The bus rolled into the station, and even before it stopped people began jostling in the aisles, pulling down bags and coordinating themselves. Curled up in herself, Faith leaned against the window, head turned towards it without really seeing out it. She made no move to reach down for her own bag, not caring to join the commotion in the aisle. She could hardly stand the thought of people right now. In fact, there was only one person she wanted to see. She was a little nervous. She'd called ahead during a dinner break in some bumfuck midwestern state the night before last, but only got an answering machine. She'd hung up, then screwed her courage to the sticking place and called back immediately to leave a short message with just her name (as if they wouldn't recognize her voice) and the arrival time of her bus. She hadn't called again, so she didn't even know if anyone would be there for her.

The other passengers had disembarked, so Faith finally roused herself. Coming down the steps, she was almost afraid to look around, afraid of what she might not see.

But when she raised her eyes, she saw the blonde hair at once.

Buffy came over with a smile. "I was about to give up!" she said. "Thought maybe I got the wrong day."

"No," Faith said. Suddenly unable to say all the things she'd practiced in her head during the four day cross-country journey, she fell back on stating the obvious: "I'm here."

Buffy smiled again, circumventing the potential awkward pause. "I thought we could go back to my house, then maybe patrol later if you want?"

"That okay with Joyce?" Faith asked, just to make sure.

Buffy's face crumpled for the merest fraction of a second before she pulled herself together. "Faith... my mom, she - she passed away a couple of months ago."

"Shit, B. - I'm sorry," Faith said sincerely, recovering from the shocking news.

"It's okay. You didn't know," Buffy replied easily.

"I'm sorry about your mom," Faith clarified. ~Damn, what kind of coldblooded bitch reputation do I have, that she wouldn't think I'd offer my sympathies?~

"Thanks," Buffy said softly, then: "Do you need to use the restroom before we go or anything?"

"No, I'm good." Faith shouldered her bag as Buffy nodded, and they set off towards the Summers residence.

They were a few blocks away from home when a female voice stopped them in their tracks.

"Well, well, well. Who do we have here? Or should I say *what*?"

They turned to find a beautiful and fashionably dressed young woman, flipping her curly blonde hair behind her shoulders. Buffy automatically put her arm out in front of Faith the way a driver does when she has to make an abrupt stop and wants to protect her passenger. She took a stop forward to get Faith behind her. At first Faith was resentful, but then it hit her and she was moved: Buffy thought she was worth protecting.

"She's not the one," Buffy told Glory.

"Of course she's not," Glory smirked agreeably. Almost quicker than either Slayer's eyes could follow, Glory closed in and struck a seemingly careless blow to Buffy's head with such nonchalant force that it sent her sprawling hard into the street. Still smiling, she turned to Faith, who had dropped her bag and pulled into a defensive stance. They looked each other up and down as Buffy slowly got to her feet. The blonde Slayer gathered herself for a moment before charging at the hell goddess, going down with her in a tackle. They rolled over each other a couple of times before Glory got the advantage, straddling Buffy and pulling her up by the hair only to slam her head into the pavement.

"Run, Faith!"

And run Faith did. Adrenaline pumping from the first fight she'd been in for a couple of month, she ran into the street and heaved up the first manhole cover she found, spun back to combatants, and attempted to dash Glory's brains out.

"Ow!" Glory exclaimed, relinquishing her hold on Buffy to rub the back of her head. "Hey!" When she turned towards the source of the blow, Faith walloped her in the face, driving her off of Buffy. She followed up, swiftly forcing her opponent to a prone position and bludgeoning her again. Faith dropped the manhole cover on Glory's bloodied head, whirled to Buffy, grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet in one smooth movement; without any further urging and sparing only an occasional backwards glance, they took off at a full run for several blocks.

"You want to tell me what that was all about?" Faith asked as they finally slowed to a walk when they reached Buffy's street.

"No," Buffy replied. It was complicated, too many people already knew, and besides she didn't want to embroil Faith in her problems. Almost accusingly, she said, "I told you to run."

"I don't run from fights, B." ~No, just from my life,~ she thought with a modicum of disgust, then resolved, ~But I'm done running now.~ "I'm just as strong as you."

Buffy was silent for such a long moment that Faith didn't think she was going to respond. But then she said quietly, "Stronger, I think."

Now it was Faith's turn to be silent. So they walked on in silence until Buffy finally said with the kind of casualness that comes with much forethought, "I talked to Riley."

Out of the corner of her eye, Faith could see Buffy looking at her but she kept her own eyes straight ahead. "Uh huh."

"He was worried about you."

