All
Minutes after the fall of Sunnydale.
The same thought was running through everyone's minds as they piled onto the bus.
"What now?"
"Well I think we should make some form of plan, as to where we should go next" Giles piped up "I mean we have no home, very little money, we should have thought this through" he walked in circles stressing.
"Hey chill England, we should just pick up at a motel near here, then go from there" Faith tested whether anyone trusted her, or cared what she thought.
"Hmm I think that's a rather good idea, okay let's all sit down" Giles said taking charge, as Buffy was still looking a little blank.
Giles sat down, starting a conversation with Dawn and Xander about the fight and everything that had taken place, Willow joined Kennedy in talking about killing ubervamps and new found powers with the potentials, while Andrew tended to Robin, or Principal Wood as he insisted on calling him.
Faith gingerly approached Buffy at the back of the bus.
"You there B?" She joked, but her voice was full of concern.
"Hmm? Yeah, just uh stunned" Buffy finally took her attention of her shoes and looked the other slayer in the eyes.
"You're okay right?" Faith said, still standing up.
"Peachier than keen" Buffy smiled, looking up at Faith.
"I'm glad, I gotta admit, I was hell'a worried when you got stabbed" Faith laughed her awkwardness off.
"Nah you know us slayers, we're tough, I'll survive" Buffy spoke softly.
"And also I wanted you to know, I'm uh sorry about Spike"
"It's okay, he knew what he was doing, he saved the world, anyway shouldn't you be looking after Robin" Buffy raised her eyebrows.
"Andrew seems to enjoy it, and what was that look for?" Faith seemed annoyed.
"Nothing just, you know, you and Robin seem to be all-" Buffy made childish kissing noises.
"Hey, that was a one time thing, I had just come out of prison, and unless you were up to the job I needed a fix" Faith hit herself, realising what an awkward situation she had just made.
"Well you never asked…Now sit down you goof!" She changed the subject.
"Oh sure, just wasn't sure you wanted me around is all…" Faith said finally sitting down.
"What are you kidding? We fought side by side, you can't get rid of me that easily" Buffy laughed.
"I'm glad we can get past, you know…everything, and I'm not going anywhere…unless you want me to" Faith grinned.
"Nope, you're staying whether you like it or not, no matter what has happened in the past, you've made up for it" The blond slayer took a serious tone.
"I left prison suddenly maybe I should go back..." Faith worried.
"No! You could have left anytime, and you didn't, you did your time" Buffy said sternly.
"Thanks B, and as to being stuck here, I could think of worse people to get stuck with" Faith smiled to herself.
"Thanks" Buffy said blushing.
"Hey wanna play charades?" Andrew said excitedly.
Both slayers rolled their eyes.
1 week later
Buffy
Buffy was awoken to a sharp pain in her stomach. Looking down at the bloodstain on her top she panicked for a moment, thinking she was back there, inside the hellmouth, seeing the hoard of ubervamps running towards her. Sweat rolled down her forehead she breathed heavily. Sitting up abruptly she looked around her surroundings, realising that she was in the motel room she breathed out. They had already been there for a week, but Buffy only then started to make note of the water stained walls, the faded yellow curtains and the cobwebs. "Nice" she said sarcastically under her breath, but it was all the Scooby gang could afford, after all, their house, the bank, everything, was gone into an abyss.
The tired slayer then recalled the previous week, the fighting, the winning, and the loss. She let out a sigh of relief when she realised it was all over. Every night was like this.
Lying back down Buffy thought about everything that had led to her sleeping in a motel surrounded by young slayers sprawled out on the floor. She thought about how Sunnydale, her home, the hellmouth had fallen into itself and disappeared, taking with it her memories and many fallen loved ones. She then thought about those who were left behind, the new slayers, her best friends, family, her watcher, and of course Faith.
She gazed over at the formerly evil slayer snoozing by her, she could feel her warmth, it was comforting and it made her feel, for the first time in a while, relaxed. She always felt like she could be herself, have fun and yet still feel safe around Faith, which is why she'd always kept Faith at arms length it was too dangerous to feel at ease and lose control, but she felt closer than ever to her counter part.
Buffy began to realise that Faith had, indeed changed, she always saw the humanity in her eyes, but Faith had proved it, she had stayed and fought the good fight. And she had won. She warmed to the idea of them being friends. They'd grown closer over the past week. Buffy smiled and happily drifted off to sleep forgetting the one thing that prayed on her mind.
Faith
Faith woke up, feeling thirsty. She rolled off the bed. And crept away trying not to wake Buffy, because of the cramped quarters, they were stuck together, everyone decided the two adult slayers should get the bed, also there were no other pairings that would end without a punch, pulled hair, or a lecture.
Buffy was the only reason Faith got to sleep that night, since Principal Wood went into a coma and was admitted to hospital on the way to the motel. She had been angry, not because of the one night they spent together, she thought that the bad guys were supposed to lose, people like her, or at least what she used to be.
She could only sleep feeling Buffy lying next to her, breathing softly, looking battered and defiant as always. Faith wondered why she didn't sleep this well without Buffy, shrugging the thought off herself, she stepped gingerly, dodging the mini slayers and purposely stepping on Andrew, not that he could ever be woken by anything other than a fist, or a stolen Hotpocket.
As faith turned the rusty tap in the kitchen/dining room/bedroom, she looked over at Buffy, why did she keep doing that? She felt like watching over her all night, 'creepy much?' she thought to herself. Faith had always felt…something for Buffy. She always just wanted Buffy to notice her, even when she was fighting her. Feeling confused, tired and still triumphant from the fight in the hellmouth, feeling this revved up she would normally go out and pick fights, or pick up guys then discard them, but instead Faith crawled back into bed, wrapping the only blanket around Buffy, who in return, murmured something in her sleep.
"No please gnomes taste like fruitcake!"
She took that as a thank you. Faith fell asleep listening to the calming rhythm of the older slayer's breathing.
