March 1999
Patrol had been heavy that night, making Buffy grateful that it was Friday. She glanced at her glowing watch, it read 1:43. Her mother would ground her for being out so late, if she were not at an art exhibition in Los Angeles. The eighteen-year-old made her way through the park, becoming aware of another presence as she neared the swings. To her shock, Buffy found Faith, swaying slightly on one of the swings. A bottle of Jack Daniel's held loosely in one hand. Even in the dim light of a crescent moon, Buffy could tell that nearly half the bottle's contents was gone. The sight was unsettling to the blond, not because Faith was obviously somewhere along her intoxicated continuum, but because the brunette was drunk in such an exposed location.
"Faith?" The sound of her own voice seemed timid, even to Buffy. "What? Are you okay?"
The younger girl shook her head. "Bad day…" Faith managed. English, that was good, Buffy exhaled in relief. If Faith was still talking, and it was in English, the dark haired girl was still sober enough for the blond to get her somewhere safe.
"Yes. I can see that, what with the whiskey and all." The older slayer commented slightly exasperated. Reaching out a hand, Buffy tried to remove the bottle from the younger girl's grasp. "I think you might have had enough."
"No!" Faith stated in alarm, while clutching the bottle closer to herself. Her eyes going wide, with a haunted look flickering within them. A tear escaped from the corner of one brown eye. "Please, B, it… it helps… helps me… to forget…" That was when the brunette's lower lip started to tremble.
"Okay, okay." Buffy relented. "I won't take it from you. But, do you think you could come with me? I don't want to be at home by myself." She said hesitantly, knowing that if Faith thought she was doing something for the blond, she was more likely to comply with Buffy's wishes.
"Yeah, no problem." Faith slurred as she hoisted herself from the swing. Buffy stepped up to the swaying brunette, putting a secure steadying arm around the younger slayer's waist. Without anything more being said, the Chosen Two set off for the Summers' home.
As they walked down the empty streets, Buffy thought about all the times she had seen Faith drunk. Thanks mostly due to the fake ID Faith had acquired before leaving Boston. It was those numerous experiences that lead Buffy to create the "Faith Intoxication Continuum.' There were several stages of inebriated that Faith passed through, before passing out. Tonight, Faith had yet to move out of the first stage; responsive, and speaking in what Buffy assumed to be her second (or maybe first) language, English. After that, there was singing to herself, once again in English. These first two stages were easy enough for Buffy to deal with. It was when Faith stopped responding in English, that the blonde stared to worry.
The third stage had two manifestations, and Buffy never knew which one she would meet. The one Buffy encountered first, the one she preferred to deal with, was Faith continuing to sing to herself; but instead of English, the brunette would sing in Irish, mostly old folk songs. The older Slayer could still handle the brunette, if the stage presented itself in this mode. It had caught the blond off guard the first time Faith had reached stage three, but as the young slayer was drunk at the time, Buffy had to wait for the next day before she got an explanation. That was how the older girl found out that all of Faith's family spoke Irish. They were taught the language at an early age, and would not be acknowledged by the adults, when the family was gathered, if they spoke anything else. The other form stage three took was much more violent, and involved a lot of yelling and shouting in Irish. As a result, it made Faith near impossible to control. The final phase before passing out was an unresponsive staring off into space, as Faith brooded, making even Angel look like an amateur.
From the park, it was a mere five-minute walk to Buffy's house. A walk that was mercifully uneventful. Faith leaned up against the doorframe, as Buffy unlocked the front door. Getting the drunken girl up the stairs proved to be a chore for the small teen, even with slayer abilities. But with much determination, and several new bruises, both teens ended up in Buffy's room.
"So, do you want to tell me what you're trying to forget?" The blond asked, as she searched her closet and drawers for clothes that the taller teen could fit into.
"Not really." Faith answered, taking another swig from the bottle, before shaking it from side to side. "But this is how I deal with it. Every year… I get nice and shitfaced, thanks to that mother fucker…" Faith paused, as Buffy turned with a T-shirt in hand. When she tried once again to take the JD from the younger girl, Buffy met no resistance. She capped it, having earlier found the top in Faith's pocket, and stashed the bottle under her bed. Faith continued to allow the blond to change her into the T-shirt. It was as Buffy got herself ready for bed that Faith resumed her less than aimless ratings.
