The peacefulness of the small cemetery filled a bit of the void she'd felt every day since she first came to the small, unknown town of Goldengrove. Lighting a cigarette, she turned and whistled to her companion and best friend, to follow. The Hellhound's ears perked up and it came running from where it'd been lying next to the only mausoleum in the cemetery, playfully barking at her as she dutifully followed Faith.

"Come on, girl," Faith smiled down at the Hellhound, tame and friendly as if it was a normal dog. "Let's go home."

It was too quiet for Faith. The night had been inactive and yet, her body was buzzing, itching for some action. The vampire and demon population had risen since she'd moved there a little over three years ago despite the fact that the old Hellmouth hadn't been active in over a century. There were more nights where there was nothing and then, every once in awhile, there would be nights where she had her hands full and would spend hours fighting and walking home, slightly wounded, emotionally and physically charged and into the arms of the only woman she had opened up her heart for.

Things were finally stable in her life and she was happy, in love and she wouldn't change it for the world. She had a life there now, friends that she loved and a girlfriend who had changed everything inside of her. Jennifer had been the best thing that had happened to her and she'd come into her life so suddenly and she had completely taken her breath away. There was one thing Faith always thought whenever she thought about her feelings for Jennifer and that was how she had once felt about Buffy.

"It would never have happened even if I waited around forever," she muttered to herself as she looked down at her Hellhound. "Don't look at me like that. It wouldn't have!"

Laughing at herself and stopping to kneel down and pet her Hellhound, she thought back to the day she found her as a pup. She'd only been in town for three days and it was her first night out on what she hoped would be a rather routine patrol. It'd been raining, it was cold and the faint whimpering had caught her attention as she'd made her way out of the cemetery. She thought it was a normal dog and when she bent down to pick up the shivering, whimpering puppy, that's when she knew it was anything but normal. Its eyes glowed orange, almost red as it stared up at her.

She knew she should have killed it, but the pup was clearly abandoned by its demon owner. Not knowing what else to do and not having the heart to leave it there, she took it home and that night she'd bonded with the Hellhound and decided to name her Casey. To Faith, it just fit and after a couple of months, they were inseparable. Apart from the glowing eyes she looked like a normal dog, a German Shepherd to be precise. Jennifer had never once questioned why she had brought the Hellhound home. It was almost as if she knew Faith needed the pup as much as the pup needed her.

Faith clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, signalling Casey to keep following her as she made her way towards the cemetery gates. It wasn't too late and she decided hours ago not to stick around after eleven if she hadn't come across anything. Jennifer was probably at the house waiting for her by now. They did have plans to get together after patrol, like they did most nights. But tonight was different. Tonight would mark their three year anniversary. It was an accomplishment that Faith never reached before. Before Jennifer, she'd never had a stable relationship or anything close to what she could call a relationship.

Her house was only a block away from the cemetery, chosen solely for the fact that it was close and with the Hellmouth conveniently located underneath the mausoleum, she could keep a close eye on the activity that came and went like clockwork. Giles had a lot to do with her getting settled in her life. He was the one who had pulled a few strings, helped her get the house, bought her a car, and got her a job...a career actually. If anything, she owed him a lot more than a simple thank you and a hug. She owed him everything.

For a small town, there were a lot of troubled, angry kids and teenagers. Normal counselling didn't work on those types and therapy was a little too much for them to handle. Faith had been there, done that and Giles had seemed to think she'd do well in that line of work. She remembered how nervous she was in the beginning, thinking she couldn't help anyone and possibly make it all worse for those who came through the door. She'd done a lot of good though in the last three years and despite some rough days and a few very hard-headed teenagers, she loved every second of it.

She had found something she was good at in life and once she had learned to accept that, everything else had fallen into place. She learned to let go of the past, but she didn't ever let herself forget the things she'd done and the person she had once been. She knew she had to give Jennifer a lot of credit for taming her, as she was once told. Falling in love with Jennifer hadn't been easy. She still had strong feelings for Buffy and then and now, she knew she could never actually act upon them. Jennifer had made her let go, just enough to let her in and she taught Faith how to love and be loved, taught her how to open up her heart and let others in instead of pushing them away as she always had in the past.

