Author's notes: This one is still for Gina. I'm just a few months late, who cares? So what? ;) Don't adjust your screens it's an update. I'm sorry I've been MIA lately. It's not for a lack of wanting to write, I assure you.
Buffy was the first to wake in the morning. She wasn't the least bit surprised or weirded out by Faith using her as a body pillow. She just hoped Faith would be cool with what had transpired between them the night before and even if she wasn't, Buffy had resolved herself to not be upset about it. She didn't want to mess up their duties or their mission.
And, most of all, hopefully not their progress as friends.
Before Faith could get up and give her guilty looks, she decided to go and take a shower in the communal bathroom on their floor and then start her day, by making a big breakfast for the gang.
Faith woke up when she heard the door to Buffy's room close.
'Damn,' She thought as the realization of what she had done last night set in. 'At least she's not in bed right now. That would be fuckin' weird. I better get up and go shower. Figure out what the fuck to do.'
Faith jumped up and made a beeline for the bathroom. While showering, she did a lot of thinking and decided not to hide from anyone, namely Buffy, and just act like things were copacetic.
After she was finished, she dressed and quickly made her way downstairs.
Before she reached the stairs, she was startled by a worried looking Kennedy pulling her by the arm into the room she shared with Willow.
"What's up, Ken?" She asked, slightly annoyed.
"What's up? What's up?" She said, incredulously. "What's up is the fact that Will and I were scared shitless about you setting Buffy up with Jason, and you just took her home and fucked her anyway. Why'd you put us through that shit?"
"Jesus, Kennedy. Hold the fuck up. First, get your paw off me, and second, I didn't plan what happened between me and Buffy, it just did."
"So what, you two are a real couple now?"
"What? No! I just helped her out."
"Oh Holy fuck, we're all doomed…"
"Kennedy, I'm not gonna say this again, calm the fuck down, no one's doomed. We go on with the mission as planned, but with a rested and sexually satisfied Buffy. Not one that's tweaked the fuck out 'cause she can't climax on her own."
Kennedy looked puzzled, "She couldn't…"
"Hey, I don't think she'd dig us discussing her sex life like this, but since you look like you need an answer or your head's gonna explode: No, she couldn't get herself off. Okay, warden?"
"Faith, I didn't mean it like that. I just…I want to make sure…"
"That I'm not fucking around with the Golden Girl's head. I got that. We were in bed, she looked desperate, I kissed the shit out of her, she asked me, and I obliged. Okay?"
"Okay," Kennedy said after her brain processed the imagery.
"Stop imagining it, perv," Faith said as she left Kennedy standing there stunned and went downstairs.
Willow and Buffy were making breakfast in the kitchen and when Faith walked in it was obvious they had just been talking about something she wasn't supposed to hear.
"H-hey, Faith, how's…how are…good morning!" Willow greeted, finally.
Faith smiled at her brilliantly, "Mornin', Red. You have a good sleep?"
"Eventually…I mean yes, it was great."
"Mornin' B, how're those pancakes coming?"
"They're almost ready. We couldn't decide on sausage, bacon or ham, so we made all three."
"Plus the turkey varieties of each," Willow added.
"Turkey-ham?" Faith asked puzzled then shrugged. "Sounds great, I'm starved." Faith looked at the food they had on platters on the counter already made. She laughed, "Looks like you couldn't decide on waffles, French toast, or pancakes either."
"Nope!" Willow said, a little too cheery. "Hope you've worked up a killer appetite."
Faith smirked, "I wouldn't say 'killer', Will. A little 'assault and batterer' maybe…"
Willow looked worried as she tried to figure out what the joke was, she thought maybe Faith would have taken 'killer' as a crack on her past. She laughed really loudly when she finally got the joke.
"Oh, Faith, that's priceless! Gee, you sure are funny."
Faith passed Buffy to get to the refrigerator and whispered, "She have a few mimosas this morning?"
Buffy laughed and shook her head no and said, "But if you want some, I think we have a nice bottle of champagne somewhere."
"Oh my God, how good would that be?" Faith asked.
"Too good, wait until the food is ready for that though, we don't want to get too tipsy before eating."
Faith wiggled her eyebrows at Buffy, "Yeah, things could get outta hand…"
The last word's meaning wasn't lost on Buffy, and she gave Faith a smirk of her own.
"I know that was supposed to have a double meaning, but I just can't put my finger on why…"
"Ooooh, good one, B," Faith laughed as she poured herself a glass of orange juice. "You guys need any help?"
"Uhhh," Willow was still a little worried about their banter with each other but finally recovered. "Just taking it out to the dining room. Oh, and could you go tell Giles it's ready? He's in the library."
"Where else would he be?" Faith shrugged. "I'll take the starches out and then get him."
"Sounds good," Willow said, trying to be nonchalant, but looking at Buffy pointedly.
Once Faith left the room she said to Buffy, "I can't believe you're being calm about this, Buffy."
"How do you want me to be?"
The kitchen door swung open and Faith said, "Need my juice."
Willow turned around to the sink like she'd seen her naked.
Buffy shrugged when Faith looked at her questioningly as she picked up her glass.