"Damn it! I was just a kid…" The tears started burning in her eyes. Buffy remained silent, letting the brunette reach her point on her own terms. "It's been five years, Buffy, and I still can't get passed it. Can't even have a fucking normal relationship, because of him…!" She stared at her hands, a hot tear landing on her thumb. Sitting on the other side of the bed, Buffy pulled the hurt girl into her arms, holding her tightly until she felt Faith untense. All at once, five years of pain loosed itself into the comforting arms of the older slayer. Sobs shook Faith; as she soaked Buffy's cotton clad shoulder.
That was all Buffy had to hear for her to know just what made Faith clam up about her childhood. She waited until the crest of Faith's emotional tsunami crashed and the flood to ebb, before she started the clean up. Keeping her voice clam and soothing, Buffy asked the only thing she could think of.
"Did you ever tell anyone what he did?" Faith pulled back far enough to look the blond in the eyes. Her expression clearly saying that she though Buffy had lost her mind. "Didn't think so… You do know it wasn't your fault, don't you?" The brunette just averted her eyes. That's when Buffy's voice gained a hint of forcefulness. "It wasn't! You were only twelve… How could it have been?" Faith's body shook with renewed sobs. "Just know, that you're safe here." With that said, Buffy held the younger girl for the rest of the night.
March 2003
It was late afternoon in early March as Faith sat oddly alone on a bench in the back yard of the Summers' home. Having started the day in a foul mood, the brunette really wasn't giving a rat's ass about not having to share the yard. The potentials had been given a rare day off from training, which caused the Scoobies to call a meeting where they all expressed concerns over Buffy's apparent spontaneous loss of sanity. It was a meeting that Faith hadn't been included in, not that she was jumping at the idea of verbally attacking the blond slayer. It was during one of the times Faith had ventured inside that she had heard it.
"Well, if you're so keen on having them train today, than you can round them up, and take them to the park, and train them there!" That had been Buffy's yell.
"We have an apocalypse upon us, Buffy." Giles pressed. "You have a duty to these girls. They need to be prepared to face the First."
"You're right. I do have a duty, but not just to the potentials…" With that the slayer stormed from the house, the door slamming loudly behind her. Faith headed back to her bench.
That had been little over twenty minutes before. Half-heartedly Faith lit a cigarette. After taking an initial drag, she let it dangle between her fingers as she rested her hand on the knee she had pulled up on the bench. She let out a long sigh as she felt a person interrupt her brooding. "What do you want, B?"
"Nothing really." The blond answered, before stopping just behind her sister slayer. "Just thought you could use a little liquid comfort is all." With those words, a half finished bottle of JD entered Faith's field of vision.
Upon seeing the bottle, Faith turned to face the other woman. "Is that…?"
"The very same. I kind of kept it, you know, just in case." She offered a smile.
"Damn, I thought you through it out that night. How'd you remember?" The brunette took the proffered bottle from the blond, actually having to use some force to get the cap off.
"Like I could forget that night?" Buffy retorted with a roll of her eyes. "Kind of why I sent the potentials to the mall today. Didn't think you'd want a lot of loud teen girls running around, might have ended with someone getting hurt."
"Yeah, thanks for that. You care to join?" The question sounded more casual than it's intent.
"I was hoping you'd ask." With a half smile, Buffy vaulted herself over the back of the bench; a slight shudder ran through her with the flash of a memory of her own.
"What was that about?" The younger woman asked, having caught Buffy's involuntary reaction.
The blond cracked open her own bottle of whiskey, before answering. "Warren." Buffy offered. "Look, it's not that I don't want to talk about it, just the way I see it; we need to concentrate on getting you through today. If you're still curious tomorrow, I'll tell you about it then."
"I can deal with that." Faith agreed to the compromise, with a half smile.
