Tara looked off in the direction that Buffy had gone, convinced that she should have gone after her sister. Willow seemed just as torn, wanting to know what was going on and wanting to give the blonde space, and also wanting to attempt to comfort Buffy. Reason won out, though, that to comfort the girl, they'd need to know what was happening. "Maybe we should sit." She offered quietly.

Faith had them over at a secluded bench on the Quad before either of them knew it, and sat there on the grass in front of Tara, waiting expectantly with a frown on her face. "C'm'on Blondie. Ya know we don't bite. This is buggin' the shit outta me, and I'm pretty sure that B'll bitch at me if I ask her, or even say somethin' wrong." Tara still seemed hesitant. "Ya said that Buffy was blamed for the fire. What the fuck is up with Darla saying that a girl was trapped inside?"

"I s- said that B- Buffy and a-a-another girl were b-blamed." Tara whispered, turning away. "It's j-just that no… no-one knows wh-who the other g-girl is." Willow and Faith both seemed confused by that, and it was still another moment before Tara brought herself to speak again. "S-Someone saw a g-girl running from the b-building j-just after the s-smoke started c-coming out. No-one c-could figure out wh-who she was. B-Buffy said she d- didn't know there was someone else i-in there." Tara looked doubtful, and sorrowfully glanced again in the direction Buffy had gone. With another sigh, she turned to look at Faith. "The sch-school thinks that one o-of them started the f-fire. N- no-one could p-prove Buffy did it, s- so they think th-that if there was another g-girl, she d-did it, and B-Buffy really w-was just t-trying to put it out." Faith looked surprised, and nodded.

"You don't think Buffy didn't know about the other girl?" Willow finally asked.

"I… I d-don't know." Tara whispered. "B-but people, in the r-rumors afterward s-said Buffy was t-trying to s-set the girl on fire inside."

"That why B freaked, about Darla saying she'd set your dad on fire?" Faith asked bluntly.

Tara shook her head though, sniffling. "No. The, uh, the last time we saw D- D- Dad… he and Mom w-were h-having an ar- argument. A- about him ch-cheating on Mom. He said… he said Mom d-drove him away. He… he said th- that," Willow took Tara's hand as the girl struggled through attempting to be understood in her nervous, and obviously sad state. "that she m-made one re-retarded daughter wh-who could do nothing but stammer… that she d-drove his perfect daughter to a-arson… and th-that it was her fault that he f- found someone else." Tara scowled. "He… he never…. Mom always believed th-that Buffy didn't d-do it. D- Dad was con-convinced that she d-did. She… She told h-him that B-Buffy did n- no such th-thing, and th-that I'm not re-retarded. I s-stopped listening a-after that."

Faith looked contemplative, confused, and surprised as she thought all that over, and Willow squeezed Tara's hand in comfort. "You're not, you know. I know you're not." Willow whispered softly, seeing the tears starting to glaze the blonde's eyes.

"Course she's not retarded. Damn if she's not smarter'n most." Faith said absently. "Fuck… Darla really hit it close. Seems the bitch's good at that." Her eyes turned cold. "Should'a hit her harder."

"Faith…" Willow said with a frown, then turned back to Tara. "Listen, you know he wasn't right. He probably doesn't even think that. He was just angry cause he didn't want to be responsible for what he did."

"He a- always thought that." Tara affirmed, frowning. "And I know I'm n-not. H- he just th-thought that c-cause I c-could barely speak a- around him." Willow looked curious, and Faith seemed to be paying partial attention again. "I… I w-went to a c- counselor when I w- was th-thirteen. He… he thought my d- dad's the cause for m-my stutter. D- Dad always t-treated me like l- leftovers. B- Buffy was his p- perfect b-baby. Sh- she was always p-popular, and beautiful, and girly, and e- everything he though his d- daughter should be. I was sh-shy, from the st-start, and n-never tried out for ch- cheerleading, or anything like th-that. D- Dad mostly ig-ignored me, and just f- frowned when he d- didn't. The c- counselor d-didn't help my st- stutter, so they took me out. Then I m- met Spike. He… he was so sw- sweet, and beat up a b- boy that was picking on m- me for my st- stutter." Tara chuckled sadly. "I d- didn't really w- want to go out w- with him at f- first, but he just s- stuck around, and D- Dad hated him. S- So I went out on a d- date once, and he was always j- just so sweet. Buffy doesn't like him, b- but she never t- tried to break us up, especially a- after my stutter started to go away. H- He told me h- himself that he's positive B- Buffy didn't s- start the fire."

"Bleach-boy's even sure B didn't do it?" Faith looked shocked, and stared at Tara. "They hate each other."

"He doesn't h- hate her." Tara defended. "He j- just doesn't much like that she doesn't like him. He'd get along with her if she were nice to him." Tara shook her head. "And he was there. He's the one that s- saw the other girl run out of the b- building."

"Hmph." Faith grumbled and looked off in the direction that Buffy had gone. "Why'd Darla think that B has a thing for me? B's straight."

"I don't know." Tara whispered, smiling shyly. "I… I think she… I don't know. Buffy's all b-but told me she's bi." Faith spun so quickly her hair flew into her face. "J- just recently I mean."

"All but told you." Willow asked, turning bright red. She'd finally let go of Tara's hand, and was looking away.