No words were exchange between them, but before Faith left she turned to Willow who was still at the sink, "Red, I'm leavin' now, don't worry, I'll knock when I come back for the other stuff." She didn't wait for an answer and left the room.
"Way to be cool about things, Will," Buffy said, dismissively.
Willow turned on her heel. "I'm sorry, Buffy! I just, I can't believe this is actually happening…did we cross into some alternate universe?"
"What? I thought you'd be happy. It seems from all those emails you sent Joe that you'd want me and Faith to be together."
"But Buffy, that was…that was a fictional relationship…I didn't think…"
"You didn't think I'd be into Faith."
Willow swallowed, "Are you?"
"You still don't believe me after all I've been talking to you about this morning?"
Buffy stopped plating the last of the pancakes, and just looked at Willow.
"Forget it, Will."
"No, Buffy. Please, I just want to understand."
"What's to understand? I like her, I know it seems weird…"
"You tried to kill each other."
"Kiss or kill…"
"It's that second option that's giving me the wigs."
"Oh, so this is about thinking Faith might go crazy if I try to have a relationship with her?"
"No, I know she's changed a lot, we've been happy to have her here…"
"Yeah, about that…"
"Now, Buffy, we didn't mean to keep that from you."
"I just wonder why you did."
Willow sighed and said, "Buffy, you're gonna not mess with her head right?"
"I promise," Buffy said and crossed her heart.
"Okay, so get the pancakes off of the griddle, and let's get the rest of this stuff to the table."
"Are you okay with that?"
Giles looked as though someone had punched him in the stomach.
"I-I…," He stopped, then started again. "I-I…I…"
"Ay-yi-yi, Giles, I didn't tell you so it would fry your circuit board," She went over to him and patted him on the back.
"N-no…I…I…"
"Here they come again," She rolled her eyes.
Giles coughed and cleared his throat.
"What's the matter? You're not cool with the girl on girl? Or because it's with Buffy?"
"Well, I would have appreciated if it weren't told to me in such detail…"
"I'm sorry, but you said we should talk to each other frankly about shit. 'Sides, I don't have your ability to talk around the meat of the issue."
"Tact is not 'talking around the meat of an issue', and yes, if you must know, I'm a little stunned because it's Buffy."
"Because I got a piece of the Golden Girl, right? Took another chink out of her perfect armor?"
"No, Faith, and I'll thank you not to talk to me like I haven't known you and been your closest confidant for the better part of two years now," Giles took off his glasses to clean them.
"I don't know, sometimes it still feels like you don't want me to dirty her up."
He stopped cleaning his glasses and looked at her.
"Buffy is not my responsibility anymore, Faith. You know as well as I do that I'm not privy to who gets to 'dirty her up' as you say, and she's her own woman. Besides," He looked at her incredulously, "Do you not recall telling me you were over her just a few days ago? And what does this latest revelation mean for you?"
"I know what I said, and nothing's changed. We're still just friends."
"Have you talked to her about that?"
"No, but I don't need to, she feels the same."
"How do you know that?"
Faith shrugged and looked like he had grown an extra head when asking that question, "What's to know? She doesn't like me like that, she just needed help. It was a friend helping out a friend."
Giles narrowed his eyes and was about to say something but thought better of it.
"What?"
"I suggest you talk to her, if not to establish what this means for her, but to establish boundaries and what it means for the mission if your relationship should become something more."
"What like, if we become fuck buddies? Hmm, hadn't thought of that…"
Giles closed his eyes, "I meant should you become embroiled in a romantic relationship."
"See? There you go flowerin' shit up to make it not smell so bad. And you must not know Buffy anymore, old guy. She needed me to hit it so she could sleep."
"Very well, you seem to have it all figured out, Faith."
"Good, I'm glad you finally see that."
"I just have one request."
"Hit me with it."
"If she does tell you she loves you…"
Faith started laughing and Giles had to wait until she got a hold of herself again.
"Are you quite finished?" He said when it looked like she was stopping.
"Are you out of your frickin' mind?"
"Is it so unbelievable to think that Buffy would have feelings for you?"
Faith put her arms out to her sides and looked at him with a disbelieving smile.
"As absurd as it may seem given your past history with each other, when you're dealing with Buffy and her feelings, love is a definite possibility. Although, I can see why you're skeptical." He put back on his glasses and leaned forward on the desk. "I just hope you both know what you're doing."
"We're not kids anymore, Giles." Faith flounced to the door like she didn't have a care in the world. "Like I said, if she needs help once in a while, ya know…if she's backed up, I'm cool with that, but I doubt she'll go for an arrangement like that."
"The fact that you'd want to be in an arrangement like that… which I find most curious since you couldn't do that with the girl you told me about, Kari—"
Faith held her hand up to cut him off, "Man, I didn't even think you listened half the time. Giles, don't read into this shit. Hey, I'm gonna go eat before Kennedy and Buffy tear it up."
"Faith?" Giles asked, stopping her from leaving.
She sighed and hung her head but didn't turn around, "Yeah?"
"You're worthy of her love."
She didn't say anything, but Giles noticed that she stood a little straighter as she opened the door to the library and walked out of it.
"Hands off the end of the bacon!" Faith said as she walked up to the table. She was pointing at Kennedy who stopped her fork's progress into the juicy end piece.
