Disclaimer: same as prologue.

A/N: Un-beta'ed all mistakes are mine.


Interlude- After the fall of Sunnydale

It had been a week sense Sunnydale became a crater and during that time the group had sent the more injured Slayers and Wood to the hospital while the rest stayed at the Hyperion Hotel. The first day in the Hyperion found Faith in the main office writing a letter. Giles was standing by the main desk though he did glance back at Faith every so often in mild interest at whatever she was writing.

Faith looked up from folding the letter and asked Giles, "Is there a stamp over there?"

The Watcher startled as he replied, "Yes, here you go." Handing the book of stamps over to the Dark Slayer

"Thanks." Faith slides the letter into the envelope, double check the send and return addresses before placing the stamp and heading towards the door.

The Scoobies were coming down the stairs as Faith got to the front door. Buffy called to her, "Where are you going? Running already?"

Faith blinked and turned, "No, sending a letter." With that opened the door and headed to the corner where the mail box was and put the letter in the box before returning to the hotel.

Xander whispered to Willow, "Who's she writing to?" Willow shrugged.

Faith nodded upon entering as she said, "If you don't need me I'm going up to rest."


It wasn't until three days later when the Scoobies finally found out who it was that Faith was writing to. Around 11 o'clock in the morning a blonde haired twenty year old woman walked into the Hyperion. Faith was just coming down the stairs when the woman spoke, "Faith?"

The Dark Slayer blinked back the sleep as she looked at the woman. A grin crossed Faith's lips as she hopped down the remaining stairs between her and the woman. The Slayer engulfed the blonde in her arms saying, "Lauren!"

Lauren laughed as Faith spun her around. The Scoobies watched in awe as the Dark Slayer treated this woman as if she knew her, not only that but cared for her. Giles looked up from his books at the unfamiliar sound both as of recently and that of a voice he had never heard before. Dawn on the other hand suddenly remembered a passing comment that Faith made during that Christmas about her reminding the Slayer of someone.

Buffy was the first to speak, "So, Faith who's your friend and is she aware of your wanted status?"

Faith grinned as she put Lauren back on the ground and wrapped her arm around the blonde before replying, "Yep. And B, this isn't just a friend; this is my sister Lauren Lewis."

Xander blinked, "Your last name is Lewis?"

Faith snickered, "No it's Lehane but Lauren was adopted when we were…" looking to the blonde.

Lauren smiled, "Eight. It was one of the foster families that we stayed with." Lauren looked over the people that looked surprised at the little tidbit, "What you didn't know any of this?"

Giles cleared his throat, "Um… no, we didn't. Faith never told us."

Faith muttered, "You never really asked after me." Lauren heard as did Buffy, both blondes heard the slight bitter tone that Faith held towards the Watcher. Buffy blinked in confusion as Lauren reached up and popped Faith in the back of the head.

Xander asked, "Well that's nice, does she know that you were psycho a little while ago and that you killed people?"

Lauren blinked as she acted confused, "I thought you said you did that four years ago?"

The Scoobies started as Faith replied, "I did. But I think He's still hung up on the working for the Mayor thing, or maybe it's kicking him out in his tight-y white-ies."

"Ah…"

Buffy exploded, "You betrayed us. And what being a Slayer stood for!"

Lauren spoke, "Actually, she didn't,"

Willow interrupted, "Not to be rude but you weren't there. How would you know?"

Lauren studied each of the people before her, "Faith wrote me a letter just before she went with you," pointing at Willow, "to Sunnydale this last time. It told me everything that had happened from the minute, Professor Dormer was killed to her breaking out of prison. And you know the little bit of information that you all," the more reserved blonde was in full steam, "didn't have was that Mayor Wilkins threatened my life and that of my parents. You see originally she went to him to try and play mole on the inside for you but when Wilkins found out about her plan and about me; well Faith's first person to look out for has never really been herself. It was my life for her loyalty."

Faith listened as her twin sister defined her in a way that she hadn't had in a long time. As Lauren wound down from her rant, Faith started to lead her sister away. When Buffy spoke, "Are we supposed to believe this?"

Faith whipped around snarling, "I don't give a rats ass if you believe it or not. But know this I have never lied to my sister on anything and the only reason Lauren didn't know about everything until that letter was because all my other notes while in prison were scanned by the guards and well I didn't really want to end up in a psychiatric ward."