"Yeah, I know," Faith said. "I mean, I figured he would be." They walked on for another few moments before Faith asked, still not looking at Buffy, "Did he tell you what happened?"

"A little," Buffy acknowledged.

Faith looked at her now. "Did he tell you about how I fell all to pieces while he was a fucking rock?"

"He told me you protected him," Buffy said truthfully.

They were at the front door now, and as Buffy inserted the key in the lock Faith suddenly said, "Thank you."

"For what?" Buffy asked, turning the key and letting them in.

Shutting the door behind her, Faith replied simply, "The dream," dispensing with unnecessary details, sure Buffy knew what she meant.

Buffy blushed, confirming it. "I didn't do anything."

"Yes, you did."

"Hey, I should do something about this," Buffy said, touching the back of her head for the first time, feeling the clotting blood from where Glory had cracked her open.

"You need any help?" Faith offered.

"No, I got it, thanks," Buffy replied. "I'll be back in a sec. Just make yourself comfortable, you know your way around, right?"

"Sure," Faith replied. While Buffy went to dress her injury, ~In the back of your head? Good luck doing it alone, but whatever~, Faith wandered into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water and stood looking out the back door, watching for what, she didn't know.

"Are you hungry?" Buffy asked when she entered a few minutes later.

"I could eat," Faith said, shutting the door. Buffy produced a four cheese pizza from the freezer. Hopping up on the counter while Buffy put the pizza in, Faith asked, "Where's little sister?"

"Dawn's staying with Willow and Tara for a few days," Buffy said, straightening up as she shut the oven door. She set the timer to fifteen minutes and then turned to Faith. "I thought you might not want to see anyone."

"I don't mind Dawnie," Faith said.

"Yeah," Buffy agreed, remembering how Faith and Dawn had liked to gang up on her in the good ol' days... except, of course, that had never happened. "Well, I just - I wanted to be here for you. For, whatever you need. To give you my undivided attention." Buffy grinned to belie the seriousness she felt.

But Faith looked away. "How can you be like this, B.? I tried to kill Angel. I tried to destroy you."

Buffy came over and sat next to Faith, her left leg dangling straight down over the edge of the counter, the right folded under her so she could face the other girl. "It's called forgiveness, Faith." Buffy leaned forward to hug her, and though Faith didn't hug back, neither did she pull away or stiffen. Buffy sat back. This somehow felt so right, just hanging out, the comforting scent of cheese and tomato and bread wafting over them. She felt oddly relaxed in Faith's company, and laughed at herself internally for all the anxiety she'd had in anticipation of this visit.

From this time, unchained, We're all looking at a different picture, Through this new frame of mind, A thousand flowers could bloom, Move over, and give us some room. Just take a little look From [my] side when you can, Sow a little tenderness, No matter if you cry.

Buffy had been thinking about what she wanted to say to Faith ever since she'd listened to the answering machine message. She'd been thinking about it for longer than that, really, ever since Faith had come to her in a dream and told her how to defeat the Mayor. But it was only since hearing Faith's voice on the machine that she'd become preoccupied.

What Faith had done, after they'd gotten so close, after she had let Faith inside, let Faith see parts of her she couldn't show anyone, hadn't even acknowledged in herself - when Faith had betrayed and abandoned her, it had closed off a part of Buffy; it had made her afraid to let anyone in again. But she'd let Faith down, too; she'd betrayed and abandoned Faith, too. Thinking back on things, as she did often and more so since Faith's call, Buffy didn't know which of them had done it first. And maybe it didn't matter anymore. Maybe all that mattered was getting each other past that damage, getting past it together. Buffy had been moved, but somehow not surprised that Faith had come to her first; that of all the places in the world she could go, Faith had wanted to come to Sunnydale, to Buffy. There was a reason for it. There was something unfinished between them; or maybe it was unstarted....

"I just don't want to be a burden to you, B.," Faith interrupted her musings, eyes downcast. "Like everyone else is."

"You're not like everyone else, Faith," Buffy replied. She took a deep breath. Yes, there was something between them since before they'd met and all during the time they'd been apart. "The thing is, we're Slayers. And that makes us more than friends. We're more than sisters. We're a part of each other. We're closerthanthis," she said, smiling and holding up her entwined index and middle fingers.

Looking at her now, Faith said, "I know which finger I am," and Buffy laughed.

"I'm serious, though, Faith. There's a word for it in Gaelic. 'Anmchara.' It means soul-friend."

"Soul-friend?" Faith repeated questioningly. "Like your soul-mate?"

"Like your non-sexy soul-mate," Buffy clarified. "Not that you aren't sexy," she added, not having meant to insult the other girl - but that didn't come out right, either. Before she could choke on the foot in her mouth, the pizza timer went off.

