Faith wandered around the castle after Buffy had left. They didn't say anything more. What more was there to be said? Faith knew Buffy was more than confused about how she was feeling and she knew that Buffy needed her space to try and figure things out.

"Faith?" Giles said softly as she rounded the corner and nearly ran into him. "I've been looking for you all afternoon. Willow told me what happened this morning. Where have you been?"

"Thinking."

"Do I dare ask about what?"

"Buffy," she muttered as she shrugged her shoulders. "I think I'm fucking everything up!"

Giles sighed as he motioned for her to follow him to his office. As soon as they were inside and the door was closed he sighed once again and leaned against his desk. "Why do you think you've fucked everything up?"

"She kissed me," she said under her breath as she lowered her eyes to the floor. "She kissed me, Giles! I don't even know why she did. I'm starting to feel really fucking confused about everything too. This is a hell of a lot harder to figure out than I thought it was going to be. I'm a fucking mess right now and I don't know how to fix it."

"Buffy isn't easy to understand. I do understand how it can be confusing for both of you, however, I've found out more about this prophecy and this is just one of the many rough paths you both have to walk down."

"Giles, we don't have time for this kind of shit! I'm tired of this, I'm tired of feeling this way and I'm tired of being stuck in this fucking body! Do you know that she's suspicious of me? She's asking me questions I cannot answer! I can't hide who I really am from her for much longer. It's tearing me apart inside."

"Faith, sit down," he said calmly. "You are freaking out and I suspect that is normal considering the circumstances. This prophecy is rather unorthodox and yes, I know it doesn't make much sense, but I can promise you that once all is said and done, it will."

"I take one step forward and I fall back right to square one. I'm afraid I'll end up hurting her! Do you believe that? I actually care about that!"

"Faith, please, sit down."

She groaned as she sat down on the chair in front of him and crossed her arms over her chest. "What did you find out about the prophecy?"

"It is more than just having you both figure out how you feel about one another. It's about finding yourselves, harnessing the hidden power that has yet to be unleashed because you both have been unable to see yourselves and each other as you really are."

"How the hell can she see me for who I really am if I am not even me? Do you understand why I am getting so fucking pissed off and confused, Giles?"

"I do understand. What you don't understand is that you have to go through everything you are feeling right now, as does Buffy. I must say, you two are acting rather childish."

"What?!"

"It's not easy figuring out you feel a certain way about someone you once were enemies with. Have you ever stopped to think about why you two have the past you have?"

"Cos of our 'hidden' feelings for each other?" Faith muttered as she rolled her eyes. "Giles, I know how I feel about her now. I'm not fucking suppressing it and denying it anymore. What's the point? It's gonna drive me insane either way. I should just tell her everything. Maybe it'd make it easier? Hell, who knows, it could change me back!"

"Or it could do quite the opposite. It's better for her to know as little as possible, Faith. I will not allow you to jeopardize this prophecy because you cannot deal with the consequences that come with it."

"I just want to go back to being me," she sighed, feeling as if she was about to break down and cry. "I can't deal with this. I really can't. I'm not ready to deal with this. Ever wonder if I wasn't out there that night that maybe this would have never happened?"

"Everything, unfortunately, happens for a reason, Faith."

"Fate, yeah. I got that."

Giles shook his head as he walked over to where the Scotch was hidden and pulled out the bottle. He found two small glasses and poured them each a half glass. He handed Faith one and walked to his chair and sat down. She was breathing heavily as she tried to calm herself down. It was hard to calm herself down when she was feeling too much all at once.

"Buffy came to talk to me about an hour ago about you."

"About who? Me or Satsu?"

"Both."

"And?"

"She wanted to know when you were coming back and how she could get in touch with you. I told her that I didn't know how to get in contact with you and that you'd come back when the mission was completed. I've never seen her so..."

"So what?"

"Conflicted," he finished quietly. "I must agree with you when you say that this prophecy is completely fucked up."

Faith chuckled as she took a small sip and placed the glass on the desk in front of her. "I really need to figure out a lot of shit, don't I?"

