Since You've Been Gone
Author: Jaldara
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Buffy/Faith
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea. And a dog. I own a dog too.
Author's Notes: This is a one off; I dunno how to continue it on. Of course that could always be a really evil challenge for someone. Oooooo (insert evil laugh here). Also; it doesn't take place at any certain place it time. It just happens. Deal with it.
Feedback: Yes please cause I'm not getting paid for it.
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The gang sat at their booth in the corner of the Bronze, watching the crowd enjoying the night, the people pushing against each other to get to the bar, and the DJ bobbing his head to the music he was playing.
"You know she's been checking you out all night?" Willow moved position to sit closer to Faith.
"Who we looking at?"
"The leggy blonde at the end of the bar."
Faith looked over to the tall blonde, who immediately turned away. "Her?"
"Yeah."
"Nice. Not bad looking either, wouldn't ya say Red?"
"Not my type, but I suppose she's pretty."
Buffy didn't like being left out of the conversation; she had felt pushed out of late by Faith and Willow, who seemed to be growing ever closer as friends.
"She's not a piece of meat you know."
Faith and Willow ignored her, continuing in their appreciation of the blonde at the bar.
"Go over and talk to her." Willow tried to encourage Faith.
"Nah I couldn't do that."
"Why not? You don't seem to have a problem when it comes to guys, so what's so different now? Look at her; she wants you." Willow smirked as she playfully nudged Faith's arm.
"I don't know Red; it's a whole new ball game with chicks."
"No it's not. Where's the ever confident slayer that's usually hanging out in bars picking up the guys?"
"Right here."
"So suck it up and go buy the lady a drink." Willow stood up and moved round the table to let Faith out.
"Ok Red but when it goes wrong I'm gonna hold you responsible." Faith made her exit from the table and casually strolled over to the bar.
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As Willow watched Faith make her way over to the bar she felt slightly proud of her, as she sat back down next to Buffy.
"Where's she going?"
"Get drinks from the bar and maybe get her first woman."
"What?"
"Faith's trying my side for a change."
Buffy looked shocked, "Since when has Faith been into woman?"
"She always has been. She just never had the confidence to admit it to herself."
"Faith? No confidence? That's like saying peanut butter goes better without the jelly."
"This is different; it's a big thing, coming out. It wasn't easy when I did it. Least it'll be easier for Faith knowing you guys are all ok with it."
"Ok with it? Who said I was ok with anything? For one thing she doesn't even have the decency to let me in on this little secret. Just because I'm ok with you being gay doesn't mean I'm ok with her." Buffy stood up and finished her drink "Tell Faith good luck with the whole 'coming out' thing." She made quote marks with her fingers and her tone was laced with sarcasm, before she slammed her empty glass down and left.
"Buffy!" Tara called after her but Willow blocked her, pulling her back down to her seat.
"Leave her be, she needs to be on her own right now."
"Willow what's going on?"
"I'll explain later at home, not here. Just let her go for now."
Faith brought the blonde over to the table with her, "Guys I'd like you too meet Sam. Sam this is the gang; Xander, Anya, Tara, Willow and …Hey Will where's B?"
"Oh she said she didn't feel too good and had to go home."
"She gonna be ok?"
"Yeah sure she said to enjoy yourself and not to worry about her, she'll see us at Giles tomorrow."
"Well me and Sam got somewhere else to be so we gonna head off too." Faith winked and mouthed a thanks to her mentor.
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The Scooby's waited patiently at Giles for at least one of the slayers to arrive. Willow and Tara amused themselves with the new magic books Giles had purchased for them. Anya had perched herself on Xander's knee, whispering to him why it was a better idea for them to be at home in bed than here waiting, doing nothing.
"I have no idea where either of them are. Buffy and Faith simply aren't answering the telephone. So none of you have any clue as to why they haven't shown up?"
"Well Faith got lucky in the Bronze last night so two guesses where she is right now." Xander smirked at the thoughts of what the two hot women might be doing to each other right now.
"Having lot of sex probably, in fact the same place me and Xander should be on a Sunday morning." Xander's thoughts left his reflexes to slow to stop the words from escaping Anya's mouth.
"Thank you Anya, and Buffy?" Giles paced the floor
"She must have left early, because she wasn't home when we went to pick her up. So no clue there." Xander giggled as Anya nibbled his ear.
"Well I suppose maybe you should take Xander home then."
Anya's face brightened as she quickly leapt to her feet dragging Xander from the chair "Come on monkey man, lets go." Anya had them both out of the door and heading home before Giles could say any more.
"Willow, Tara, I don't suppose there is much point you staying here if you have something else you would rather be doing." Giles walked round to the sofa in front of them.
Tara looked up, "Sorry?"
"You two may as well take the books home with you. There's no point you being here if the slayers can't be bothered." His annoyance at the slayers showed in his tone.
"Willow." Tara nudged her back to reality.
"If you're sure you don't need us, then I wouldn't mind trying out a few of these spells." Willow was already gathering the books together and packing them into her satchel. "Will you be in the magic shop later? I might need a few extra items."
"Yes, I'm going to try and find Buffy first."