"Here, Faith, have mine, it's the other end," Buffy said, offering the meat on her plate.
"Nah, B…"
"Faith take it, I took too much anyway. Is Giles coming?"
"He's busy makin' those books look interestin'."
"What?"
"Nothin', don't mind me. I think he went to wash his hands. Who knows what he was up to before I got in there…" She winked at Kennedy before taking a big helping of eggs and heaping them on her plate.
"Gross, Faith," Buffy said, after she finished off the last of her juice.
"I was gonna have a turkey sausage, but I think I'll pass now," Willow said, looking visibly deflated.
"Aww, I'm sorry, Red. I was just kiddin', you know he was readin' some scroll or whatever."
Buffy got up from the table and looked at her phone, "I'm gonna go make a phone call, I'll be back down to help with the clean up."
"Was it something I said?" Faith said, after watching Buffy leave quickly.
"No, I don't think it was that…"
"I was kiddin', Red. Geeze, you need to relax."
"I'm sorry."
"Are you guys gonna be cool about this?"
"About what exactly?" Kennedy smirked and raised an eyebrow.
"About what happened between me and Buffy."
"What did happen?"
"Ken…" Willow tried to stop her fiancée from going any further with her questioning, because she could see it was irritating Faith.
Faith sighed and put her fork down.
"You know what happened, apparently the walls are thinner than I thought. They look as thick as fuck, but anyway. Please, we're about to go undercover, no one's in love with anyone, it was…"
Faith stopped talking when she saw Buffy walking back into the dining room with Giles. They were both smiling and walking arm in arm.
"Look who I found," Buffy said, cheerily.
"Please finish, Faith," Kennedy said. "You were saying?"
"I was saying that I'd like to spar with you after breakfast."
"Oooh, that's a great idea, Faith." Buffy said, still smiling. "Our work out yesterday left me a little sore and I'd like to have a break today."
Kennedy had looked scared when she heard Faith was going to use her to spar with, but she still couldn't help smirking at Buffy's input.
"That's cool, B. Ken here is gonna help me try out those new Katanas your girl Satsu sent to us."
Buffy blanched at the words 'your girl Satsu' from Faith, but didn't let it stop her current happiness.
"Will, do we have anymore of those cinnamon rolls?" Buffy asked, searching the table.
"Yep, here you go."
"Mmmm…" Buffy said as she licked the melted icing off the side of a big plump looking roll.
Faith's eyes darted over to her, and her mouth went dry, but she quickly recovered and swallowed half a glass of orange juice.
"I'm uhh…I'm gonna go get the mats ready, see you down stairs in a few, Ken."
"But Faith," Kennedy yelled after the retreating Slayer. "You didn't finish…your food." She said the last two quietly because Faith had already left the room. She turned to Buffy, "You harlot," She accused with a smile.
"What did I do?"
"You're such a seductress with that cinnamon roll."
"Ken…" Willow said, worriedly. "I don't think we should…"
"Quite right, Willow," Giles said. "Let's focus on the mission."
"You ready?"
Kennedy nodded after she finished taping up her hands.
"You're sure? You might wanna wear this," Faith tossed her the sparring helmet mainly used for boxing.
"You're gonna aim for my face?"
"I got a lot of aggression to get out, K. I don't wanna have Will shrink my tits to nubs 'cause I permanently scarred your face."
"Faith, I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have pried…"
"It's not about that, Ken. Just shut up and let's go, will ya?"
Kennedy put the head gear on and they started circling each other. After Kennedy feinted left and was feeling pretty proud of the jab she got off to Faith's nose, she called a time out because Faith's counter was a kick to the head so hard her neck snapped back and she thought it should have been broken.
"What the fuck was that?" Kennedy said, rubbing the back of her neck.
"What?" Faith asked innocently.
"Trying to snap my fucking head off at the neck, that's what!"
"It was an honest mistake, you shoulda ducked."
"I'm not sparring with you like this," Kennedy said, starting to take the tape off of her hands.
"Like what?"
"All fucking wound up." She stopped what she was doing and looked at Faith. "I take it you did the giving and not the receiving last night?"
"Put your hands back up, Ken."
"I'm serious, Faith, I'm not gonna be your punching bag just because you didn't get any."
"Didn't need any, and put your hands up."
Kennedy sighed and put both her hands up. Faith started alternately hitting them very rapidly, in a blisteringly fast show of pent up aggression.
After a minute or two, Kennedy backed up.
"Okay, Faith…shit I can't feel my hands."
"Phew, that helped."
Kennedy rubbed her palms one after the other and shook them to get the feeling back.
"You didn't talk to her yet, did ya?"
"Why does everything have to be about Buffy? I've got other shit on my mind, Kennedy."
"I don't know…maybe because this is like…the weirdest hook up of the century?"
"What the…" Faith looked annoyed. "Weirdest hook up of the century goes to me and B? What about Xander and Little Dawnie?"
"Hey," Kennedy looked around nervously and moved in closer to Faith. "We don't talk about that around here…"
"It's almost incest, K."
"Faith," Kennedy said sternly. "Ixnay on the incest…nay?"
"You suck at pig latin," Faith laughed.
"At least I don't suck at regular Latin, bet you can't say that."