"Good." The older slayer raised her bottle, and Faith crossed the neck of hers with the neck of Buffy's bottle. "To liquid comfort." They both took long pulls from their bottles.
"Damn, since when have you drank… anything?" Faith asked amusedly.
Buffy gave a small wry laugh. "Spike got me started on whiskey the night he took me to a kitten poker game. But I gotta say, this is much smoother than anything Spike has ever given me."
"First off; kitten poker? Do I even want to know?" Buffy shook her head. "Okay. Secondly; not too surprised that you only got the rough stuff from Captain Peroxide. You really need to stick with me, if you want quality there, Girlfriend." There was a dimpled smile pulling at the corners of the brunette's lips as she spoke. The grin finally broke across her face. "Damn, almost made it with a straight face."
The blond gave an indignant snort of laughter. "Really, Faith? We both know there's nothing straight about you." She gave another roll of her eyes.
"Just don't you forget that, Blondie, when you find me stumbling into your room later tonight." She gave the older slayer one of her looks, like she used to when they were still teenagers. The blond responded with a raised eyebrow, however her face did not flush like it use to. "Awh, come on, B, it ain't any fun, if you don't get all flustered like."
"Sorry to disappoint, but after being with Spike, I'm not as easily ruffled as I use to be." The words were spoken with a half shrug. "Besides, if you're stumbling into my room later, it'll only be because you can't keep up with me." She gave a smirk of her own, noticing how the brunette's jaw hung loose. The smirk morphed into a self-satisfied smile at stunning Faith into silence. Taking pity on the younger slayer, Buffy spoke. "Before you hurt yourself by thinking too hard about it… Yes, Faith, I really did just say that." The blond dropped her arm across the back of the bench, letting her fingers play with the curling ends of Faith's hair. "Take it for everything it sounds like."
Settling her weight against Buffy's side, Faith tipped her head back to look at the small woman. "Just so we're on the same page, here. You did just proposition me, right?"
Buffy shrugged one shoulder. "Sort of, in a way."
"Well, shit. You're just full of surprises today." The Brunette stated, as her hand fell to Buffy's thigh. "If you could have only been more open to the idea, way back when…"
"Wouldn't have worked." Buffy protested in an apologetic tone. "We were both driftnet people, then. You let your emotions control your actions. Made you reckless. After what happened with Angel, I couldn't risk being hurt like that again."
"True, 'Get some, get gone…'" Faith agreed. "What's changed?"
With fingers still in mahogany locks, Buffy contemplates the question, before answering. "For one; I no longer wigg over the idea."
"Yeah, I'm getting that."
"I think you've also changed too."
"That so?" Faith asked, her tone a soft teasing challenge to the blonde.
"Yeah. You've grown up." Buffy retorted, mater-of-factly. "I like it.
The bottles of Jack sat, forgotten. The slayers having become wrapped up in their teasing. Neither young woman noticed the other leaning closer, until their lips met. The kiss was soft, hesitant, experimental, and interrupted.
"Oh my God! Ewe, Buffy!" Dawn shrieked from the doorway. She had ventured out back, to see where Buffy had gone. The last thing the teen expected to find was her older sister practically making out with the ex-con.
"Damn it." The blond muttered pulling back from the kiss, while Faith tried for nonchalance. "What do you want, Dawn?" Frustration tainted Buffy's voice.
"Well, I had wanted to see what was up with you today…" Dawn scoffed. Blue eyes scrutinized the slayers. "Oh my god, Buffy, how long have you been gay?"
"It was a kiss, Dawn." Buffy sighed, taking up her whisky bottle again. "Doesn't make me gay."
"Yeah, and you didn't just have your tongue down Faith's throat."
"She didn't." Faith interjected with a glare. "You interrupted us, before Big Sis could get that far."
"Can someone be gay for just one person?" The staring match between the brunettes was broken by Buffy's musing. "I think I should ask Willow."
A soft chuckle emitted from Faith's throat. "Are you saying, that I make you gay, B?"
"Maybe. Only for you, if that's even possible."
"This is just too weird." Dawn insisted.