Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me, they all belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.

Chapter 10

Buffy groaned and rolled over in bed as the sun spilled across her face from in between her blinds. She had just fallen asleep not to long before after a long night of tossing and turning. She had patrolled for a little while the night before hoping to run into Faith but she didn't have any luck and was a little worried about her sister. Buffy climbed out of bed, still exhausted and threw on some clothes, running downstairs telling her mother and sister that she was walking to school and she would see them that afternoon. She was hoping that if she left early enough she would run into Faith before classes started that day, and that they would have a chance to talk. When she reached the school she saw none of her friends standing in the courtyard where they normally met before classes, and she figured maybe they were in the library researching or just hanging out since it had become Slayer HQ. She entered the library and began to look around for her friends but none of them were anywhere to be found not even Giles. But she did see Dominick sitting at the table in the center of the library, his head in his hands. Seeing Dominick brought back all of the rage Buffy had felt the day before when she found out that the council, more importantly Dominick had taken part in kidnapping her sister. Buffy started to clench and unclench her fists in an unconscious effort to keep herself from just hauling off and beating the crap out of Dominick.

" Giles!" She shouted through gritted teeth. Dominick spun around and faced Buffy, and she gave him a dark look. Soon Giles emerged from between the stacks of books.

" Buffy, unless I am in some extremely immediate danger, is all that screaming really necessary?" Giles asked a little annoyed with his charge.

" Giles what the hell is he doing here?" Buffy asked indicating Dominick with a jerk of her head.

" Buffy, why don't you sit down." Giles said trying to stall.

" Giles I'm fine, now spill, what is he doing here?" Buffy asked again crossing her arms over her chest.

" Dominick is here because Faith never came home last night, he was worried so he came here to see if we had seen her." Giles said. Buffy felt her anger boil over and she was rushing at Dominick, her fists balled and ready to strike.

" You bastard!" She shouted, bringing back her fist and striking Dominick in the face, "I swear to god if anything happens to her, I will kill you." She had raised her fist to strike again and she felt Giles come up behind her and grab her shoulders.

" Buffy stop right now, Faith running away isn't Dominick's fault." Giles said sternly. Buffy shrugged his hands off of her shoulders, turning to face him.

" Giles, I can't lose her, not again." Buffy said in a small voice tears welling in her eyes.

" Buffy don't worry, we'll find her." Giles said, laying a hand on Buffy's shoulder in a comforting gesture. Buffy nodded blinking away her tears and turning to face Dominick. She noticed his cheek was beginning to purple where she had hit him, but also that he seemed haggard, like he hadn't slept all night.

"Sorry 'bout your face." Buffy mumbled. Not like the asshole didn't deserve it, she thought.

" Buffy, I'm truly-" Dominick began.

" Don't, don't you dare apologize to me, now is not the time, right now we have to find Faith and make sure she is safe." Buffy said turning to leave the library both Dominick and Giles following her, "Un-uh Dominick you aren't coming with us, when we find Faith, she sees you, she runs." Dominick nodded at her orders and sat back down. Just as Buffy and Giles turned to leave the library door swung open and Willow came rushing in.

" Will what's wrong?" Buffy asked studying her friend's face.

" Buffy, Xander's missing, he didn't come to school this morning." Willow blurted out. Great, Buffy though bitterly, first Faith and now Xander, this day just can't get any worse.

" Will, did Xander go anywhere last night? Like to help Faith or me patrol?" Buffy asked feeling her own worry rise. What if Faith and Xander had gotten kidnapped or something equally as bad.

" I don't know, he was worried about Faith after she ran out of the library yesterday, maybe he went to look for her."

" Hmm, it would make sense. Dominick said Faith didn't show up at home last night either."

" Buffy, you don't think Faith and Xander.....they wouldn't be you know together?" Willow asked softly. Buffy knew Willow had a major crush on Xander granted it was unrequited but she knew it would still hurt Willow if Xander ended up with another girl.

" I don't know, but we'll find them I promise." Buffy reassured her friend, reassuring herself at the same time. Willow just nodded silently turning away from Buffy. They left the library and Giles led them to his car in the faculty parking lot. Buffy climbed in the front seat and Willow took the back. They all had agreed to start their search with Xander's house figuring he might be there and had just overslept. As they rounded the corner to his house Buffy and Willow saw him walking towards the school and had Giles pull over.

" Get in, Xander" Buffy said and Xander pulled open the back door and climbed into the car.

" Alexander Harris, where have you been? Did something happen?" Willow asked trying to sound as stern as possible.

" Nope, I just overslept." Xander told his friend.

" Xand, have you seen Faith? And don't lie to me because lying isn't your strongest suit." Buffy demanded.

" Yeah, she got into a fight with Dominick or something last night so I umm let her stay at my house, and don't look at me like that Buffy," He said to Buffy, who was looking at him with one eyebrow raised, but he totally missed Willow's crestfallen expression, "Nothing happened I swear, but anyways she took of this morning, something about she couldn't deal with anyone."

" But she's safe Xand?" Buffy asked.

" Yeah, she's safe, Buff. Why the wig?" Xander asked. Faith was the slayer after all and it was also light out so no vampires or any other demons would be roaming around Sunnydale.

" Xander, do you have any idea of where she could have gone?" Buffy asked choosing to ignore his previous question. Xander just shook his head. "Wait, I know, Angel's."

" Huh? Why in the world would Faith go to Deadboy's?" Xander asked feeling a little bit of jealousy at thought of Faith at Angel's.

