Faith walked down the stairs with Buffy's dress riding up her legs with every step.

"Xander?" Willow said, eyeing her best friend.

"Uh?"

She pointed to his mouth. "Little drool."

Xander wiped off his mouth as Buffy forcibly closed his jaw and glared.

Riley smiled and approached Faith with the flowers.

"For me?" she asked.

Riley nodded as Faith grinned and took the flowers from him.

"I uh. . . don't really. . ."

"I'll make sure they're taken care of," Joyce said, taking the flowers. "I'm sure a certain daughter of mine, who enjoys avoiding stern lectures from her mother about appropriate behavior, would be happy to deliver them to Rupert's."

"This would be the same Rupert that you behaved so appropriately with on top of a police car, yes?" Buffy asked, pointedly.

"That's not the point, Buffy," Joyce said, as the rest of the occupants of the room quickly became uncomfortable. "I was under the influence of some powerful magic at the time. We both were."

"And Xander's my soul mate. I refuse to be embarrassed, or shameful, or lectured about anything that happens between us."

Faith and Willow shifted off of the stairs, as Riley quietly slipped out of the room to let the two women argue around Xander, who was obligated to stay. Willow shot Xander a sympathetic, apologetic look as she, Faith and Riley snuck outside.

"I think I may have done a bad thing," Willow said when the door was shut.

"Nah, don't sweat it, Red," said Faith. "They'll be fine. Joyce is a great lady who just worries about her daughter. Also, Boytoy and B can hold their own."

"Um. . . Boytoy?" Riley asked.

Willow grinned. "Riley, one of the first things you need to learn if you plan to spend time with this group. . . there's a lot of history. Anybody who was here for the Buffy-Angel, Buffy-Xander, Xander-Cordelia, Willow- Xander, Willow-Oz, Xander-Faith merry-go-round o' love would tell you that."

"You're serious," said Riley.

"And leaving out a praying mantis and robotic demon," said Willow.

"And Wesley. You forgot the Wesley-Cordelia part of that," said Faith.

"And the mummy girl," said Willow. "Oh, and Buffy's old friend who wanted to be turned. And Parker, but he's an ass."

"And I tried for Angel once last year, when I was evil," said Faith.

"You were evil?" Riley asked, incredulously.

"Oh, and we can't forget Giles and Jenny, Giles and Joyce, and Joyce and the robot!" said Willow.

"Robot?!?"

"Oh, and Scott Hope!" said Faith.

"And Owen Thurman!" said Willow.

"Oh, and B told me about that Frankenstein guy who wanted Queen C," said Faith.

"Oh yeah! I forgot about that!" said Willow. "OHMIGOD I FORGOT! There was the time every single girl in Sunnydale EXCEPT Cordelia fell madly in love with Xander!"

"The whole town?" Riley asked.

"Yeah," said Willow. "Cuz of a spell. I tried to kill him so he wouldn't be with anybody else. And Buffy got turned into a rat."

"Hey, what were those rumors about Xander and Larry?" Faith asked.

Willow's eyes widened, as she grinned and took a deep breath. The three walked off into the evening sunset, with Willow and Faith regaling Riley with stories of the Scooby gang. They walked very slowly.

* * * * *

Xander wasn't quite sure what happened. One moment they were all staring at Faith and everybody was happy. The next, Buffy and Joyce were in a full blown argument. They were running on eighteen minutes now.

"Because you're too young, that's why!" Joyce yelled.

"Mom! It's not like I've never had sex before!" said Buffy.

"Yes, and that worked out so well, didn't it?"

"Excuse me, has Xander turned evil? Is he going around killing people? No! He's completely different than Angel. For instance, he's alive!"

"It's not a question of who, Buffy. It's a matter of maturity and responsibility. As far as choices go, even you have to admit that your decision making skills have never been quite up to par."

"I know, Mom, but this is different."

