Hey new chapter, this stuff just keeps spilling out at the moment. Hope your enjoying it, if so let me know by reviewing please!

Glad to hear you liked the Faith characterization.

Thanks to:

Becks89 – ahh what a nice review! You know what really is perfect though? An update of TYE!

Charmedfanatic3000

Miz- yeah I like reformed Faith too, but not at Buffy's expense.

Scruffywes

Officially*Obsessed*with*Pyro

Alexandra the half-wolf – hope you get well soon!

Chapter 26 – Meeting Mary

Buffy, Faith and Sirius returned to Giles' home before the sun came up. It was early morning, the patrol having been unsuccessful on the Antichrist front. However Buffy was satisfied and kept shooting Faith reassuring glances as they approached the apartment in return to Faith's guilty ones.
 "Buffy, you're back sooner than we expected," Giles said as soon as she entered. Faith and Sirius followed her in. "And Faith..." Giles trailed off, not really knowing what to say.
 "Figured we'd come back, do a little recon and fill Faith in on the situation," Buffy said casually, throwing herself onto the sofa. Willow, Oz and Xander all stared open mouthed at both Faith and Buffy, books lying in their laps forgotten. Faith smiled a weak smile and went to sit next to Buffy.
 "Of course, of course," Giles flustered picking up on Buffy's mood. "Well, there's a cult known as the Cult of the Antichrist and they've come to Sunnydale…."
 
Once Faith was filled in, they got to work again. Research lasted for a few more hours, before they decided to catch some more sleep.
"Funny six months in a coma really doesn't make you well rested," Faith mused as she and Buffy walked to Buffy's home.

 "Yeah, sorry about that," Buffy said, embarrassed, but Faith waved her hand casually.

 "No worries," Faith replied. "I would've done the same to you and I don't mind admitting it." Buffy smiled gently. 

 "Are you sure your mom won't mind having me to stay?" Faith asked worriedly a moment later. "I mean she knows what I did, who I was."

 "It's fine," Buffy assured her. "I want you to stay with us. Maybe when I go back to England you can stay there with her. I'd be happier with her having some protection when I'm gone."
 "You would leave me with your mom?" Faith asked incredulously. "Leave the country and leave me in your home?"

 "It doesn't seem to matter that much any more," Buffy said reflectively. "I trust you. You know that so it's okay." Faith whistled and raised her eyebrows.
 "When you trust people B, you really go all out." She said smiling. "Pity you're going back, we could have had some good times, doing the slaying gig, partying, all of that."

 Buffy smiled; despite what she'd been through, Faith was still the same.
 "As much as I'd like that, I've got to go back. I'm in too deep now." Buffy said with a happy sigh. Faith looked at her sideways.
 "In love huh?" she commented and Buffy chuckled.
 "Deep," Buffy replied.
 "You deserve it B," Faith said and she really meant it. "A normal guy to be happy with, away from all the crazy junk we have to put up with." Buffy laughed.
 "Not exactly normal," she said grinning. "Remember the dog thing?" Faith's eyes widened.
 "I'd totally forgotten about that," she exclaimed. "Now that was weird. Some funky mojo."
 "Magic," Buffy corrected. "Apparently there's this whole magical world. I'll fill you in when we've got a couple of spare weeks. But Sirius is great, we met in jail actually. So I kind of owe it to you." Buffy smiled at Faith who couldn't help but grin back.
 "What a turn around," Faith said reflectively. "I actually find myself liking you B. Weird."
 "Stranger things have happened," Buffy replied. "For example, there's me finding myself liking you."

They arrived at Buffy's home and Joyce opened the door before they had reached the porch.
 "Buffy I was so worried," she began. "I though you'd been hurt or worse." She stopped talking and stared at Faith. "Honey, are you aware who that is? Did you hit your head?"

 "Mom, it's fine," Buffy insisted and she moved her mother aside so she and Faith could enter the house. "Faith's gonna stay with us for a while, she's probably gonna stay here when I've gone, take care of you."

 Joyce nodded mutely.
 "You can have the spare room," Buffy told Faith. "Upstairs, third door on the left." Faith bounded up the stairs.
 "Honey are you sure about this?" Joyce said when Faith was out of earshot. "This girl tried to kill you."

