A few days had passed since Giles had taken Buffy back to her house, and Faith was bored out of her skull. Faith felt trapped in Giles's house, with nothing to do save to turn on the TV and hope that something even mildly interesting was on. Even though Faith could walk out the door at any time to wander the streets, take a walk about the town, maybe see if she could pick up a comic book or a snack or whatever, something held her back.

It was Buffy, she decided. Buffy was back, and Sunnydale was her town, not Faith's. She was back at home, where she belonged, with her stupid friends who thought it was a good idea to play god. Even at her most depraved, Faith had never thought so highly of herself that she would have even considered magic on that scale. Even if she wasn't herself a witch, there were just some lines that were there for a reason. You just didn't cross them.

But those lines hadn't just been crossed, they'd been run over and demolished. So now, Buffy was back, and Faith was increasingly wondering what she was doing in Sunnydale at all. Buffy hadn't been by since she'd gone back home, and Faith wasn't about to head there after everything that had gone down with Willow.

Giles had been really decent about everything, but Faith had a feeling that she might be outstaying her welcome sooner rather than later. She could always go out for a run, but something held her back. Faith was angry and confused about everything. She was technically a free woman, but she didn't feel free at all. She was sitting on a comfortable couch that wasn't hers, but afraid to go out in a town that didn't want her, and outside of all of that was the great unknown, and that wasn't something that Faith was willing to confront just yet.

Swearing loudly, Faith had to stop herself from throwing something. Giles was out running his shop, and he wouldn't know it if Faith made a mess and cleaned it up. All the same, she held back. Everything in her life right now was just a great big ball of pain and confusion about why she was in pain and anger over that confusion. At least in prison, Faith had understood what was expected of her. Freedom was strangely terrifying, not that she would ever admit that to anyone out loud, save maybe for Angel.

A knock on the door snapped Faith out of her downward spiral into negativity. It was probably someone looking for Giles, but there was a chance that some it was a demon that could walk in the daylight that somehow knew that she was here. Faith patted her boot and felt the knife she kept there in case of emergencies, and after a moment to prepare herself for the worst, she stood up and went to open the door.

It was Buffy. Not Buffy and Giles, or Buffy and Willow, or Buffy and all the other Scoobies. Just Buffy, and Faith couldn't be happier. For some crazy reason, Buffy had decided to share her pain with Faith alone, and while Faith hated that Buffy had to suffer what she was going through, she almost felt like she could confide in Buffy. The moment the thought popped into Faith's head, she shoved it back down, feeling like an idiot. Buffy's being honest with you because she needs you. Doesn't give you permission to just ask whatever you want of her. You're not on her level, Faith, and you never will be. It hurt to have to remind herself of that fact, and she needed to remind herself more often than she wanted to, but that was the truth for you.

Silently stepping aside, Faith let Buffy walk past her into the house. Faith closed the door without a word, not sure if Buffy was here for Giles or for Faith or for something entirely unrelated. "Um… Giles is at the store. Hasn't been a ton of demon-y stuff going down, at least during the day, so-"

"Faith, it's okay," Buffy said with what sounded like genuine warmth in her voice. Faith saw the slightest hint of a smile, and dammit, but now she knew what it meant when people mentioned hearts skipping a beat. She had to keep it together. "I came to see you."

Faith nodded. "Sure thing. We're alone, so if you need to just be… Y'know… Not all pretending and stuff… Yeah, sure."

Buffy held up a hand. "No, that's not why I'm here. But, thank you for thinking of me like that." Buffy took a deep breath. "Why are you thinking of me like that? I mean… How do I put this? Faith… You and I have had a lot of issues in the past. You did a lot of stuff to hurt me. And looking back, I maybe did a lot to hurt you, only I wasn't really seeing it clearly at the time.

"The point is that you should hate me. Why don't you?"

