CHAPTER FOURTEEN: REUNION
(Cordy and Xander are still together for the sake of this fic. Mainly cos Cordy's just so damn funny and tactless.)
Evening fell and Buffy found herself glancing at the clock every few seconds. She was convinced that she was going to have a heart attack if her heartbeat continued at the frantic pace it had been set at earlier that afternoon. She wanted to get up and pace the library, but knew that such an action would only bring about questions from her already curious friends.
She was very literally on the edge of her seat, her fingers playing idly with the cross around her neck. She'd long ago given up pretending to research and had even been too nervous to eat the pizza that Xander had gone to pick up an hour ago.
She heard footsteps in the hallway and shot out of her seat, earning curious glances from Xander, Cordelia, Willow and Oz. Giles and Wesley were too absorbed in their reading to notice the Slayer's unusual behaviour.
Buffy began pacing in front of Giles' office, her body wracked with nervous energy. The doors swung open and Buffy stood completely still, staring at the two women who entered. She grinned widely, feeling the connection to Faith return.
Faith felt something familiar tickling the edges of her sense. She hadn't felt anything like this since Buffy had been in Boston. She looked around the library, noticing the people at the table, rather than the blonde who was standing by the office door. Faith glanced at the redhead, wondering how someone who looked so incredibly meek and non-violent could be the other Slayer.
A slight movement by the office doorway caught Faith's attention and she froze completely, her eyes locking with the small blonde girl's. "B."
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"Welcome to the Hellmouth," Joanna whispered, noticing the immediate connection between Buffy and Faith. She couldn't contain the smile that came to her face at seeing the two girls in the same room as each other. She knew that the two girls had something profound between them, and Joanna wasn't about to try and separate them.
Willow and Xander looked up curiously, Xander's mouth dropping open as he saw the gorgeous brunette leather-clad girl standing in the doorway. He followed the girl's gaze and idly wondered why the Slayer was staring so intently at Buffy.
Faith finally stepped forward, feeling slightly disoriented. She couldn't quite fathom what exactly was going on. Wesley stood and walked to the other Watcher and Slayer. Joanna and Wesley shook hands politely, and Joanna pushed Faith further into the library so that the two Slayers were only a few feet apart, still staring at each other.
"Faith, this is Buffy Summers, Buffy, this is Faith Keller," Wesley said, proud that he was one of the only Watchers in the history of the Council to meet two active Slayers and introduce them to each other.
Joanna subtly pushed Faith forward, the sudden jab startling Faith and sending her stumbling towards the blonde. Buffy stepped forward to make sure Faith didn't fall to the floor, and the moment their hands connected, the brunette Slayer knew. What they'd felt in Boston was still there. Faith straightened and searched Buffy's face incredulously.
"You're a Slayer?"
"One of them," Buffy replied.
Faith swallowed hard and tried to comprehend the new pieces of information that she'd just been given.
"So…you knew who I was?"
"Technically," the blonde admitted.
"And you didn't say anything."
"Not exactly…"
"So…you lied to me."
"I wouldn't exactly call it 'lying' as such…"
"Then what the hell would you call it?!"
"Well it was more of an omission if you wanna be precise."
Faith scoffed angrily and pulled her hand away from Buffy's, instantly feeling the loss of their connection. She looked away, trying to control her anger. She was very close to hitting the blonde girl for lying to her. She saw their curious audience seated at the table and made a quick decision.
She grabbed Buffy's arm and pulled her roughly to the doorway, whispering harshly so the others wouldn't hear them.
"Just tell me one thing…did what we have mean anything to you?" Faith asked angrily.
"You asked me that when I left, and my answer is still the same. I never lied about my feelings for you," Buffy replied honestly. "I wanted to tell you about the Slayer thing, but I…"
"You what?" Faith asked, her voice slightly calmer now that she knew that Buffy hadn't just been pretending to care about her.
