"Is that all you need?" Willow said to Faith as Faith gathered the last of her things from the apartment they had all shared a month ago, before any of them had ever heard the words 'Rubare Lotta'.
Faith: "Yeah. I'm gonna be traveling light."
Willow: "So where have you been this last month?"
Faith: "Oh, I, ah, needed some alone time to deal. I've been keeping contact with Angel, you know, checkin' up on him, letting him know I'm OK as well."
Willow: "How is he doing?"
Faith: "Not so good. Pretty much crying in his apartment day & night. But, eventually, he'll get through it. That's actually my first stop. I'm going to go to LA & try to cheer him up a little."
Willow: "But you won't stay long?"
Faith: "Nah. I'm really the wanderer-type. I think I'll make my way from place to place, fighting evil I find along the way. Also, Angel will kind of be my inside contact on the apocalypsy kinda situations. I'll go where I'm needed. I'm a little worried about Sunnydale, though. But, Angel's assured me that he's got some contacts here to keep him informed if something major happens. Though, he'll probably be closer to here than I will be & deal with it himself. Won't be easy, though, coming back here. Is that why your leaving?"
Willow: "It's tough, yeah. Being in this apartment, walking by her bedroom. (Willow was tearing). But, I have to leave because Graduate school starts in a week, & it's in New Hampshire. Xander's coming with me. We're going to get a place there."
Faith: "Oz is going to be the only one left in Sunnydale, huh?"
Willow: "Oh, no, actually, Devon just signed a deal for Dingoes to be the house band of a club in LA. Oz is gonna move out there &, of course, work part-time at Angel Investigations."
Faith: "Huh. God, no one is gonna be here to remember her. It'll be like she was almost never here."
Faith started to cry.
Willow: "Don't say that. Buffy was here. & she still is. She lives on in you, don't ever forget that." After a beat, Willow continued the conversation. "I don't know if you know this, but Wesley's OK. He fully recovered 3 weeks ago & went to England to restore the Watcher's Council. He's been elected the head & is starting some new more-modern practices there. He's been asking about you. He wanted me to give you his number. You need to call him, Faith. He's not who he once was, & the Council is now being taught only to aid you, not run you."
Faith: "OK. I'll call him." Willow hands Faith a piece of paper with Wesley's number on it. "I need to be going."
Willow: "Yeah. I need to be packing. Now, you're sure you have what you need?"
Faith: "Uh huh." The two stood silently for a moment. "I'll see ya."
Faith turned to go.
Willow: "Faith?" Faith turned back.
Faith: "Yeah?"
Willow: "I found this when I was going through Buffy's things. I was going to keep it, but I really think it should go to you. Now, I know you didn't graduate High School with us or anything, but seems fitting you have it considering the circumstances."
Willow handed Buffy's Sunnydale High School Class Protector Award to Faith. Faith smiled, a sad smile. "Thanks. Now I have something physical of hers to carry with me... Well, bye."
Willow suddenly took Faith in her arms & hugged the girl.
Willow: "Bye. Do your duty now."
Faith: "I wouldn't dream otherwise."
Faith left, pink umbrella in her hand. Willow noticed something that had fallen to the floor as had she fumbled through a box getting Faith the Class Protector umbrella. It was a picture of Buffy, Willow, Xander, & Giles taken in 1997, their sophomore year of High School, only months after they had met Buffy. Willow began to cry, looking into the smiling face of her friend.