Faith couldn't help herself as she burst out into laughter. "I'm… I'm sorry, B," Faith said as she held her side while she laughed. "It's not funny, it really isn't. But I've been wondering that same thing every day that I've known you, as best I can remember. Just the other way around, is what I mean. I don't have a reason to hate you. You say you did stuff to me, but I was just a big ball of stupid who didn't know a good thing when it hit her in the face. Why don't you hate me?

Buffy was trying to look angry, but she was failing, Faith could tell. Soon, her own laughter became infectious, and the two slayers were soon laughing together. Before long they had both collapsed onto the floor, sprawling out until they both propped themselves up into a sitting position.

Finally, Buffy spoke. "I used to hate you, Faith, but it was because I didn't understand you. And I don't want to pretend that I do now, because I don't. But I think that even if I wasn't awful to you way back when, I wasn't as decent as I could have been. And that's why I'm here right now. I don't want you to feel so isolated and alone that you feel you have nowhere to turn if things get rough."

Faith shook her head, smiling despite feeling like crap. "I did have somewhere to turn, B. You stuck yourself out on a limb for me when no one else even cared that I existed. And I was too stupid to even realize it."

Buffy sighed. "Well, I think we've both grown up at least a little since then, so hear me out. I've got an open guest bedroom in my house, and it could go from being a guest bedroom to being, well, your bedroom. It would make things easier on Giles, and you'd have a roof over your head, and a fridge full of non-British food, and you'd have Dawnie and me around. It'd be like things should have been before."

Faith wasn't sure she believed what she was hearing. "You can't be serious. What about-"

"Willow isn't happy about it," Buffy said, correctly anticipating Faith's line of thought. "But she's not about to tell me what to do with my own home. Her words. So, if you're willing to give Willow her space and not pick any fights, then she'll try to do the same. And I meant to come to you about this much sooner, but there was a demon, and it just happened so fast, and then I needed to take a bit of a rest-"

"Buffy!" Faith said, reaching out a hand before thinking better of making physical contact. "Chill. You're already going through… I have no idea what this must be like. I don't want to make things even harder on you, for crying out loud."

"No, Faith, you don't get it," Buffy said, her voice sounding weary. "This offer… It's not just for you." The blonde slayer's head was now hanging, and her face was suddenly very sad. "I need you to move in, please. I need someone in that house who I don't have to pretend with. Someone who I can just be myself with while offering my friends a night out without having to worry about me, so that I don't have to worry about them. So that I can just stop pretending that things are all right, that they'll ever be all right."

Faith couldn't see the tears, but she could hear them building up. "Please, Faith. I need you."

There it was. How Faith had longed to hear those words from Buffy's lips to her own ears. In her deepest, most secret fantasies, Buffy would need Faith, and Faith would be there for her, and everything would be all right because it meant that the one person Faith cared about most felt the same way.

But this was different. Buffy wasn't looking at Faith the way that she longed to see. Buffy didn't love Faith, and she never would. She was simply lost and alone, and Faith was the only bit of flotsam to cling to in the storm that Buffy's life had become. Faith knew the feeling well, and she knew that even if her secret desires would never come true, it didn't matter at all. Buffy needed her, so Faith would be there for her.

"Yeah. Of course, B. We can head back whenever you're ready. Just take your time to… Pull yourself together, I guess? And that's fine. You're in a crap place, so do what you gotta do. I'm the last person to judge, so you just be you on your own schedule."

Buffy sniffled as she dried her tears on her shirt. "I still don't know why you don't hate me," she said. "But I'm really glad that you don't."

How to answer that? How to say 'I never hated you, Buffy. Ever since I first heard a story about you from my Watcher, I was kind of in love with you.' How do I say that?

Faith decided to smile and joke. Buffy needed to smile. "Well, don't thank me yet. You know as well as I do how much we eat after a good slay. Gonna need to double the food budget."

Faith had hoped that Buffy would laugh, but instead she looked close to tearing up again. She didn't start to cry, but Faith realized too late that she'd touched a sore spot. "Well, Faith," Buffy said carefully. "About that… Money's been tight. Like, super-tight. And we need to replace all the plumbing in the entire house, and Xander wouldn't even let me look at an estimate as to what that might cost. Not to mention electricity, the mortgage, possible medical bills, a college fund for Dawn-"

"Okay, B. I get it," Faith said. "Damn. I'll still stay with you if you need me to, B, but I don't want to make things worse."

