"Power's out at your house."

Buffy opened her eyes. Faith was standing in the doorway, lipstick perfect, hair falling around her face in those perfect dark curls.

"Come to brag?" Buffy asked, watching Faith step closer.

"Nah, I was just in the area, thought I'd look you up." Faith shrugged and swung herself down onto the end of the bed. "Needed a patrol after trying to lead those girls. I'm beginning to think we never gave you enough credit."

"They were right," Buffy admitted. "I was being reckless."

"Bet it still hurts, though."

"Yeah. Still hurts."

They sat in silence for a moment.

"I got the girls to capture a Bringer," Faith said. "We were going to torture him for information, but his tongue was cut out. Willow's doing some magic on him as we speak."

Buffy nodded.

"Dawn came up with the spell, actually. She's grown up."

"Apparently," Buffy agreed.

"You know she still loves you," Faith said. "It'd take a lot more than that to make us all stop loving perfect Buffy."

"Sure don't feel perfect."

"Yeah, you get put up on a hell of a pedestal." Faith leaned back on the cushions. "You know, I had a visit from Mayor Wilkins just now. Told me I had to get rid of you and all that. You don't love me, nobody loves me, they'll all just see me as a killer, the whole big thing. But then, I don't know. I figured he wouldn't come back if I wasn't alone, and you were the only person I could think of who would really get it."

"I was kind of busy hating you just now," Buffy said. "You're making it harder."

"Well, there's something I learned, you know, with the whole redemption thing," Faith said, stretching her hands behind her head. "Things ain't all black and white. You can hate me all you want, but I'm not unilaterally bad. Used to think I was, but I'm not. You know, B, you were always the one who saw the good in me."

"Yeah, until I started seeing the potential stab wound in you." Buffy sighed. "How can you stand to be around me?"

"Forgive and forget, right, B? I gotta tell you, I thought the forgive part would be the hardest, but it turns out it's the forgetting." Faith shrugged. "I was in a bad place. So were you."

"I should have tried harder," Buffy said. "I still blame myself, a little bit."

"What, for stabbing me? Definitely your fault."

"I meant the other stuff. You going evil and all that."

"You tried to tell me, B. You did what you thought you had to. Not your fault I took it all wrong."

Buffy stood up. "God, what am I doing? Listen to me! I really do think I'm better than everybody else. Like somehow, I can wave a magic wand and make everything better." She turned to face Faith. "I never really tried to connect to you, Faith. I never really connected to anyone, did I? I mean, those girls- I told myself it was because I knew they were going to die. I knew I was going to lose some of them, and I didn't- I didn't let myself-" She sighed in frustration. "I've always been so cut off. Being the Slayer made me that way. But- the more I think about it, I realize I didn't have to stay that way." She looked Faith in the eye. "That was all me."

Faith had just been watching, but at that, she jumped up. "No way, B. I was all cut off before I even became the Slayer. Hell, I'm still cut off. You see me baring my emotions? Nah. That's always been your territory."

Buffy opened her mouth to speak, but Faith cut her off.

"Look, B. Yeah, you've made mistakes. Yeah, you've cut yourself off. But hell if you haven't done as good a job as anyone can." Faith took a few steps forward, towards Buffy. "You've sure done better than I could."

"Yeah, and look who they want to lead them now."

"It's easier to follow in footsteps than to blaze the trail, Buffy. I couldn't do this leading thing if you hadn't done it first. All those girls, counting on me? I'm not about to forget they were counting on you first."

Buffy sighed and sat back down. "Thanks, I guess." She put her head in her hands. "I'm just so tired, Faith. I've been doing this for so long."

"Yeah, I know." Faith sat down next to her. "I guess you'd better sleep, then. If you're so tired."

Buffy sighed. "Yeah." She was quiet for a moment. "I don't want to do anything anymore."

"Then don't," Faith said. "I'll come get you when the apocalypse comes, if you want, and I hear that everything gets pretty quiet after apocalypses."

"Yeah, either you won or you're dead."

"Or in a coma," Faith said. "Only apocalypse I was around for, and I didn't even get to fight."