"I don't know, I just couldn't. I didn't want you to think that I was just hanging out with you because I wanted to protect you," Buffy explained.
"Protect me?" Faith asked, her voice rising again. "What made you think you needed to protect me from anything?"
"Uh, hello," Buffy said sarcastically. "You do remember that week right?"
Faith gave her an angry look that told Buffy the brunette Slayer remembered everything about that week, and probably in great detail.
"You do remember being sick right?"
Faith's anger dissipated instantly. She hadn't really given too much thought to the illness portion of that week. Joanna had explained it away as simply the flu, and Faith hadn't questioned it since then. But Buffy was now making it sound as though there had been something more than the flu wrong with her.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Faith asked.
Buffy knew that Joanna had never explained the Cruciamentum, and Buffy had no plans to try and do so now.
"I dreamt that you were gonna die. That's why I was there at the start. But then I got to know you and I didn't wanna leave," Buffy admitted.
Faith cast her mind back to that week and suddenly a number of things fell into place. She'd never been able to work out who had killed the insane brunette vampire that had been about to kill her and she'd never been able to work out how Joanna had known that she'd needed help.
"You're the one who killed that crazy-ass vamp?"
Buffy nodded. "Yeah."
"So…I guess I should be saying thank you instead of yelling at'cha huh?" Faith asked with a grin.
Buffy couldn't help but smile back. She was just glad that Faith hadn't completely lost her temper over the whole thing.
"How about a hug instead?" Buffy asked.
Faith was only too happy to comply.
The moment Faith's arms went around Buffy's waist, she felt the familiar contentment that she associated with the blonde girl rise up again. She sighed happily and clung tightly to Buffy, suddenly realising why she'd never hurt the girl with the strength of her hugs. It was a heady feeling, being able to hug someone with her full strength rather than holding back. She'd never been able to do that, especially not with Jamie…
Faith pulled back suddenly, an overwhelming feeling of guilt crawling into the pits of her stomach. Buffy looked at her, wondering what had just happened.
"Faith?"
"B…I…there was…god I'm sorry," Faith whispered.
Buffy stepped forward and touched faith's arm gently, her other hand coming up to touch Faith's cheek. She knew what Faith was going to say, and knew that she didn't need to hear Faith admit it aloud. Whilst she was hurt that Faith had been with someone else, but she also knew that they had never expected to see each other again. Buffy also had known from what little she'd seen of Faith before that Faith had never really been in a monogamous relationship before. And whilst it hurt that Faith had been with someone else, she wasn't surprised by it.
"You were with someone else," Buffy surmised.
Faith nodded, unable to look Buffy in the eyes. Buffy, completely forgetting her surroundings, stepped forward and kissed Faith's forehead gently.
"S'okay," Buffy whispered.
Faith pulled the blonde girl into another hug, just enjoying the feeling of Buffy being in her arms once more.
It was at this point that Xander's curiousity got the better of him.
"So, either of you two ladies care to explain?" Xander called.
Faith and Buffy pulled apart reluctantly. Buffy sighed and took Faith by the hand, pulling her gently to the table where her friends and her Watchers sat.
"Everyone, this is Faith," Buffy introduced. "Faith, meet Willow the witch, Oz our resident werewolf, Xander, our…uh…well, Xander, Cordelia the Prom Queen, and my Watcher, Giles." Wesley coughed pointedly. "Oh, and that's Wes." The Weasel…
Faith waved, feeling a little self-conscious at being under the scrutiny of Buffy's best friends. Willow gave her a small wave, Cordelia glared, not liking the attention that Xander was giving the other Slayer. Oz remained neutral as ever, whilst Giles shook Faith's hand.
"So, you're Faith huh?" Xander asked. "We've heard a lot about you."
Faith looked at Buffy, her eyebrows raised curiously. Buffy just shrugged and blushed a little, shaking her head almost imperceptibly, silently telling Faith that she hadn't explained that part of their relationship.
