Author notes: I know this chapter doesn't do much… and I swear that Giles and Wesley will finally come in the next chapter… but I thought I should address a few things people might have been wondering about, as well as lighten the mood of the story a little with some little sarcasms and stuff. Hope no one minds the small detour.

Chapter 20

In the bathroom, Buffy set Faith down on the closed toilet lid again before wetting a washcloth, wiping off her own face before kneeling in front of Faith once again to clean hers. Faith was quiet for a short while, her eyes narrowed slightly, a faintly intense expression on her face as she searched Buffy's features. Though Buffy addressed her briefly as she wiped her face, Faith barely nodded in reply; she didn't look upset so much as pensive, still slightly surprised.

It wasn't until Buffy had finished cleaning her face and had turned her back to her, wringing the washcloth off in the sink, that Faith spoke, her voice striving for casual but still slightly disbelieving.

"So… you guys really broke me out of the hospital?"

Buffy turned back to her in surprise, answering straightforwardly enough, "Yeah, yeah, we did, Faith. Giles and Xander and Willow and me. We had to- you're still a minor, and technically the Council is legally in charge of decisions concerning you. Hey, when is your birthday anyway- because once you're eighteen you're legally free of them, they can't hold any sort of claim on you anymore. Not that they really do anyway right now since you're all dead, supposedly… hey, how did you know that we broke you out of the hospital anyway?" Buffy asked, deliberately stopping herself before she delved too deeply into Buffy-babble. "I didn't tell you, did I? Or did you just guess?"

Faith's thoughtful expression had not faded at Buffy's answer, though her features shifted slightly, reflecting a change Buffy couldn't easily interpret. It was a few seconds before she answered- only Buffy's last question. It was probably the only one she remembered.

"No, your- your mom told me. We, we talked some. While you were taking your long-ass non-cold shower," she added almost as an afterthought, and a little smirk twisted up the corners of her lips.

Buffy smiled, glad to see her smiling after all the heaviness that had just passed between them, but she was still watching her carefully, trying not to seem too interested in her words. Even 

though she definitely, definitely was. After all, whatever she and Joyce had 'talked some' about was what had led up to Faith's tears Buffy had walked in on… and probably, whether directly or not, also responsible for Faith's finally confronting her about her love for her.

"Oh, so you and Mom talked, huh?" Buffy said lightly, wondering if her 'casual face' looked as fake as it felt. "Should I be worried here?"

"Mmm," Faith muttered in reply, which really wasn't any kind of answer at all- as she'd clearly intended. Her eyes clouded slightly, almost defensively, and quite subtly but strongly, something about her aura shifted, making her nearly immediately seem more closed off. Obviously this was not something she wanted to talk about- and given what had just happened between them, Buffy couldn't say she blamed her. She didn't think she was so ready for another heavy, emotional scene herself- especially with Giles and Wesley coming soon. And she'd already hung the washcloth up to dry too.

"Okay," Buffy backed off, still trying to sound casual. "If it was, you know, personal or something, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"I do actually know that, B, thanks," Faith responded, and this time the sarcasm was heavier, the smirk slightly more pronounced. Buffy's brow furrowed as she looked at her; was Faith laying that kind of attitude on again to cover up whatever she was actually thinking or feeling, to avoid discussing it again? And if so, was that a good sign or a bad one?

Whatever. Buffy was so not getting into that right now.

"Well, okay, well, I guess we should go downstairs…" Buffy said a little awkwardly, and she took a couple of steps toward Faith, moving to help her to her feet. But just as she went to lift her under her arms, Faith spoke up suddenly, her voice quiet, slow.

"She… she told me that you, that you were really worried about me, B."

Buffy met her eyes, studying them, but Faith had an odd look on her face… partly guarded, partly open, as though she needed to hear something, but wasn't sure what, and was afraid to ask for it. Buffy wasn't sure what it was Faith wanted… did she want to talk, or not?



"Well, of course I was, Faith," she replied carefully. "All of us were. We couldn't have just let them let you die… I couldn't have. I… well, I missed you, you know," she said, and her voice was a little quieter, her eyes shifting aside slightly. "I wanted you back."