 "She wants to be better," Buffy said firmly. "We can help her; we can really make a difference for her." Joyce looked up the stairs at where Faith had just passed.
 "Am I in any danger from her?" Joyce asked.
 "No, you aren't," Buffy said and she believed in what she said.
 "Then she's welcome here," Joyce said, looking back at Buffy. "She can take care of me and I'll take care of her."
 "Thanks Mrs Summers," Faith said sincerely, rejoining them.
 "Call me Joyce," Joyce replied with a friendly smile. "Now you two better get some sleep."

As dusk was falling Buffy awoke. She felt rested for the first time in days and got up and showered and dressed quickly. Looking in on Faith, she saw that she was till asleep. She left some clothes for Faith and then headed downstairs. Her mother had just returned from work and Buffy told her to tell Faith to join her when she woke up before heading to Giles.
When she reached Giles' apartment, she was confronted by Willow and Xander.
 "What were you thinking bringing her here?" Willow demanded.
 "Relax guys," Buffy said calmingly and sat down next to Sirius, kissing him lightly. "She wants to reform and I want to help her."

 Willow and Xander sat down in chairs facing her and Giles joined them. Oz sat listening to Giles' old Beatles records but took off the earphones when he saw the serious expressions on everyone's faces. 

 "But she tried to kill me and Xander," Willow protested. "What makes you think she can reform?"

 "If I'd killed someone," Buffy began, her voice quavering. "And then gone off the tracks, would you be able to forgive me?"

 "Well, yes," Xander said, looking awkward. "But Buffy, that's different-"
"No it isn't," Buffy said breaking him off. "Faith's never had anyone looking out for her, never had anyone willing to help her when she needed it. But we are." The group sat in silence.

 "I'm willing to help her," Giles said slowly. "She could be a great slayer. She deserves that chance." Slowly Willow and Xander nodded.

 "Thank you," Faith said sincerely and they all whirled round to see her standing in the doorway. "I'm not sure I deserve it, but thank you. And I'm sorry for what I did before." Buffy smiled at her reassuringly and the others did too.
 "Now that's over with," Giles said, cleaning his glasses. "Would you go be the Slayers and patrol?"

Buffy and Faith, accompanied by Sirius walked to the graveyard as dusk finally became night. The moon was bright and moonlight lit their path as they walked amongst the graves.
 "This must have had some effect on you," Sirius said. "Wandering graveyards throughout your adolescence."
 "Probably," Buffy said with a shrug and Faith nodded. They continued walking in silence, Sirius marginally worried about their nonchalance.

 "What are you expecting to find?" Sirius asked a few minutes later.
 "Not much," Buffy admitted. "I doubt we'll be ambushed, if the cult is that big then they already know who we are. But if we can find someone getting attacked then maybe we can get some information." They continued walking until simultaneously Buffy and Faith halted and listened.
 "You hear that?" Faith murmured.
 "Yep," Buffy confirmed. "Let's go." She and Faith took off running and Sirius transformed into his dog form to keep up with them. They crossed the graveyard and leapt into the woods. Deep in the centre they saw a woman lying on the floor with two males standing over her. Buffy and Faith ran up and pulled the vampires off the women. With their combined effort, they finished them off quickly.
They grinned at each other, both pleased with the way they worked together. Then Faith approached the woman on the ground.
 "Do you think they finished her?" Faith muttered, noting the bloody stain on her neck. She bent over her and Sirius was about to speak his concerns when then woman leapt up and bit into Faith's neck. Faith leapt backwards but the woman kept a firm grip.
Faith grabbed the vampires head and tried to wrench her off but it took Buffy jamming her stake into the woman's leg before she let go.
 "Jesus!" Faith yelled. "You bitch!" She swore at the vampire who smiled, game face still on and fangs coated in Faith's blood.

"Slayer blood," she murmured. "Delicious."

 Buffy stared at her, the mark on her forehead was in gold, imprinted onto her forehead and Buffy got powerful vibes off of her.
 "Mary?" she said questioningly, taking in the vampires brown hair carefully tucked into a bun and the gold necklace that hung around her neck. She was tall, thin but powerful, Buffy could tell.