From the first day she met Jennifer she knew there was something about her that just drew her in. She had a younger sister, Dani, who was one of the potentials-turned-Slayers. It had been at a meeting in Scotland when she'd ran into Jennifer on her way out the door when Giles had started in on how she should stay there and work with Buffy. Right from the moment their eyes met, Faith was drawn in to her, already falling for her before she could stop herself. It had been a relief of sorts as her feelings for Buffy got pushed away, but didn't disappear completely.

Like now, she knew she shouldn't have been thinking of Buffy on the night of her and Jennifer's anniversary, but it was days and moments like this when she would think back and wish she could have done everything differently with Buffy. Their past was rough and unstable and even if Faith tried to be friends with Buffy, it wouldn't work out. It never did with them. They were fire and water...they never mixed and when they were around one another, it was like a bomb was about to go off, a bomb with a very short fuse.

With a sigh she rounded the corner and let the Hellhound take off running ahead of her. She took one last drag of her cigarette before flicking it to the ground and walking up the small path to her house. Jennifer was there waiting, just as she expected and hoped she would be. They didn't live together; Faith needed her space and a place of her own. Jennifer did however spend a lot of nights over when she could, but since she understood and knew Faith better than anyone else, she left in the morning, always gone before Faith woke up.

It was little things like that that had made their relationship work for as long as it had. Jennifer had got inside of Faith's head, learned to understand her and the way she was. It was one thing Faith had never once let anyone else do before, but with Jennifer, everything was different. Sometimes, after spending the night together and waking up alone, Faith would lay in her bed and think of Buffy, wondering if this was how it'd be with her. The never ending questions were always there; would she be able to open herself up to Buffy, let her in as she had with Jennifer, would they be in love, would they have everything Faith always wanted and possibly have something bigger, deeper than what she had with Jennifer?

"Hey," Faith smiled as she walked up the front steps. "Been waiting long?"

"No," she smiled as she bent down to pet Casey. "Just got here. I brought some leftovers for you to eat. Figured you might be hungry."

"I'm always hungry."

"Of course you are," Jennifer laughed as she followed Faith inside. "Slow night?"

Faith only nodded as she opened the fridge and pulled out the container. It was Jennifer's mother who always sent over food and Faith was never one to complain. Nothing beat a home cooked meal even if it was reheated. She popped the container of spaghetti and meatballs into the microwave and headed upstairs to change and wash up.

"Something bothering you, Faith?" Jennifer asked as she stood in the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest, an eyebrow raised and her intense green eyes staring into Faith's as she waited for an answer.

"No," she said as she turned to look at her as she turned off the tap. "Why would you say that?"

"You've been a million miles away lately. I shouldn't be worried, should I?" Jennifer asked, taking a few tentative steps towards her. "Faith?"

"What?"

"You've been thinking about her again, haven't you?"

"Nah, baby. Only been thinking of you and then the fact that I'm a bit pissed I didn't get any action tonight."

"Oh there'll be plenty of action as soon as you eat what my mom sent over," Jennifer laughed and she backed up and leaned against the doorframe. "Have you forgotten what today is?"

"No. How could I?" Faith smiled as she walked over to her and wrapped her arms around her waist. "Today is the day we made this happen, made this real."

"Nice choice of words."

"It's also the day we first fucked," Faith said pointedly as she wiggled her eyebrows. "Can't call it making love when we weren't technically in love then, you know?"

"Remind me again why I fell for you in the first place?"

"Cos you wanted a piece of this fine, sexy ass of mine."

"Cocky."

"Always."

"I wanted a lot more than that though. It wasn't only about getting a piece of your fine, sexy ass."

"Did you get it?"

Jennifer laughed as she playfully swatted Faith's arm as Faith backed her out of the bathroom and across the hall to her bedroom. "Oh I've gotten it all right."

Faith barely leaned in to kiss her when the microwave beeped and jarred her out of the moment before it really even began. With a pout and a sigh, Jennifer let go of her and followed her down to the kitchen. They didn't talk as Faith sat at the breakfast bar and ate the spaghetti as fast as she could, saving the delicious homemade meatballs for last. Jennifer stood across from her, watching her with a small smile.