"Likewise," Faith replied.
Wesley, ever the observant Watcher, finally realised something.
"Hold on a moment…how do you two know each other?" he asked.
The Scooby Gang all rolled their eyes and chose to ignore him as always.
"And you're a Slayer," Xander said. "I like that in a woman."
Buffy and Cordelia simultaneously cuffed him upside the head, eliciting a yelp from the brown haired boy.
"Uh, excuse me," Wesley interjected. "I believe I was asking something."
"And I believe you were being ignored," Buffy retorted.
Wesley bristled at the insult. He couldn't believe that his Slayer was being so impertinent towards him, especially in front of another Watcher. He pulled himself up to his full height and straightened his tie self-importantly.
"By order of the Watcher's Council, I demand you answer me at once."
Buffy looked at him, wondering whether he was being serious or not. He was. She scowled and rolled her eyes.
"Went to Boston, met Faith, end of story," Buffy explained succinctly.
"When? Why? How did you know where the other Slayer was?" Wesley asked.
"You remember that nice little trip I took to visit my dad?" Buffy asked. "That would be your 'when'. As to why…well, my reasons were my own. Oh, and the 'how'…well, let's just say you really need to keep your confidential files a little more confidential."
Wesley looked to Giles, knowing that the only files he had on Faith had been in Giles' care with strict instructions to not open them.
"You gave her those files," Wesley accused.
Giles just shrugged casually. "I must have given her the wrong folder. Terribly sorry."
Joanna stifled her laughter.
Wesley narrowed his eyes angrily and stalked into the office, opening up Faith's profile. He mentally calculated when Buffy would have been in Boston.
"You went there for Faith's Cruciamentum," Wesley accused the blonde Slayer.
Joanna and Buffy both winced. Giles noticed immediately and walked towards the office.
"My chrysanthemum? Why am I getting flowers?" Faith asked.
"Well, you see when a Slayer turns-"
Wesley's voice was cut off by Giles slamming the office door shut and locking it. Buffy shot a thankful grin to Giles.
"Blessed silence," Giles said quietly.
"Not if you count the banging on the glass," Buffy said dryly.
"Well, it's better than his voice I dare say," Giles returned.
Joanna couldn't keep her laughter to herself. She looked at Giles and shook her head in mock disapproval.
"It's nice to see you haven't changed a smidge Ripper," Joanna said.
The Scoobies all looked at the two Watchers curiously, the name Ripper all making them instantly inquisitive.
"Wait, you guys know each other?" Faith asked.
Joanna and Giles both nodded. "We knew each other at the Academy," Giles explained. "We were rather good friends."
It didn't go unnoticed by either Faith or Buffy that Joanna's cheeks went a slight shade of pink. The two Slayers exchanged a glance with each other before turning to look at their respective Watcher's with their eyebrows raised. Giles coughed uncomfortably and reached up to fiddle with his glasses.
Faith decided to take pity on her Watcher, making a mental note to question Joanna endlessly about her association with Giles when they were in a more private setting.
"Well, that's cool and all, but I'm still wanting to know about that whole flower deal," Faith said.
Giles and Joanna shared a look. Giles could sympathise completely with the other Watcher. He'd hated the betrayal that he'd been forced into, and he knew that Joanna didn't want to explain her own role in the test that the Slayers were given.
"It's this whole mystical test thingy. Not really a big," Buffy lied, wanting to keep Faith's relationship with her Watcher intact.
Xander went to say something, but was kicked by three different legs. He wisely kept quiet and rubbed his leg, trying to regain feeling in his ankle.
Faith seemed to accept the answer, not really wanting to dwell on something that had been three weeks ago. She was more concerned with other thoughts that included the blonde girl at her side.
"So, B…you think maybe you could show me the hotspots around here?"
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Slightly revised to add a little bit of implied back story between Jo and Giles. Awww…old people mush. ;)
S&K.