 "You got it, Buffy is it?" Mary replied, running a hand to smooth her hair. "Thought I'd pay you and Faith a visit. See what we're up against. We haven't had a slayer in…well I can't say how long. But we're so excited to be in your company again; they say once you've had slayer blood, you never go back." Faith growled, but Buffy grabbed her arm.
 "What are you doing here?" she hissed. Mary smiled.

 "Just checking out the town," she said, licking her lips free of Faith's blood. "You've got to love a hellmouth, it's just so evil." Buffy glanced sideways at faith and Faith grasped her meaning. Simultaneously they leapt into battle with this woman.

Faith roundhouse kicked while Buffy punched at Mary. Mary easily blocked them both, casually as if it was easy for her. She picked Buffy up and threw her against a tree and Faith punched her. Angrily, snarling now, Mary kicked Faith and then punched her, sending her reeling. Buffy was up again and attacked the woman, punching her and then kicking her to the ground. But Mary was incessant, jumping up with more agility than Buffy had seen in anyone, and throwing Buffy against the tree again.
Buffy landed hard, was winded and leant against the tree panting.
 "It's been fun slayers," Mary said, again smoothing her hair. "See you around." She spun and ran off deep into the forest.
 
Sirius was by Buffy's side instantly.
 "Are you okay?" he asked concernedly, eyes and hands checking her for broken bones or cuts.
 "I'm okay, Buffy said wearily, getting up. "Been better." She limped over to Faith who was groaning.
 "Faith you okay?" she asked, kneeling down next to her.
 "Also been better," Faith groaned. "Man she kicked our asses." Sirius helped Faith up and the two slayers stood and assessed their injuries.
 "Your neck okay?" Buffy asked, pointing at where Mary had bitten Faith.
 "She just took a big chunk of flesh," Faith said, feeling the wound tenderly. "She wasn't drinking."
 "She was wicked strong," Buffy said worriedly. "Like nothing we've faced before, stronger than facing Angelus or even you."

 "I know," Faith agreed. "She was so fast; her reflexes were like nothing I've ever seen. And there are five like that."

 Buffy groaned.
 "This is gonna be rough," she said biting her lip. "But I'm up for it. You?"
 "You know me, B," Faith said with a half smile. "Always up for a little slayage. Or a lot of slayage in this case. We can take 'em."

"I hope you're right," Buffy said. She, Faith and Sirius began to walk away from the clearing they had been in when they stopped at the sight of flashing lights coming at them from all directions.
 "Woah, looks like the aliens have landed," Faith murmured and they looked all around them, mystified by the lights.
Units of men burst through the trees into the clearing, and surrounded Faith, Sirius and Buffy, all the men brandishing swords or axes. Commander Grey steeped into the circle.
 "Which one of them was here?" he barked at them and Buffy saw Faith start to grin beside her.

 "What do you mean, sir?" Faith said innocently, batting her eyelashes at the Commander.

 "Which member of the cult," he replied looking curiously at Faith. "Are you a civilian? Someone get her out of here." Two men ran forward to accost Faith but she took them out quickly.

 "Commander Grey," Buffy began, barely suppressing a smile. "May I present the other slayer." The commander took a step back to both Faith and Buffy's gratification.
 "I assure you we are both real," Buffy said. "Now, you asked which member was here I believe. We'll tell you that if you give us the names of all the top five." Grey glared at her.
 "Fine," he barked. "Mary, Vlad, Samuel, Antoinette, and the leader Henry."

 "What's with all the simple names?" Buffy asked curiously. Grey eyed her imperiously.
 "They chose it that way," Grey replied superiorly. "When you join the top of the Cult you become simply one name."
 "Kind of like Madonna and Cher," Faith commented and Grey glared at her.
 "We saw Mary," Buffy cut in before something violent started.
 "You must accompany us to be questioned," Grey barked.
 "I don't think so," Faith said. "See me and my girl B here are a little tired. We just wanna sleep." She stared at grey who stared right back.
 "Fine," Grey said, breaking the gaze. "But I've said it once and I'll say it again: a slayer, even two slayers have no chance against the Antichrist."

 "Just wait," Buffy promised him. "You'll be kissing our asses before this is over."
 "Because you fared so successfully against Mary?" Grey commented silkily.

*****

Woah mega long chapter, hope you like!