Faith stopped at the top of the stairs, unnoticed by the two occupants in the room under her. She barely noticed Darla slip next to her, focused on her sister making out with Spike.

"You all right?" Darla asked gently, so the others didn't hear her. Faith took a deep breath and smiled.

"Of course I am!" she said, pretending to be cheerful, but ended up sounding slightly demented. "Why shouldn't I be? I'm home, and with my friends. I'm five-by-five."

"Sure you are," Darla didn't buy it for a minute, but she followed her friend down the stairs silently. She took a good look at Buffy and decided she didn't like the other blonde.

"Faith!" Spike stood up from his seat on the couch when he saw the brunette.

"Spike," Faith managed to sound sincerely happy, instead of demented, and threw her arms around him. The two hugged until Buffy cleared her throat. Spike smiled sheepishly at his girlfriend, while Faith merely grinned and left her arm hanging on his shoulders. A year and nothing had changed between her and her sister.

"Hey, B."

"Faith," Buffy sounded warm, but her eyes were cold. Suddenly she saw Darla standing behind the other two. "Who're you?" she asked as bluntly as Dawn, though nowhere near as friendly.

"I'm Darla, Faye's friend," Darla said, trying not to glare at Buffy. Spike grinned.

"I like your taste in friends, luv," Spike told Faith. Buffy didn't like how close Spike was standing to Faith, knowing how close the two had been.

"Come on, dinner's ready," Buffy slipped her hand into Spike's and smiled triumphantly as he walked to the dining room with her. Faith shot her a glare before looking at Spike longingly.

"Always did have bad taste in girlfriends," she said to herself.

"Obviously," Darla agreed forcefully.

"Come on, you have to meet Connor," Dawn ran downstairs and pulled them to the table. The two friends shared a grin and followed her.

"You Connor?" Faith asked the boy sitting next to Dawn. When he nodded, she added, "ok, then I have to give you the speech."

"The 'you break her heart I'll break you' speech?" Connor asked with a smile. "Spike already did."

"Seriously? Thanks, Blondie, you saved me a lotta time."

0o0o0o

"I like Connor, he seems like a sweet boy," Darla said as she and Faith discreetly watched Dawn kiss Connor 'good night' on the porch through the window.

"Seems like," Faith nodded. "And Spike likes him, so he's got to be good for Dawnie."

"Didn't know my opinion was that important," Spike stalked behind them unnoticed, scaring them.

"Don't do that again," Darla warned him.

"Or what?"

"You don't wanna know," Faith warned him. "Trust me."

"A blonde Faith?" Spike tilted his head. "Twice as much fun then."

"Very funny," Darla saw the look pass on his face so quickly Faith didn't even notice it. "I'll go help your mom with the dishes," she told the brunette before leaving them alone.

"Took care of the bit like I promised," he assured Faith.

"Thanks," Faith smiled softly. "So, you and B. When'd that happen?"

"After she found out Scott was cheating on her."

"I thought there was something off about him."

"How 'bout you, luv?" Spike asked. "How was living in L.A.?"

"It wasn't the worst," Faith hesitated, "but it wasn't home, ya know. Did you miss me?"

"Trust me, luv, it wasn't the same without you here," he told her, making her smile. "It was quieter," he added teasingly. She slapped his arm playfully.

"Shut up," she couldn't help but grin. Neither saw Buffy watching them jealously.

0o0o0o

"Faith?" Buffy looked up in shock as her sister sauntered to her and Willow's table. "What are you doing here? You're not a student."

"Nope, but I thought I'd visit you," Faith joked. "Do you need a little ID card to buy lunch, or can I just use money?"

"Um, I think you can use normal money," Willow answered. Faith nodded and headed to the line.

"Hey," she smiled at the guy standing in front of her.

"Hi," he returned it. "I'm Angel."

"Faith," she shook the hand he offered. "So, I'm betting you're a student."

"You aren't?"

"Nope, my friends are though," she shook her head in the blonde and redhead's direction.

"Do you want to sit with me?" Angel asked. "And my friends?"

"Sure," Faith followed him to another table glancing back at Willow and Buffy. After the redhead gave her a nod, she sat into the chair beside him.

"Faith, this is Doyle, Cordelia, Gunn, and Gwen," Angel introduced her to his friends.

"Hey," she gave them the once-over, and saw Cordelia and Gwen doing the same thing. Gunn and Doyle merely gave her grins.

"Hey," Gunn greeted her.

"I love your name," she stated.

"Thanks," he chuckled.

"So, what brings you to our humble table?" Dyle asked light-heartedly. "Angel do his chivalrous act?"

"There's an act?" Faith pretended to be shocked. She liked them already.

"Comes with the whole 'tall-dark-and-handsome' package," Cordelia quipped. "Complete with us."

"Sounds like a good package to me."

"That's what I thought too," Gwen winked. Gunn shook his head, a small smile on his lips. She noticed and gave him a peck on the cheek. A glance at Gwen's ringer finger told Faith the pair were engaged. Well, she assumed, anyway.

"Are you new to Sunnydale?" Cordelia asked.

"Nope, lived here all my life. Except for last year, but that doesn't count."

"Where did you live?"

"L.A.," Faith shrugged. The other brunette's eyes widened.

"Los Angeles? I wish I could have lived there. Can you imagine living near all those shoes? And money," she added as an afterthought.

"She can actually smell money," Angel confided to Faith. "Sometimes I hide some in her room. It's amazing to watch."

"Sounds like it," Faith laughed. "Hey, any of you Bronzing it tonight?"

"Actually, I am from out of town, and Gunn promised to show me the Bronze," Gwen answered.

"Great, I was heading over there tonight with my friend. You know, keep an eye on my sister's date."

"Make sure they don't get too friendly," Angel supplied. When she looked at him curiously, he added "I have a sixteen-year-old brother, Connor."

"Connor?"