Faith's forehead was furrowed slightly as she regarded Buffy; she seemed troubled somehow, and yet still slightly soft, indecisive.

"She… your mom, she said that too," she said in a low voice, her eyes drifting aside. "That… that both of you did. She…" her voice was even softer now, hardly more than a whisper, though it was still in control, and she did not seem near tears.

"She said you loved me."

So that was it… that was the conversation sparking the resulting tears Buffy had walked in on, the discussion that had prompted Faith to finally confront her. Now that she had heard it, and already had a long talk with Faith about it, Buffy was hardly surprised. Her mother moved fast, all right… two days with Faith, less than an hour alone with her, and she's already out-manuevered Buffy, zoned way past her designated area. Whatever that might be- Buffy sure didn't know.

Not that she was complaining. Without her mother's interference it might have taken years for them to even start thrashing things out between them a little. That was the way it usually went with Slayers, wasn't it? Not that things were fully thrashed out, of course. They weren't. At all. But at least they had started, and that was a start-

Okay, Buffy, back on topic here… people speak, you usually have to answer then, don't you?

"Well… she was right, Faith," Buffy replied, still trying to keep her voice appropriately sincere, and yet not sound too serious or heavy at the same time. "She's a smart woman… and a really, really bad liar. So now that we've both said it, you've got to believe it, right?"

She tried to look at Faith closely without seeming as if she were- not an easy feat. Especially in a small bathroom without much else to pretend to look at.

Faith exhaled slowly, not replying for a while. She didn't seem upset, exactly, or emotional, but nor did she seem unduly self-protective. She just seemed to be thinking, weary…

"B?" she asked quietly at last.

"Yes?" Buffy replied in as soft a tone as Faith had, and she was almost holding her breath, waiting for whatever it was she was about to say.

"B…" Faith repeated, and her tone was almost overly intense, her expression grave… even as a mischievous sparkle lit itself in her eye. "Since when are you into chicks?"

At that, Buffy was caught off guard. Out of all the possible questions she'd been expecting, that had not been one of them. She did a double take, blinking rapidly at Faith, startled, as she tried to determine whether she was serious- and if so, what she was thinking- or whether Faith was just messing with her.

A little of both, it seemed- Faith's eyes were glowing in gleeful amusement, and she was grinning a little now. But despite her obvious pleasure with herself, and her careless next words, Buffy somehow knew that she was serious as well.

"'Cause if you try to tell me you've been a secret lesbo all along, I'm gonna be worried my gaydar's broke or somethin'. Then again, you only date guys with girly names… maybe that should've told me somethin' was up-"

"What?! 'Gaydar, is that even a word? And one guy with a girly name, and that's not even his real name, it's Liam-" Buffy started out a bit defensively, not even sure what or who she was defending exactly. Faith just managed to bring out that kind of reaction with her, the way she was sometimes… and she was just now realizing how much she had missed that.

"What about Scott Hope?" Faith interrupted, her sly little smile widening. "Come on, Hope, B? Hardly a manly-man name. On the same level as mine, actually. Though I guess that's sorta appropriate with that guy anyway."

"Oh, him- that little prick," Buffy muttered, rolling her eyes. "Whatever happened with him anyway? He started doing the whole scared-face every time he saw me after we broke up."



Faith's smile grew even wider; her dimples had made an appearance, and she was almost beaming now. Looking at her, Buffy was instantly suspicious, even as she wanted to grin back at that sight of her smile.

"Faith… what did you tell him?" she asked sternly.

"I shamed him offa ya, B, was all- doin' what friends are for and all," Faith said innocently, widening her eyes. "I just sorta made it seem like maybe he had an STD to his girl at Homecoming, is all. Probably not even too far off the mark, is my guess."

Buffy stared at her incredulously a moment; as her mental envisioning of the scene ran through her mind, she burst out laughing, shaking her head.

"God, Faith, why didn't you tell me then?"

"Oh, you know, sorta bad for a badass rep to spread around good deeds, ya know," Faith said playfully, but Buffy could tell as she smiled at her that Faith was sort of shyly pleased with Buffy's approval.

