Disclaimers: See the first section of this fic.
PG-13 For language and sexual innuendo
Saving Faith
Since her arrival earlier in the day Faith had been brought up to speed by Buffy on the First. Now the slayers were putting the potentials through their paces. Each slayer had sparred with a
potential, studying the girls' styles, strengths, and weaknesses. It also gave the potentials a chance to see how different two slayers can be from one another.
Where Buffy had technique and precision when fighting, Faith had a rabid energy and sheer speed. The younger slayer could have you on the ground begging for your life before you had realized she had moved. Buffy was amazed by Faith's speed as well, sure she herself
was fast, but not that fast.
As they were getting down to the last of the potentials to spar with Buffy could smell trouble brewing. Kennedy had walked up facing Faith. The glare in her eyes for the younger slayer would frighten even the toughest competitor, but not Faith. Faith knew she could take spoiled rich kid down and do some damage. Of course, that wasn't her style anymore and Willow might not like it.
Kennedy mumbled, "I may not be able to beat you, but at least I can do some damage before I go down."
Faith just looked at the girl trying not to smirk at the potential's obvious pain. If it was one thing Faith could understand it was wanting to be loved. That's all Kennedy really wanted it just
couldn't be Willow. For once Faith decided to be the bigger person.
"Look, kid, this ain't about whose balls are bigger or if you can hurt me before I hurt you. It's called training and if you want to play out some revenge scenario for something you think I have done, well, I'm just not going to follow along. We have more important things to tackle than your hurt feelings." Okay, that came out a little more tactless than Faith had wanted. She could see Kennedy just bristling wanting to strike at her.
"Sorry, I guess I don't know how to put things sometimes," Faith said shrugging and trying to look as meek as possible. "I just meant your anger isn't really with me. You and Willow need to sit down and talk, hash this out."
"We will as soon as your skanky ass is out of the way!" Kennedy spit this sentence at Faith will all the anger she could muster. She wanted to make sure Faith knew the lines were drawn and she planned on winning.
"That is not going to happen. We used to be enemies; in fact, we pretty much couldn't stand each other. Will and I are friends now, good friends, nothing more. She has been through so much pain in the past year and you aren't making this any easier. So maybe you should just lay off. If you do, you might find that you and I could be friends."
"Ha! That's pretty funny! Why would I want to be friends with some chick who wants to fuck my girlfriend first chance you get?" Kennedy finally broke her glare looking down at the ground. In a much softer voice she said, "I've seen the way you look at her. Your eyes go all soft. It's the same way I look at her. So don't lie about it anymore, okay."
This wasn't the way she had wanted to come out so to speak. But everyone would find out one-way or another anyway. Knowing she had been defeated Faith admitted what she had only recently realized. "So what if I have a small crush on Red. Can you blame me? She is
wicked cool."
That felt pretty good, she thought. And no one was throwing anything at her, good sign. She looked over to her fellow slayer to gauge her reaction. Buffy had let her bottom lip drop completely. "B, are you okay? Did I break you?"
"What, oh no, it's just, wow, you and Willow, huh? Did any of that make sense?" Buffy asked Faith once the younger girl had nodded that it had made sense she went on, "Does she know?
"No, I didn't really know until we got to Sunnydale." Faith hoped her voice was steady and didn't betray her nervousness. "Besides, I don't think Red would even feel that way about me. I mean how could she? Her last girlfriend was my polar opposite. Red deserves better
than me." Buffy couldn't believe how utterly unaware Faith was of her value. "Faith, you big dummy! Look at what you've accomplished in just a few years. Your whole existence is different. You aren't the girl I knew in high school. You're just you, and I like you in a platonic way, of course, so I wouldn't be too sure that Willow wouldn't feel the same as you."
"Yeah, slayer, maybe you should ask Willow how she feels. You might be surprised." Faith turned on her heel to face the Summers' home at the sound of that voice. It was Willow coming outside from the back door. She felt all the bones in her body become rubber as she realized that the witch had heard everything.
By this time, Kennedy had given up all pretense of fighting for Willow. She lost. *Well Rona's kind of cute*, she thought, *maybe I should ask her out.* Eyeing the other potential Kennedy thought
about how to get Rona away for a little date.
Willow had walked straight up to Faith and they stood facing one another. Willow had a bit of a grin on her face. She knew Faith had become mush, and she thought it was adorable. The witch didn't know what she felt was love, not yet anyway, but it was definitely like, deep, deep like. "So Faith, is there something we should talk about?" As the brunette nodded yes, Willow took her by the hand leading her inside the house. "I don't think we need an audience for this part. Hey Buffy, can you take over for Faith for a bit?"
"Sure thing Will."
The slayer seemed to have gone mute as the witch led her into up the stairs to her bedroom. She wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not. She opened her bedroom door and led Faith to sit on the bed. The slayer looked up at Willow. The look in her eyes gave Willow great pause. Faith had never seemed so vulnerable. They had shared so much over the past few days. But at this moment, Willow felt closer to Faith than she had ever before. She reached out to caress the slayer's cheek. "It's okay, Faith. I am not going to hurt you. I am your friend, remember." All Faith could do was nod and keep looking into Willow's eyes. "Do you trust me?" This question garnered a verbal response. "Yes, always." It made Willow smile. Tara had always answered her the same way.