"What are you? Two? And besides, you think being tête à tête with Giles 'the poster boy for dead languages', spares me from having to learn that shit? I could Latin you into the ground."
"Oh yeah? Try it," Kennedy rolled her head to the side, cracking her neck and loosening her shoulders.
"Oh you're ready to get whupped now, are ya?"
"Bring it on, bitch!"
Kennedy never saw the upper cut coming and she blacked out before reaching the far wall, smashing into the racks that held some medicine balls.
Faith cringed as she watched them fall one by one onto Kennedy's prone form after it had broken the shelves.
'Oh fuck, Red's gonna kill me and Buffy's gonna think it was about her…' She thought right before running to stop further medicine balls from crashing down onto her friend.
"Ken…Kennedy…Ken," Faith said, patting Kennedy's cheek and helping her to lay flat on her back. All she received in response was a groan. "Ken, come on playah, it wasn't that hard of a hit…"
Buffy came running down the steps and looked at the scene.
"Faith! What happened?"
"I caught her off guard, go get Giles!"
Willow started down the steps, but then went back up to get Giles.
"Does she have a pulse?" Buffy said, nervously.
"She's alive," Faith said, but checked her pulse just in case. She was relieved when she felt a strong one.
"Faith, what happened?" Giles said, rushing down the steps, followed by a very concerned Willow.
"We were sparrin', then she sorta squared off against me, didn't see my uppercut and landed in the wall. The medicine balls…ya know, kinda crunched her a bit."
Giles rolled up his shirt sleeves and felt for a pulse.
"It's strong, G. I think I just rung her bell."
He was checking her extremities for broken bones.
"Yes, it must have been a very hard ringing," He surmised she didn't have any broken bones, and moved on to her head. She groaned when he touched the back. "Well, no broken bones, but I suspect she'll have a very sizable lump. Willow, ice pack please?"
"Right away," Willow rushed to the room where they had a freezer with ice packs.
"Damn, Faith…I think you…I think you loosened all my teeth," Kennedy said, with several moans.
"Sorry, K," Faith kneeled down and held her hand. "I didn't mean to pack that much of a wallop."
"I gotta hand it to you, though…" Kennedy winced as Faith tried to help her to a sitting position.
"Be careful with her, Faith," Giles warned.
"Okay, Granny G."
Giles tutted.
"I never saw the punch coming, and I was standing r-right in front of you…"
"Oh yes, Faith has been doing some excellent hand to hand training in Manila, her opponents rarely see her punches."
Buffy looked curiously at Faith who dared not to meet her eyes.
"Lean on me, Ken," Faith said as she helped her into a standing position.
"Faith, I was just punched a little, I'm not…oooh," She slumped against Faith. "Woozy."
"Yeah, I thought so, stop bein' a hero, K. Let's go champ, let me help you."
"I never thought there were real cartoon birdies when you got punched like that…until now…"
Buffy kept looking at Faith periodically as she followed the gang back up stairs.
When she was done helping Kennedy onto the couch and then getting the aspirin Giles told her to get out of his bag in the library, Buffy confronted her.
"Faith, what was it all about?"
Faith looked at Buffy for a few moments then said, "I was just helpin' you…"
"Not that, Faith," Buffy quickly dismissed that explanation. "I meant downstairs, what did she say to you?"
"Nothin' really…" Faith shrugged. "She called me a bitch."
"Why?"
"Just smack talkin', nothin' to get upset over."
"Then why did you punch her so hard that her ass print is still in the wall?"
"Didn't know my own strength, I guess…" Faith shrugged, trying not to catch Buffy's eyes.
"No? Giles seems to know your strength quite well, the extra training you've been putting in, I suspect with prizefighters in the Philippines."
"Yeah, so?"
"So why did you let me beat you the other night?"
"That? That was legit, Buffy. You always got the drop on me."
Buffy was shaking her head, "I know Ken is no slouch when it comes to sparring, she's almost bested me a few times now, stop holding back with me, Faith. It's not good for us to hold back anything."
"Is this your way of telling me you're okay with what happened last night?"
"Are you not okay with it?"
Faith thought for a moment then said, "I'm pretty okay with it." She stopped for a few moments more and then continued, "I just don't want it to fuck up our mission."
"Being that close can only help what we'll need to do," Buffy said with confidence, there was no hint of desperation or neediness in her voice and it soothed Faith's fears. "I know you probably…no, I'm not going to make any assumptions on your love life. I'm just going to tell you, don't worry, you won't get any kind of trouble from me about what happened last night. I know you were just helping me out. I'm not looking…I mean, I don't think we're a couple now just because of that." Buffy had to stop herself from adding, 'Unless you wanted something more.' She figured that the more she treated this casually, the more she'd have it work in her favor. Or more accurately, the more she pushed for something real, the more chance there was that Faith would run from her.
"So what you're sayin' is, is that if what happened last night happened again, you'd be cool with it? Even if that meant we weren't a couple?"
"Well, no…" Buffy narrowed her eyes and turned her gaze to the wall, contemplating. "W-well actually…"
"Well what?" Faith's heart was speeding up, even though outwardly she was playing it cool. She wouldn't have admitted to hoping that Buffy would go for a casual sex relationship, but her body betrayed her. As usual.