Every time Faith looked at her, she felt as if she was floating. She'd always had this effect on her, right from the moment they first laid their eyes on each other. The only difference between Jennifer and Buffy, aside from the obvious ones, was that Jennifer wasn't afraid to take what she wanted and she made it clear that first night they had met that she wanted to pursue things with Faith. It was almost laughable at first for her though, never having been in a relationship and never having been with another woman before. It took her awhile to break out of old habits, but once she had, she never looked back.

It was intense, it was real and Jennifer pretty much understood every bit of her, inside and out. Buffy never had taken the time to get to know her, never bothered to try to be friends. They were never friends, they never talked as if they were and Faith had never let her in. She always asked herself why she kept Buffy at arm's length and why she always pushed her away especially in those months before she left Scotland, before she left everyone and that part of her life behind. There had been moments between her and Buffy where she thought, just for a fleeting moment, that there could have been a slight chance there between them.

If Jennifer hadn't come into her life...no, she knew she couldn't think that way. Jennifer was definitely the best thing that could have ever happened to her and she didn't deserve to have her thinking of Buffy, especially tonight. She wasn't even sure if Buffy knew where she had gone. They hadn't left things off on the best of terms, but that was normal between them. It was always rocky the road they'd walked down together, full of twists and turns and dead ends and mountains of issues to climb past.

The ringing of the phone cleared her mind of her thoughts and she watched as Jennifer walked over and picked up the phone, smiling at her as she handed it to her.

"It's Giles."

Faith popped the last meatball in her mouth and took the phone. "I'll be upstairs in a moment."

"Sure. Don't keep me waiting too long."

"I won't," she laughed as she held the phone to her ear and waited until she'd walked out of the kitchen. "Hey, G. What's so important that you're calling me at...shit, almost midnight on a Tuesday?"

"Whoever said it was an important phone call?"

"For one thing, you only call when something is going down and my answer is the same as it has been since I got here. Not interested in coming back to help Buffy with another big bad."

"It's not here where the help is needed, Faith. I've just received word that the Hellmouth you reside near has become activated once again."

"That can't be right. Was just out there not too long ago. There was nothing, no vamps, no demons...slowest it's been in a long time if you ask me."

"My contacts inform me that it is indeed activated. It hasn't been opened, as you obviously know."

"Let me guess," Faith laughed as she tossed the container in the sink. "There's an apocalypse coming. Some big bad wanna-be is planning to open the Hellmouth to take over the world. Am I right or am I right?"

"It is worse than that," he said softly. "In some ways it is indeed an apocalypse in its own right. What is going to happen is going to end up worse than what things were like back in Sunnydale. The vampire and demon population is going to become a rather big problem."

"G, this town barely has ten thousand people living here. What the hell would all these vamps and demons do here besides hang around the Hellmouth and wait for me to kick their asses?"

"As I told you before, the Hellmouth there is probably one of the most powerful in the world. It doesn't matter how big or small the town is. It is there and now that it is active again for the first time in over a century, vamps and demons are going to flock there in droves. It'll be too much for you to handle on your own."

"So..." Faith trailed off as she knew what was coming next. "Time to rally in the troops huh?"

"I've already discussed the situation with Buffy. She will be arriving in town with a team in a couple of hours."

"A couple of hours! G, you do know it's mine and Jen's anniversary today, don't you? I can't deal with Buffy and her band of mini-Slayers coming here so soon!"

"It cannot wait I am afraid. I'll be arriving with Willow and Xander in a few days. There are a couple of things we need to wrap up here before we can join you."

"Great," Faith muttered as she began pacing around the kitchen. "And where is everyone planning on staying? They can't stay here with me. Fuck that."

"At a motel until I can find a suitable house that'll be big enough for all of us."

Faith's heart was racing, her breath was catching in her throat as she struggled to comprehend and soak in everything Giles was saying to her. He was still talking, yet she wasn't listening. She was only listening to her own thoughts that were screaming at her to tell him she didn't want Buffy moving in on her turf whether help was going to be needed or not. She blinked a couple of times as she shook her head, struggling to catch onto what Giles was now discussing.

"I'm afraid we'll have to move the headquarters there."

"Temporarily, right?"

"It'll be rather permanent."

"Great. And to think when I came here I thought I'd be able to live a relatively normal life," Faith scoffed as she walked over to the sink and stared out the window. "I should go. Jen is waiting for me. Big day calls for a little celebration, you know?"