"Different how?" asked Joyce. "I understand that the two of you are in love, but you're still kids. Are you really prepared to deal with the consequences of your actions?"

"Mom, what consequences? We're safe. Doubly so. We use protection, and I'm on the pill. There's nothing to worry about."

"Buffy, those methods aren't entirely safe, and you know it. What if something were to happen?"

"Okay, going way overboard here. I'm an eighteen-year-old college student. Xander's a nineteen-year-old construction worker. We're safer than almost all people our age, and most people older than us. In fact the only people who are safer than us are people who don't have sex. I don't get where your wigginess comes from."

"I just don't want anything to happen that you can't deal with!"

"We don't want that either," said Xander, stepping into the argument. "Mrs. Summers, we know we're not ready for children. We're not even twenty years old. We don't have a house, or a car, or anything. We're not married. But we love each other, and are devoted to each other, and that's more than I can say for a lot of people our age who are intimate."

"Mom, nothing's going to happen."

"And if it does?" Joyce asked.

"Then we'll face it together," Xander said. "Like we do everything."

"I just. . . want you two to be careful."

"We are, Mom," Buffy said, looking at Xander and taking his hand. "But we're also in love. . ."

Joyce sighed. "I don't suppose I can bribe you?"

Buffy gave her mother an apologetic smile.

Joyce shook her head. "All right. I don't have to like it, though." She stood up. "I have dinner to fix."

"Mom?" Buffy said.

"Yes?"

"I love you."

Joyce smiled and moved to embrace her daughter. "I love you, too, dear. I just worry."

Xander watched on, smiling, as mother and daughter hugged.

"Oh, you might as well get in on the fun," Joyce said, motioning Xander to join the hug. Xander grinned and wrapped both women in his arms.

"Just so you know, Xander," Joyce said, "it wasn't you that I was objecting to."

"I know," Xander said.

"Good. Now, Buffy, put the flowers in some water. You can take them to Rupert's after dinner."

* * * * *

"So," said Riley. "Uh. . ."

"Yeah?" Faith asked, as she and Riley waited for their food.

"I'm trying to ask you something tactfully, and I can't quite figure out how to word it," he said.

Faith smiled at him. "Just out and say it. I'm a big girl."

"When were you evil?"

Faith chuckled. "Last year. I. . . made some bad decisions. . . got in with the wrong crowd. . . who was oddly enough the mayor of the town. I was in a bad place and wouldn't let anybody help me. Xander and all tried, but I was this big loner, you know? Figured I didn't need anybody."

Riley nodded.

"Anyway, B put me in a coma for a while and now I'm better."

"A coma?"

"Yeah, but I don't blame her. I mean, I'd killed a couple people. . . innocents. And I'd poisoned B's beau, and he was dying. The only cure was a Slayer's blood. B thought it was fitting that he get mine, so she stabbed me. Didn't work. I jumped off a roof and he had to drink her blood."

"Wow. So, Xander drank Buffy's blood."

"Xander? Hell no! He'd never hurt Buffy to save himself. This was Angel. Shit, X and B only been together like a couple weeks. Nah, this was a different guy entirely."

"A couple weeks?"

"Yep."

"And they're. . . as close as they are?"

"Well, X has had his eye on her for like. . . years. Only she never really noticed he was, you know. . ."

"Good for her?"

"I was going to say 'male', but okay. Anyway, they got together a little while ago. Turns out they're soul mates. . . like all prophesied and stuff. It's this whole big thing."

"Wow. . . soul mates."

"Yeah," Faith said. "Apparently all Slayers have one."

"Oh. Um, wow. Okay," Riley said.

"Oh, no pressure though," Faith said, smiling at him. "There's totally a way to tell."

"Oh?" Riley asked. "What's that?"

"I don't know," said Faith. "But Boytoy's gonna have something to do with it, so you gotta bet I'm stickin' around him for a while."

"Why's he so special?"

