiled, glad Kate wasn't to pissed at her.

"Always." she replied, traditional smirk plastered on her face now. She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively for good measure, briefly considering a few dirty ways to interpret that. She was pleasantly surprised when Kate blushed, presumably thinking the same thing she was.

"Let's go then." As they walked out Faith wondered, not for the first time, just what team Kate played for. Eyeing the detective's ass on the way out, she hoped it was for the home team. Lunch went more smoothly. Kate talked about work, and Faith told her about the boxing gym she had found three blocks from the apartment. Just barely on the right side of legal, it was rough, dangerous and full of `unsavoury characters'. In other words it was perfect for her.

"The owner's not too bad though. He was a little wary at first, but he agreed that I could train there with the guys after I proved myself in the ring." Kate looked up, startled.

"You had a fight?" Faith nodded. Kate looked her over carefully, probably looking for signs of injury. Faith couldn't deny the little thrill that went through her at the attention though. "Well, I assume you won."

"Barely had to break a sweat." Faith said smugly. Kate just rolled her eyes.

"Well, as you're feeling so cocky, maybe you'd like to join us this afternoon when we take out the nest." For a second her words didn't register, but when they did Faith's eyes widened, and she felt a bolt of terror run through her.

"What?" she squeaked out. Yes, squeaked. Kate immediately frowned, confusion in her eyes.

"Yeah. Thought you might like some action." Faith's overactive imagination threw up images of the last kind of action she'd had, with Angel before jail, and how badly she'd freaked out then.

"Uh. . ." she couldn't think of anything to say. Kate reached across the table and grasped one of her hands, immediately bringing her back to reality.

"Hey." she spoke softly, leaning across slightly to look Faith in the eyes. "You don't have to. It was just a thought." Faith looked down, unable to meet the detective's gaze. She didn't say anything. "No-one expects anything from you. If you don't want to slay straight away, you don't have to." Still Faith was silent, trying to sort out what she wanted. She ventured a glance up. Kate was still looking at her worried.

"I think I'd like to train for a bit first. I'm a little out of practice." she offered weakly. Kate nodded in understanding.

"Of course. I didn't mean to push you." Faith smiled slightly.

"Nah. It's cool. I can understand you guys wanting a slayer on your side. Takes all the hard work out of it." Kate grinned slightly.

"Something like that." she admitted wryly. Faith realised that Kate was still holding her hand, but instead of pulling it away she left it there. She liked the contact. They continued to gaze into each others eyes, until Kate's pager went off, breaking the moment. They both looked away, embarrassed and not knowing why. When Kate saw who it was she cursed.

"Damn. I have to get back to the office." She looked back up at Faith, who was staring at her plate, face unreadable again. "I'll be home by seven, okay?" she said. Faith looked up, and smirked.

"Want me to cook something?" Kate grinned.

"Only if you want to." she replied. From the glint in Faith's eyes she was cooking again.

"Call me if you're gonna be late." she said, more serious. Kate nodded.

"Of course." She dropped a couple of bills on the table to cover the tab and left Faith sitting there, watching her go.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

That afternoon Faith was down at the gym. She had a whole lot of energy that she needed to burn off in the worst way. Currently she was pummelling one of the bags, ignoring the looks most of the guys were giving her. She had gotten used to working out alone while in prison, and even more used to ignoring the looks everyone would give her, guards included.

What she really wanted was to get in the ring and fight, but didn't want to risk it. As worked up as she was she might forget to pull a punch. Then someone might get hurt. And if there was one thing she learned in prison, it was control. Or at least enough to recognise the dangers of a fight right now. She grunted, giving the bag one last left hook, before stopping.

"Alright. Who do I have to beat to get your respect?" She asked, looking over the men, and boys, who were staring. Fuck control, she wanted a fight. The men all exchanged glances, and she noticed the owner in the back corner, watching the floor with an expectant look on his face. After some silent conferring, one of the men stepped forward.

"That would be me." He stated calmly. Faith sized him up, and smiled. This was going to be fun.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

That night Kate came home to find the apartment cleaner than the day she'd moved in. Limping to the back, she found Faith making dinner.

"Hey honey, I'm home." she said, smirking. Faith turned round, ready to deliver some kind of stinging remark, but stopped when she got a look at Kate. Cleaning out the nest had been a little harder than predicted, and she'd twisted her ankle. Kate suspected that the paleness of Faith's face was due to the fact that she was covered in blood.

"What. . .?" Kate shook her head, and sat down at the table.

"It's not my blood. I just twisted my ankle, that's all." Faith didn't look any reassured, running her eyes over the detective to find injuries. "Can you get me some aspirin? Cupboard on the far left." she pointed behind Faith, who quickly got her the aspirin and a glass of water. Kate took a few pills, finishing the water. Just because the blood wasn't hers didn't mean she wasn't in pain.

"What happened?" Faith asked softly, gently easing Kate's boot off. Kate shrugged.

"We hit the warehouse right after lunch. Unfortunately the nest was awake. We think they were planning an attack on some big party downtown. Just a case of bad timing." She found herself marvelling at Faith's soft touch. Her sock was off without her realising it, and now she was wrapping the foot in a bandage Kate was sure she didn't have.

