After all the waiting I'm finally done! I'm in two minds about this chapter. It didn't turn out how I had planned and the emotions are all over the place but maybe that works, I dunno? I love reviews so feel free to comment and I will be very interested to see what you make of this one. Love to everyone who subscribed/reviewed and especially to my regular reviewers who say so many nice things! - xCasteyesx

As always all characters belong to Joss, I'm just adding a little extra

Darkness covered the land, bringing with it a peaceful silence broken only by the faint sound of purposeful footsteps. The blonde had been on the move since early dusk, pausing only to watch last of the suns rays vanish behind the rugged landscape. The trail she was currently following was relatively unused, meaning she had to sidestep around the occasional overgrown branch. On the outside she appeared calm and collected but behind the cool exterior her thoughts spun like a whirlwind of what, who and (most importantly) why.

Did I make the right choice to go through with this? I don't even know what THIS actually is! Why me? Is it some sort of slayer thing and if so who is calling the shots?

She had been toying with her feelings towards the previous night's dream for most of the day and had eventually decided to follow her instincts and head out of town. She hadn't known exactly which way she was supposed to be going but every now and again she felt the need to make a slight change in direction, as if she were revisiting a place she had once known as a child. The path curved round to bring her to a fork and, without a second thought, she took the left hand trail. It was still slightly unerving. She had also decided against mentioning her intentions to the others.

They won't understand, only worry and freak out the potentials. No need to scare the girls further. They will be safe with Faith.

Part of her wished she hadn't revealed the real reason for her departure to the brunette but it was the only way to ensure that she would remain behind; Faith knew exactly why the next generation of slayers had to be kept out of harms way. With Buffy gone the girls would be left wide open for an attack, the one thing they were doing their best to prevent. The girls would be well protected with Faith guarding them, at least that was one worry taken care of.

"Sup B."

The younger slayer was perched on a large rock directly in front of Buffy, legs hanging loosely off the side, a glowing cigarette held between her fingers.

Before the blonde could wrap her head around the fact that the slayer she had specifically told to remain behind was sitting unabashedly in front of her, another even more unwelcome voice called out.

"Well what have we here?" Three vampires emerged from the gloomy undergrowth. "A couple of bitesizes just ripe for the picking." The speaker leered, yellow eyes glittering in the dark while the vampire behind him licked her lips hungrily.

You have got to be kidding me. These guys have the worst timing possible. It's like a slayer curse.

"Do you vamps never learn that this is slayer territory?" Buffy snapped, her eyes still on Faith. The brunette had slid lightly to ground level and was grinning with the anticipation of a fight.

"Y'know. I kinda like that they don't learn." She threw a kick at the nearest vamp making him crash into another. "Gotta have at least one nightly work out."

The fight was short, mainly owing to the fact that Buffy managed to stake two of the vampires in quick succession leaving Faith to deal with the third. As usual the brunette took much longer than was necessary to dispose of the vamp. Others may have thought that Faith was just sloppy but the older slayer knew it was because Faith enjoyed the sparring. By the time she had finally dusted the vamp, Buffy was starting to feel the first prick-lings of anger.

"So what else are we hunting?"

Unbelievable.

Buffy tried to keep her voice as level as possible.

"I told you to stay behind." Faith remained unconcerned and idly tossed a stone from one hand to the other.

"Figured you were doing some recon, so why are we out here?" She cocked her head to the side.

Buffy grit her teeth. How could the younger girl not understand.

"Who is watching the girls?"

The brunette let the stone fall from her hand and crossed her arms, the twinkle now gone from her eyes.

"I'll answer your question if you'll answer mine."

Buffy opened her mouth then closed it, turned around and began walking away from Faith. How could someone deliberately put others in danger. This was just typical Faith all over, storming in with no second thought and getting others hurt in the process. Just like last time. Suddenly, without meaning to or knowing why she was doing it, Buffy abruptly stopped, turned back around and asked the question which had been on her mind from the first moment she saw Faith again.

"Why did you come back?"

The younger slayer's eyes widened.

"Jeez B! I'm here to help!" Frustration entered her voice. "If you would just let me!"

"I asked you to help tonight yet here you are."

There must be something she can gain from being here. There's no other possible reason.

"What do you want Faith? To make up for past actions? Is that the only reason you came back? Redemption?"

"No! I came back because it was the right thing to do. I needed to check that Willow, Xander, Dawn and everyone else was ok. That YOU were ok."

Confusion clouded the blonde slayer's thoughts and she lost herself in them for a moment.

She wanted to see me?

"If you don't want me here I'll take off-"

"No." Buffy interrupted softly, her anger ebbing away. "That's not what I meant-"

"Well what do you mean?" Faith interupted and Buffy was startled by the level of intensity in her voice. "First you're angry, then you take me in, then you shut me out! You're killin' me with the mixed messages!" She punctuated every word with a shake of her hands. "An' on top of that you act like your mind ain't completely here, half the time I ain't sure if you are really see everything around you! I've been watching you. Something is up. Not because of the new big bad. Something else."

Faith barely paused for breath as she continued on.

"What happened to the old Buffy Summers, Huh? What the hell happened to her!?"

"She died." muttered Buffy, more to herself than to the other slayer. Faith rolled her eyes.

"Ya know what B, now 'aint really the time for you to re-insert the humor chip!"

Buffy made to move towards the path but Faith blocked her.

"Let me past."

"No." The brunettes shoulders squared in determination.

"What happened?"

"I've already told you!"

"You were out for what, a couple of minutes and that-"

"No Faith!" Buffy practically shouted.

Why is she making this so hard!

The younger slayers brow knotted in confusion.

She had to find out sooner or later. Now's as good a time as any.

Buffy took a deep breath and began to speak the words she never has intended to utter in the brunettes presence.

"I died. Last year. Properly, I mean. In a grave and everything." Her voice dropped to a whisper."I was dead for months..."

Her words hung in the air between them, creating a huge mental void. The younger girl had frozen, mouth slightly agape, obviously stunned at what she was hearing. Buffy chanced a quick look at Faith's face but couldn't read the expression in the brunette's dark eyes. She dropped her gaze to her boots wishing once again that she could take back her words. When Faith finally spoke, her voice was both softer and huskier than Buffy had ever heard it.

"We gotta talk about this. You've gotta talk about this." Buffy refused to look at her until cool fingers gently tilted her face upwards. Hazel met warm chocolate eyes.

"I know. Just later ok?" The beautiful brown eyes narrowed.

"I promise." The younger slayer didn't remove her light touch, clearly waiting to see if the older girl meant her words. When Buffy said nothing more Faith sighed softly and dropped her hand.

"The girls are safe. I got Red to cover for me. She did a protection spell as soon as I left." A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"So why are you out here?"

The blonde returned the smile and motioned for Faith to follow her as she walked towards the path. It was going to be a long night.

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Hazel eyes followed the slayers departure from the upper branches of an oak; their owner having quietly observed the entire dialogue between the two. A sharp gust of wind rippled the blondes hair and a cruel smile played upon soft lips.

An unexpected addition to the board but one that will make the game far more entertaining...

tbc...