"Good thing you were on the side causing it, then."

Faith laughed. "Yeah, guess so." She stood up. "Guess I should go check in with all the baby Slayers. You know, I think they really look up to me."

Buffy looked up at her, eyes empty, hair straggling out of its ponytail. "Faith?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you just- could you stay here?"

Faith hesitated, then nodded. "Sure, B. Whatever you need. I'll curl up in this old chair. Sure better than a lot of places I've slept."

Buffy shook her head. "No, I mean here. With me."

Her voice was so quiet, and so defeated, and Faith nodded. "Sure thing, B."

Buffy rested her back against the headboard, and Faith sat down next to her, unsure of what to do next.

"You know I don't cuddle."

"Ever tried?" Buffy asked.

"You got me there," Faith admitted.

Despite herself, Buffy eked out a laugh. "Please, just- I need to be held."

"Okay." Faith leaned back, putting an arm around Buffy's shoulders. "This good?"

"Yeah. Thanks." Buffy nestled into Faith's side, but she still looked up at Faith's face. Faith looked down at her, then wrapped her other arm around Buffy.

"You were right," Faith said.

"What?" Buffy shifted.

"Spike came back. Said Caleb really was hiding something from you. I'm going to take the cavalry in tomorrow, find out what it was."

"Huh. Guess I am good for something."

"Everything, B." Faith pulled herself and Buffy with her down to a lying position. "Good for everything."

They fell asleep like that, curled up with each other. Faith was feeling better than she thought she was capable of at this point, what with all the death and danger that was going on.

When Faith woke up, though, it was to a feeling of emptiness and a note on the pillow next to her.

Sorry. -B

Faith sighed, letting the sinking feeling in her stomach sink all the way to the bottom. Once it was there, she leapt up and used all of her Slayer endurance to sprint back to the house.

About five minutes later, she was standing in a packed living room, sweating in front of thirty girls and realizing she had no coherent plan. Still, she started talking.

"Okay, so, here's the deal. B's probably gone and done something stupidly heroic. We're going to assume she'll live, because she has a knack for that. Meanwhile, Spike's found out that there's actually something at the vineyard. So, anyone else thinking that it might be time for weapons?"

Nobody answered.

"Good thing I'm in charge. Load up!" Faith left the room for the kitchen, where she poured herself a glass of water and grabbed a cookie from the open box on the counter. Before long, the weird principal, Robin or something, had joined her in the kitchen.

"How's the leadership thing going?"

"Well, they're following, aren't they?"

Robin laughed. "Yeah, for now."

"I'll milk it while I've got it, and then I'm guessing they'll be ready for B to come back and whip their asses into shape." Faith shrugged. "I'm not such a bad influence anymore, you know?"

"So I hear. How's that going for you?"

Faith grinned. "It's got its perks." She shrugged. "Wish I could talk longer, but I gotta lead a bunch of girls to their possible deaths. You know how it is."

Robin laughed. "Good luck with that."

"Thanks."

As it turned out, the girls were, indeed, being led to their deaths, or some of them, anyway, but it wasn't Faith's turn. Not yet. A few hours and one bomb later, Faith opened her eyes to see Buffy in front of her, holding a wicked cool scythe.

"That yours?" Faith asked.

"It belongs to the Slayer," Buffy answered.

"Guess that's you."

"Could be you." Buffy sat on the edge of the bed. "How're you feeling?"

"Concussed," Faith answered. "I'll heal."

"I'm sorry for leaving you alone this morning."

"It's fine. You needed me, then you didn't, so you left." Faith shrugged, then winced at the pain. She was a walking bruise. "Get some, get gone. Just, you know. With cuddles, not sex."

"No, it's not fine. I still- I still need you, Faith."

Faith raised an eyebrow. "Like you needed me when you put me in a coma?"

"I'm not saying I always needed you, but now you're here, and there are all these younger Potentials looking up to me, and it'd be nice not to have to face them alone." Buffy shrugged.
"Plus, you know. You were the one who came and made me feel like you maybe didn't hate me last night."