"You and Buffy both do. Unfortunately, you won't be able to force her to admit anything nor will you be able to force her to think about how she really feels about you. Her seeing this Satsu instead of you, it's confusing her. She told me that ever since you came here, she's been feeling things she's not sure of and it is scaring her. She thinks you are a threat and I believe she only thinks that because she is unsure of how she feels."

"What am I gonna do then, G? Cos I have no idea how to fix what happened between us earlier."

For the first time, Faith could see how uncomfortable Giles really was talking about this. She didn't blame him though. It was unusual and unexpected and unorthodox.

"You need to talk to her again, Faith. You need to try to convey your feelings for her without making her further suspicious of who you really are. She needs to see that what you feel is real whether or not it is coming from you or Satsu."

Faith closed her eyes, wishing she'd just wake up from this nightmare. She needed to fix everything and she needed to apologize to Buffy first and foremost. The kiss had been unexpected for sure, but it was just a sign that Buffy was starting to give into whatever she was feeling. She downed the rest of her drink and left Giles' office.

It didn't take her very long before she found Buffy out on the balcony near her room. Buffy didn't turn around, barely even acknowledging her presence. Faith leaned against the stone railing next to her and sighed as she turned to look at her. Faith could see a fury of emotions displayed unguarded in Buffy's eyes. She could also practically see the wheels turning in her head as she looked over at her and frowned.

"Satsu...I am not in the mood to talk. I just want to be alone."

"I know. I'm sorry. I'll just talk then."

"I'm not in the mood to listen either. What happened this morning, I don't know how to explain it, but it's thrown me into a vicious cycle. I think about you and it turns into me thinking about her. I keep trying to figure out what I want and any answers I do manage to come up with don't make any sense."

Faith nodded as she looked away from her. "I know where you are coming from. I'm feeling the same way right now, kind of."

"I think..." Buffy trailed off and started laughing. "I can't even believe I'm saying this and to you, of all people, but I think I'm in love with her."

Faith held her breath, for some reason expecting to turn back into herself in that moment and when she opened her eyes, she found Buffy staring at her, looking rather confused. "I'm sorry did you just say you are in love with her?"

"I don't know if I am or if I just feel this way because of how I feel about you. I've never felt so confused before. I don't even know how to figure it out and I don't know if I even want to. I've been trying to figure this out alone and I know I can't. I just keep coming back to nothing and everything. Does that make any sense, Satsu?"

"It does surprisingly. I thought you weren't in the mood to talk?"

Buffy laughed as she shrugged her shoulders. "I told you I am confused. Lately I don't even know myself anymore. It's one of those feelings I can't figure out. I want to figure out what changed everything and you know what answer I keep coming up with?"

"What?"

"That night of the spell changed everything. This morning changed everything too. I still don't know why I came to talk to you other than Xander telling me it'd help. It didn't help. It just made me even more confused."

"Buffy, can I ask you something?" Faith asked, hoping she wasn't about to set everything back even more so. "I know how confusing this all seems, but what's stopping you from having what you want, from taking what you want?"

"I really don't know. I've never experienced these kinds of feelings before. Maybe I have, but I have been so used to pushing them away and denying them. I don't know how to just accept it."

"What are you afraid of?"

"Everything."

"You aren't alone."

"No, I really am not alone, am I?" Buffy laughed as she quickly wiped away her tears. "I can't believe how easy it is for me to just talk to you. I am still trying to figure you out, Satsu."

"There isn't that much to figure out."

"There is though," she pointed out as she backed away from the stone railing and began pacing. Faith knew when she started to pace it was a sign she was nervous and she tried not to stare too much. "You are in love with me and you don't even know me. I don't know how something like that can even be possible!"

"It is what it is, B."

"Oh god," Buffy shook her head as she stopped pacing and stared at her. "You called me B again."

"Sorry."

"Maybe I was wrong before. You and Faith are a lot more alike than I'd care to admit."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Because it is! You are not her, Satsu. Despite what I am going through right now and how confused I am feeling, it isn't going to just go away because you've stepped in her place. She isn't even here. I can't even get in touch with her just to talk about how I am feeling. Even if I could I don't think she'd listen to me."

"She might surprise you," Faith muttered under her breath as she turned her back to her so she wouldn't be able to see her own tears forming.