Buffy turned back to Faith, "What I'm saying is, if that happens, then it happens. I don't want there to be any tension between us. I understand that for this mission we have to be unbelievably close."
"And if that means we get busy, it's for a good cause?"
Buffy sighed, "All I'm saying is that I'm not the prude you think I am, and I don't want repressed feelings to get in the way of what we need to do."
"Repressed feelings? You've got some repression going on?"
Before Buffy could answer that Willow came into the library.
"Hey guys, sorry to interrupt but I need those aspirin, I think she'll be able to keep them down now."
"She was yarkin'?" Faith asked.
"Yeah, from the spins."
"Oh fuck, I'm so sorry, Red."
"I know you are, Faith."
"I'm gonna owe her big time."
"It was an accident, don't beat yourself up about it." Willow put her arm on Faith's. "Let me get these to her." She shook the bottle. "I'm not sure if these'll be enough. But we'll humor Giles a little."
Buffy looked at Faith expectantly.
"No, those will be enough." She indicated towards the door that Willow just left through. "Giles has become an amateur alchemist, he's doctored those up for slayer sized headaches."
"Really? That's good to know."
"You've got a headache?"
"I kinda feel one coming on."
Faith looked uneasy at that, so she did what she does best. Deflect and ignore.
"Maybe you should go lay down, B. I'll finish up whatever we had to research today and I'll report it to you."
"No," Buffy shook her head. "I'm not a slouch and it's not that serious of a headache."
"How about I go check out the place Giles got for us while you relax here?"
"Faith, we're supposed to do that together…are you okay?"
Faith moved quickly to the window and looked out at the vista. "I'm okay," She said all too quickly.
"Are you sure, 'cause suddenly you look kinda not okay."
"Buffy," Faith started to raise her voice, then thought better of it and took a few calming breaths. "To tell you the truth, I'm feelin' kinda anxious and I don't know…"
"Wound up?" Buffy asked cautiously.
"Kinda…yeah."
Buffy was going to press, but she stayed silent and let Faith tell her in her own time.
"I thought the sparring would have helped, but now I just went and made a mess of that. And ya know…"
"What?"
"Now we got this eighty pound elephant in the room…"
Buffy looked puzzled and let out a short laugh, "We have a severely anorexic elephant in the room?"
Faith turned and looked at her puzzled for a moment, and then laughed, "Oh shit, ya see? You make me nervous."
"I make you nervous?" Buffy was blown away by that, Faith used to live to make Buffy nervous.
Faith flounced on the small couch that was next to the window.
She let out a big sigh, and then after several moments of false starts, she finally said, "I usually don't do this, Buffy…"
"I know, Faith," Buffy tried to make her tone sound soothing. "Get some, get gone. I remember."
"No…well, yeah that, but what I meant was, I usually don't like to talk about anything. Especially things having to do with you."
"Oh," Buffy tried to remain neutral. Her tone still sounded relaxed.
"I started to open up to Giles about a year after we were workin' together." Faith pointed to no one in particular in the chair opposite the couch she was occupying. "Had a therapist, two times a week for an hour, we sat across from each other in silence, almost a whole month before she lost it on me and finally got me to talk. I didn't think therapists were supposed to yell."
That made Buffy let out a short laugh, "I think I get it, Faith."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, you've opened yourself up to me quicker than you have with anyone else, and it's making you wig."
Faith thought about that for a moment, "I guess that's one way to put it."
"What's another way?"
"I don't know how to act around you since I helped you get off?"
"We were fine together in the kitchen and at breakfast… and didn't we just talk about this before Willow came in?"
"Yeah, but that's because other people were around, and then you were doing all the talking but…" Faith stopped.
"But what?" Buffy asked as she watched Faith put her hands over her face and lean over in the chair.
"Fuck, this is gonna be hard."
Buffy was really puzzled at the moment, she knew Faith would be a little weirded out by what happened between them, but she was prepared for stony silence and mixed signals. She wasn't prepared for Faith struggling out her feelings in front of her.
"If it's easier for you, let me say, again, that I'm really okay with last night."
"Why?"
"Why?"
"Yeah, why are you okay with it? I mean, not that I don't want you to be, but shit, B. Our track record…"
"Forget our track record, Faith. Seriously, forget the past."
"But, Buffy…"
"No, I'm serious, you said it yourself, if we go in there with anything but a solid relationship we're toast. I know what we've been to each other in the past. I know how icily I've acted towards you. I remember vividly how betrayed I felt by you. I know how many times we've tried to kill each other."
"And I've hurt or tried to kill your friends…" Faith added helpfully.
"Thank you, but I wasn't forgetting that either. I'm not a different Buffy, but I know what has to get done, and we have to be okay with each other. If that means that we get closer than either of us was intending…"
"You're soundin' like Giles," Faith pointed out.
"Thank you for pointing that out, never let me go too long with sounding like him," Buffy genuinely smiled a grateful smile at Faith and her traitorous heart once again skipped a beat. She put her hand to her chest and rubbed unconsciously.
"You okay?" Buffy asked, concerned.
Faith looked at her hand and was surprised it was there, "Uh, yeah, bacon is kinda repeatin' on me."
