Disclaimer: I own nothing, except Sophie.


"Look, its just a story" said Willow, sighing. A story which, she thought, with Faith listening in and interrupting, may take a lot longer to finish.

"Doesn't mean it's not weird" Faith shrugged. "But whatever. Go on, Red."

"Well, Buffy's patrol was going okay, but not great, as she wasn't the most stealthy of Slayers.."


Buffy stepped on a twig, and the vamp she had been tracking fled, startled by the sound. She chased after it, but it escaped.

"Damn it!" she groaned, tucking away her stake.


Meanwhile, the now adult Warren and Cordelia were wandering around the demon graveyard (The same one where Willow and Tara had spent one very exciting, but danger-filled afternoon as children), waiting to put Glory's plan into action.

"Man" said Warren, shivering slightly. "This place is even creepier since Darla and those other two vamps left."

"Aww, are you scared, big brother?" Cordy taunted, laying some dead tree branches on the edge of one of the hot geysers that littered the area.

"No!" said Warren defensively. "I just don't see why we have to be here, that's all. If Faith is so special, why does she need ourhelp? I never even had a chance!" He slumped down on the edge of the geyser, and his sister tried to warn him, but it was too late. A jet of fire burst out of it . "Yeeeowww!" Warren yelled, leaping up and quickly beating out the flames on his butt. Cordy smirked, then smiled as she noticed that the branches had caught fire too.

"Come on" she said picking them up, and handing one to Warren. "Buffy's already started her patrol, we have to hurry!"


Meanwhile, Anya and Xander crept through the grass, commando like, watching over Buffy as Willow had ordered.

"Tango-Charley-Alpha, what's your position?" Asked Anya, speaking into an invisible radio.

"Uh.." Xander looked himself over, confused. "Upright, and uh.. head tilted slightly to the left."

"Why do I even bother?" said Anya, rolling her eyes. Before Xander could respond, the vampire that Buffy was currently chasing ran towards them as it fled. The pair screamed, leaping out of the way.

"Anya?" Buffy frowned as she spotted them. "What are you and Xander doing here?"

"Um.. We're going shopping" Anya lied. "Thought we'd get some nice throw-pillows for the den, a little potpourri.."

"My Mother sent you" said Buffy, eyes narrowed. "Even after she promised to let me do this on my own! She lied!"

"No.." said Xander, sighing. "I mean yeah, but only because she didn't want you to get hurt."

"I should have known she'd never give me a real chance!" Buffy cried angrily, before taking off into the distance.

"Hey, where are you going?" Xander called after her.

"I'm going to do this on my own, away from the Sunnylands!"

"No, come back!" Anya cried uselessly. "Great, we lost her again! Willow is so going to kill us.."


"There she is!" cried Cordy as she watched the Princess cross the border.

"Time to light some fire!" Warren grinned as he and Cordelia ran around, dragging their flaming branches over the dry grass. "Roasty toasty Princess, roasty toasty Princess!" He grinned, jumping around in a circle. "Hey, is it getting hot arond here?" Cordy rolled her eyes, noticing that her brother had managed to light a ring of fire around himself.

"Come on, you idiot!" she yelled, pulling him out of the flames before they fled to safety.


Buffy had managed to find another vampire, and chased it, until they both found themselves confronted by a wall of fire. She pushed the vamp into the flames and ran back the other way, only to find more flames. In every direction the Princess turned, she was surrounded by fire. Glory and Faith watched from their vantage point high above the growing inferno.

"The plan is in motion" Glory grinned, turning to her daughter. "Go!" Faith nodded, taking off down the slope.


"She'll be fine, Willow" said Wesley, trying to reassure the Queen, who was pacing the cave anxiously. "What could possibly happen?" Unfortunately, that was the moment that Willow chose to look up, seeing the smoke rising in the distance.

"Oh no, Buffy!" she cried in panic, before rushing off to gather the other Sunnylanders and mount a rescue. "Wesley, you run ahead and find her!"


