Chapter 2

Faith tapped her foot repeatedly against the carpeted floor, her arms wrapped across her chest as she stared with a frown out the plane window. It annoyed her the fight Buffy put up before finally agreeing to take her help, it was annoying how she had to sit all the way across the plane away from Faith and it annoyed her as hell how Buffy Summers managed to silence her without much of a single word. Faith couldn't really defend herself the way Buffy could, all she had on her side were failed jokes and the fact that she was the last to see Willow before everything went black.

To some extent, Buffy was right. How would that help her anyway?

But Faith saw the Tribe and whither Buffy liked it or not, Faith was the closest match to her there was.

Buffy had skill and so did Faith but Faith was dangerous and that's what set Buffy on edge. It was the experiences she's had with her, they never really ended well. All she wanted to do was find Willow without any added trouble that Faith would surrey provide like always.

Finally having enough, Faith sighed and stood making her way down the plane towards Buffy. She watched the bundle of blonde hair come closer until she paused next to the slayer with a folder open in her hands and her eyes focusing on the information of Faith's last mission trying to find any links.

"Are we gonna be doing this the whole time?"

"Doing what?" Buffy barley mumbled, clearly oblivious to Faith's question.

"Come on B," she muttered taking the seat opposite her and throwing her heeled boots up on the table, her elbow perched on the arm rest as her fingers pressed gently to her forehead, a small smirk growing on Faith's lips as Buffy glanced up at her shoes and then to her in annoyance. She slammed the folder shut, the information pointless and threw it to the side. "Let's kick it like old times."

"You mean before you tried to kill me and my friends? Oh and take over my life?" Buffy titled her head to the side with a smile as Faith's smirk dropped and her eyes blinked repeatedly. Her hand fell back to her black jeans as she glanced out the window feeling the guilt swirl in her chest. She felt like she had all those years, cold and full of regret. You would have thought that she would have learned her lesson by now but somehow, Faith still lingered afraid of change really. She held her old routine because she didn't know any other way. She hurt others because it was the best way to stop the hurt inside her and no matter how many times Angel tried to drill that into Buffy's mind, she would never understand. She didn't care about how lost Faith could be. She never really knew her past, no one did but Faith. Buffy never really knew much about what went on in Faith's mind. She never cared. And Faith was too messed up to explain it.

Sensing the loss in Faith's averted glance, Buffy rolled her eyes. She may be cold towards her but at the same time, she learnt to forgive without really forgiving. "What did these guys look like?"

Faith's eyes shot up to look at Buffy, a moment hesitation before she replied, "Human. At least it seemed like it. They wore thin cloths around their waist, proper native movie looking things. Their faces were covered in white and black stripes. No weapons," Faith's eyes narrowed on something in the distance as she tried triggering the memory in a clearer view. "Wait no...they had these...daggers and marks on their chest. Can't remember exactly what they looked like but they all had them. The ground shook, the wind blowing like crazy, we were almost blown away before they burst through the ground. Tore apart half the camp."

"Where were you guys?"

"Few hours from the main city. A old power plant used to be there. It was torn down a few years ago and since then, it's been a digging site. Willow set up camp a year ago training witches. Then shit started going down and she was sent back to check it out with me. Xander got a report from one of the trainee's telling him about reoccurring dreams that a few of them were having and the constant weather change." Buffy nodded taking the information in. "Any ideas?"

Faith reached for her cigarettes, placing one in between her lips and lighting it as she took a pull and let the smoke twirl from her plump lips. Buffy looked up through the smoke at the girl staring intensely back at her. She caught the glimmer of a spark in her dark brown eyes as Faith took her in and it made Buffy uneasy as she shifted in her seat looking away. Every time Faith stared at her, it would cause a chain reaction in Buffy and it made her hasty to step off the plane with her.

"No not really." Buffy mumbled. "How comes they didn't take you?"

"I don't know. They didn't take any of the training witches either...only Willow." She nodded again before another question pushed at the front of her brain.

