The group spent the next week appealing to the Watcher's Council.  Finally they decided it was for the best, and negotiated Faith's release.  Angel and Buffy were going to pick her up at midnight on Saturday.  The scoobies still didn't know about Buffy, in fact all Faith knew was that she was getting parole for good behavior.

That night, at ten to midnight, Buffy and Angel pulled up into the prison parking lot, in front of the gate Faith would be exiting.  They stood against the side of the car, waiting.

"Are you sure about this?"  Angel glanced over at Buffy.  He had thought she would try and look intimidating to Faith.  Dressed in loose blue jeans, a red turtle neck and jean jacket, she looked small.

"Yeah."  Buffy had let Cordy cut her hair.  It was now just past her shoulders.  Buffy still kept it in two braids with a handkerchief, but she played with one braid nervously.  "They need this, she needs this."

They stayed silent for the next eight minutes, until they heard the gates open.  They both looked to the pathway, suddenly a tall, brunette, rippled figure appeared, complete in black leather.  Faith.  She was smiling, but stopped five feet away as she noticed Buffy and Angel.  There was the unmistakable look of disbelief in her dark eyes.

"B?  They said you died.  Now I may have just spent a year in jail, but I am not insane."  Faith walked a little closer and Buffy smirked.  Angel waited, knowing the two needed time.

"I could argue with that."  Suddenly Faith broke out in a smile.

"Only you couldn't be satisfied with dying once."

"Faith, you need to know..."

"Hey, all is five by five with us, right?"

"Right."  The two smiled at each other, forgiving, accepting, making amends, and making new friendships all with a look.  Faith then turned to Angel.

"Hey big guy."

"Hey Faith."  The two hugged.  "Why don't we all go and get some food, we have a lot to discuss."

"Please.  Living off jail food for a year, I eat bugs."

"How about some greasy diner food."

"If that's all you can get, let's hit the road."  Faith smiled at Angel and then got in the back with Buffy, the only person who had wanted to kill her and yet at same time, the only person she completely understood her.

****

"Hey B?"  Faith and Buffy were standing outside 1630 Revello Drive, on the front porch.

In LA, Angel and Buffy had filled Faith in on everything that had happened from the time she went to jail to the present.  Surprising, Faith took it all in stride.  They then returned to the hotel and got the slayer and ex-slayer ready for Sunnydale.

The main reason the council had agreed to get Faith out of jail was that they were happy there was only one slayer left.  To show their appreciation, they had given both Faith and Buffy bank accounts of $500 000.  The girls had then gone out and bought new wardrobes, and necessities.  Angel bought weapons for Faith as a gift.  For Buffy, he gave her a laptop, she had developed a new hobby of hacking.  Fred was very proud of her student.

Two days later the girls arrived in Sunnydale, and Faith was still surprised at the fact that Buffy was planning on leaving her friends behind, after what had happened, after what she was going to tell them.

"Yeah?"  Buffy was dressed in white, thin, cotton pants with a tight white tank top over top with a jean jacket.  Her hair was down and she wore bronzed sunglasses.  Faith had chosen her usual jeans, red shirt and leather jacket.

"Are you..."

"If one more person asks me that, I will pick up a gun and send them out of this world."  Buffy smiled and Faith couldn't help but laugh.

"Fair enough."  Faith knocked on the door and Buffy took off her sunglasses.  They waited.  They saw a red head move towards the door, and both of them smiled as Willow opened the door, her mouth almost dropping to the floor as she saw who stood in front of her.

"Faith!  Buffy?"

****

For about twenty minutes Willow stood stunned looking at the woman she thought was in jail for life and the woman who had died four months ago saving her friends' lives.

"Willow?"  She snapped out of her trance and looked at Faith who smiled.  "Can we come in?"

"What?  Yeah, sure."  She moved aside and the two stepped in.  Faith moved into the living room, while Buffy followed but she moved differently.  Buffy ran her fingers along the couch, mantel, desk, making sure it was all real.  Willow still couldn't believe her best friend was standing in front of her.

"I know you probably have a lot of questions."  Willow tore her gaze away from Buffy and looked to Faith.  "But it would be better if everyone was here when we explained."

"Xander, Anya, Tara and Giles took Dawn to the Carasoul, to cheer her up.  It's been hardest for her, no it hasn't, it's been just as hard for all of us."  Buffy now looked at Willow, but her face was expressionless.  "They should be back any minute now." 

The three stood for a moment not moving, then they heard a voice.  "Hey red, who was it at the door.  Is niblet back?"  Spike came around the corner from the kitchen, but stopped dead as he saw Buffy and Faith standing with Willow.  His eyes flicked from the blonde to the red head and back to the blonde, unbelieving.

Suddenly he gave a short laugh.  "Red, this isn't funny.  Make the magic go away.  You know Buffy's...Buffy's...dead."  His face fell as Buffy turned to look at him fully.  He looked into her eyes seeing every proof he needed.  "Buffy?"

Just then the front door burst open and the four turned to see the others enter.

"Hey Willow, Xander got sick on the..."  Dawn was smiling but stopped as she saw Buffy. 

"Don't believe a word she says..." Xander came up behind her and did the same.  Anya, Tara and Giles soon followed.  Soon every eye in the room was on Buffy who smiled and said; "Hi."