Buffy smiled despite herself. "I don't suppose you have a fairy godmother by any chance? Or a secret rich uncle who maybe left you his very large fortune?"

Faith didn't laugh at Buffy's joke, because suddenly, things didn't seem so dire. An idea was forming in Faith's mind. It was just a possibility, and it wasn't a sure thing, but maybe…

"Buffy," Faith said as she stood up from the floor, "let's make a quick stop before we head back to your place, okay? I might be able to help. To be clear, this is very much a maybe situation. I don't know if there's anything waiting for me, but if there is, then it'll all be yours. We're gonna stop by the bank, okay?"

Buffy chuckled humorlessly. "You gonna rob it or something?"

"Even here in Sunny-D, bank robbery's not the best way to make a payday. No, I just have a hunch, is all."

Buffy got to her feet and looked Faith in the eye with a not-quite-smile. "All right, then. Let's get going."

As Faith opened the door and stepped into Sunnydale Municipal Bank, she felt more than a little self-conscious. She had never been in a bank before, nor had she even had a reason to be. For her entire life, Faith had been accustomed to what she remembered being called 'liquid assets' on some TV show about murder mysteries. Cash was simple and generally preferable for the kind of rough-and-tumble lifestyle that Faith had lived through, growing up on the streets of Boston.

Buffy was right behind her, and Faith looked back to see that she also looked uncomfortable, but it probably had nothing to do with the setting. Buffy was probably just still shell-shocked from being formerly dead. Still, Buffy probably knew banks better than Faith herself did, so maybe engaging her would help a bit.

"So, B," Faith said, "I'm guessing we don't go to the counter if we have a question that's bigger than cashing a check right?" Faith only knew what a check looked like from TV, and the whole notion of 'cashing a check' wasn't something she was familiar with, save again from hearing about it on television.

Buffy nodded and led Faith over to an area with a few short black cordons that would hold a line of people when the bank was busy. Thankfully, not a lot of people were there today, so a middle-aged man with glasses, wearing a suit waved the two of them over to a cubicle-like office.

"Please, take a seat," he said with a smile on his face. After Faith and Buffy both did so, he adjusted his chair to look at them both. "Now, how can I help you today?"

Faith turned to Buffy, a bit more wary now that the moment was upon them. "This might be kinda strange, B, so try not to freak out." Turning back to the banker, Faith paused before speaking. "So, um… The last time I had a job in Sunnydale was about two and a half years ago. I worked as a… How do I put this? I was a part-timer at City Hall, and while I always thought it was mostly a volunteer gig, I was just wondering if there was any actual account made in my name here that I never thought to ask about before?"

Faith looked to Buffy and saw the blonde looking at her with a look that seemed equal parts confusion and disgust. Faith didn't want to bring up the supernatural in the middle of a bank, so she just shrugged in the hopes of placating her sister slayer.

Thankfully, the banker didn't look at her strangely, seemingly intent on providing service with a smile. "Of course. City Hall was always meticulous about record-keeping during Mayor Wilkins' time as Mayor. Things haven't been the same since that horrible accident at the school, I'm sad to say, but records from before then should be easy enough to look up. I'm going to need your full name, place of residence during your time working for City Hall, and photographic identification.

"Faith Lehane, 512 Palm Street, Apartment 3A. And lemme get an ID out of my pocket. Gimme a sec," Faith said as she got up and rummaged through her pants pocket for a California state ID that had been issued to her just before she'd been locked away in prison. Faith had never needed an official ID before then, but the LAPD had experience with cases like hers, so it hadn't been a huge deal for them at the time, or so she thought.