She thought she should feel sad remembering her love. She didn't. Willow had finally turned the corner of grief. Tara would always be her love, but she knew Tara was at peace. And that she had to move on, live again. Even if the First were to succeed and her life was
only a matter of weeks or months. Faith's response had solidified
Willow's decision to court the slayer. She giggled internally at that thought. But she just didn't know any other way. The courtship might be sped up a bit for obvious reasons, but she was going to court Faith, apocalypse be damned! She gazed at Faith with what she
hoped was openness and respect that she deserved.
"So tell me, Faith, how do you feel about me?"
"I really like you, Red."
"I really like you too, Faith. But, I don't really know if we are on the same page. So I want to ask you something. Is that okay?"
At that moment Willow knew exactly what Faith looked like as a child because she had just become a scared, little girl in front of her eyes. Faith looked down at her hands and said, "You can ask me anything, Willow."
"Would you go out on a date with me Faith? Because I really like you and I want us to get closer. Well not closer, closer just yet, but definitely that is in the cards. And I have totally lost my cool so
I am going to shut up now. So you will you?"
"Go out with you, Red? Of course, I don't know how anyone could ever say no to you. I would love to go out with you?"
"Thank the Goddess. I don't know what I would have done if you said no." The witch grinned at the girl. "So tonight, would you like to go out with me tonight?"
"Sure. But I have a question for you, too." Faith had regained her composure and was back to her old self.
"Shoot, I am all ears."
"So since you asked me that makes you the butch right? And if you are the butch does that make me the femme? `Cause I like girly stuff as much as the next girl, just not on me. So even though you did the asking stuff, can I still be the butch?"Willow had to sit on the bed she was laughing so hard. She had never really heard Faith be so vocally nervous. She was liking her more and more. "You can still be the butch, Faith. But you will find as this relationship goes along we don't have to play roles. We get to just be us. Unless of course, you like the role-playing. That could definitely be fun, huh?"
The slayer's cheeks blazed pink as she processed what Willow had just said. The girl had one upped her. And if the little witch wanted to play that game, well so could she.
"Role playing is a lot of fun Red. I could show you a lot. But just remember, I am always the Dom, and I like my boots licked shiny clean." She knew that would stop Willow cold. It had. So Faith
kissed the stunned girl lightly on the cheek and left to Find Buffy. She needed to know what to wear; she hadn't really ever been on a date before.
TBC
PG-13 For language and sexual innuendo
Saving Faith
Since her arrival earlier in the day Faith had been brought up to speed by Buffy on the First. Now the slayers were putting the potentials through their paces. Each slayer had sparred with a
potential, studying the girls' styles, strengths, and weaknesses. It also gave the potentials a chance to see how different two slayers can be from one another.
Where Buffy had technique and precision when fighting, Faith had a rabid energy and sheer speed. The younger slayer could have you on the ground begging for your life before you had realized she had moved. Buffy was amazed by Faith's speed as well, sure she herself
was fast, but not that fast.
As they were getting down to the last of the potentials to spar with Buffy could smell trouble brewing. Kennedy had walked up facing Faith. The glare in her eyes for the younger slayer would frighten even the toughest competitor, but not Faith. Faith knew she could take spoiled rich kid down and do some damage. Of course, that wasn't her style anymore and Willow might not like it.
Kennedy mumbled, "I may not be able to beat you, but at least I can do some damage before I go down."
Faith just looked at the girl trying not to smirk at the potential's obvious pain. If it was one thing Faith could understand it was wanting to be loved. That's all Kennedy really wanted it just
couldn't be Willow. For once Faith decided to be the bigger person.
"Look, kid, this ain't about whose balls are bigger or if you can hurt me before I hurt you. It's called training and if you want to play out some revenge scenario for something you think I have done, well, I'm just not going to follow along. We have more important things to tackle than your hurt feelings." Okay, that came out a little more tactless than Faith had wanted. She could see Kennedy just bristling wanting to strike at her.
"Sorry, I guess I don't know how to put things sometimes," Faith said shrugging and trying to look as meek as possible. "I just meant your anger isn't really with me. You and Willow need to sit down and talk, hash this out."
"We will as soon as your skanky ass is out of the way!" Kennedy spit this sentence at Faith will all the anger she could muster. She wanted to make sure Faith knew the lines were drawn and she planned on winning.
"That is not going to happen. We used to be enemies; in fact, we pretty much couldn't stand each other. Will and I are friends now, good friends, nothing more. She has been through so much pain in the past year and you aren't making this any easier. So maybe you should just lay off. If you do, you might find that you and I could be friends."
"Ha! That's pretty funny! Why would I want to be friends with some chick who wants to fuck my girlfriend first chance you get?" Kennedy finally broke her glare looking down at the ground. In a much softer voice she said, "I've seen the way you look at her. Your eyes go all soft. It's the same way I look at her. So don't lie about it anymore, okay."
