Faith walked across the street to a small building with Jack Holt S.I. on the window. She opened the door and saw that it was a really small office with two desks, a coffee machine on a table, some filing cabinets, and what looked like a doorway into a back room. Faith stepped inside the small room and a bell rang. Jack stuck his head out of the doorway to the back room and smiled.

"Faith Lehane." He said happily as he traversed the labyrinth of paper stacks on the ground. He pulled a chair up in front of the desk and sat down behind the desk. He didn't say anything else, but Faith would have sat down even if he had told her to stand. The chair was really cheap and therefore extremely uncomfortable.

"So, what's this job offer all about?" Faith kicked her feet up on the desk at almost the same time as Jack. Faith thought it awkward, but Jack simply smiled.

"Have you heard of Angel Investigations in L.A.?" He said, fixing the tie that was previously sliding in to the fabric of his black sports coat.

"Yeah, I know Angel." Faith bit her lip.

"I do the same stuff, except I don't hide anything, and I'm definitely not anything like Angel." Jack picked up a pen off the table and started spinning it around on his fingers with ease.

"So, you're like a ghost hunter?" Faith looked at his eyes. She couldn't help but think how crisp and sharp the blue in his eye was compared to Buffy's. Why was she thinking about Buffy right now?

"Not exactly. I hunt, but more than just ghosts. Anyways, I may be moving at the end of the month and I think I heard that you were on a road trip of sorts. I can give you a paying job working for me and it'll be pretty good stability. I saw you kicking some vamp ass, so I don't think I need to hear your qualifications. I would love to hire you, just tell me before the end of the month." He put the pen down and stood up. He walked over to the other side of the desk, which must have been some cue for Faith to get up, so she did. She looked at his eyes again. They were really entrancing. "You'll wing back bySanta Barbara?"

"I'll see what I can do." Faith said. She liked this guy's style. Short, sweet, to the point. He packed a lot of meaning behind his words and held short conversations that felt like they were something much bigger. It was that something bigger behind his words that compelled her to call the number. She hadn't seriously considered settling down and working somewhere, especially at Buffy's expense, but this guy made it sound so simple. Maybe that's how things should be. Simple. Faith turned to leave, but suddenly felt like she should say something. She nervously turned back around, avoiding looking into his eyes at first, but drifting up to them again before she had time to speak. He raised his eyebrows, questioning her without a single word. Unspoken communication was definitely his game. "I wanted to say that I get it."

"Get it?" He repeated.

"The sense of duty, the need to help people... The playing god. Everything you said is what I've told myself was right my whole life and up until yesterday everyone had told me those were the wrong ideas. I mean, helping people is great. One hell of a gig... but they never told me it was cool to devote everything to that. I guess I just never met someone else who thought the same way." That was a speech according to Faith. She usually tried to get to the point much sooner than that. Maybe Buffy was rubbing off on her. Every time she thought of Buffy, it made her stomach twist, so she looked Jack in the eyes once again.

"You had it right, Faith. People feel the same way, but they don't have what you have. The guts to admit it's true. They'll swear they don't want that life, but they really do. We all want to be heroes... Only we embrace it." Jack took a step towards Faith and put his hand on her should. Electric sparks ran through her shoulder, neck and arm at his touch. He looked at her. He was a bit taller then her, so her head was tilted back ever so slightly to adjust for the angle. He gave a half-smile and looked her in the eyes. Every time she looked at them everything else fell away. Buffy? Who's Buffy?

XOXOXOX

Buffy jumped Faith as soon as she opened the door. He arms wrapped around Faith neck and she gave a slightly off attack hug. That's Buffy. Faith smiled as Buffy pulled back.

"Missed you too, B." Faith said. Faith walked into the motel room and threw her jacket on to the chair in the corner.

"I missed you more, Faith." Buffy said, following Faith inside, "Where were you?"

"Just meeting with somebody." Faith said. She clicked on the TV to some news channel and nearly threw herself into the bed. She rolled over and rested her head against the head board.

"Friend?" Buffy climbed on to the bed. Apparently she went for a run since she was still catching her breath and had her tighter work-out clothes on.

Faith thought it over for a moment, then decided Buffy was better off not knowing, "Yeah."

Buffy ran her fingers lightly up Faith's arm.

"What?" Faith brushed Buffy's hand off.

"Trying to get your attention." Buffy let a wicked smile play on her lips.

"Oh, yeah? What for?" Faith turned to her side and looked at the blonde. Faith looked at Buffy's soft eyes, so much less fine than Jack's, but positively endearing.

"This." Buffy put her hand on the side of Faith's face and gently reeled her into a kiss. Buffy's tongue ran across Faith's lip and Faith parted her mouth. Buffy entangled her hand in Faith's hair and pressed their faces even closer together. Faith snaked her hand around Buffy's side and on to her back. She used that grasp to pull the smaller girl closer to herself. Faith pressed her tongue into Buffy's and heat swelled around them. The fireworks were the same as usual, but it was the same song. Not that it was boring, just that it was familiar. Kissing was a comfort food of sorts to Faith, always has been, but that makes Buffy chips and macaroni and cheese. Wasn't Buffy the one that wanted to slow the relationship down? Weren't they just fighting only a few hours earlier? Now Faith's leg was moving up and down against Buffy's and a hand played across her stomach. Faith would have been upset with Buffy still, except she's completely head over heels for the chick. Buffy somehow made the kiss into something stronger, and it hit Faith as odd all of the sudden. Faith eased out of the kiss and looked at the subject of her undying love.

"What are we doing, B?" She said in almost a whisper.

"Kissing." Buffy breathed.

"I thought we were slowing down." Faith felt Buffy retract at the comment. All contact was lost and Faith regretted it, but this had to be solved.

"Did you have to bring it up?" Buffy said to the ceiling.

"Yeah, I think I need clarification." Faith felt that devil whisper of doubt in her head. It wasn't like she didn't want to be with Buffy, she just wanted to know if Buffy wanted to be with her, "I mean, it all happened wicked fast, and we motored out of Sunny D in a hurry, are you looking back?"

"Faith, I'm not looking back. I just thought you wouldn't understand if I explained our problems." Buffy and Faith were not on the same page.

"Alright. I'm done with the games, B. I've had one hell of a week, and I'm making a last ditch effort." Faith took a deep breath and continued, "I think you're the first person I've loved with all my heart. I'm crazy for you. If you told me to dance the can-can on a damn bridge, I'd do it to keep you... But if you don't trust me enough to tell me these things, maybe I need to let it go. I don't want to... This has been the most amazing thing in my fucked up life, but I don't want to be in this relationship if you don't love me." Faith finished her peace and let the silence set in. All she could think about was Buffy, but lately, things seemed to be screwed up, and Buffy didn't make it better.