"No one hates you, B. They just needed a change of scene. Now the change of scene has led them into a deathtrap, I'm sure they'll be running back to their favorite Slayer soon."

"Not sure either of us are big favorites right now," Buffy said. "You can't save everybody, Faith. Hardest lesson I've ever learned."

"I hate this redemption thing," Faith grumbled.

Buffy laughed.

"Seriously, though, B. I've been thinking. I mean, not in the last few hours, given the whole being knocked out thing, but, I don't know." Faith paused. "I used to think, maybe, if I were like you, you know, with a nice mom and a cool sister and lots of friends, I wouldn't feel so alone. But then I was like you up there, and your friends were all looking at me, and, I don't know. I still felt pretty much alone."

"That's the Slayer thing," Buffy agreed. "Just the one, forever and ever."

"Until one comes back to life?"

"I guess." Buffy shrugged. "It's supposed to be lonely."

"Maybe that's why we couldn't get along. We weren't supposed to exist together."

"Or it's because you started with the murder."

"Another possibility." Faith looked at Buffy. She looked exhausted. And Faith was probably the only person in the world who could understand that exhaustion. "Think we can have a second chance?"

"It's going all right so far," Buffy said. "I guess maybe we don't have to be alone." She held out the scythe in front of her, offering it to Faith. "Here. Hold it."

Faith took the scythe and held it for a moment. Her eyes slid shut. "Damn. This thing's got power. Feels like it was made for me."

"It was made for us," Buffy corrected.

Faith opened her eyes. "Pretty cool. Not sure you want Concussion Girl holding it, though." She offered it back to Buffy, who took it.

"You'll heal." Buffy stood and hefted the scythe. Faith knew this look: Buffy was going into action mode. "So, I found the scythe down at the vineyard. Willow's done some research, but all we really know is that it's this ancient Slayer thing. So I've got to go find a tomb on unconsecrated ground and see if there's more to it than that." She looked at Faith. "Want to come with?"

"How long until you leave?"

"Depends. How long until you feel up to it?"

Faith sat up. "Well, no head spinning yet." She swung her legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand. Dizziness brought her crashing back to the bed. "Give me a couple hours."

"Works for me," Buffy said. "You want company, or should I leave you to it?"

"Either way."

Buffy sat back down. "Honestly, it's a madhouse down there."

"Can't believe the day's finally come when you take my company over all your friends."

"They're all busy."

"And you're alone."

Buffy shrugged. "Alone with you. Not as bad as it used to be."

"Careful, there, B. Almost starting to sound like you like me."

Buffy smiled, probably the first smile she had had on her face in a week. "Who's to say I don't?"

Two hours later, Faith managed to get herself out of bed, and she and Buffy went downstairs. Buffy told Giles that they were leaving, and Giles argued with her about both Slayers leaving, but Buffy shrugged it off with, "If we die, some other unlucky girl gets to be Slayer, and she probably already lives here." Giles sputtered a bit at that, but he knew he couldn't stop Buffy or Faith, and so they went.

They didn't talk on the way to the tomb. Only once they got there. It looked old, even for Sunnydale cemetery standards. Old, and strangely Egyptian.

"This our tomb?" Faith asked.

"Guess so," Buffy answered. "You ready?"

"Let's go."

Together, they entered the tomb. They took a few steps in together, looking around.

"You're so young."

The voice came from behind them, and Faith and Buffy both spun around, taking up their fighting stances. Even after everything that had happened, they naturally stood back to back, ready to fight together, Buffy with the scythe, Faith with a stake.

They were now facing a woman who looked about sixty, her white hair trailing into her white dress. She was ethereal, someone who looked like she would be blown away by even a little bit of dust.

"There's no need to get defensive, you know. Either of you could probably kill me with your little finger." Her voice was perfectly calm.

"Who are you?" Faith demanded.

"A friend. An old friend to the Slayer line. There used to be many of us, but now there is only me. I am alone, as you are." Her gaze moved from Faith to Buffy. "Or as you were."

"Are you a ghost?" Buffy asked. "Because we've had enough of those."

"No, I'm real. Just very, very old." She approached Buffy. "May I?"

