Starting with as you were, but instead of Riley, Faith comes back.

For Buffy, it's just another night working in Fast Food Hell. Take order, serve order, repeat. Her mind drifted badly and she found herself barely even there, but when was the last time she had really been involved in the present, only her times with Spike would come to mind, which only made her retreat more into herself as she silently berated herself for allowing it to keep happening. That's when she noticed that someone was watching her and she knew that she'd missed something. She said her normal line and then she looked up.

"B"

"Faith. It's you." If possible Buffy felt her mind melting. Why was Faith back? Why was Faith here? And why in the world did she have to her dressed like this?

And that was when she realised that Faith had been talking.

"..and that's why I came straight here" Faith finished looking at her, expectantly.

Buffy just stared at her. She could tell that Faith felt uncomfortable under her gaze and saw her shift her weight between her feet.

"What are you doing Faith? What are you doing here?"

Faith fidgeted again. "Could we go somewhere else B?" none of her former cockiness was present, and it sounded almost as though she was begging Buffy to come with her.

"Umm.." Buffy looked around the Doublemeat hell she was trapped in, didn't she want to leave? Wouldn't she have given anything just two minutes ago to leave?

"Barry" she called out "I have a family emergency, can someone cover me?"

Barry barely looked up at the request "Whatever, be in tomorrow."

They walked out together and Buffy could tell Faith was nervous. Should I be nervous too? She wondered, and she found herself not caring, Faith could do whatever she wanted to her life now, she just couldn't find herself to care. Buffy led them to a park bench, she sat on one side and Faith sat on the other, they should have been looking at each other, but Faith took the moment to look at her shoes and Buffy took the opportunity to do the same, only with no intention of looking back up.

Faith hesitated, now she was here, this all seemed like such a terrible idea, she had expected a reaction from Buffy, had expected a throw down, hence why she thought she would meet her in a public place. But Buffy gave her nothing. Was she always like this now, or was it something Faith had brought out? Should she be more worried about it? Either way she had to start the conversation somehow.

"Ummm, so I'm out of prison."

"mm-hmm" was the only response she got from Buffy.

"And I came back"

"Noticed." Was the only response she got from the blonde. The blonde appeared to be staring intently into her lap, but Faith could tell she wasn't really paying attention to that either.

"Do you" Faith started, stumbling on the words, this was not how she expected this to go down "Am I allowed to be here? I know last time I was here I kind of wrecked shop, I messed around with you B, and with your friends & your boyfriend" She cringed slightly, expecting some response from Buffy from that, but she was still getting nothing from Buffy "And I want to make it better, I want to make up for what I did, I want to make it up to you"

"So you're sticking around then?" Buffy said, finally looking up at Faith.

When their eyes met, Faith was shocked by what she saw, Buffy's eyes were usually so animated, but they just looked so empty, there was no anger, but Faith could see the pain in those beautiful eyes. What could have happened to cause the pain she was seeing?

"With your blessing of course, if you want me to move on, I'm out of here" Please don't tell me to go Faith thought, I've got nowhere else to go.

Buffy had dropped her eyes again "You want to stay here, stay here, slay if you want, but keep the craziness to a minimum, otherwise I will stop you"

There were the words Faith had been expecting the whole time, but not like that. The way Buffy had said it, not like a threat, there was no animosity in her words, just sadness and pain.

"I won't. I'm trying Buffy and I thought maybe you would help. And I know I have no right to ask, after everything I have done, but I need it. If you could help me, if you wanted to, I want to be better, but I want someone to watch me and make sure I don't fail. You can be my sober slaying coach."

Buffy laughed at that, a laugh that sounded almost hysterical. Faith thought maybe this was the reaction she had expected, to have Buffy laugh in her face and tell her to get out of her life, but she didn't "Sure, whatever, if you think it will help."

Faith was still puzzled at Buffy's reactions, she hadn't actually seemed to be laughing at her, it was like she was laughing at a private joke. Which was weird, the scoobies had always been weird, but Buffy's behaviour was bordering on bizarre.

As if in time with that thought Buffy got up and started walking away. Almost as an afterthought she turned back to Faith "Well I guess rehab starts now, are you ready to slay?

At that Faith jumped up, they were Slayer's, it's what they do and it couldn't get more normal than that could it?

Slaying was not normal. Buffy seemed on edge, and was definitely not her talkative self. So Faith babbled to fill the gap. "I bet you're wondering how I got out, why I'm not in prison.."

Buffy just shrugged.

Faith was going to tell her anyway, she wanted to explain, and let her know it wasn't just her running away.

"I know what I did was wrong, I have a lot to atone for, a lot to make up for and a lot of forgiveness to ask for and don't think I'm shirking that. But I think I can do more out here" Faith waited for a response and when she got none, decided to continue "I didn't get charged with murder... my confession was inadmissible, apparently the detective got thrown out of the precinct shortly after and that made my confession unusable or something. So I did my time for the other crimes and now I'm out."

Faith waited again for Buffy to say something, anything, but Faith may as well have been talking to herself, or her cell wall. Maybe this was the time to try bringing up their past?

"Buffy last time we met, I just wanted to say"

Buffy stopped still at those words and turned to look at Faith with those empty eyes

"Not now Faith" A demon chose to attack just then so Faith couldn't be sure if that was why she'd stopped her, or the topic of their conversation.

The demon charged at Faith with a roar. And she froze. This wasn't something she had had to deal with for a while, and she just froze up.

Buffy didn't hesitate, she threw herself in front of Faith and she shoved her aside, faith slammed into the ground hard and looked up to see the demon carry Buffy and slam her into a tree, hard. She hesitated and got caught up watching Buffy, as she proceeded to ferociously attack the demon before grabbing a stake from her pocket and shoving into the place a humans heart would be. The demon let out another roar, before turning and running.

Faith stayed where she was on the ground and watched Buffy watching the fleeing demon before moving to help Faith up. She held out a hand to the dark slayer, but when Faith went to grab it, she gasped in pain.

"What happened?" Buffy asked and she gave her a once over with her eyes. Faith felt warm as Buffy's gaze wondered over her, she was almost blushing. Buffy moved to grab Faith's sides and help her up. Faith inhaled sharply at Buffy's touch and her hands on her hips. Thoughts flashed through her mind, Buffy and Faith slaying, dancing together, of fighting, of being Buffy and Riley's hands on her, of fighting Buffy as herself.

Faith shook her head as she got to her feet and Buffy let go of her. Everything that had passed between them, no wonder Buffy was acting strange around her.

"I think, I think maybe I've dislocated my shoulder, I'm still a bit rusty I think."

"Let's go back to mine. We'll get you sorted out there."

Faith gulped. Well this was what she wanted wasn't it?