Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy, if I did, I'd be writing scripts, not fanfics.
Note: this is just a quick stand alone thing. (unless I get real inspired and decide to continue it, but that's VERY unlikely.) I wrote it a while ago when I had another, dammit, Faith is Good! Moment… so hey- here we go.
Timeframe: In 'Who are you?' when they're having the meeting at Giles' and Buffy is actually Faith and vice versa. Sorry if the whole buffy faith thing gets a little confusing… I think its followable.
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"They're gonna kill her?" Willow exclaimed.
"Possibly." Giles said, wincing at the pitch of Willow's voice.
"Hey, I'm not in the 'we love Faith' patrol, but … killing her? Buffy… shouldn't we stop them?"
"Why?" Faith snorted, utterly shocked that Willow would want to save the person she thought was the crazy killer who'd held a knife to her throat.
"Because!" Willow cried. "We can't let them just kill her, just like that! She's… she's… well, she's Faith, Buffy." She finished quietly, "When it's a fight to the death to save Angel, that's one thing, but just killing her? I … we can't just let them kill her!"
"I gotta agree, Buff. That just doesn't feel right." Xander put in.
"I don't know her. But aren't you supposed to stop killers? Not just let them kill cos it makes your job easier?" Anya said in her matter of fact way.
"Well… I guess…" Faith murmured, "I just didn't think you guys would be jumping for the chance to save her… after everything…"
"Buffy, even after all that… she's still human! And like you said before, maybe there's still some way she could be ok…"
"Sh… I said that?" Faith asked, only noticing afterwards how un-subtle that was.
"Of course… Buffy, are you feeling ok?" Giles said, frowning.
"Yeah, fine…" Faith said vaguely.
"So… what are we gonna do?" Willow asked.
"Erm… I guess we gotta save her then." Faith decided, swallowing hard.
"They can't get us passage. They've ordered the kill." Collins the council guy said, screwing a silencer onto his pistol.
"Torch the place?"
"Get the gas." Collins confirmed.
"How about not?" 'Buffy Summers' suggested, walking right into their hide away with a cross bow. Willow glanced sideways at her friend… there was something in her tone…
"Miss Summers?" Collins said disbelievingly. "We've been hearing some interesting things… but it makes no difference. Why you're trying to save her, I don't know. But you can't. The council sent direct orders."
"But I don't work for the council no more, do I?" She replied in a dangerous tone. She fired the bow before the man could move, and with the deadly aim only a well practiced bow-woman could have, it flew through the cloth of his jacket shoulder and pinned him to the wall, without giving him so much as a scratch. Collins actually growled. The other two guys headed for Buffy (or who they thought was buffy) while she motioned for the others to get Faith. In moments, the best guys the council had were in a pile on the floor, including the escaped Collins. Buffy searched him for keys, and threw them to Will as she helped Faith from the truck. Faith gaped at Buffy,
"You came to save me?" She said, only the slayers detecting the emphasis on the word 'you'.
"Couldn't just let them kill ya, could I? Sorry it took a while… I didn't think these guys would wanna save you… but… turns out there's some stuff I wasn't so clear on." The scoobies all felt that there was something they were missing in this conversation. "Apparently I'd already said that we should be trying to help you… stop things like this happening… so I thought it was the least I could do." Now they were thoroughly confused, but only the two slayers seemed to be on the same page.
"Well, I was a good guy once." Faith said, smiling, "And I was a good friend, if a little … crazy. You were kinda crushed when you realised…"
"I was? I hadn't realised that I cared… what with the fighting…"
"Did you have a choice? With me not wanting to show any weakness… not letting you in… you did care, y'know. You weren't just trying to help yourself."
"I think I get that now. Look… you should go before these guys wake up." Buffy said, ignoring various retorts from the confused friends. Faith walked to the door, smiling at Buffy,
"Thanks for saving me." She said. Buffy nodded, and murmured in a voice no one else but the slayers could hear,
"Go to Angels mansion."
Faith nodded slightly, and left.
"Buffy, are you sure that's a good idea?" Giles said. Buffy shrugged and turned to Willow.
"Wills, I need you to conjure something for me. You think you can?"
"Depends what it is."
"A katra device."
"Isn't that for switching essence or something?"
"It's complicated. Can you do it?"
"Yeah, I think so…" Willow agreed, still very confused, and not sure exactly what was happening.
Faith (actually Buffy) waited at the mansion, wondering if things might really be ok. About noon the next day, the real Faith arrived with a small box.
"Hey." She said, awkwardly.
"Hi. God… I'm starving, when was the last time you ate, girl!?" Real Buffy exclaimed. Faith laughed,
"About eight months ago."
"No wonder you're hungry. Did you have breakfast?" She asked. Faith nodded Buffy's head. "Ooh, goody, gimme my body back." Faith laughed again.
"Here, this is a katra device… I got Will to make it. It'll change us back."
Buffy became more solemn.
"Why are you helping me? After all this…?"
Faith shrugged,
"I don't really know."
"Don't wanna be sappy?"
"Got it in one, B. Not my style."
"Well, F. Could you hand me he thingimyjig so I can be B again?"
Faith nodded, and holding onto the katra, held it out to Buffy. They both grasped it as the light shone out, and then they blinked, and looked down simultaneously. Faith grinned sheepishly,
"Well that was weird. And now I'm gonna have to be on the run again, I guess… but on the plus side, I got me' boobs back… no offense, B."
"None taken." Buffy laughed. "What do I tell the others?" She asked.
"Whatever you like. Tell them everything if you want, otherwise they'll think you were being kinda bitchy." She winced, "Sorry."
"It's ok. Really. And… I meant what I said… even if that was the most confusing conversation of my life."
Faith smiled,
"Thanks B. I guess I really screwed up, huh? I wont deny it felt good at the time though."
"I don't doubt it. I've had a taste, remember?"
Faith laughed again,
"Uh-huh, your couple of days as a bad girl. You rebel you."
Buffy blushed a little. "It's ok B. I'm kiddin'. They were good times."
"Synchro' slayin' days? The chosen two? Yeah, they were good days. I miss 'em."
"Getting' soppy, B. Means I gotta jet." Faith said, smiling.
"You don't have to." Buffy said desperately, "We can work it out… somehow… negotiate with the council…"
"What, to get them to give you custody over me or something? Screw that. Sorry, B, But we both know that wouldn't happen… or work if it did happen. I gotta go."
Buffy nodded slowly,
"Be careful, ok?"
Faith nodded,
"Always. You too… and keep a-hold of soldier boy… he's hot." She grinned wickedly.
"Go, before I change my mind about letting you." Buffy said in mock threat.
"Luv ya B." Faith laughed, and waved a hand over her shoulder as she left.