Buffy sat on her front step playing with her nails as she waited for Faith who was already two hours late. Another 10 minutes passed by when Faith finally arrived at Buffy's apartment. The brunette hopped out of a pick-up truck Buffy's never seen before. Faith walked towards her wearing a white wife beater and blue ripped washed out jeans with a pair of black ray bans covering her hung over expression.

"You're late," Buffy stated as Faith loaded her bags into the back of the pick-up truck which already had Faith's luggage.

"I'm here though aren't I?" she responded dryly.

"Where you get the truck?"

"Got it from a friend."

"And your other car?"

"She's going to bring it to Sunnydale for me." Faith got into the truck waiting for Buffy to climb in. Once Buffy entered the truck and crossed her arms over her chest glaring at the brunette like a five year old would.

"Want to tell me why you were two hours late?"

"What's with all the questions B," Faith snapped getting annoyed with the interrogation.

"What's with the attitude F?"

"I asked first B."

"I don't care. What's with the attitude and why are you late?"

"I have a killer hangover and I'm up before noon driving a certain whiny blonde back home," Faith explained.

"Sorry I'm such a bother to you. And no one told you to go home and get drunk last night," Buffy responded in annoyance.

"You just keep on talking don't you? I was with my friend last night and we had a few drinks end of story."

"What friend?"

"Holy shit B. I was with Candy."

"Oh, her…fun." Buffy turned away from Faith and stared out the window signaling the end of their conversation. Three hours and one McDonald's pit stop later, Faith couldn't hold her bladder any longer. The silence between her and Buffy was driving her insane and the radio stations were horrible. She stopped at a gas station and jetted out of the truck. Buffy was left alone to fill up the truck on her own. She got out of the truck and began to pump the gas as she waited for Faith. As she leaned against the truck she heard whistles from a group of guys parked not too far from her. Faith was inside the stop buying a pack of cigarettes she looked through the window and noticed the guys staring at Buffy. She felt like the fools would try something but she pushed it aside as she walked out.

Buffy was too busy finishing off the car to notice that one of the guys started walking towards her. Being as wrapped up into her thoughts of aggravation as she has been for the past 3 hours, she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings. The guy walked up behind Buffy and raises his hand preparing to slap her ass but before he could reach the blondes ass, his arm was caught. Buffy turned around to see Faith holding his arm. The dark slayer twisted his arm behind his back and slammed his face onto the hood of his truck, breaking his nose.

"Ah you bitch!" The guy yelled as his friends gathered around Faith.

"You shouldn't have done that girly," said one of his friends.

"Oh yeah? Do something about it then." Buffy sighed in frustration knowing Faith could easily take the four immature boys but wouldn't stand down due to her massive ego. The four guys charged at her and in less than a minute they were all holding a different body part and quickly rushed to their car. Faith turned around smirking at Buffy, but the smirk quickly faded once she saw the angry expression across Buffy's face.

"What? What I do?"

"What the hell was that for Faith? There was no need for all of that," Buffy said.

"Are you serious Buffy? Your ass was about to get slapped and I stopped it. Same thing I used to do with that Dick from the diner. Geesh B," Faith responded surprised.

"First of all, I can handle myself. Second, you didn't need to bash his nose or beat up his friends. God is your ego that big? What were you trying to prove, that you're better or something?"

"Fuck this," Faith lit up a cigarette and got into the truck. Buffy climbed back into the truck and the last hour of the car ride was yet again quiet and uneventful. They finally arrived to Sunnydale and Faith followed the directions to Buffy's house. Faith arrived at the Summer residence and it was everything she thought it'd be. 1630 Revello Drive big house, front porch, white picket fence, garden in the front, perfect house. Faith got out of the truck and got her luggage from out the back. Faith took it to the front doorstep and turned around to see Buffy right behind her.

"Thank you for the ride means a lot you brought me back here," Buffy said.

"No big B." Faith walked past her and headed towards the car.

"Uh where are you going to stay?" Faith started up the truck and looked out the window.

"I'll be around when you need me," Faith winked at her and sped off. Faith drove around Sunnydale until she discovered a motel and decided to crash there until she found something better. She paid the nightly fee and settled down into her room.

"Let the fun begin," she said out loud to herself.

Buffy stared as Faith drove off like lightning. Something was telling her to go after the girl but she brushed it aside. She walked up to her door and just before she could knock, the door swung open. Her mom stared at her wide-eyed.