"Saved by the bell," Faith grinned, and Buffy returned the smile as she grabbed an oven mitt and went over to pull out the pizza. "So, Gaelic, huh?"

Buffy set the tray down on the stove top to cool for a few minutes; Slayer healing powers or not, she wasn't into having scalded strips of flesh hanging down from the roof of her mouth. "Yeah. Angel used it once, so I looked it up. Well, Will looked it up." When Faith didn't comment, Buffy added, "It was wrong, though. Angel and I, we have something special... but that's not what it was. I know that now." She looked directly at Faith. "There's a lot I know now that I wish I'd figured out then. Maybe things would have been different if." She stopped and returned to Faith's original comment. "You're not a burden, Faith. I wish - I wish I'd been able to help you more. I don't know what happened in Las Vegas, Riley didn't tell me. I know it was something terrible that got dragged up for you. I mean, I had these dreams...." She stopped once more, and Faith regarded her with quietly watchful eyes. "I'm proud of you for coming through it." Buffy sighed, frustrated with herself. ~Good one, Buffy. What are you, her mother?~ She spoke haltingly: "Look, I know I wasn't there for you like I should have been, but - if anything like that should ever happen again, just hold on no matter what, because I'll come for you." Faith started to shake her head, but Buffy said, "Faith, what is the one thing about me that drives you crazy? Come on."

Reluctantly, Faith said, "The whole, the -" She gestured helplessly, unable to find the right words.

Buffy finished for her, suggesting, "The Buffiness of me?" Faith gave her a small smile and nodded. "That means that I'm always right, I always win - and I always keep my word. So Faith, I *will* come for you. I will always come for you."

"OK," Faith said. She looked beyond Buffy at the cooling pizza. "That looks good." Her stomach rumbled in agreement and they both grinned.

+++

The most surprising thing about the companionable pattern they fell into over the next few days was how little it surprised either of them. It felt right, somehow. It felt like they were friends. And it didn't feel fake. It felt nice.

That first night, they ate pizza and drank coke. They watched Keanu videos. When Keanu exclaimed "fuck me" over the bomb in "Speed," Buffy said, "Hell, yeah," and Faith said "Anytime, anywhere, baby." They giggled. They popped popcorn and watched more videos.

As Bill and Ted were kicking the Reaper's ass at Battleship!, they caught each other yawning. Giggling, they decided to turn in for the night and Buffy walked Faith to Dawn's room.

"If you need anything during the night, just come and knock, on my mom's door. I know; I know it's weird, I just - sometimes I just like to sleep in there."

"It's not weird, B.," Faith reassured her. Then, tilting her head, she asked hesitantly, "Do you think I could sleep in there with you? I sort of don't want to be alone tonight...."

Buffy smiled. "Yeah." Buffy changed into her pj's, and lent Faith a pair as her bag had been left behind during the confrontation with Glory ("No worries," Faith had said when they realized it. "Nothing important in there anyhow"), and they climbed into bed.

They shared the bed comfortably, that night and for several nights afterwards. Neither one of them snored or hogged the covers, and amazingly to each of them, neither one suffered from bad dreams for the first time in months. They started out on their own sides each night, but morning after morning they awakened curled against each other, back-to-back. ("No worries, B. - I always said I got your back," Faith said that first morning, dispelling any discomfort they felt at the unexpected contact with her easy grin.)

When they weren't in bed at night, they patrolled. They ran into trouble, though Glory was nowhere in sight. They fought side-by-side. They had each other's backs in every battle. They slayed. They felt alive.

But it wasn't all work at night: sometimes they'd stay in and sometimes they'd go to the Bronze and once they even went to the movies. Sometimes they talked and sometimes they were quiet, and they were always together.

They didn't just feel like friends. They *were* friends.

During the day, Buffy would go to the Magic Box or to Giles' apartment to take care of work, and Faith would go with her. There was something big going on that Buffy didn't want to tell Faith about. Something, Faith suspected, having to do with that bitch they'd encountered the first night. It was the only time they came close to fighting. But when Buffy said, "I have my reasons. Please trust me, Faith," she found that she *did* trust Buffy, and accepted it. "If you really want to help, you could look after Dawn maybe?"

"Sure thing, B."

So Faith mostly stayed out of the Scoobies' way, spending time with Dawnie instead. Dawn was a great kid, and Faith unaccountably started to feel extremely protective of her. Maybe it was Joyce being gone and the kid needing someone else in her life - not that Buffy was in any way inadequate or neglectful. But somehow Faith felt like she was filling a void. She felt needed. She felt good - even if she wasn't a part of the gang.