"It's been an eventful morning, why don't we just chill?"
"Chill?"
"Yeah, relax, watch some more movies or something. What are we up to now?"
"Casino," Faith said.
"Casino it is, you want me to go make popcorn?"
Faith shook her head.
"You're right, we just ate…"
"That's not what I meant."
Buffy looked at her quizzically.
"No?"
"No," Faith moved over on the couch and patted the seat beside her. "We weren't done talking."
It was Buffy's turn to be nervous, "We weren't?"
"No, Buffy. As painful as this shit is, we gotta do it," Faith patted the seat next to her again.
"Y-you want me to sit next to you?"
"No, I want you to watch while I play patty cake with the cushion. Yes, I want you to sit next to me!"
Buffy jumped at Faith's raised voice.
"Okay, geez," She said as she shuffled over to the couch.
Faith laughed as she realized they were already playing their roles.
"What's so funny?"
"This…"
"What?"
"We're exactly how Will wrote us in the emails."
"You think I'm ditzy?"
"At the moment yes, and I'm pushy."
Buffy thought about it for a moment and laughed as she flopped onto the cushion. She could feel the closeness of Faith, and the warmth radiating from her body.
"You know what? I think we need to be watching some movies or TV shows where the couples are like we're supposed to be," Faith said.
"Like what?"
"Well, like Burns and Allen or Abbot and Costello."
"They were a couple?"
"Holy shit, are you acting?"
"Y-yes…" Buffy lied.
"Ha!" Faith laughed. "I think I know your tell."
"My what?"
"Your 'tell', when you're bluffin'."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, you stutter."
Buffy narrowed her eyes at Faith. "Oh, okay. Make fun of my speech impediment."
"Nice try, B. You only have that impediment when you're lyin', so you can't claim a disability."
Buffy narrowed her eyes even further, she was trying to figure out what Faith's tell was. Usually it was when her lips were moving, but since she'd been training with Giles, Faith was much harder to read.
"Alright," Buffy conceded. "Now you know my tell." She shrugged. "What did you want to talk about?"
Faith's left leg started to move, she was bouncing it slightly. Buffy took note.
"Well, you know…"
"Last night?"
Faith's leg moved quicker.
"Kinda, yeah…"
"I told you Faith…"
"Yeah, I know you did, and what you said was really nice to hear, I mean it really put my mind at ease. I just want to make sure you were being honest with me."
Buffy started to speak, but she knew what came out of her mouth would be a stutter, so she waited a few moments.
"I was."
"You're sure?" Faith put her hand on Buffy's leg and looked in her eyes.
If Buffy could have conjured a demon to swallow up the couch with them on it, she would have at that moment. But when she spoke she managed to keep it stutter free.
"I meant what I said, Faith."
"So like, if I kissed you right now you wouldn't mind?"
Buffy shook her head.
"I mean, you wouldn't think it really freakin' weird even after last night?"
"Well, not after last night, no. But I would be wondering why you wanted to kiss me."
"No reason," Faith shrugged. "I wasn't really sayin' I was gonna kiss you, I just wanted to make sure you were okay with it."
Once again, Buffy wasn't sure what Faith was getting at, and it showed on her face.
"Ya know, because of the mission and all…" Faith clarified.
"Oh, okay, yeah I getcha."
"Got it?"
"Uh huh," Buffy nodded and looked at Faith's hand that was still on her leg. Faith looked down at it too and quickly moved it to her own lap. Her leg started to move again.
They sat in silence for a few more moments until Buffy spoke again.
"For what it's worth, and while we're both not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, I wanted to sincerely thank you for last night."
"Don't mention it."
"Okay…" Buffy fell silent and the nervousness came over her again.
"So whatta we do now?" Faith asked.
"Well…I think we need to go ring shopping, don't you?" She said as she looked at the unadorned ring finger of her right hand.
"Ring shopping?" Faith asked and looked at Buffy's hand. "Oh, right. How are we gonna get something that big on our salary?"
"Giles, my second father, is going to front us a loan, once the mission is over we sell the ring and give him his money back."
Faith thought about that for a moment, then looked at Buffy slyly, "Ring shopping huh?"
"How exciting!" Buffy rubbed Faith's arm.
Faith looked at where Buffy was rubbing and sighed.
"Are you okay?" Buffy asked.
"Still makes me feel weird…the touchy feely."
Buffy took her hands off of Faith quickly, "Sorry."
"No, don't be. We need to lose the uneasiness and fast. We only have a couple of days 'til the big meeting."
"What do you suggest?"
Faith sat back on couch and pulled Buffy's legs onto her lap. At first Buffy was startled, but when she realized what Faith was doing she settled back snuggly into the arm of the chair. She watched with rapt attention as Faith pulled off her shoe, then her sock.
"Damn, B, when was the last time you did your toes?"
Buffy tried to pull her foot back from Faith's grasp, she was self conscious. Since everything had been going on, she hadn't given a thought to her pedicure.
"I…"
"Don't worry, girlfriend. Stay right here," Faith said as she got up. "I'll be right back and then we'll take care of you."
Buffy was a little stunned as she watched Faith leave the room quickly. 'I guess this is her way of getting closer,' She thought and smiled to herself.