"Why did Willow pick you?" Faith couldn't help the chuckle that left her lips.

"Look I know me and the red head haven't always been on the best of terms but after the war, she didn't really have much to hold against me," Faith replied waving her cigarette around with that famous smirk in place. "Besides, with you out of business and me being the rogue agent, I got first picks as the bodyguard."

Buffy remained still. Willow could have called Buffy, she knew Buffy would have said yes but she didn't go further and she didn't let on any sign of disappointment. She didn't want Faith latching on to anything she would think a weakness.

"How's Angel?" Faith asked breaking the silence and only to gain a sharp glare from Buffy. Quickly, she threw her arms in the air with her cigarette still between her lips. "Just asking, no hidden agenda." She pulled the fag from her mouth and drew a cross over her chest, "slayers honour."

Buffy couldn't help the small laugh as she relaxed back against the white leather seats. Her eyes falling out the window again with a small smile on her lips as Faith focused on her with confusion. She always tried to read Buffy and she always failed but since the war, Faith seemed wiser, harsher. She locked onto the lack of trembling lips, something Buffy would have gotten when speaking about him. Was her feelings dying? Were they in the past?

"He's alright. Spending his time with his Son mostly."

"That was creepy." Faith mumbled, her eyes scrunched up at the memory of Corner and the way his eyes had scanned her the first time he saw what a slayer really was. "Angel having a son and all. So was not expecting that. Not to mention he had some freaky ass looks that really set me on edge."

Faith squirmed in her seat, her jacket falling open to show the blood red vest she was wearing. The usual low cut exposing her large cleavage and slipping slightly up her waist to show a flash of skin. Buffy smiled noticing how her dress style hadn't changed much. Then again, by choice neither had Buffy's. At least when she wasn't with the watchers council. She prefered the cosy blue jeans that she was wearing with a pair of black boots and a red shoulder cut off top followed with her favourite brown leather jacket. She liked wearing her hair up with a pin keeping it in place. She liked the comfort of a stake in her pocket and the feeling of cold metal against her ankle from the small dagger Dawn had bought her before Buffy left from her last visit.

"He's that bad huh?"

"Haven't you met him?"

"Haven't stuck around long enough." Buffy mumbled looking down at her lap.

After everything, she thought she would want it. To spend the rest of her carefree days with the love of her life but when she first left, she realised that no matter where she goes, she'll always have responsibilities. Her friends, her sister...everyone. Something would always come up and no matter how many slayers were in play, only she could help. This was a prime example. And Angel? Being with him was great but she couldn't feel the spark in her chest anymore. She couldn't feel much. It was almost like the first time she crawled out of her grave, since the war, she's felt empty. Not relieved, not at peace and not even worried. Just empty.

Perhaps the opposite of Faith.

While she had emptiness, Faith was empty from hope, love and many things but she had an overdose on emotions that played with her mind.

"Hey, we're almost there." Faith spoke up catching the look on Buffy's face. After everything she caused her, she didn't want to push her back. So she hoped it was enough to take her mind from Angel, whatever went wrong there and to some extent Buffy thanked her for it with a gentle nod and a soft smile to follow. Her eyes fixed back at the window as the plane began to descend.

Faith rubbed her cigarette in the ash tray before settling in with the belt tightly wrapped around her waist and her eyes closed, her head pressed back.

Buffy however took the opportunity to stare at the slayer.

Had she changed? A question she asked herself too many times before in the past. So many warnings, so many attempts to save Faith and it all crashed in her face and she wanted to slap herself for asking that same question now, years after the mistakes but one thing was clear to Buffy even if she hated it. She had a weak spot for Faith and she somehow found enough room in all the dispair inside her to let Faith pile on.

It unsettled Buffy yet she couldn't tare her eyes from Faith, even when her eyelids pulled open and she was staring straight into those dark chocolate brown eyes, she couldn't help but ask again,

Has she really changed?