Rachel and Brooke walked in silence as they trailed the two slayers. "So…you can control your invisibility now?" Brooke asked, breaking the silence.

"For the most part." Rachel replied, putting her hands in her coat pockets.

Brooke smirked. "Show me."

Rachel complied and went invisible.

"That is so cool."

Rachel reappeared on the opposite side of Brooke, causing the brunette to jump.

Rachel laughed as Brooke smacked her arm. "Don't do that!" They continued walking. "There are so many badass things you could do." Brooke added as an afterthought.

A sad smile formed on Rachel's face. "Yeah, we've had this discussion already."

Brooke tilted her head in confusion. "Huh?"

Faith overheard the remark and quickly interrupted. "Hey Red, zip it. Me and B are tryin' to have a conversation up here."

"Sorry." The redhead mumbled.

The foursome arrived at the Magic Box to see Anya counting money and Willow reading a book.

"Hey, Buff." Willow called out without looking up. "Scooby meeting in five."

"Okay." The two slayers walked over to Anya and Willow.

"Listen. We need to kill Halfrek. If you could just get me to her…" Faith looked at Willow. "I know I could kill her."

"I'm working on it Faith. There's got to be some kind of locator spell I could use." Willow frantically began turning pages.

"Um, I need to pee." Anya announced as she got up and went to the bathroom.

"Thanks for sharing." Buffy mumbled to herself.

In the bathroom, Anya called out to Halfrek.

"Anya, I must say I loved the vengeance stories we used to swap, but these visits are getting tiresome."

"Shhh!" Anya replied in a hushed tone. "Hallie they are going to kill you! And I know they will figure out a way to. You have to reverse the curse now."

Halfrek sighed but snapped her fingers. "It is done." And with that Halfrek vanished.

Anya walked back to the table and sat near Willow to finish counting her money and to see if she had really reversed it.

Brooke was standing over Buffy, reading the book she had laid out before her. The green glow surrounded her like it did the first time, but she did not pass out. Instead, a look of confusion passed over her features as she looked from Buffy to Rachel.

"Rachel?"

Rachel looked up from the talisman she had been playing with. "Yeah?"

Brooke ran over to her, nearly tackling her off the chair, as she enveloped Rachel in a tight embrace.

"Did you break the curse?" Buffy asked a puzzled Willow.

"N-no I didn't do it."

"Then Halfrek must've." Faith interjected. "I dunno why she would though."

"Who cares? As long as I am Brooke-free I'm happy." Buffy smiled but Brooke glared at her. "I mean that in the nicest of ways."

"Uh-huh. I'm sure." Brooke didn't stay offended long as she looked back at Rachel. "You know, you're jealous side is kind of hot."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Yeah she only tried to beat me up a couple of times."

"Aww, you almost tried to beat up a slayer for me?"

Rachel smirked. "Maybe."

Brooke took Rachel's hand in her own and started walking towards the front door. "We're going home."

"Ew." Buffy said as the two walked out the door. At that same moment Giles came in from the training room.

"Could I speak with you for a moment?" Giles motioned for Willow and Buffy to come in. Faith was about to follow them when Willow projected her thoughts into Buffy's mind.

"No Faith."

"Why not? We can trust her."

"Scooby meeting only, Buffy."

"Uh, Faith, why don't you stay out here and help Anya count her money?"

"That will not be happening. Only I can touch the money." Anya called out from her spot at the table.

"What is this B? Am I not trusted?" Faith crossed her arms.

"Of course you are Faith. It's just…some private stuff needs to be talked about."

"Whatever." Faith was pissed but she reluctantly sat down beside Anya.

Buffy and Willow then followed Giles into the training room.

"No need to worry Giles. Somehow the curse was reversed, so we're in the clear."

"That's good news to hear, Buffy. But my main concern is actually Peyton. She seems reluctant to fully accept her powers. She's been sarcastic and not at all interested in her studies with Willow and Tara."

"Well, what do you want me to do?" Buffy replied.

"She has a lot in common with you, talk to her. Perhaps you could inspire her."

Buffy sighed. "I'm not good with the whole inspiring speeches thing."

Willow let out a laugh but immediately stopped when Buffy glared at her. "Sorry. It's just that you do them all the time."

Faith & Buffy (later that night)

Buffy stretched and cracked her knuckles as she and Faith walked through the cemetery. They wanted to make one last sweep without Brooke and Rachel around. As they rounded a corner, a vampire grabbed Buffy by the throat and slammed her against a crypt wall. She struggled for oxygen as his grip tightened. Faith yawned and weakly shoved the stake through the center of the vampire's heart.

He turned to dust and Buffy coughed. "Jesus Faith. Did you have to wait so long?"

"Yep."

"Why are you all bad moody?" Buffy asked, annoyed with Faith's constant one-word answers.

"Because."

"Because why Faith? Talk to me." Buffy pleaded. All she wanted was the other slayer to finally let her in.

"Because after all I've done, I'm still not accepted or trusted by you and your little gang."

Buffy moved away from Faith, almost shocked by her sudden anger.

"Faith what you talking about? Of course we trust you."

"Then why is that Giles never lets me in on anything? All he ever does is send me on the dangerous missions to have your back. But when it comes to anything important, the let's-not-tell-Faith game gets started. And I'm sick of it."

Faith spun around and pushed Buffy against the wall. "But most of all, I'm sick of you."

Buffy felt a sudden urge of anger but before she could say anything Faith had closed the gap between them. Faith gave her a short, but rough kiss. Faith pulled away and Buffy turned her back to Faith, creating distance between them.

"I can't do this Faith."

"Why not?" Faith cried out in frustration.

"I'm not gay."

"B why does that label mean so much to you? Be straight, bi, or gay. I don't care what you call it. It doesn't matter to me and it shouldn't matter to you. I feel this connection, B. And I know you do too. Why won't you just give us a chance?"

Buffy stared at the ground and just shrugged.

Faith sighed and walked away.

SUMMERS HOUSE

Buffy opened the door to her house. The house she shared with her sister, her best friends, and the Chosen Three. It's funny how unconventional her family had become, yet that's what they were to her. Her family.

And that's what Faith was. But who knows where Faith was and if she was even coming back.

So Buffy walked up the stairs, passed Dawn who called out to her, passed Willow who needed help moving her night stand, and passed Rachel who told her they were out of milk. She walked passed it all, not a thought in her head except for Faith.

She entered her bedroom, leaving the door slightly ajar like her mother used to do for her when she was alive. She slipped under her covers and tried to clear her mind of all thoughts, but it was nearly impossible.

Buffy didn't want to hurt Faith anymore, but she couldn't change how she felt. She did feel extremely guilty. Suddenly, music drifted from Peyton and Brooke's room and into hers. She heard the lyrics and laughed bitterly.

don't look away, don't run away,
baby it's only life,
don't lose your Faith, don't run away,
it's only life.
You were always playing hard,
never could let down your guard,
you can't win, if you never give in…

Buffy covered her ears trying to block out the remaining lyrics. She didn't need a sign like that to confuse her.

She got up and ran to Brooke/Peyton's room. She walked up to the stereo, ejected the CD, and proceeded to snap it in half.

"What the hell?!" Rachel was the first to react.

"You have to pay for that!" Peyton and Brooke called out in unison.

Buffy walked out of the room, completely ignoring the teenagers as she mumbled incoherently to herself.

"I seriously don't need anything to make me feel worse than I already do."

AN: Thanks to all the reviewers, new and old, hope you liked the chapter. You brachel fans should be happy lol.

Song used: It's Only Life by Kate Voegele