This wasn't the way she had wanted to come out so to speak. But everyone would find out one-way or another anyway. Knowing she had been defeated Faith admitted what she had only recently realized. "So what if I have a small crush on Red. Can you blame me? She is
wicked cool."
That felt pretty good, she thought. And no one was throwing anything at her, good sign. She looked over to her fellow slayer to gauge her reaction. Buffy had let her bottom lip drop completely. "B, are you okay? Did I break you?"
"What, oh no, it's just, wow, you and Willow, huh? Did any of that make sense?" Buffy asked Faith once the younger girl had nodded that it had made sense she went on, "Does she know?
"No, I didn't really know until we got to Sunnydale." Faith hoped her voice was steady and didn't betray her nervousness. "Besides, I don't think Red would even feel that way about me. I mean how could she? Her last girlfriend was my polar opposite. Red deserves better
than me." Buffy couldn't believe how utterly unaware Faith was of her value. "Faith, you big dummy! Look at what you've accomplished in just a few years. Your whole existence is different. You aren't the girl I knew in high school. You're just you, and I like you in a platonic way, of course, so I wouldn't be too sure that Willow wouldn't feel the same as you."
"Yeah, slayer, maybe you should ask Willow how she feels. You might be surprised." Faith turned on her heel to face the Summers' home at the sound of that voice. It was Willow coming outside from the back door. She felt all the bones in her body become rubber as she realized that the witch had heard everything.
By this time, Kennedy had given up all pretense of fighting for Willow. She lost. *Well Rona's kind of cute*, she thought, *maybe I should ask her out.* Eyeing the other potential Kennedy thought
about how to get Rona away for a little date.
Willow had walked straight up to Faith and they stood facing one another. Willow had a bit of a grin on her face. She knew Faith had become mush, and she thought it was adorable. The witch didn't know what she felt was love, not yet anyway, but it was definitely like, deep, deep like. "So Faith, is there something we should talk about?" As the brunette nodded yes, Willow took her by the hand leading her inside the house. "I don't think we need an audience for this part. Hey Buffy, can you take over for Faith for a bit?"
"Sure thing Will."
The slayer seemed to have gone mute as the witch led her into up the stairs to her bedroom. She wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not. She opened her bedroom door and led Faith to sit on the bed. The slayer looked up at Willow. The look in her eyes gave Willow great pause. Faith had never seemed so vulnerable. They had shared so much over the past few days. But at this moment, Willow felt closer to Faith than she had ever before. She reached out to caress the slayer's cheek. "It's okay, Faith. I am not going to hurt you. I am your friend, remember." All Faith could do was nod and keep looking into Willow's eyes. "Do you trust me?" This question garnered a verbal response. "Yes, always." It made Willow smile. Tara had always answered her the same way.
She thought she should feel sad remembering her love. She didn't. Willow had finally turned the corner of grief. Tara would always be her love, but she knew Tara was at peace. And that she had to move on, live again. Even if the First were to succeed and her life was
only a matter of weeks or months. Faith's response had solidified
Willow's decision to court the slayer. She giggled internally at that thought. But she just didn't know any other way. The courtship might be sped up a bit for obvious reasons, but she was going to court Faith, apocalypse be damned! She gazed at Faith with what she
hoped was openness and respect that she deserved.
"So tell me, Faith, how do you feel about me?"
"I really like you, Red."
"I really like you too, Faith. But, I don't really know if we are on the same page. So I want to ask you something. Is that okay?"
At that moment Willow knew exactly what Faith looked like as a child because she had just become a scared, little girl in front of her eyes. Faith looked down at her hands and said, "You can ask me anything, Willow."
"Would you go out on a date with me Faith? Because I really like you and I want us to get closer. Well not closer, closer just yet, but definitely that is in the cards. And I have totally lost my cool so
I am going to shut up now. So you will you?"
"Go out with you, Red? Of course, I don't know how anyone could ever say no to you. I would love to go out with you?"
"Thank the Goddess. I don't know what I would have done if you said no." The witch grinned at the girl. "So tonight, would you like to go out with me tonight?"
"Sure. But I have a question for you, too." Faith had regained her composure and was back to her old self.
"Shoot, I am all ears."
"So since you asked me that makes you the butch right? And if you are the butch does that make me the femme? `Cause I like girly stuff as much as the next girl, just not on me. So even though you did the asking stuff, can I still be the butch?"Willow had to sit on the bed she was laughing so hard. She had never really heard Faith be so vocally nervous. She was liking her more and more. "You can still be the butch, Faith. But you will find as this relationship goes along we don't have to play roles. We get to just be us. Unless of course, you like the role-playing. That could definitely be fun, huh?"
The slayer's cheeks blazed pink as she processed what Willow had just said. The girl had one upped her. And if the little witch wanted to play that game, well so could she.
"Role playing is a lot of fun Red. I could show you a lot. But just remember, I am always the Dom, and I like my boots licked shiny clean." She knew that would stop Willow cold. It had. So Faith
kissed the stunned girl lightly on the cheek and left to Find Buffy. She needed to know what to wear; she hadn't really ever been on a date before.
TBC