"It doesn't matter." Tara shrugged and wiped the last remaining tears from her eyes, glad that she hadn't broken down. "I think I've given her enough space. I g- gotta find her."

"I'll help you." Willow offered. "Don't worry, I'll leave if I need to."

Faith stood, then seemed to hesitate. "Listen, this heart-to-heart shit ain't my deal. I'd just love to help, but…"

"It's okay… I think she's just going to want to d- distract herself." Tara offered. "Buffy just doesn't t- talk about the f- fire and D- Dad."

When they'd found Buffy, it was in the park. She was throwing tiny bits of bread out onto the surface of the water for the ducks to peck at, a small frown on her face. Willow and Faith had both been reluctant to approach, Faith especially as she still didn't know how exactly she'd managed to be pulled along. Then again, she also didn't know why, after all Darla had done and said to her, it was for what the girl was doing to Buffy that Faith finally retaliated.

Tara had approached, of course, without a flinch or hesitation, and taken a piece of the loaf of bread and began to do the same thing. Buffy didn't act as if she noticed at first, but after a few minutes, Willow was sitting next to them, occasionally tossing a bit of bread too, and Faith was sprawled on the grass next to the redhead. So this was comfort? Boring. She'd always thought that there was something more to it. Her dark eyes traced the patterns of clouds in the sky as she waited for something to happen, knowing that if she tried to say something before anyone else, it'd fuck everything up.

Absently, Faith wondered if she should talk to Tara or Red about the little discussion that morning. Tara would probably be able to give her insight into the aggravating blonde, but that also meant that the meeting would be pointless. Why meet in secret to plan playing matchmaker when they just found out anyway? Sighing, she looked over and noticed Buffy watching her out of the corner of an eye, and quickly looked away.

"So… you guys wanna Bronze it tonight, or do something else?" Tara and Willow both looked at Buffy quizzically. That was sudden. "I mean… there's not much to do in this town, and I know it's only Wednesday, but I don't have much homework."

"Bronze? On a school night?" Willow looked a little confused, and as she thought it over, as if she were about to hyperventilate. Tara, as a result, looked very concerned, and Faith, chuckling, told her to 'Breathe, Red. Breathe.'

"Eh, it's probably gonna be dead anyway, B." Faith said when Willow finally calmed down from her moment of uber-geekiness Tara, after a moment, confessed that she'd been putting off a paper that she had to write, and couldn't go out anyway. Looking at Buffy's still somewhat strained, but mostly distant expression, Faith sighed. "Well, B, Red's not gonna risk her comfortable existence on the fact that, when she goes out on a school-night for some wicked partying, the world will end…" Willow looked shocked, first, at Faith's somewhat witty, and long-winded, joke, then pouted. She did have a test to study for next week though, and starting tonight was better than putting it off. "But ya know me. Since when do I say no to fun? My 'appointment' tonight cancelled… so I could always take ya to a bar or somethin'." At that, she waggled her eyebrows in an exaggerated manner.

Buffy glared at her, but a smirk slowly started struggling its way to her lips. She was fighting it though. "Faith, your libido must be the size of Texas."

"If that's what I think it is, Twinkie, what the fuck are you doing thinking about the size of my anything?" Faith said with a mock glare. Of course she knew what a libido was! Willow snorted and chuckled, trying not to choke as she attempted to hide her laughter, as Tara just turned bright red and stared at her. Buffy, of course, was trying even harder not to smile, but was also turning red in the process. "Damn, I think I broke Blondie."

"I… I… I'm not b- broke…. broken" Tara complained, still bright red.

~

Buffy was somewhat surprised when Faith actually stuck around as they all walked home. She didn't really know why Faith was following them to their house at first, but as Willow separated to finish her walk home, Faith leaned against the porch railing and raised her brows. "Well, B? Get changed already."

It took some convincing, and Faith's promise, for Joyce to let the two girls go out. Faith's promise being that they wouldn't be out too terribly late. As they walked along, Buffy still didn't know where they were going. "So, 'F', what's the what? Were're we headed?"

"Yanno, B, surprises ain't much o' surprises if ya know about 'em ahead of time." Faith chuckled, dragging Buffy down several streets, and finally toward what seemed to be an office building. "And before we go in, I wanna say that yeah, you were right, this mornin' I mean. Fuck if I can be blind sometimes." Faith waited for Buffy's reaction before continuing, raising her brows at the shocked and almost frightened look on her face. "About Red and Blondie, B. What the hell did ya think I was talkin' about?"

"Oh… nevermind." Buffy waited until Faith had gotten them through the doors and looked around. Stairs? She could hear something akin to techno music filtering up through them, and followed obediently when Faith dragged her down them. It was an underground arcade! Why hadn't she heard about this place before? She hadn't even seen any signs. "Wait, what?"

"I talked to Red. Damn she's got it bad." Faith chuckled and dragged Buffy over to the concession stand in one corner, gesturing to a couple bottles of Pepsi. "So now what?"

"That's what I was thinking. Why are we here Faith?"

"It's something to do." Faith shrugged and paid for the drinks, grumbling to herself that Buffy should pay for her own, and then gestured a free pool table. "What, ya never played before?"

Buffy's eyes settled on the table, and she froze in place.

TBC