The banker, whose name tag read 'Franklin,' accepted the information and took her ID card before turning to his computer and entering the results. She hadn't stayed in the apartment for very long, but it had been the first place in a long time where she'd felt comfortable and safe, so the address was ridiculously easy to recall.

Faith wasn't sure what to expect, but the Mayor had actually given a damn about Faith. Apart from Angel, he was the only man she had ever met that had displayed zero sexual interest in her. Even Giles might look away at an outfit that showed off her curves enough for him to take notice, as if looking too close would make him a deviant. And the Mayor had been the one who had left Faith the gizmo that had let her switch bodies with Buffy. There couldn't have been a lot of time after she'd gone into that coma before the Mayor was due to ascend, and he'd still taken time to make a video for her in case she did wake up. He might have been evil on some level, but he'd actually cared about Faith, and no matter how much Buffy and her friends might judge her, she'd never be able to hate him.

Franklin the banker was taking longer at his computer than Faith had expected, but then again, she didn't really know what was normal here. And then his eyes widened behind his glasses, and he turned to look at Faith again. "Please excuse me for a moment. There actually is some paperwork filed in back. If you'll just give me a few minutes, I'll go fetch it."

Faith nodded as Franklin exited his little cubicle-office and made off with haste to some back room or another, and that did not sit well with her. Turning to Buffy, she whispered, "He can't call the cops, can he? I'm in the clear, and haven't done anything since I got out. That's what a pardon means, right?"

Buffy just nodded. "I think so," she whispered back. "More importantly, what were you thinking?! You're going back to the Mayor to look for money? How is this in any way a good idea?"

"Chill, B," Faith said carefully. "I know he was technically evil and all that, but… You weren't around the guy for that long. Dude was serious about doing things the 'right way,' whatever that might be for any given thing. If he gave his word, he kept it. Whether it was a deal with a demon or a contract with a union or something like that, he treated it all about the same, which was both seriously and with a smile. It sounds messed up, I know, but that's how he was. If there is any money here – and that is a big 'if' – then it'll be above board, I promise. I know it's not ideal, but he's gone, you're still here, so if there's anything that can help you and Lil D out at all, I say we take it."

Buffy looked for a moment like she might be ready to argue the point, but for whatever reason, she decided not to, slumping back into her seat. Faith thought she understood where Buffy was coming from. For all that she was the ultimate heroine, Buffy tended to think of things in black-and-white, or at least that had been how Faith had seen her initially. Her confusion about why Faith didn't hate her seemed to confirm an inability to see shades of grey. If Buffy thought that she was benefiting from something 'tainted,' then she might not take it. Faith had never had the luxury of looking a gift horse in the mouth, and if Buffy needed money as much as Faith thought she did… Well, that would be a problem to solve later.

For now, Faith was wondering what had shaken the banker so much. Was there actually paperwork he had to get, or did he stumble upon something that implicated Faith in the Mayor's dirty dealings? He might have had a code about how he handled things, but Faith had basically been an assassin in his employ. Sure, she'd been pardoned, but who was to say this guy here knew about that? And what if he didn't care?

Every cell in Faith's body was telling her to book it, to get out of the bank and run as far away as she could. But Buffy was sitting right next to her, and Faith had said she'd be there for her. And the last time Faith had run away from the cops with Buffy, it had ruined things for everyone. Not again. Not this time.

An aside glance revealed Franklin the banker returning with a number of very thick folders full of paperwork, and Faith let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Well, that's not what I was expecting," Faith said with complete sincerity.

"My sincerest apologies, Miss Lehane," Franklin said, and he sounded genuine. "After the Mayor's death, there was an absurd amount of paperwork between various agencies regarding the Wilkins family fortune. A good portion went to charities, and also to public works and services, and also to various friends and employees. Somehow, in all of that chaos, you were overlooked, Miss Lehane, and I can only hope to get you what you have been owed for over two years now."

"Hold on a sec," Faith said as she held up a hand. "You're saying he actually left stuff to me in his will or whatever?" It had been a wild gamble when Faith had thought about it at first. She had never really expected anything of the sort to actually be true.