Buffy handed her the scythe.

"I made this," the woman said. "I, with many others, of course. We poured our power into this, and it sustained us. As it will sustain you. This scythe has been in Sunnydale since it killed the last pure demon to walk the Earth, long before Sunnydale was here."

"Wicked," Faith breathed. "Don't suppose you could make another."

The woman laughed. "There is only one. There was only meant to be one Slayer."

"For the record, can I just say? That was a bad move."

"I do not disagree with you," the woman said. "I am part of a group that watches over you."

"You mean besides the Watchers?" Buffy asked. "Because I figured that was sort of their job."

The woman shook her head. "We are the ones who watch the Watchers. Or, we were. I am the only one now."

"Too bad there aren't more of you guys," Faith remarked. "Could've used a hand when they tried to cart me back to England."

"I'm sorry, I truly am. But we don't have time for small talk. A battle is coming. You'll need this." She handed the scythe back to Buffy.

"So, we can really win?" Buffy asked.

"That's up to you. But I believe in your capacity to work miracles- what are your names?"

"Buffy."

The woman laughed. "No, really."

The look on Buffy's face could have killed. "No, really. Buffy."

"I'm Faith."

"I believe in your capacity to work miracles, Buffy and Faith. Good luck."

And then a blade slashed through the air, and the woman's head rolled off her neck. She was gone, and Caleb was standing behind her.

"Not so good luck after all, huh, girls?"

Buffy and Faith both leapt into action. Faith ran at Caleb, and he punched her back. Buffy charged him with the scythe, slashing his arm. Faith got up and charged again as Buffy used the distraction as an opportunity to whirl the scythe around, impaling him on the wooden end. Caleb's body sank to the floor, suddenly weighing more than it had just a moment before.

"That it?" Faith asked, looking down at the body.

"Guess so," Buffy said, swishing the scythe through the air. "Not bad for a day's work."

Faith bumped Buffy's shoulder against her own. "We're Slayers, B. Nothing we can't handle."

Buffy sighed. "I wish."

Faith started walking out, and Buffy started after her, but then a figure appeared at the entrance to the tomb. Both Slayers jumped back, holding up their weapons, but then the figure stepped forward, and they realized it was just Angel.

"What're you doing here?" Faith asked.

"No hello?" Angel asked, half a smile on his face.

Buffy ran to him, practically throwing herself into his arms. And, somehow, onto his lips. She kissed Angel, and Angel kissed her back, and they might have gone on for a while longer if Faith hadn't cleared her throat rather loudly.

"Sorry, guys, but if I wanted to third wheel, I'd've stayed home with Willow and Kennedy."

Angel backed away. Buffy just stared at him.

"So, why're you here, Angel?" Faith asked. "Assuming kissing B wasn't your only goal."

Angel grimaced. "Sorry, Faith."

Buffy looked between the two of them. "So, there is a reason, right?"

"Yeah." Angel reached into his pocket, but Faith and Buffy didn't get a chance to see what was inside, because in that moment Angel lunged forward, throwing himself at a Caleb who had just risen up behind Faith. Faith ducked, swiped at Caleb's legs, and darted out. Caleb knocked Angel out just as Buffy came running in with the scythe, and soon enough, Caleb was lying on the floor, half of him on either side of Buffy and Faith.

"I hope that sticks," Buffy said, turning back to Angel. She knelt beside him, and Faith joined her, trying to focus on the part of Angel who was her closest friend as opposed to the part that was Buffy's ex.

It only took Angel a moment to sit up, and then to jump to his feet. "Where'd he go?"

Buffy stood up slowly. Suddenly, she giggled. "He had to split."

Faith laughed, and so did Buffy, but Angel just stared at them like they were crazy.

"Been a while since I heard a pun like that," Faith said, standing.

"A bad one?" Angel asked.

"How dare you insult my mediocre jokes?" Buffy retorted.

Faith looked between Buffy and Angel. "Look, I'm going to go. You guys obviously have some stuff to work out." She could tell Buffy was about to argue, but she didn't care. With a casual, "Talk to you later, B," she walked out.