“Okay,” Xander said.  “Either we needed four hundred teeny-tiny stakes for teeny-tiny vampires, or the chair did something really, really bad.”

“Oh, my.”  Giles said. “What happened, Faith?”

Faith leaned on the kitchen counter, arms crossed in front of her.  “Nothin’.  I’ll take care of it.”

Giles placed his hand on her shoulder.  “If something has happened, you need to let me know.”

“Holy cow!” Willow exclaimed as she turned the corner and came into the kitchen.

“I knew Faith had issues with Tweety, but jeez, nothing like taking it out on the chair,” Buffy said, joining the others.

Faith just stood there, eyes glued to the floor, wishing that she had never smashed the fucking chair.  She knew it was stupid, but she couldn’t help herself.  She was pissed off and when she was mad, something needed to be broken.

“Where’s Emma?” Giles asked, removing his hand from Faith’s shoulder and looking around.

“I didn’t hit her with the chair if that’s what you’re thinkin’,” Faith said.

Giles sighed.  “That is not what I meant.”

“Went home.  She’ll be back tomorrow.” Leaving the security of the counter behind, Faith began picking up the pieces of the chair.

“I’ll help,” Buffy said as she grabbed a broom out of the closet.

“Me too,” Willow echoed.

“Not leaving me out of the splinter party,” Xander added, picking up what was left of a chair leg.

XXXXX

 

Faith was glad that the ‘teeny-tiny-stake’ incident was weeks behind her.  So much time had passed it was like it hadn’t even happened, Faith thought as she stretched, getting ready for a surprise morning run, happy that the weather was mild for a change.

A new chair had shown up a few days later to replace the one she had broken, but no one had said anything about it.  Faith shook her head as she took off running.  Sidewalks and streets were cleared, but snow was still prominent where it had been piled up by the plows, shovels, and snow blowers.  She still couldn’t believe that they had all helped her clean up the kitchen.  Even Giles had pitched in.  By the time they had finished, Buffy had swept the floor and Willow had mopped it.

As Faith waited for traffic to clear and was finally able to cross the street, she realized that she was used to leaving her messes behind.  Things lately were definitely different.

As she ran, crossing wet streets and driveways, Faith loosened the scarf she had wrapped around her neck, the sun and the exertion quickly making her feel warmer than she had been when she first started out.

Faith still couldn’t believe that she had told Emma so much that night.  If the entire night in question wasn’t confusing enough, the fact that it hadn’t been brought up by anyone since then didn’t help.  She now had others who treated her with respect, no questions asked; they didn’t harass her about it.  They just dropped it.  This was prime Xander ammo and even he had let it go.

Was this that 'friend thing' she had heard so much about?

Still, Emma showed up every day like clockwork and every night they would patrol together.  They had become quite a team.  On nights when there were more than a handful of vampires to slay, they covered each other’s backs and felt comfortable with each other’s fighting style.

Faith saw a park up ahead and decided that would be good place to stretch out her muscles some more.  She took a sharp right turn and made a beeline for it.

Making her way to the monkey bars, Faith took off her coat and scarf and tossed them to the ground.  A few chin-ups were just what the doctor ordered.  Too bad they were made for kids; she’d just need to make sure she kept her legs up so they wouldn’t touch the ground, which made it more challenging.  Just the way she liked it.

Faith didn’t consider Emma a friend, because she didn’t consider anyone a friend.  Add to the mix that she was training her and looking out for her, the entire ‘friend concept’ just didn’t sit well with Faith.  Yeah, Emma was a Slayer, but Faith kept mentally applying the ‘Potential’ label to her.  Faith just couldn’t get over the fact that there were so many Slayers in the world nowadays.

And if Emma referred to her as the “big sister she never had” one more time, Faith was going to deck her.

Faith dropped to the ground and began rubbing her sore hands on her jeans.  She figured it was probably time to head back, not like she could hide in the park forever.  And this time, being in no hurry whatsoever, she walked.

XXXXX

She shielded her eyes.  Too bright.  It was too bright and she couldn’t see.  She was looking for something…something just out of her line of sight.  Faith felt as though she had lost something very important to her.  More important than anything had been to her in a long time.

Something that she had to find before it was too late.

And she wasn’t alone.  She could sense someone was with her.

It she concentrated hard enough, she would be able to figure out who it was. 

 “B?  Is that you?”

Faith sat up, throwing her blankets off, covered in a cold sweat.  “Third time would be the charm,” she muttered.

XXXXX

“So B, how is that slayer-vibe working for you nowadays?” Faith asked as she and Buffy sat in the living room waiting for the others to get back from library.

Buffy eyed her suspiciously.  “Why do you ask?”

“`Cause mine don’t work for shit.  Seems to go off after the vamp has gotten a few good licks in.”

Buffy sighed.  “Yeah, I’ve kind of noticed that myself lately.”

“What do you think it is?”

“I wasn’t sure, so I asked Giles.”

“What did he say?”

“It’s possible our senses have been reduced because we’re sharing our power with a lot of other slayers.”

Faith shrugged.  “I guess that makes sense.  Okay, if you have all the answers, is it just me or is this hellmouth lame?”

“Totally lame.  It’s too quiet.  Sunnydale was usually quiet right before something really bad happened.  I don’t know this place well enough to know the difference.”

“Oh good,” Faith said, swinging her legs up on the sofa and laying back with her hands behind her head.  “You know how well me and boredom get along.”

“I know. Giles was toying with the idea of going back to England and taking Willow with him.  See if they could figure out what was going on.”

“Really?”

“Yep.  Of course, now Xander is torn on whether or not to stay or go with them.”

“What do you think they’re going to do?”