"Hi Mom," Buffy stuttered.

"Buffy. I-I heard a voice and oh-," her mom answered hugging Buffy.

Two days have passed and Buffy has spent the majority of them in her room becoming reacquainted. Her mom on the other hand has been dealing with Synder and the matter of Buffy attending school again since her name is now cleared from Kendra's murder. She couldn't be happier that her mom left her out of dealing with that. Today was going to be her first day back to school and she still hasn't seen or even spoken to her friends and Giles. Boy was she not ready for that meeting. She was up early and got ready as slow as possible. Buffy arrived to school and headed to Principal Synders office to discuss the rules she must follow if she doesn't want to be expelled again. The day passed and she avoided all of her friends but made a promise to herself she would go stop by the library at the end of the day. She took a deep breath as she reached the library doors and stepped inside. All of the Scooby Gang were gathered around a table and faced Buffy in unison as she slowly made her way to them.

"Hi."

"Hey…," Willow said softly.

"Well this is going to be awkward," Cordelia announced.

"Buffy. I'm glad you are back and well. We were all deeply worried about you. I was beginning to think you weren't going to come back at all," Giles stated as he stood up to greet her with a warm hug.

"I missed you too Giles," Buffy smiled knowing he could never say the words out load.

"Hey just thought we'd let you know that while you were gone having your fun little vacation we've been taking care of the vamps so," Xander spoke out as he complained like a child.

"It wasn't a vacation Xander. I never wanted to leave okay but I couldn't stay," Buffy explained as she walked towards the table.

"Of course you could of. You just wanted to leave because your one true love got sucked into some portal," Xander stood up looking at Buffy. She could see his anger rising as the conservation continued.

"First of all you don't know a thing about what happened with Angel okay. Don't act like you have all the answer. You don't know what I was going through or even feeling. None of you understand," Buffy argued.

"You didn't even give us a chance too," Willow finally spoke out standing next to Xander, "You just up and left us."

"I'm sorry okay but I had to leave. My mom told me to never come back if I left to house to go stop Angel. I had nowhere to go so I left to L.A. Do you think it was fun for me? To leave my friends, family, my home behind?"

"Oh please Buffy stop acting like a victim we all have stuff to deal with," Xander said.

"You left us Buffy. You left me. I mean you are my best friend. The person I tell everything to and I really needed to this summer. With all the new stuff I'm learning with magic and my relationship, I need you here and you weren't."

"Willow I am so sorry I wasn't there for you. You have to believe me when I tell you I never wanted to leave and especially never wanted to hurt you. I 'm really sorry but it's something that happened and I can't take it back but I won't say I regret it because I don't."

"Whatever." Xander responded.

"God Xander what is your problem!" Buffy exclaimed.

"Nothing it's just I notice you are still wearing that ring Angel gave you, just makes me believe all this was because of Angel like usual."

"You know what Xander how about you get off of the hate on Angel parade you've been on the past two years."

"If you all forgot he went around killing people we cared about," Xander replied.

"Oh please you hated Angel long before he lost his soul. Now if you are going to stay acting like a child then fine I'll just ignore you till you grow up," Buffy said.

"I am not acting like a child!"

"Oh would you two stop it!" Giles exclaimed but Buffy and Xander continued their bickering as everyone else decided to just let them too go at it.

On the other side of town Faith pulled up to a diner/ice cream bar named Al's and decided to get a quick bite to eat. The past two days as Buffy adjusted to being back home Faith was adjusting to Sunnydale. After dropping Buffy off that night she crashed at a motel and the next morning met up with Danielle to get her other car and motorcycle. Faith sold the truck and got a good 7000 dollars from it. Luckily for her Danielle knew people in Sunnydale and got Faith a hook up with a one bedroom studio apartment and a job as a bartender at a place called the Bronze. Faith accepted Danielle's offer since she knew she'd probably be in Sunnydale for a while and thankfully the owner of the Bronze didn't care she was only 17. Faith parked her car and entered the 1950s themed diner and sat at the counter. A cute waitress came and took her order and Faith's face lit up as her bacon cheeseburger and fries was placed in front of her. After 15 minutes the plates were clear and she decided there was plenty of room for dessert. As she finished ordering a sundae a skinny brunette sat next to her and grabbed the ice cream menu.