There was a few moments of silence after Buffy's laughter died down; they weren't exactly uneasy with each other, just uncertain. To Buffy, it almost had the feel of two people on a first date. They were dancing around, clearly liking each other and wanting to win the other over as well, but a little awkward and nervous, not sure how to go about it.

"I… I was sorta serious too," Faith muttered suddenly, glancing over at Buffy quickly. "I mean… are you gay… or just, I don't know, is this…"

"I don't know," Buffy took over for her, seeing how nervous Faith seemed now of her own question, and yet not sure herself how to ease her own awkwardness. "I, I never thought I was… but maybe, maybe no one's ever really straight, you know?"

At that, Faith's eyebrows shot up. "What? You think that, B? Even Giles? Even your mom?"

Buffy recoiled, her mouth dropping and her eyes widening with horror at that thought. "Ewww! No, of course not! Don't even go there! As far as I'm concerned, Faith, they don't' have sex. 

Ever. Because that's too gross and they're old, and god, especially with each other. Except that they did… oh god, why did you put me on that think-path?" Buffy moaned, glaring at her.

"Hey, you said it, B, I just challenged," Faith smirked back.

"Well god, please, any thoughts of Mom, Giles, and their sex life- whether or not with each other- just keep them from becoming my thoughts," Buffy pleaded. "That is the one thing from you I am never up for hearing, okay?"

Then calming down a little, she looked at Faith more seriously, her voice softening, growing more tentative.

"Faith… are you gay? Because, you know, it always seemed…"

Her voice trailed off. Faith was frowning slightly, and when she finally responded, her voice was quiet, slow.

"I don't know, B… I don't think I'm anything really. I mean, I don't think it matters to me either way, you know? I can use either to get off with, but I don't really go with either, or connect… I don't know," she said, and her voice was smaller. She looked away carefully, not meeting her eyes.

"This… this feels different… doesn't it?"she said, and she was asking Buffy as well, as if her own thoughts could not be trusted.

"Yeah," Buffy told her softly, and she sat on the tub edge close by her, facing her. "Yeah, it does…"

"Do you think… maybe it's just a slayer thing," Faith said uncertainly, and there was a strangeness about her expression, as if she simultaneously hoped and feared that her suggestion was correct. "You know, the bond thing, nothing personal…"

"No- no that can't be it, Faith," Buffy contradicted, meeting her gaze. "I met Kendra too, remember, and it wasn't like this at all between us. I… I think it's just you, Faith… just us."

Faith looked back at her almost gravely, her brow still scrunched. She didn't seem afraid, exactly, but more cautious. Not quite guarded, but not quite willing to be open either.

"Maybe…" she said slowly.

Buffy reached a out hand to smooth her hair, letting her hand linger on Faith's face as she searched her eyes. In a way she was trying to measure Faith's emotional temperature, determine what she was feeling. Faith looked back at her with that same pensive, careful expression, btu she seemed to have caught her breath, to be waiting for something…

Deciding to take a chance, Buffy leaned forward, giving Faith a brief, gentle kiss on the lips. When Faith drew in a slow breath, but did not pull away, only closed her eyes, Buffy kissed her again, slightly longer. As Faith kissed her back, she was somewhat clumsy at first, unsure. It dawned on Buffy that Faith had probably never learned to kiss someone with brief, sweet affection. She had probably never been kissed in any way that wasn't sloppy, forceful, rough, or drunken… and so she had never learned how to in any other way herself.

When Buffy pulled away from her, still holding her face in her hand, Faith sighed, long, shuddery, but it didn't' seem a bad sigh. Her eyebrows were still a little knitted together, but Buffy just smiled at her. She knew this would take time, a lot of getting used to for them both.

"Come on… Giles and Wes will be here any second probably," she said softly, after giving her a small kiss on the cheek. "And Mom's going to wonder what happened to us…"

Faith raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of a smile teasing her lips. "You got an answer for her yet, B?"

Buffy made a face at her, tapping her playfully on the shoulder with her knuckle.

"I guess when I do… you'll be the first to know…"