"What are you doing?" Faith was laying spread out on the couch. "Nothing." Tara was well aware that the 'nothing-ness' that that recently had been consuming Faith, would stick around if she didn't do anything about it. "I get it, you're bored." She looked up at Tara and raised her eyebrows ."Ya think?"

Faith had been acting like this, ever since Buffy had broken up with her and kicked her out of her house. "You need to get out of here." Tara opened up the curtains and the rays of the sun came creeping in. Faith grunted loudly and hid her face in her hands. "Actually, no, I don't. Did B send you over here to spy on me or something?"

Faith was the kind of girl who would look for love in all the lonely places, in other words she was no poster child. She was the kind of gil who would out of nowhere tell you she's bi polar just so you'd trust her. She would leave out condoms on the bedroom dresser just to make you jealous of the guys she fucked before you met her.

"Am I dull?" Faith peaked out through her fingers. "You're not a coat hanger, I'll give you that." Gently Tara took her hands in hers. "Faith, I know that you're hurting. I can feel it in my bones and in my heart. When you're in pain, I'm in pain" Tara was always nice and whenever she was around Faith, comfort hadn't failed to fallow. "I like you. You're my rock and I like how that feels."

They sat in silence, the warm summer sun shining in on them, through the window. Happiness was no longer a gash away, Faith could feel it in her soul. Buffy might've fucked her over, but she was getting back on track, she no longer needed her, to feel good about herself and for Faith, that was a giant step, actually it was one huge leap forward and it wouldn't be long now, until Buffy was just yet another lost memory.

"Drink?" Faith got on her feet. "It's too early. How about, ice cream?" although 'a drink' had a much better ring to it than ice cream. "Am I the only one who can see that she's living a lie?" Tara had to admit that she'd come a long way, if only there was a Buffy patch. Sure, the petite blond Slayer was a girl you'd soon forget, but for Faith to get this attached was beyond anyone's comprehension. "She's trying, you've got to give her that." But Faith wasn't hearing it. "She's trying alright. She tries and she tries and she tries, but she never gets anywhere."

For Faith to stand there and judge Buffy, was rather shocking to Tara. There was a time when Buffy and Faith were so alike, they were basically the same person. "Are you perfect?" Faith didn't even have to think about that one. "Far from. I wake up ever morning feeling like I've failed." Tara cupped her face. "And do you know why? Because there is not such thing as perfection, not in this life time."

"I know you want to jump around, but try to contain yourself." Tara said
Some people are activly cruel because they aren't perfect, because they have yet to realize that it doesn't exist.
"I know that you love her, she's a pretty lovable person. But what she has to understand is that can't do it by herself. No matter how hard she tries, she'll never be able to save the world on her own. It's just not possible."
When it came to Buffy Summers, anything was possible. It al starts with Buffy and it all ends with Buffy. "Faith, I understand that you're scared, but if you run know, you will always be running. Let's stick together, you and me and let's fight, until our fight is over, that way, you'll never have to run again."

If only things were that easy.
"You think that's how it'll go? We'll stick together and just fight an endless war? It's not that simple, nothing is. Stop trying to defend her, she did this, Everything can't be saved." Tara was beginning to put two and two together. "And definitely not everyone."

Faith wasn't offended, not that Tara was trying to anyway. She didn't know whether to stay or go. "If she stops, the world will still be fucked up. Then what? What is she then?" She was like a little puppy, just begging to be loved. Only she was asking to be loved by a person who was not capable to love her, not in the way she wanted to. "She will still be Buffy, even though the world stays the same."

Faith's eyes started to sting, but she wouldn't let herself cry, not in front of Tara, not in front of anybody. "If you take it away from her, if you strip her of her powers, you think she would still ne Buffy?" She had never seen Faith like this. So obsessed, so needy, so unlike herself. What ever happened to 'want, take, have.' Tara watched her lips moving, but she was no longer listening.
She leaned in closer, so that she cold feel Faith's hot breath on her. "There is no other alternative. Buffy's Buffy, always." Faith closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth of another body against hers. "She doesn't fight to live, she fights because fighting is her life. There is not other alternative to that."

Faith trailed her fingers along Tara's jaw line, desperate to feel her. Her knees buckled and she fell to the floor, dragging Tara down with her. "Missed me?" She asked and looked up at her. 'There she is, there's my Faithy.' Tara gave her a shy grin, slowly she leaned closer, until their lips met and they kiss.
Deep and ruthless and then they melt into one.


AN: this is for 'fuffylover' i hope i haven't disappointed you so far, will continue asap!