"Hey Dawnie, what you having today?" asked the waitress.

"I don't know what to get on my sundae today. What do you think I should get Jess?"

"There you go," the waitress handed Faith her sundae and looked back to Dawn, "I don't know Dawn it's up to you."

"I'll have what she's having," Dawn's eyes were glued to Faith's sundae, "Hey what's that?"

Faith looked over to the teen, "Well they really didn't have everything I was craving on the menu so I created this masterpiece. Its cookies and cream ice cream, some chocolate fudge, crumbled up pieces of oreos and recess cups. Finally whip cream, nets and a cherry on top." Faith sighed as she smiled at the deliciousness she had created before her.

"Can I have one Jess?"

"Just share with me kid, I'm definitely not finishing it by myself. Enjoy the sweets," Faith said as she slid the sundae over to Dawn.

"Thanks, I'm Dawn by the way," Dawn took a big spoonful of ice cream and shoved it in her mouth.

"I'm Faith," Faith looked at the waitress and smirked, "So Jess is it? Wants something sweet?"

The waitress giggled as Faith wiggled her eyebrows, "Dawn is the only thing in here that's sweet and it's Jessica."

"Dawn thinks I'm sweet and I think you'd find that as well," Faith responded leaning over the counter a bit.

"I'll see about that Faith. Let's say right now I have very little faith in you being as sweet as you say," Jessica continued to attend other customers.

"Sounds you need some me in you," Faith winked and chuckled as Dawn choked on some of her ice cream. Jessica shook her head and left Faith and Dawn to finish their sundae. In the 30 minutes it took Dawn to finish the enormous sundae Faith learned everything she possibly could about Dawns' life. She was an open book and allowed Faith to read every page in it. Dawn never went into details but explained to Faith that all her life she was always pushed aside. Her older sister who sounded like a bitch to Faith was always most important in her house because of her job.

"Hey I know how it feels to be invisible to others but people like us gotta stick together. Don't let it get to you so much just shake it off like I do."

"Yeah I guess you're right," Dawn looked at her watch and jumped off her stool, "Oh shoot I'm supposed to meet my sister at the high school afterschool. She doesn't think I'm here since I kind of bailed on my last class."

"You want me to give you a ride?" Faith paid her check and walked outside with Dawn.

"You sure you're okay with it?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah hop in kiddo," Faith opened the door for Dawn, got into the driver seat and drove towards Sunnydale High.

They arrived to Sunnydale High and Faith followed Dawn into the school, "Damn this school is huge, way bigger than mine in Boston."

"Yeah it's pretty big but I wouldn't recommend anyone to come here, lot of mysterious death and let's say supernatural things happening here," Dawn explained.

"I'm used to mysterious deaths and supernatural," Faith chuckled and followed Dawn down the halls towards the library where loud voices could be heard. Dawn walked through the doors to see Buffy and Xander arguing and everyone else sitting around waiting for the two of them to finally shut up. Faith trailed behind her and no one noticed her or Dawn had entered the library. To her surprise Buffy was amongst the group in the library and was arguing with some brunette guy over her being in L.A.

"Hey kiddo, which one is your sister?" Faith whispered to Dawn.

"The dumb blonde one arguing with Xander," Dawn replied.

"Crap."

"Why?"

"Did she tell you anything about her being in L.A?"

"Yeah she told me she was staying with some brunette girl who she discovered was a… wait how do you know she was in L.A. Wait you're that brunette girl? Oh you're the other slayer. Awesome!" Dawn smiled.

Faith chuckled shaking her head as the teenager connected the dots in her head. She quickly got annoyed from the yelling in the library and decided to introduce herself to Buffy's friends.

"Well if you two are done arguing like little kids, the actual kid needs some attention right now," Faith spoke up. Everyone except Buffy turned to face Faith with raised eyebrows and confused looks. Buffy closed her eyes praying to herself that the voice she was hearing didn't match the face that was in her head.

"Hey I'm not a kid!" Dawn yelled in response.

"Uh who the hell are you?" Cordelia asked. Faith smirked and walked up behind Buffy keeping her lips closer to her ear. Her smile grew as she felt Buffy shiver and remain stiff as a rock.

"Oh B here didn't tell you here I'm Faith her girlfriend from L.A. I'm the other slayer," Faith said to everyone.