Faith came back in with a little case and found Buffy had taken her other shoe and sock off. They were firmly ensconced in the task of Buffy's pedicure when Giles walked back into the library.
"Oh, pardon me…" He said, nervously looking at the scene he just happened upon; he turned to leave.
"No, don't go, we're just finishing up," Faith said as she put the last coat on Buffy's little toe. "She's got an almost non-existent toe nail here. It doesn't need too much."
"Faith, stop that, I have a toe nail there."
"It's weird though, that's the smallest pinkie toe I've ever seen. It's almost like your body is tryin' to reabsorb it or somethin'."
"Faith!" Buffy exclaimed and slapped her arm.
Faith laughed, "What? I'm just sayin' it's stubby." She shrugged.
"Okay, I understand I'm a midget in your eyes."
Faith laughed a little harder, when she could talk she said, "Hey, that's 'little person' and I don't think that, it's just your fingers and toes are…"
"Don't say it…"
"But they're cute," Faith smiled. "Although, there's another part of your anatomy that's surprisingly large—" Faith was cut off by Giles coughing loudly and Buffy jumping up off the couch and pulling her off as well.
"Hey, watch the bottles, this is some expensive stuff here…" Faith said, trying to keep the bottles of polish in the case she had.
"Let's go do some research, honey."
"I thought we were gonna go buy the ring?" Faith asked, packing her supplies safely away.
"Th-the ring?" Giles asked, stopping his cup of tea's progress to his mouth.
"Oh right. Giles," Buffy turned to him. "Can I borrow your credit card?"
"For what purpose?"
"For a replacement engagement ring."
"R-replacement engagement ring? Why did you have one in the first place?"
"Faith proposed to me a couple of weeks ago but the ring was Willow's, and these guys know that we're engaged, so there needs to be a ring."
"But why do you need a real one?"
"Because these people know jewelry," Faith said.
"Why?"
"What do you think? They take the stolen stuff they get to a jewelers for an appraisal? They know how to tell shit is real. Especially the wives and girlfriends, which Buffy is going to need to spend some time around. Capisce?"
"Io capisco," Giles answered in Italian without thinking. "I just think this is getting completely out of hand."
"We don't need negative, Giles," Faith scolded. "We just need your credit card."
Giles nodded, "I've had the council issue you your own, in the names of your alter egos." He reached into his pocket and produced the cards. "Along with drivers licenses and passports."
"Wow, that's some CIA shit." Faith said as she looked at the faked identification.
"Better. Each piece of identification has a falsified history, when it was first applied for and where. All in your names, so if anyone wanted to look into your history they'd be able to see that it was legitimate. Buffy, for instance, up until you met Faith, your credit history was appalling, quite as soon as it began. She helped you clear it up, and now you have a joint account."
"Damn, that detailed, huh?"
"We can't take any chances. Willow's been working tirelessly on this since you agreed to go undercover."
"I guess I'm the ditz who likes to shop?"
"Kinda accurate," Faith bumped shoulders with Buffy.
"Oh, you are in such trouble…" Buffy warned.
"I've compiled a dossier of your financial and educational histories, I suggest you go over them as quickly as possible."
"Right after we get back from ring shopping," Faith said as she pulled Buffy out of the room. "See you later, G."
Giles sighed and sat in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Che Dio ci aiuti."
"Is that the one?"
Buffy nodded and looked at it on her hand again.
"Sir, we'll take this one."
"That's an excellent choice, will this be cash or credit."
"Credit," Faith said as she got her wallet out of her bag.
"If you don't mind my asking, why didn't you give it to her as a surprise?"
"Excuse me?"
"Well, it's obvious you two are a couple, usually these things are a surprise."
"Oh," Faith said, trying to think.
"W-well," Buffy started and Faith jumped in.
"She lost the first one. That was the one that had been a surprise, this is a replacement."
"That's a shame, how did you lose it?"
"I uhhh," Buffy started.
"She doesn't like to talk about it, 'cause she thinks I'm gonna be mad. She took it off to wash her hands at a club we were at. I tell her a million times not to take it off, but she did…and forgot she had done it. By the time she realized, it was gone."
Buffy blushed and looked down at the counter.
"You really should never take it off, but if you do, make sure you get yourself a nice safe at home to lock it in."
"We will, thanks."
The man handed Faith back her card and she signed the slip.
"I'll send that appraisal to your email address. Many blessings and good luck."
"Thanks a lot…"
"Guido," The man reminded Faith of his name.
"Guido, thank you," She shook his hand. "We appreciate it."
Buffy shook his hand as well.
When they were out of the shop, Guido pressed a button on a cell phone.
"Two broads answering the description you gave just came in to buy a replacement ring. The dumb one lost the first one apparently."
"Did they leave an address?" Asked the man on the other end of the phone.
"I'm sending it to you now."
"Good."
"You want someone to follow 'em?"
"No." The man said and hung up.
"You're welcome, bastardo," Guido said with clear disdain as he set the phone down on the counter and emailed the address to the guy who just called.
"We've made you reservations at the Plaza Hotel," Giles said, as he sat down at the table where Buffy and Faith were having an early evening snack.
"Fuck, that's fancy, thanks, G!" She took the brochure that Giles pushed across the table to her.