"Or good timing. If you'd hit any later they might not have been there. Or they would have been fully psyched, in fight mode." Faith didn't look up from her task, explaining what she knew. "A psyched vampire is a hell of a lot harder to kill than a startled one." she finished off, tying off the end of the bandage. Finally she looked up, and the concern in her eyes caught Kate off guard. "You need to ice this to keep the swelling down, and you should rest it for at least a day." Kate simply nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Faith smiled slightly, then stood up and picked Kate up.

"What are -"

"Sssh." Faith cut her off, cradling her gently in deceptively strong arms. "I'm gonna carry you to the living room. Easier than limping, and more dignified than hopping." she said, a twinkle in her eyes. Kate nodded mutely, relaxing into the strong arms and allowed Faith to carry her to the couch, where she was gently deposited. "Now stay there while I get some ice."

She disappeared back into the kitchen. While she was gone Kate switched the tv on, turning it down low. It was just as Faith was coming back with some ice wrapped in a towel and a glass of wine that she noticed something else.

"Hey, you got the lights fixed." She exclaimed. Faith shrugged nonchalantly, handing Kate the improvised ice pack.

"It was a pretty easy fix." Kate sat back, relishing how soothing the ice was on her ankle.

"I didn't know you knew anything about wiring."

"Attended a few classes in prison when I was bored." Faith said quietly, and Kate decided not to question her about it, although she was curious. Faith had never mentioned anything about taking classes in prison before, and her records didn't show any diploma's.

The rest of the night Faith spent pampering Kate, refusing to let her do anything. Kate enjoyed the attention, joking to Faith that she would have made a very good nurse. Faith had blushed at the compliment, not meeting Kate's eyes as she shrugged it off. Kate found the whole display very cute, but chose not to say that to her.

Faith even managed to extract a promise that Kate was going to catch up on her paperwork tomorrow instead of anything physical. She'd tried to convince her to stay home, but Kate knew she had too much paperwork to catch up on, and now was a good a time as any to do it. Who knew that Angel was so strict about record keeping? Eventually Kate started to feel drowsy, from the wine and the painkillers, so Faith carried her to her bedroom. Placing her gently on the bed she made sure Kate had everything she would need close by.

"G'night Kate." she said softly before closing the door and heading back to the living room. A minute later she heard the tv volume lower, and smiled at the young woman's considerate nature before getting ready for bed and crawling under the sheets.

"Goodnight Faith." she whispered to the dark room, before falling into a deep sleep.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

Over the next couple of days, they established a tentative routine. Faith would wake up first, usually at three or four o'clock, then make breakfast for the two of them before Kate had to go to work. Since Faith had banned Kate from `active duty', she would meet Kate for lunch, usually bringing something with her that they could share.

Then in the afternoon Faith would train at the gym for a few intensive hours before taking off to clean the apartment and cook dinner. By the end of the week she had realised that she would need a job. Kate couldn't afford to feed the both of them, especially given how much Faith liked to, no needed to eat.

She had also realised that she needed to get back into slaying. She was as fit and ready as she was going to get, no matter how much training she did. Which led to her sneaking glances at Kate over dinner, trying to work out what to say, and how to say it. She was nervous as hell. Kate finally noticed.

"Alright. What's bothering you?" She asked when they had finished eating and were sitting drinking the wine. Faith immediately had second thoughts.

"Nothing. Nothing's bothering me. Why would you think something was bothering me?" She winced when she finished speaking. Yeah, that was smooth. Nothing wrong with you at all, she thought to herself angrily. Kate merely hiked an eyebrow. Faith sighed, knowing she was busted. She decided just to come right out and say it.

"I'm going patrolling. Tonight." Kate nodded slowly. Faith continued. "Alone." Kate nearly choked, spluttering for breath as Faith jumped up to try and help her. After a minute Kate was no longer red in the face. Faith continued to rub her lower back softly, hardly aware she was doing it. Kate turned to look Faith in the eyes.

"Alone?" Faith nodded, steeling herself for the protests. To her surprise, there were none. Kate just looked at her, face unreadable, before pouring herself another glass of wine. "Well, if that's what you want." was all she said. Faith frowned, confused. She had been sure there would be more of a protest.

"Aren't you going to argue?" She asked, a little upset that she didn't, although she hid that well. Kate leaned into Faith's hand, which had stopped rubbing, and was resting on her back, catching Faith's eye.

"Would it matter?" She asked, in a tone that belied that she knew the answer. Faith shrugged, slightly embarrassed that she was so obvious. No-one could read her as well as Kate could.

"No."

"Then I'm not going to argue." Faith grinned slightly.

"I'll just do a quick patrol. I'll be back by midnight." She promised. Kate nodded, then looked at the table of dirty dishes.

"I just got landed with clean-up, didn't I?" she asked in a mock serious voice. Faith nodded solemnly, a glint in her eye. Kate sighed dramatically. "Well, go on then. Patrol." Faith smiled, standing up. She had prepared a few stakes earlier, once she had decided to go out on patrol, and all she had to do was pick up her jacket and she was ready to go.

"I'll be back soon." She called out to Kate, who was in the kitchen as she opened the front door. Kate come out of the kitchen, drying her hands on a towel.

"Be careful, okay? Watch your back." she said. Faith nodded, putting a huge shit-eating grin on her face.

"It's the vamps that better watch their backs tonight." She said cockily. Kate rolled her eyes at Faith's bravado.

"Just try not to get killed, alright?" Faith nodded, face serious before leaving, closing the door softly behind her.

*****