"Well, he's a White Knight. They're like, male companions to the Slayer. But they're wicked rare. . . Jeeves said the last one was like over two centuries ago."

"Jeeves?"

"Giles."

"Oh. So, uh. . . that evil thing. What happened there? I mean, I assume you didn't just wake up one day and decide to kill people."

"No, nothing like that," Faith said. "Me and B were on patrol this one night, and a guy. . . the deputy mayor, jumped into the alley in front of me, right after we'd dispatched some vamps. I mistook him for another one, and. . . well, stake to the heart kills more than just vamps, you know? So he died, and I kinda decided not to care. Then I hooked up with the mayor and his boys, and just killed more people." She shrugged. "I'm mostly over it now, though. Scoobies. . . kinda brought me back from the edge."

Riley nodded, but frowned. "I don't want to pry, or anything. . . although that seems to be all I've been doing. . . but, well. . . you seem kind of callous about the whole thing."

Faith frowned and shook her head. "I'm not, really. But I figure there's no point in trying to talk around this shit when I have to deal with it. Who knows, maybe if I tell the right person, they'll be able to. . ." She shrugged.

"Forgive you?" Riley asked.

Faith's shoulders sagged, and she nodded. "Yeah. Won't work though. Not like I deserve it anyway. B and X. . . they're the heroes. I just work here."

"Doesn't seem that way to me," Riley said. "Heroes are flawed. Most heroes have some darkness in them. Something to overcome that makes them heroic. You've got that. I'm not saying you're a hero. . . but you've definitely got what it takes."

Faith gave him a weak smile. "Thanks," she said.

"Also, you don't get to decide if you deserve forgiveness. If you do, then one day. . . it'll happen. What you need is to forgive yourself. Accept that you've moved past that time in your life."

"I don't know," Faith said. "I mean, how do I know? What if I haven't, and I'm just. . . waiting for something to set me off again?"

"I don't know either," said Riley. "But you don't seem evil to me."

Faith smiled, and Riley covered her hand with his. They sat, looking in each others eyes for a minute. The food chose that time to arrive, and ended the moment.

* * * * *

"Where was Oz tonight?" Buffy asked as she leaned back in Xander's arms. They sat in the Summers house living room with the TV on, but ignored.

"I think Willow said he had practice with the Dingoes," said Xander.

"Are they okay?" Buffy asked. "I mentioned him earlier, and she kinda got evasive."

Xander sighed. "I don't know. I hope so. But Will said that Oz was. . . distant. And his eyes wandered."

"Do I sense the return of big brother mode?"

"No," Xander said. "This is their thing. Willow has to deal with it. . . I mean, of course I'll be there for her, whatever happens, but until then. . . this is her. It's not something I can fix. I mean, it's not like I can go to Oz and say, 'Hey, don't do that, or else.'" Xander paused. "Can I?"

"No," said Buffy. "You can't. Or, well, you could, but you shouldn't."

"Yeah. This is something Wills has to do. I just hope he doesn't hurt her."

"She'll be okay," Buffy said, stroking the arm he had wrapped around her. "She has you."

"I love you," Xander said, so quietly it was almost a whisper. "So much."

Buffy smiled and nuzzled a little farther back into him. "Who did his eyes wander to?" she asked.

"Veruca, the lead singer of Shy," said Xander. "I don't know why. She's not so hot."

"Well, at least, starting in two days, Willow will have a few nights to figure everything out."

"Oh yeah. Night before the full moon. Although, there is that apocalypse thing that might distract her. Of course if the world ends, she won't have to figure it out."

"Oh, now there's a good idea, why didn't I think of that?"

"I don't know, baby. Were you ever dropped on your head as a child?"

"Not so far as I know."

"Well, there you go. I was."

"Dropped?"

"Pushed, really. Cordy."

"Should've guessed."

"Yeah."

"Explains a lot, really."

"Yeah."

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End Chapter 24