"Yes, of course," Franklin said. "According to a rather late addendum to his final will and testament, Mayor Wilkins singled out you, Faith Lehane, by name. At the very end of his will, after bequeathing various amounts of money and property… Give me just a minute, please. Ah, here we are. 'The remainder of my assets, I bequeath to Faith Lehane, the daughter I never thought I'd have, but was blessed to discover all the same.'"

Faith had understood on some level that the Mayor cared for her, but she hadn't ever really thought he'd meant it like that. Nobody ever cared for Faith Lehane more than they needed to.

Franklin was flipping through a number of pages. "Apparently, when he died, you were in the hospital. Comatose, my goodness! Mayor Wilkins made sure that your medical bills were covered in their entirety for as long as you were a patient, and a number of stocks and bonds were transferred into your name, along with a substantial sum of money into a savings account here at Sunnydale Municipal. Put quite simply, Miss Lehane, you have enough to live quite comfortably for the rest of your life, and if managed properly, enough to leave a fair amount behind for any children you might have."

Faith looked to Buffy as if she might have an answer for this. Buffy was looking at her, just as confused. "I'm sorry," Faith said as she turned back to Franklin, "but no disrespect, Sunnydale's not exactly the biggest of towns. If this is my money now, can I ask you how in the world I got so much of it?"

Franklin cleared his throat. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to overwhelm you. I'm quite shocked myself. But, it seems that the Wilkins family, over the course of three generations, made a number of investments in various companies that if I didn't know any better, would seem quite prescient. Pharmaceuticals, entertainment, construction, industry, etcetera. If there was a major innovator in pretty much any field of commerce, the Wilkins family invested in the companies that would go on to be most successful. And the family's spending habits were quite frugal for people with so much wealth. To put it colloquially, Miss Lehane, the Mayor left you several jackpots worth of money. You obviously meant a great deal to him."

Faith nodded as understanding bloomed. The guy must have had either some look into the future or else just an uncanny business instinct to work up a fortune to pour into Sunnydale as his masterpiece. He was probably going to spend more after he ascended in ways that Faith couldn't understand, but there were more important things to think of right now.

"So, um… Franklin, right?" Faith said carefully. "If I wanted to give some of that money to my friend, Buffy, right over here… How would I do that? How do I make it so that she never has to worry about bills or college or any of that stuff ever again?"

Before Franklin could respond, Faith found herself pulled to the side as Buffy wrapped her arms around Faith and held her in a fierce hug. Stopping herself from recoiling at physical contact like usual, Faith just leaned in and patted Buffy on the head. "I've got you, B. I've got you."

"Why?" Buffy said at last. "Why are you doing this for me? Why don't you hate me, Faith?"

All of a sudden, Faith realized why Buffy was having such a hard time accepting that Faith didn't hate her. She hates herself, Faith realized. She hates being here, she hates what her friends did to her, and she hates that she's relying on the screw-up slayer for anything. She hates that she's alive. If Faith was right, then Buffy was in frighteningly familiar territory.

"Let's worry about that later, okay? For now, just let me be here for you, okay? It's the least I can do after you offered me a place to stay."

Franklin cleared his throat. "As a matter of fact, 512 Palm Street, Apartment 3A is still listed as being leased by you, with rent and other associated bills being paid by-"

"Well, you can stop with the payments now, okay?" Faith said more harshly than she might have needed to say it. "I don't need that apartment anymore. I have someone else who needs me now, so you're gonna help me get her set up, okay?"

If Franklin was offended, he didn't show it. Faith admired that the guy seemed truly genuine as a banker trying to help people. "Very well, then. Let's get started. If you can give me the needed information, Miss…?"

"Summers," the blonde slayer said at last. "Buffy Summers. And thank you, Faith. I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you for this."

"If he's right about how much the Mayor left me, you never will, but I wouldn't take it from you even if you tried. I owe you, B. Let me do this for you."

Buffy sighed, and then allowed herself a small smile. "Okay, then. Let's do this."