As they were leaving Willow turned back to Giles, "Buffy's fine Giles she just needs some time alone right now." Before Giles could question her Tara was pulling her through the doorway.
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Buffy sat on the large boulder overlooking Sunnydale, wiping her brow of sweat from her training, as she drank from the large, cold bottle of water. She left the house early that morning, not wanting to run into any of her friends. The anger boiled within her at being kept in the dark by her best friend, and her jealously of how Faith hadn't come to her first. After all they did spend most of their time together, a lot of that time was spent right her in this clearing training, or sat here on this rock sometimes talking for hours. Other times they just sat in silence enjoying the dawning of the day.
Her cell phone rang, not for the first time that morning, she took it from her pocket to check the caller; Giles again. This was the tenth call she would ignore from him today. The ringing stopped as she flipped open the phone to delete the call log and a message came through from Faith. She stared at the phone for a few moments before reading it.
HEY B WHERE YOU AT? G GOING NUTS. I NEED A FAVOR CAN YOU COVER SLAYAGE 2NITE? I OWE YA 1 X
She slammed the phone closed, her rage growing inside her once again. Standing she walked to the tree, where her and Faith had strung a punch bag, and began pounding at it with her bare hands. Each punch delivered in time to her cursing her fellow slayer.
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Weeks had passed since Buffy had managed to manipulate her life around avoiding Faith. Each day that had passed it had been easier for her to lie to everyone of why she was late or why she wouldn't be in the Bronze. She couldn't avoid the gang or Giles; she still had a job to do after all. Willow had kept her up to date with how Faith was loving being out and proud and how the 'get some, get gone' girl that Faith had once been didn't seem to extend to woman. Her heart had felt like lead in her chest since she had walked out of the Bronze that night. She couldn't bring herself to face Faith, it was hard enough for her to read and reply to her text messages, the little kiss she always put on the end of them made her leaden heart weigh more and more.
That Sunday morning she missed the meeting at Giles house, this was the fourth week, and she was running out of excuses. Sitting on the boulder in the clearing, she pondered what would be discussed in her absence, where would everyone be sat. Willow and Tara on the sofa, Xander in the chair, Anya on his knee twirling his hair around her fingers. Faith…Faith would take a chair from the table, twirl it round and straddle it, folding her arms over the back and resting her chin on them. Concentrating hard on not going to sleep, and clearing the Jack Daniels hangover from her head. She smiled at the last thought, wondering if Faith knew how cute she looked in the morning.
"Thought I might find you here." Faith leaned against the nearest tree to where Buffy sat.
Startled, Buffy whirled around, "Faith?"
She smiled, "You expecting someone else?"
"No. You're supposed to be at Giles."
"So are you, in fact you're supposed to be there every week, so far the last four you've been gone. What's up?"
"Nothing. I've been busy."
"Avoiding me, yeah I know."
"I haven't been avoiding you! I just keep missing you is all."
"Save it B. You don't gotta explain, but the gang, well they need you to be around."
"It's not like that Faith."
"Like what?"
"I can see it in your eyes; you think I'm avoiding you because I've got a problem with you being gay." Buffy stood in front of her.
"What am I supposed to think B? I'm sorry I borrowed ya best bud for a while, help me sort my head out you know, but I didn't want to fuck up anymore. You need me to be the best I can be and I'm trying but I need you to be around too B."
"I am around."
"Tell me what you want me too do, if I make you uncomfortable then tell me how I can put it right. I miss you, I miss training with you, and I miss sitting her with you watching the sun rise."
Buffy turned away, looking out over the town, "Well you should bring Sam up here, sure that would be cosy."
Faith moved to stand directly behind her, "Why you being like this? This is our place B, our refuge from everyone not like us. I feel you, inside my heart, how sad you are. Tell me what's wrong, what've I done to you?"
"Nothing, you've done nothing Faith." Her voice shook under the strain of holding herself together. She desperately wanted to turn around and look into Faith eyes. Show her what her soul desired more than anything; for her fellow slayer to take her in her arms and tell her they would forever be alright now they'd found each other. Instead she stared out into the open space not saying another word.
Faith drew in a deep breath, "Buffy I had to be sure I could do this, so if I'm out of line stop me before I go too far. I've seen the way you look at me, I sense every feeling you have for me, and I have the same dreams you do. That's why I had to be sure; I wanted to see how it felt to be with a woman. Walking the street in daylight holding hands, going out for dinner in a restaurant full of disapproving people. I needed to know I could deal with the homophobic people out there. Everyday we fight things like demons and vampires and we kill them. You can't kill people B, just because they don't approve of your lifestyle."
"What're you saying Faith?"
"I did this for you Buffy."
"What about Sam?"
"Nothing happened with her; we had dinner and talked a lot. She knew my heart belonged to another."
"Another?"
"Yes."
Stepping closer, Faith pressed her body up against the blonde slayer, gently she placed her hands on Buffy's waist, allowing them to slowly move around the front to hold her. Pressing her lips gently against Buffy's ear, she whispered softly; "I want you Buffy Summers. I want to keep you safe in my arms forever."
A single tear ran down Buffy's cheek as her leaden heart seemed to float away.