Giles cleared his throat and although he didn't respond, Faith knew he was flustered and rather embarrassed. After a brief moment of silence, Giles said goodnight. Faith didn't say a word. She only hung up the phone and turned off the lights as she headed upstairs to the bedroom. Jennifer was already in bed and she could hear the soft snores before she even reached the door. Turning around, she walked back downstairs, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth at the Hellhound to come with her as she headed for the back door.

Everything had been fine, working out in her favour until Giles' phone call. She sat down the back steps, the rather cool summer night air chilling her bones as she dug her pack of cigarettes out from her pocket. She kept her eyes on the Hellhound, watching as she wandered around the backyard. Everything had been almost perfect and now she wasn't sure what was going to happen. Her stable, happy life wouldn't last much longer, not with Buffy around to stir up old feelings she'd buried deep inside of her.

The feeling of needing to have a drink burned all over her. It'd been three years since she had a drop, three years since Jennifer helped her kick the habit, for the second time in her life. The Hellhound walked up to her and sat down, staring at her with her head tilted to the side.

"Don't look at me like that. I was only thinking of having a drink. Wasn't gonna actually go have one," she muttered as she reached out to pet her. "Sometimes I wonder if you can read my mind. Figuring what you are, you probably can."

Faith leaned back on the steps and sighed she looked up at the stars shining brightly overhead. She smiled as Jennifer walked out of the back door and sat next to her, yawning as she stared at Faith with a slight pout.

"You didn't come to bed."

"You were sleeping and I kind of needed some time to think."

"Think? About what? Giles doesn't want you to go back to Scotland, does he?"

"No," Faith shook her head as she lit her cigarette and offered Jennifer one. "They are all coming here."

"Why?"

"Hellmouth has been activated."

"What?" Jennifer laughed as she shook her head. "That's kind of hard to believe since most nights you don't run into any vampires or demons."

"It is what it is," Faith shrugged. "Giles wouldn't rally in the troops if it wasn't. My guess is that tonight is gonna be our last night drama free."

"Oh. She's coming too, isn't she?"

Faith nodded, knowing exactly how Jennifer felt about Buffy. Any time Buffy just happened to be mentioned between the two of them, tension filled the air with a twinge of jealousy. Jennifer knew how Faith felt about Buffy, she knew because Faith had told her how deep her love was for Buffy, how she was afraid she'd never be able to love someone else the way she loved Buffy. It'd taken Jennifer some time to get over the fact that no matter what she did or how much she loved Faith, Faith would never love her that deep. There was more than just a Slayer bond between her and Buffy and she didn't even want to think about trying to explore that option right now.

Or at least any time in the near future.

There was no way she would be giving up a good thing for Buffy, even if the chance for the two of them to be together ever arose. She loved Jennifer, maybe not the way she loved Buffy, but it was there and it was strong and it was comfortable, familiar.

"Where is everyone planning on staying when they come here?" Jennifer asked softly as she reached out and placed her hand on Faith's knee. "They aren't staying here with you, are they?"

"Oh hell no," Faith laughed. "You know how I am about having anyone stay in my house other than you. Giles said they'd be staying in a motel until they found a house of their own."

"So, this is going to be permanent?"

"Yeah."

"Great," Jennifer sighed. "Things are going to get pretty crazy around here, aren't they?"

"Probably."

"What about us?"

"Nothing is going to change, Jen."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Cos I know that nothing is going to change, not between us," Faith smiled at her as she leaned over and lightly kissed her, her lips lingering on Jennifer's for a moment before she pulled away. "Look on the bright side, your sister is going to be coming back home. I know how much you've missed her."

Jennifer only nodded as she moved in closer to Faith and pulled her arm around her. Faith smiled as she held her close, feeling her shiver slightly as the wind picked up. The cold never bothered her, she was used to it. Even in the middle of summer, a cool night barely affected her.

"What happens if everything changes?"

"It's not gonna change, Jen."

"What happens if it does?"

"We'll deal with it when it happens," Faith replied softly. "We'll take it one day at a time. Isn't that what you've always said to me?"

Faith couldn't help but feel that Jennifer didn't believe her that nothing would change, that nothing was going to happen. She didn't quite believe herself either. It'd been three years since she last saw Buffy and even though it'd been so long, she knew the feelings she had for Buffy were still as strong as they'd always been. One look was all it'd take, she knew that. One look and she knew she'd be falling for Buffy all over again. She had to stop thinking about it, but it was proving to be nearly impossible. She had to wonder if she really was as stable as she'd believed she was all this time. She didn't like feeling so unsure about herself.

