Previously…
Buffy was confused. She was sure this was to Faith, but it was addressed to Missy. But even so… this meant the guy on the end was her brother, and Faith had never mentioned any siblings, which in turn meant…
"Missy?" Buffy asked.
"That's my name." Faith told her. "Before everything I was called Missy."
"Then Cliff, the guy on the end, right? He's your brother?"
"Was." Faith corrected.
"Oh, Faith…" Buffy gasped as grim realisation took hold. "Is he…?"
"They all are." She said quietly. "All of them and more. All cos o' me."
"Faith…"
"Don't say 'I'm sure it wasn't your fault' cos you don't know, B. I do. An' I wasn't my fault, in that I didn't do anything to make it happen. But I didn't stop it. I couldn't. When it mattered, as usual, I couldn't help them. So they killed them all…" She trailed off, tears escaping again.
"Because you were the slayer?"
"I didn't even know yet. I found out from the vampire git that killed my whole family, and had his guys kill my friends, all cos they figured it'd be a good idea to kill the slayer before she even was."
"Your whole family…"
"I lied about my past, B. My parents were the greatest. An' Cliff… he was cool… we were twins. Just before he died, he told me he had Faith in me… so… well… you can guess." She shrugged. Buffy felt tears coming to her own eyes as the darker slayer started to sober. She pulled her into a tight hug,
"I'm so sorry." She gasped, "Oh god, Faith I had no idea!" After a moment, Faith could not hold back any longer. She returned the embrace, grateful, whether she'd admit it or not, for the friendly warmth the other slayer offered her.
Later, when Faith was a little calmer, Buffy asked the question that had been burning all evening,
"So how did you get away? I mean, if you didn't know you were the slayer…"
"Kinda freaked." Faith said, choking a laugh, "This big shot vamp grabbed me an' told me that it was all 'cos I was the slayer, and he told me what that meant… then he said I was gonna die, an' it was him or me, y'know? I was holding this broom handle I'd been fighting vamps off with, and when he leant in… poof." A wry smile came to her lips, "Then his number two guy legged it, an' I threw the handle like a spear, and skewered him!" Buffy raised her eyebrows, "I was really pissed off." Faith shrugged. "Cliff had heard everything the vamp dude said, and that was when he said… well you already know that bit… god, Buffy, I was so scared. I had no one left. The cops took me for questioning, an' I told them there was someone I could stay with…"
"But you ran?"
Faith nodded,
"Damn straight I ran." She was fiddling with the bed clothes, her eyes averted.
"You ok?" Buffy asked. Faith finally looked up.
"Yeah, yeah I'll be ok."
Buffy smiled; a real smile, for she knew that this was the truth. Faith didn't need to hide behind the image anymore, at least not with Buffy, and it meant a lot to them both.
"I should go… my mum's gonna be flippin'."
"Yeah." Faith agreed with a half smile.
"See ya Fa… d'you want me to call you Missy?"
"Na, that's ok." Faith laughed, "Faith's fine."
"K." Buffy grinned, "Night Faith."
"Night." After Buffy left, Faith pulled a wad of photos from a draw by her bed, and cried herself to sleep.
Next day, there was an unspoken agreement not to mention the evening before. Faith was her usually chirpy self, and only someone who knew Buffy like Willow did would be able to see the new softness in their relationship. As silly as she knew it was, Willow felt jealous- Faith and Buffy had shared a moment and Buffy hadn't even told her about it.
Even inside, Faith felt great. Sure she'd cried herself to sleep, nothing would ever removed to sorrow for her loss, but she was more comfortable with Buffy. She had shared her pain. She was not alone anymore.
The gang went back to routine, fighting demons, joking about demons… winning, being the good guys. Buffy and Faith became very close, but Buffy soon realised how put out Willow was feeling, and went to her one lunch break,
"Will?"
"Uh-huh?"
"U ok?"
"Yup."
"You know you're my best friends, right?" Buffy ventured.
"Yup. Absolutely." Willow replied, but the smile on her face gave Buffy the impression she hadn't been so sure.
"Now and always. Ok?"
"Yeah." Willow grinned, and they hugged tight. It was small, but it meant a lot to both of them.
However, Faith and Buffy were very close. With their new found companionship, they were able to work better as a team- they responded to each other better, and could fight as one, reacting to the others need and commands as they would their own. This changed a lot.
See… in this world, there are infinite dimensions, a different one for every possible chose every person makes, and in many of those dimensions, something happened one night that ultimately split the two slayers completely. In some it caused Faith to go as far off course as imaginable, in some, it was Buffy; in some, it was even both. But in this dimension, as Faith and Buffy moved through that alley, staking vamps as they came, Faith heard someone move behind her, and spun, stake raised, Buffy screamed,
"Faith, no!" And Faith's arm froze, right there, the point of the stake digging into the man's chest, but not piercing the skin. She relaxed her arm,
"Shit that was close." She said, very shaken.