"Willow just emailed Joseph that you two were in the city to celebrate your anniversary, and to replace the ring Buffy lost."
"So when do we need to go there?"
"Tonight, you'll have two days together to get…" He stopped in midsentence and cleared his throat. "More comfortable with each other."
Buffy looked at Faith who surprisingly didn't make any lascivious faces or smart-alek comments, she just said, "Makes sense."
"Do we pack or are our things already there?"
Giles looked impressed that Buffy would think to ask that. "Everything is already there, you checked in last night."
"How?" Faith asked.
"It's better if you didn't know."
"Oh God, this is starting to freak me out," Buffy said.
"Buffy," Faith said, turning to her and making her look into her eyes. "We're okay, everything's gonna be fine, we got each other, remember?"
Buffy looked deeply into Faith's eyes and her face became less ashen looking, "I remember."
"Alright, let me run upstairs and get my wallet."
"Change into dinner clothes, you have reservations at Le Cirque." Giles called after her.
"I'm guessing we'll get a briefing before we leave?" Faith asked, slightly miffed that Giles and Willow obviously made plans they didn't let the Slayers in on.
"Yes, we'll meet you downstairs. Buffy I suggest you change as well."
As they walked up to the room they were sharing they stayed silent for different reasons. Faith was wondering what other plans Giles and Willow had for them and why they didn't weren't let in on them until they had to leave. While Buffy was worrying that this might be their last two days on Earth. She didn't have a good feeling about this mission, but curiously, having Faith there was definitely making her feel better. She figured at least they might get to know each other better before the end came.
After getting changed into the clothes that had been laid out for them, they joined Giles and Willow in the war room.
Willow held out two capsules, one in each hand, to the Slayers.
"What's this?" Buffy asked.
"Where's Ken?" Faith asked, looking around the room.
"It's everything you'll need to know that you couldn't have learned in the two weeks you were preparing for this mission." Giles said.
"She's out patrolling." Willow answered Faith.
Buffy and Faith took the capsules from her and both looked at them in the palm of their hands.
"It's pretty big," Buffy said.
"There's a lot in 'em," Willow explained.
"Any side effects?" Faith asked.
"No growing a third leg, if that's what you mean," Willow said with a bit of snark in her voice.
Faith laughed, "Nah, I'm being serious this time, Red. What's the deal?"
"They're knowledge capsules, both of you have basically the same things loaded in here, except certain aspects of your lives."
"Like?" Faith gestured for her to continue.
"Well, for instance your Italian-Americanisms, and things about your 'family' that Buffy wouldn't know. There's also Italian and Sicilian dialects loaded in here as well. You'll need both. Buffy's one has things about her family background but also, she understands some of the language, from being with you for all those years, but not all. We also loaded them up with the FBI's information on the guys you'll be dealing with, their associates and families."
"Holy shit," Faith said, looking at the pill in amazement.
"What she said," Buffy added.
"Will we feel anything?"
"In a few hours you'll feel a bit of a head rush, but it'll go away if you lie down for a few minutes."
"You ready, B?" Faith looked at Buffy, she noticed the trepidation on her face.
"Hang on, is this gonna make me dumb?"
"No, as a matter of fact we're going with the theory that you're not really dumb, but that you do it so no one will suspect you capable of things you're going to be capable of while you're undercover."
"I guess this will all make sense in a couple of hours?" Faith asked.
"You got the idea," Willow smiled.
"On three, Buffy?" Faith asked again and gestured at the capsule.
"I uhh…"
"I'll go first, will that be better?"
"N-no, I'm fine."
"Yeah, right."
"Really, Faith. On three…wait, is this your three or a regular three?"
"Like one, two, jump?"
"Yes."
"Nah, it's a real three."
Giles and Willow looked puzzled by their discussion.
"Okay, I'll count. One, two, three."
They both knocked back the capsule and took a big drink of the waters they were each handed.
Faith and Buffy looked at each other when they were done drinking. They each shrugge, and turned to the others.
"Feels normal."
"It'll start slowly releasing into your system. By the time you reach the restaurant, you'll speak fluent Italian."
"Sweet! Wait, I think it's working, I'm cravin' a cannoli."
"You've been craving a cannoli ever since we saw the Sopranos the other day."
Faith looked at Willow who had her eyebrow raised.
"The one where Christopher goes to pick up the pastries and shoots that guy in the foot." She explained.
"Oh, that was a good one…" Willow lied, she had fallen asleep during that episode. Faith and Kennedy were having a Sopranos marathon and that particular episode came at four in the morning.
"Okay, I guess this is 'So long for a while', no?"
"Yep, no goodbyes. We'll be in touch."
Buffy hugged both Willow and Giles, Faith gave each a hand shake.
"You know me, I don't do sentimental."
"Your taxi is waiting."
"One of ours?" Buffy asked.
"Nope, totally legit."
"Here goes," Faith said, and led Buffy up the stairs and out into the waiting cab.
"The pill's working already, did you see that, Giles?"
"Faith pulled open the door and helped Buffy inside."
"They kissed before she closed the door."
"This is, as you youngsters are used to saying, freaky."
"Totally," Willow said, nodding her head in agreement.