" Umm Xander, he has that pesky allergy to sunlight remember? Besides no one would think to find her there." Buffy said reassuring her friend. She then gave Giles directions to Angel's mansion, and when they pulled up she go out. "You guys, umm go back to school. I can take it from here." Xander and Willow exchanged looks, realizing just how strangely Buffy had been acting for the past two days. Buffy watched as Giles pulled away from the curb and then went up to Angel's front door, pulling it open knowing he couldn't really answer it.

" Buffy." He said a little surprised when she stepped into his house. Faith was there, she had come there earlier that morning and he didn't want Buffy getting the wrong idea. Right now, Faith was in the other room, and he was pretty sure she was asleep.

" Angel," Buffy said reaching up and placing a soft kiss on his lips, "Have you seen Faith?"

" Yeah," He said lowering his gaze, "She's in the bedroom, she was exhausted I think she might be sleeping." Buffy just nodded, she tried not to feel jealous because Angel was with her, but she couldn't help it. She walked into the bedroom and saw Faith sitting up on the bed, her knees pulled to her chest and her chin resting on top of them.

" B, I'm sorry I just didn't," Faith began but she was cut off by surprise when Buffy launched herself at Faith, throwing her arms around her sister's neck.

"Oh god, Faithie, I missed you so much," Buffy said sobbing tears rolling down her cheeks, Faith was still shocked by Buffy's emotions but she tentatively placed her arms around Buffy, "I'm so sorry Faith, I'm sorry you had to go through that, I was so scared, I thought you were dead." Faith felt tears stinging her own eyes but she blinked them back, mentally telling herself to pull it together she was the slayer and she could face anything. Faith stroked Buffy's hair absentmindedly, and then wished it had been Buffy instead of her who had been kidnapped and how unfair life was. She looked up and saw Angel standing in the doorway, looking uncomfortable but watching the display none the less. Faith pulled away from Buffy.

" Buffy did you tell anyone about this?" Faith asked.

" No, it's really not my place." Buffy said wiping the stray tears off of her face. Faith just nodded and got up off of the bed, Buffy following her.

" I think we should tell mom Faith." Buffy said, and Faith nodded. Buffy walked over and mouthed thank you to Angel before leaving his house. They talked on the walk over to Buffy's house about what they would tell Joyce and they both agreed to leave Dominick out of it even though he had really hurt Faith.

" Hi honey." Joyce called from the kitchen when she heard the front door open. Buffy gave Faith a gentle push towards the kitchen, and Joyce looked up to see her oldest daughter and her friend entered. She had thought it was weird that one of Buffy's closest friends since they had moved to Sunnydale had been named Faith, and that she looked so much like what Joyce had imagined her Faith would look like at this age, that is if she was still alive. "Oh, sorry hello Faith." Faith studied Joyce, Buffy's mother, no her mother intently. She saw a little bit of pain, guilt and even some recognition in her mother's eyes. Faith was overcome with guilt when she saw the pain in Joyce's eyes, guilt for protecting Dominick when he was the one who had torn her family apart and had caused her mother pain. Faith felt one lone tear slide down her cheek, and she didn't even bother to wipe it off. She just kept her gaze locked on Joyce, trying to remember anything from her childhood, and wishing she could. She felt Buffy's hand slide into her own and squeeze it.

" Mommy." Faith whispered in a voice that was barely even audible.

" Buffy, do you care to tell me what is going on?" Joyce asked confused by Faith's tears, and a little uncomfortable with her close scrutiny.

" Mom, I have to tell you something and I don't really know how to tell you this, but Faith, she's your daughter, my sister." Buffy rushed out, chewing on her lower lip nervously anticipating her mother's reaction. Joyce let out a gasp and she felt tears come to her eyes. After all this time Joyce couldn't believe her little girl was standing in front of her, and that she was alive and healthy. Joyce went to Faith pulling the sobbing girl into her arms, her own sobs matching Faith's.

"Oh god, my baby, my baby is back," Joyce murmured, "I'm so sorry sweetie, I should of watched you better, but your here now and your safe, oh I love you so much, I will never let anything bad happen to you." Joyce stroked Faith's hair, kissing her head and both of her cheeks. Buffy didn't know what to do besides stare.

"Mom!" Dawn called running down the stairs, " I need to ask you..." But she stopped when she saw her mom holding Faith to her mumbling something she couldn't quite make out and crying, "Umm, mom? Buffy? What's going on?"

" Dawnie, go upstairs please." Buffy told her younger sister.

" Yeah right," Dawn said rolling her eyes, and folding her arms across her chest, "Buffy, tell me what's going on." Joyce let go of Faith when she realized her youngest daughter was now standing in the kitchen extremely confused. She wiped some stray tears from her face before turning towards her ten-year-old daughter.

" Dawnie, I would like you to meet someone." Joyce said.

"Huh? Mom, hello I've already met Faith, geez did everyone in this house have there crazy flakes this morning?" Dawn asked completely confused by the strange behavior of her mother and older sister.

" Dawn, Faith is your sister."

" What? No way." Dawn stated surveying her mom, Buffy and Faith.

" It's true Dawnie." Buffy said not knowing what else to tell her younger sister that would make her believe. Dawn squealed in delight rushing at Faith and throwing her arms around the older girl's waist. Faith chuckled at Dawn's excitement and then soon Buffy and Joyce soon joined in the hug their tears mixing with Faith's.

"Thank you, my family, they are all here, my little girls, oh god my babies." Joyce murmured, kissing each girl in turn but not breaking the hug.

*TBC*