It was Buffy’s turn to shrug.  “I don’t know.  Can’t say I blame any of them for wanting to leave.  You’re right, winter does suck and there’s not much happening around here.  That’s why they went to the library.  Giles figured he’d start locally, see if there’s anything that could explain what hasn’t been going on.”

“What about Emma?”

“Giles said she’d probably stay here with us.”

“I wish I knew who made that phone call to Giles to get us all here.  That would give me someone to vent my frustrations on,” Faith said, trying to stifle a yawn. 

“Uh, Faith,” Buffy asked.

Faith sensed a dramatic change in Buffy’s mood.  “Yeah?”

“Have you had any dreams since we got here?”

Okay, that was strange case of déjà vu.  “Had a few.”  Remnants of dreams she couldn’t remember didn’t count, right?

“What was it about?”

“Looking for something, couldn’t find it.  No clue what I was looking for.”

“Was it super bright?  Almost blinding?”

Faith sat up.  “Yeah, it was.  Couldn’t see a thing.  But I think you were there with me, even though I couldn’t see you.”

“I’ve had the same one, more than once.  And yeah, you were there with me too.”

“What do you think it means?  Have you told Giles?”

“I don’t know and no.  Didn’t want to mention it to Giles until I found out if it was just me.”

“Know what’s funny, B?”

“What?”

“Whatever we were looking for in there, it ain’t here.”

“Yeah, I kinda got that too.”

XXXXX

“Okay, it’s official,” Emma said.  “This blows.”

“What blows?” Faith said, smiling as she put her stake back in her coat pocket.  Squeak was starting to sound like her.  “He was closer to me, so I staked them.  You want to start taking turns or somethin’?”

“No.  I want to do something fun.  Why doesn’t anyone ever come patrolling with us anymore?  Like when you first got here?  That was fun, even though we split up.  And it’s not that I don’t like hanging with you.  They’re always doing their own thing and leaving us on our own.  It would be nice if he…uh, they would come out with us once in awhile.”

Faith eyed her suspiciously.  “Okay, first, stop the whining, it’s annoying and second, who exactly are you talking about?”

Emma blushed.  “No one.”

Faith couldn’t help but smile to herself as she made her way across the street.  She had her suspicions but she didn’t press it.

“Faith?”  Emma said awkwardly.

Faith said, stopping.  “Just spill it already.”

“My life sucks.  It’s the same thing day after day.  Always felt there should be more to it, you know?  Now I know there is and I want to be a part of something more.  I don’t want to be left here by myself after you guys leave - and I know you’re going to leave, I can tell.  It’s only a matter of time and I want to come with you.  And if I know stuff, the more valuable I’ll be and then Mr. Giles would have to take me too.  I want to know everything.  I want you to tell me everything that has happened to all of you.  You all told me stuff that one day, but I know there’s more and I want to hear it all.”

Where the hell did all that come from?  What happened to the overconfident slayer she had come to know?  She was gone.  Poof.  Right before Faith’s eyes.

“Not an expert here,” Faith began.  “But what you just said, two different things.  Knowing the hell the rest of us have been through won’t help you out at all.  Sure, we can help train you and stuff, tell you what to look out for.  But the shit that hit us?  Not a huge help.  And the whole thing coming with us when we leave?  Entirely up to Giles.  Besides, we don’t know when or if we’re leaving.  Not sure what’s making you so freaked about it now, though.”

“Can I live at the house, too?”

“What?”  Faith stopped dead in her wet, booted, snowy tracks.

“I want to move in there, too.  This is Detroit.  We’re on a hellmouth and I want to live with other slayers,” Emma pleaded.  “Not home all by myself where nobody understands.  Not anymore.”

“Listen,” Faith began, “I feel your pain, really.  But honestly, Squeak?  Not sure why you’re asking me. I’m the last person you should be asking.”

“Why?  You seem to be the in-charge type.”

Faith took a deep breath.  “Being in charge and being bossy, two totally different things.  All things considered, Buffy is the Slayer.  I don’t care if there were a hundred of us living in this house, Buffy would be the one true Slayer and Giles is her Watcher.”

“I thought he was all of ours?”

“Yeah, guess that’s true.  He’s here to help us and shit.  But he is her Watcher.  Always has been and always will be.  Just the way it is.”  Faith started walking again.  “Don’t forget that, and your life will be a lot more lacking the stress.”

“Doesn’t seem fair.”

“Who said anything about life being fair?”

“Good point,” Emma said.  “So, um, what’s Xander’s story?”

Faith arched her eyebrows.  “What do you mean, what’s Xander’s story?”

“Nothing big.  Just wondering about him is all,” Emma said, averting her eyes from Faith’s at the last minute.

Faith laughed.  “You’re kidding, right?” And she started walking again.

“I can’t help it.  He’s kind of cute.”

“You don’t get out much, do you?”

“Told you my life was boring.”  Emma’s voice dropped, taking on the demeanor of one taking another into her confidence.  “When it comes to that, I haven’t gotten out at all.”

“Well, yeah, I knew that you, haven’t.  But I’m sure you’ve played a little bit?  Somethin’?”  Faith asked.  How could she have never done anything?  How could anyone have, well, never done anything?

“Nope.  Nothing, but I’ve read about it a lot, though,” she said, eyes twinkling.

“What?  You read porn?”

It was Emma’s turn to stop walking.  “No, I do not read porn.  Just informational periodicals and an occasional highly-detailed romance novel.”

“You are too much.”  Faith laughed.  “And you like Xander?”

“I did not say I liked Xander.  Well, I barely know him.  All I said is he’s kind of cute.”

“Emma?”

“Yeah?”

“No way in hell you’re moving in with us.”

Part 7
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