But the thing was, even though she wasn't in on their big plans, somehow she *was* a part of the gang. Giles, good ol' reliable Giles was the first one to welcome her back, the first time she went to the Magic Box with Buffy. "Welcome back, Faith," he said in that proper English voice. Xander was next, and it took him until the third day. "I don't know what's going on between you and Buffy-" he started, and she'd interrupted that nothing was going on, but he'd held his hand up and continued, "I don't know what's going on, and I don't care. Just keep doing it, whatever it is. Because she hasn't been like this in *months*." Faith asked, "Like what?" and Xander hadn't hesitated at all when he said, "Happy."

Willow was the hardest to win over. Faith knew she would be, and she didn't blame Red one bit. She actually got on okay with Tara, but Faith and Willow mainly just stayed out of each other's way.

Then one afternoon, with a little discreet prodding from Tara, Willow invited Buffy and Faith over for a "Girls Night In" at their apartment that evening, just the four of them. Dawn would stay with Xander and Anya. At first Anya pouted about being left out - "It's for girls, and I'm a girl!" - but when Xander promised that there would be ice cream for dinner and sex for dessert (the last out of Dawn's hearing), the pouting turned to beaming.

Buffy and Faith arrived with bags of chips and candy at the appointed hour, and Tara greeted them at the door. They got off to a rocky start initially when Willow wanted to watch "Titanic."

"Eww, no!" Faith exclaimed. When Willow wanted to know what was wrong with "Titanic," Faith wasn't sure where to begin and finally settled for the obvious: "One word - Leo."

"I gotta go with Faith on this one, Will," Buffy agreed apologetically.

"Oh, but Kate!" Willow and Tara countered simultaneously. So after some discussion, they chose "Heavenly Creatures," which neither Slayer had ever seen. By the end of, Faith was so into Kate Winslet herself, she admitted she was almost willing to give "Titanic" a try. "Almost," she clarified with emphasis, and they all grinned.

And so the evening went on, with give and take, junk food and Thai food and movies and music and Tarot card readings and toenail painting and chatting and laughing. And finally, when Faith went into the kitchen to get another strawberry lemonade, she came back with a peach ice tea for Willow that the red-headed witch hadn't even asked for. Their fingers brushed lightly as the bottle passed from one to the other - and in Willow's smile of thanks, her mouth and eyes far softer than they had ever been when turned on Faith, there was acceptance.

+++

When she climbed into bed with Buffy that night, Faith remarked, "Willow and Tara are really sweet together. They seem good for each other."

"Yeah," Buffy agreed. "It looks like the real deal."

"You ever get curious about it, B.?" Faith asked, turning out the light and settling on her side facing Buffy. "About being with a girl?

"Yeah," Buffy said, mildly surprised by how easily the confession came. "Ever since I found out about them, I guess I have been."

"You ever do anything about it?"

"No," Buffy said, and kissed Faith softly.

Faith parted her lips as Buffy's brushed hers, her tongue flicking out to probe Buffy's lips. When Buffy opened to her, Faith slipped her tongue over the other girl's lips and teeth, felt Buffy's tongue slipping inside her own mouth, their lips pressed together; and when a cooing sigh went from Buffy's throat to Faith's ear, Faith moved into her, wrapping her arms around Buffy and pulling her slight frame close.

When their first kiss broke, hands tangled in each other's hair, Buffy whispered, "Have you done this before?"

"Yeah," Faith murmurmed with a smile barely visible in the moonlight cascading through the window. ~Of course~, Buffy thought, recalling a comment of Willow's, ~She was built to do this.~ Buffy smiled in return, her fingers stroking through Faith's hair, following the long strands down her back, reaching for the hem of her pajama top. "I always wanted to do this with you," Faith continued. Buffy's hand stopped moving in momentary surprise, but she didn't take it away. "You had to know that."

"I didn't," Buffy said. She couldn't believe she'd been so oblivious... but it made so much sense to her now. And yes, it felt good and it felt right. Her hand found the edge of the pajamas and moved up under it and slid around to caress the smooth skin of Faith's torso. She leaned in to kiss Faith again, the other girl's fingers on the back of her neck making her shiver with impermantently-traced designs, and as her hand moved up to cup Faith's breast, her fingers brushed the edge of scar tissue. As she pulled back from the kiss, Buffy's hand lifted up as if burned, her hand hovering over the scar, afraid to touch lest Faith start crying... and then Buffy realized *she* was the one crying. The tears slid silently down her face, and she gently placed the flat of her palm over the scar. "I am so sorry, Faith," she whispered, unable to stop her tears even with her eyes closed.

