Ashes to Ashes Chapter 2 -- When in Rome

"I don't care he's fraternizing with the enemy!" Buffy exclaimed slamming her palms down on the little café table as she stood up.

Faith still sat lounging in the wire chair, slumped down her arms folded as she snapped back, "He's fighting them!"

"You don't see it at all, do you Faith? He runs an evil law firm. There's something profusely wrong with that."

"He's going four on a few hundred-thousand. Those are losing odds in any battle," Faith ran a hand through her hair then leaned forward staring Buffy straight in the eye, "Angel wouldn't leave us a sinking message like that if he didn't intend to go down and not come back." She let out a regretful sigh and finally stood up pushing her chair in, "Someone should be there. You should be there."

It was Buffy who looked away staring down at her biscotti that still lay so pretty on a little glass plate and doily. Finally she shook her head and whispered, "I don't know who Angel is anymore…"

"He's who he's always been, B," Faith said looking at her as if Buffy had just told her that a squirrel had been just declared the new Pope. She stood her ground and shook her head, Faith's eyes still fixed on the blonde, "Maybe it's just you who's changed."

Faith turned to leave when Buffy's answer forced her to stop.

"Maybe I have. Maybe I've finally grown-up and realized the lives of our entire line are in my hands. If you want to run back to LA and play the hot shot, go a head. Angel's not thinking straight, he already gotten Cordelia killed--"

Faith turned and raised a brow, "Yeah and she was your most favorite person ever."

"She was important! What I'm saying is: whose next?"

"If you're lucky, it'll be me," she muttered.

Buffy stood up still trying to reason with her, "Faith, we fight for the good guys."

"And he helps the helpless," She countered, "or don't you remember?"

"When did the helpless become rich executives?"

"You know that's not true. He saved my life, even when I asked him to take it!" Faith fumed her chest heaving in a deep breath, "I was one of the helpless, now it's my turn to give something back."

"Sure he helped you," Buffy conceded only to make her own point, "but you're one saved in a line of dead bodies and horrible casualties."

"Casualties? You wanna talk casualties, huh? How about remembering that Harris only has one eye now? Or Anya being sliced in two? Do you remember Molly, Amanda, and a slew of other's killed? And oh yeah, you sent Spike to his death when Angel was up to bat—"

Buffy slapped Faith, "Don't you dare!"

Putting her hand to her cheek Faith laughed, "Don't I always?"

"You're not being fair. I cared about Spike… "Buffy whispered her voice catching before she continued, "…and I was saving the world!"

"He was saving the world. You knew what would happen and you set him up," she said with disgust. "That's right stupid Faith figured it out. You were just saving your non-boyfriend, and you wanna talk about fair?"

Faith straightened her jacket and backed away from Buffy, "I'm going… and I'm taking whoever wants to go with. Conner's probably a mess, and he shouldn't deal alone."

"Do what you want, just keep me posted," Buffy said flippantly not bothering to venture a look at the other girl.

Faith could still see the barely contained rage that she just seemed to bring out of her. It had to be a gift, or the fact that she was calling B on her crap. Either way Faith nodded and cast a casual wave over her shoulder as she headed out into the strata, "Sure Boss, cuz you're first on my list."