She tensed when she felt Buffy place a hand tentatively on her shoulder. She didn't want to talk about it anymore, she hated the way it was making her feel. She just wanted everything to be easier than it was. She wanted the prophecy to somehow magically be fulfilled without her having to take it as far as she thought she had to. She turned to look at Buffy, fighting back her tears as their eyes gradually met.

"No matter what I am feeling right now for Faith, I still have these unexplained feelings for you, Satsu. I can't get them out of my head. God, I feel so pathetic right now. I think I know why I kissed you this morning and why I stood outside your door, debating whether or not to go back in there and talk to you about how I really felt."

"And how do you really feel, Buffy?"

"All I know is that I want to kiss you again. I'm afraid of what comes after that."

"I am too, a little."

"I've never..."

"Shh," Faith whispered as she slid her arms around Buffy's waist and pulled her in close. "Do you ever wonder what would happen if you stopped overanalyzing the situation and just let whatever is going to happen, happen?"

"That's what I'm most afraid of because I don't know what is going to happen."

"You think I'm not afraid either?"

"I don't know. Are you?"

"I am."

"What is happening between us?"

"I don't know, Buffy. We can't figure it out if we let it confuse us and complicate everything. I know you can't stop thinking about her, but try, just for a moment," Faith said softly, her lips barely brushing against Buffy's as she could hardly believe the words coming out of her mouth. "Lose yourself in the moment. You've done it before, haven't you?"

"I have, but it's never gotten me anywhere before."

"Buffy, stop thinking for one minute and just let whatever is going to happen, happen. Trust me, you won't regret it."

Faith knew otherwise though. She knew Buffy would regret it despite trying not to. She was beginning to understand her, little by little. Her own feelings practically mirrored her own and she swallowed the lump that was rising in her throat and kissed her lightly, barely able to stop her heart from pounding rapidly in her chest. Kissing Buffy was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before and as sweet and chaste as the kiss was, it sent her into a tailspin, her emotions fully taking over and driving her to push Buffy that one step further.

Buffy was hesitating, holding herself back as Faith kissed her again, a little harder this time. She could almost feel what Buffy was thinking in that moment; that everything was happening too fast.

Despite it happening to fast, Faith felt an invisible push edging her on. She had to keep from going too far too fast. She couldn't force Buffy to do anything she wasn't ready for, but she couldn't force herself to hold back for too much longer either. Maybe she was acting a little selfish, wanting nothing more than to get the prophecy fulfilled so she can go back to being herself. Selfish or not, she knew if it was anyone else in her position, they'd be feeling the same way she was.

"That was nice," Buffy whispered as she pulled back. "Definitely a lot nicer than I expected it to be. Again."

"Spend a lot of time thinking about what it's like to kiss another woman?"

"No," she replied, blushing as she backed away from her slowly. "I mean, sometimes, yes, but hasn't everyone at one point or another?"

"I can't speak for everyone, Buffy, but yeah, I've thought about it. Probably a little too much sometimes."

Buffy laughed as she leaned against the wall near the door and closed her eyes. "What are we doing, Satsu? Is this turning into a relationship?"

"I don't know. Is it?"

"I don't know! That's why I asked you. I've never been good at understanding these kinds of things and this," Buffy said as she motioned between the two of them, her eyes still closed. "This is confusing the hell out of me."

"Let's just take it one step at a time, Buffy. Just do whatever you feel is right. Don't question it anymore or at least try not to. It might help you feel less confused and you won't know unless you try."

"I can take it one step at a time. Just promise me one thing," Buffy said as she slowly opened up her eyes and looked at her. "Just promise me you won't try to take things a little too fast. I don't know if I could handle that. Feeling the way I've been feeling lately is new and it still scares me. I just need time to figure out what I'm feeling."

"You have all the time you need," Faith replied, fighting back the hopeless feeling that if Buffy did take her time, she'd take a hell of a lot longer than the week and a half that Faith had left to fulfill the prophecy.

The whole situation had begun to turn around, slowly but surely. She saw it in Buffy's eyes as she relaxed and smiled at her. It didn't help her from feeling conflicted still and it'd take her time to figure it all out as well.