"I know, B.," Faith replied, leaning forward to kiss each eyelid. "I know you are."

Give me a reason to love you, Give me a reason to be, a woman, I just wanna be a woman. For this is the beginning Of forever and ever

Faith held Buffy to her, rocking her and kissing her face until Buffy quieted and began kissing her in return. Her hand on Buffy's, Faith encouraged her to touch the scar and then allowed her to continue her exploration. Buffy's hand moved up to Faith's breast, her thumb grazing back and forth over Faith's nipple and finally pinching it, rolling it erect between her thumb and forefinger, and Faith moaned appreciatively.

"You always gotta be in charge, B.?" Faith asked with a low laugh then. Buffy blushed and started to stammer an apology, but Faith said, "No, I like it."

When Buffy tugged her top up, Faith sat up to help her remove it and then let Buffy push her gently onto her back, fingers caressing the swell of her other breast before Buffy slid down and to take it in her mouth, soft wet tongue lashing her nipple, catching it between blunt teeth and her hand slid over Faith's sculpted stomach, fingers tentatively moving down through the curls of hair, seeking Faith's moist core.

Although Faith shifted to accommodate her and began purring almost at once, Buffy sensed she wasn't doing it right. Her fingers glided slickly along Faith's slit, dipping into her folds, but Buffy wasn't sure of the pressure or the pace. She never used her fingers on herself when she masturbated; she had a plastic vibrator for those occasions. Fumbling and anxious, she whispered plaintively, "I just want to make you feel good."

"I know you do," Faith reassured her, taking Buffy's hand in her own, guiding her to her clit, setting a rhythm for her along the length of her slit, showing her the right opening. Buffy picked it up at once, become defter with confidence as Faith began to tremble with pleasure at the fingers pumping in and out of her, the thumb rubbing against her clit. As the distinct tremors began to merge within her, joining up on the edge of orgasm, Faith took charge again, rolling Buffy over, tangling their bodies together, moving up to press her wet, throbbing cunt to Buffy's as she began undulating with her. Buffy gasped as she felt Faith's clit vibrating and thrumming against and with her, amazed at the power of the sensation, one leg wrapping around Faith's waist to pull her closer, as if she couldn't be close enough. Buffy had always imagined Faith as a screamer, but the girl simply kept up a steady purring and moaning even as they climaxed together; it was Buffy who cried out over and over, "Faith, oh god, Faith!"

Faith continued rocking them as the first and second waves of pleasure engulfed and bound them together, slowing gradually as they started to come down, her mouth joining Buffy's tenderly and ardently before at last rolling to her side. Lying with her in the afterglow, Faith murmured, "How ya feeling?"

"Five by five," Buffy whispered back. Her smile faded as the familiar phrase got a completely unexpected reaction: Faith tensed up and pulled back into herself for a moment. Concerned, not knowing what she'd done wrong, Buffy sat up. "Faith?"

"I'm okay," Faith said, disgusted at the trembling in her voice, disgusted that the simple phrase could dredge up such memories and nearly undo her. "Those words just, don't mean what they used to for me... You couldn't know. I'm sorry."

Buffy reached out to brush the hair back from Faith's face. "Don't be sorry. You never have to be sorry about that, with me. And," she added, "you don't have to tell me."

"But can I, B.?" Somehow that phrase had broken her and everything was surfacing, all the things she'd never told anyone, things she'd learned to forget or live with, that haunted her now more than ever. She'd thought she'd had them safely tucked away in her mind again, but hearing those three words from someone else's mouth just broke her. "Can I?"

"Of course." Buffy slid down next to her on the bed and, pulling Faith into her arms, held the trembling girl close as she listened to the grim tale of Peter Fairfax and Faith's year-long imprisonment in the five foot square room, and their "reunion" in Las Vegas.

When Faith was finished, Buffy only said her name softly, kissing her through their drying tears, a tender embrace forging bonds of understanding, admiration, acceptance, belonging; a kiss that said more than words ever could. Resting her head on Buffy's shoulder, Faith snuggled into her, soothed by Buffy's fingers stroking her hair. Faith felt at peace for the first time since she couldn't quite remember when, and sighed in deep contentment.

As they drifted off to sleep, Faith knew that, close as they were now, she couldn't keep Buffy. And she didn't really want to. Just knowing that Buffy was there and would be there for her was enough. Other than B., there were only two people in Sunnydale who had ever come close to seeing through her, to seeing the real her. And they were both in L.A. now. Her thoughts turned toward them, and so, she knew, would her next steps.

*****
to be continued