She could feel herself drawing back, putting up her walls she'd long ago knocked down. Her heart was telling her to retreat, to run. She couldn't deal with the heartbreak she could feel in her gut that was bound to happen sooner or later. She had to shake that feeling from her as she held Jennifer closer to her. She never did feel the tingles from Jennifer; she never felt the buzz...not like she had whenever she was around Buffy or the few occasions where they'd been as close as she was with Jennifer now. She had long ago chalked it up to being because she and Buffy were the Chosen Two and Jennifer was just a normal woman and her only superpower was when they were in bed, making love until all hours of the night.

"Are you coming inside?" Jennifer asked as she slipped out from Faith's tight embrace and stood up. "I'm exhausted and I'm sure you are."

"I'll be inside in a little while."

"This isn't how I thought we'd spend the night."

"Me neither."

"You'll have to make it up to me another time," Jennifer smiled as she opened the back door and went inside.

Faith sighed out softly as she lit another cigarette and closed her eyes. She sat out there on the back steps until the sun rose over the horizon. She kept her mind clear and free of most thoughts for the longest time. She didn't want to think of what was going to happen when she came face to face with Buffy again. Would she fall into old habits, would she start pushing Jennifer away, or would she actually be strong and resist any temptation that came her way? Too many questions and none of them she had the answers to.

Feeling the lack of sleep, she finally got up and went inside. Jennifer was gone already. She hadn't even heard her leave. She never did most mornings. It never bothered her, but for some reason it did this time. Shrugging it off, she made a pot of coffee and went out front to get the morning paper off the front porch. She stopped as she bent down to pick it up, her body buzzing intensely. She looked down to the end of the driveway, her heart skipping a beat as her eyes met Buffy's.

Faith felt blown away as she stood there just staring at her. Buffy was still as beautiful as always and she hadn't changed in the years that had gone by. She looked tired though, a little sad, but her eyes lit up as Faith smiled at her. Buffy was alone, which didn't surprise her. She had a feeling she'd turn up at the house on her own. Faith held her breath a little as Buffy finally started walking up to the house and every step she took, the more Faith felt the intense buzz grow deep inside of her.

"I wasn't sure if you'd be awake yet," Buffy said softly as she stood at the bottom of the steps looking up at her.

"Haven't been to bed yet, B."

"You look good," she smiled as she walked up the steps and stood in front of Faith.

"You do too."

"Did Giles fill you in?"

"He did. Wasn't paying attention to most of what he said though," Faith laughed nervously as she took a few steps back, unable to handle the buzz that continuously coursed throughout her body. "I got coffee on. You want to come in for a cup?"

"I could use a cup of coffee, or ten."

Faith turned and headed inside, her hands shaking slightly as Buffy followed close behind. "Shall I give you the grand tour or would you like a cup of coffee first?"

"I have been on a plane for the last eleven and a half hours. I could use a cup of coffee first."

"Right. Here I thought maybe Red teleported you here."

"Nah," Buffy laughed as she leaned against the counter and kept her eyes on Faith as she got out a couple of mugs. "Willow is trying to keep the magic to a minimum and most of the girls cannot handle teleporting. It's a little rough on the stomach really."

Faith couldn't look at her as she walked over to the coffee pot and poured them each a cup. It was becoming harder for her just to be around Buffy and she'd only been there for less than five minutes. Her skin was tingling all over as Buffy walked up behind her and reached for one of the mugs. She gripped onto her own and closed her eyes, fighting off the urge to turn to Buffy and tell her exactly how she was feeling. She was feeling too many things, too many feelings she hadn't felt in years.

She had a bitter taste in her mouth, knowing that everything she was thinking wasn't fair to Jennifer nor was it fair to Buffy either. She hadn't realized how tense she was until she felt Buffy place a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay, Faith?"

"Fine, B."

"You seem a little..."

"I said I am fine," Faith said quickly as she backed away from her, shaking as she struggled to get herself under control. The last thing she wanted was for Buffy to see just how her being around was affecting her.

Yet, she had a feeling just from the look in Buffy's eyes that she already knew.