Meanwhile, poor Buffy was becoming overwhelmed by the flames, choking on the thick black smoke. She tried to climb a rock to safety, but it was too much for her, and she fell to the ground. A dark-haired woman looming over her was the last thing she saw before losing consciousness. Faith scooped the Princess into her arms, carrying her safely away from the flames. She leapt across a large chasm, then tumbled down a hill into a pond, losing her grip on Buffy, who quickly began to sink. Faith quickly dove down, dragging the incapacitated Princess back to the surface. Wesley witnessed the rescue from a distance.

"Oh dear!" he cried, turning and heading back towards the Kingdom. "I must tell Queen Willow!" Faith pulled Buffy safely to shore, pausing for a moment to catch her breath. When she stood, preparing to carry the Princess back to Sunny Rock, she began to stir.

"Where am I?" Buffy mumbled, sitting up and rubbing her head.

"You're safely back in the Sunnylands" said Faith.

"The Sunnylands? No!" cried Buffy angrily, leaping to her feet. "Why did you bring me back here? Who do you think you are?"

"I think" Faith frowned, crossing her arms, "That I'm the person who just saved your life!" Yes, the rescue was staged, but she still thought Buffy could be a little more grateful.

"I had everything under control!" Buffy snapped.

"Not from where I'm standin'" Faith smirked.

"Then maybe you should move!" said Buffy. She tried to leave, but Faith moved in front of her, blocking her way. Buffy turned the other way, but Faith blocked her again. This continued for a while.

"What are you doing?" asked Faith eventually. A spark of recognition flashed in Buffy's eyes.

"Faith?" she asked, confused. Faith nodded, and even though this was all just supposed to be part of the plan, realised that the smile she gave was genuine.

"Buffy!" Willow cried, as she and the other Sunnylanders approached. She glared at Faith.

"Buffy, thank goodness you're alright!" Tara cried. Buffy hugged her then turned angrily to Willow.

"Mom, why did you break your promise?" she yelled.

"It's a good thing I did" Willow frowned. "I almost lost you. No more patrols for you, ever. I'll get Kendra to do it."

"But I was doing fine on my own!" Buffy cried. "Even before Faith.."

"Faith?" Willow growled angrily, remembering the other girl.

"Hey, you!" Lorne yelled from his cave, smirking and pointing at Faith. "How dare you save the Queen's daughter?"

"You saved her?" asked Willow, confused. "Why?"

"I was kinda hopin' that you'd let me stay in your Kingdom" Faith replied.

"No" Willow snapped immediately. "You were banished with the other Outsiders!"

"I've left those monsters" said Faith. "I'm a rogue. Judge me for what I am now.. Unless you're gonna blame me for a crime I didn't commit." Willow frowned and paced back and forth, unsure what to do.

"Willow, you owe her your daughter's life" Tara pointed out.

"Yes, and royal protocol demands that all debts be paid" said Wesley, glaring at Faith. "Although nobody would think any less of you if you decided to make an exception in this case."

"No" said Willow after a moment, shaking her head. "My fathers law will prevail. For now, I reserve judgement." She turned to Faith, eyes narrowed. "We'll see who you really are."


"I only saved B because of some evil plot, and I'm not a bad guy?" Faith frowned, interrupting again.

"It does kinda seems like Auntie Faith's a bad guy" said Sophie, crossing her arms.

"Both of you" Willow sighed, "Please, just listen..


The group, Faith now included, headed back to Sunny Rock. Faith tried to follow them into the cave, but Willow blocked her way, scowling. Faith settled down outside the cave, unworried. What did a few nights outside matter when all the Sunnylands were going to be hers soon?

"Hey" Buffy smiled, sneaking back out of the cave. "I could have handled it myself, but.. thanks for saving me today."

"What kind of Slayer are you, Princess?" Faith smirked. "You almost got yourself killed out there."

"What?" Buffy frowned.

"Face it, B" Faith chuckled, "You couldn't last three days on your own."

"And I suppose you could teach me?" said Buffy, annoyed.

"Well, yeah" Faith grinned.

"Buffy!" Willow called.

"Coming, Mom!" she yelled back, before turning to Faith. "Okay then, impress me. We'll start tomorrow at dawn."

"I'll look forward to it" Faith smiled.


"Maybe this story won't be so bad after all" the real Faith grinned, mirroring her fictional self.