The following day Faith woke up in the basement to the joyful sounds of
three very angry women: Kennedy, Buffy and Dawn.
"Alright, I'mm awake." Faith rubbed her eyes before she opened them. "What's going on?"
The three women were hovering over Faith, each telling her what they thought about her not bringing Willow home until very, very, late.
"I told them you were probably fine and that you guys just went for a walk," Dawn said, "But when you didn't come back and it was past 3 a.m., what was I supposed to think? What were we supposed to think after the other night?"
"It's not like that Dawnie, give me a chance to explain."
"I'll give you a chance," Kennedy said, "You got one swing at me, then I'm swingin back." Kennedy put her closed fists up to her chest as if to prepare for a fight.
"I'm not gonna hit you. Besides, shouldn't you get the first shot? After all, I am the bad guy here." Faith said sarcastically. Kennedy rolled her eyes.
"Another night at the Bronze Faith?" Buffy stood in her usual position, arms folded with her body putting all her weight on one foot so her hip stuck out. She thought this was her big chance to bust Faith.
"Why don't we just let Faith tell us what happened?" Dawn spoke up again.
"Yeah Faithy, what happened? I saw that whole hand-holding and giggling thing. What, do you have her wrapped around your finger or something? Got her believing that you're all righteous now?"
"You need to step down, Bi**h. I didn't brain-wash her. I didn't talk her into anything. Red's not the kind of girl to just let herself be manipulated like that. She's to smart. Yeah, I may have been a little shady, but I didn't wanna tell anyone what I was doing so it'd be a surprise for Red. If she knew about it, she wouldn't have agreed to it." Faith's brown eyes look at each person in front of her. She wasn't hiding anything. "BUT, if you want to know about last night, it's up to Willow to tell you. That girl's been through a lot and I got mad respect for her. If I was in her position, I don't think I could be as strong, or half as brave."
"I trust you Faith, but next time, just warn us that you're gonna be out late at least?"
"You got it Dawnie." Faith smiled.
"That's Mister Dawn to you."
"Ok, ok, Mister Dawn. Got it... hey—Dawn, thank you."
"Don't mention it," Dawn walked up the stairs, leaving Faith alone with Kennedy and Buffy. The two girls were talking about the events of the past few days. Buffy saw that Dawn had left and turned to Faith.
"So, friends with Dawn now, huh?"
"Yeah. Dawn is actually willing to give me a chance."
"She's just a kid. She doesn't know any better," Buffy yelled.
"She's acting like more of a young adult than either of you two lately."
"I resent that."
"You would Kennedy. And I'm sure you're not too fond of me either. Anyone who'll take your piece of ass away from you, is sure to be on your shit list." Kennedy became silent after Faith's comeback. Buffy began to speak but Faith continued on, now directing her words toward the older slayer: "You're no help either, B. She misses her best friend. Ever since—since Tara died you two have grown so far apart, and Willow's tired of being the one to make the effort. You should talk to her. I'm not telling you anything else. I've already told you too much. You'll have to hear the rest from Red."
With that, Faith left the basement. Buffy looked at Kennedy. "Don't talk to me," Buffy said as she walked away from the angry potential.
"Ok, what the hell just happened here?"
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Willow awoke to the sun streaming through her window. It was a beautiful day outside. She rolled over and looked at the clock. It was almost 1p.m. ^Goddess, how late was I out with Faith last night? Why did Amy do a protection spell on us, after what she did to me? I thought she hated me after the whole rat thing.
There was a gentle knock at her door. She hoped in her heart that Faith was on the other side. Willow crawled her way out of bed and in her pj's opened the door. "Buffy, what's up?" She said, glad to see her friend, but her heart dropped when she saw that I wasn't Faith.
"You were out awfully late last night."
"Um, yeah," Willow put her head down as she blushed.
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm just tired. Come on in, sit down." Willow took her place on the bed, sitting with her legs folded. Buffy sat beside her with her feet on the floor.
"Will, I'm sorry."
"Buffy, you didn't even give her a chance."
"Actually, she's why I'm here. Faith told us about last night."
"She told you? Everything? And who's us? Willow had so many more questions in her head, but that was all her nervous lips would let escape.
"Kennedy, Dawn and I. She only said that you guys went for a walk and it was up to you to tell the rest."
"Oh."
"She also said that you mentioned me the other night."
"Yeah. I'm just—we used to be so close Buff." Willow looked at her friend with say eyes.
"I know. I know and I've been the one to pull away. Will, ever since I came back from... ever since you did that spell to—"
"Since I ripped you out of heaven," Willow finished. Both women were silent. Buffy looked Willow square in the eye and said, "I'm glad you did it."
"What? Why? You were happy there."
"Yeah, but now I get to see Dawn grow up. Well, if the world exists that long. But I get to be a part of that until then."
"Wow." Was all Willow could say.
"But I'm really sorry Will. I've been distancing myself from you most of all because—because of Tara. You didn't know this, but before she died, we were beginning to become friends. And instead of just dealing with her death and only losing one friend, I pushed you away too and now I've lost two friends."
"Buff, I'm still your friend. I love you. Always." The two hug. After a while they begin talking about things that have been going on in the past few months, about Willow's recovery from the majicks and her grieving over Tara. She told her about what Faith did the night before. She told her about Tara's grave and the flowers Faith had bought.
"And then she walked me home."
"Sounds like a date; was there a goodnight kiss?" Buffy started to giggle, expecting Willow to do the same. She stopped and looked at her redheaded friend when she realized she wasn't laughing. "Willow!" Buffy shouted.
"It's not what you think, although I wish I was." Willow paused for a second. Buffy sat with her jaw wide open. "She kissed me on the cheek and said goodnight. And when she was walking away, I called out 'you missed' and she said 'what' and I said 'my lips.' I don't know why I said it, but thinking back, I really did want her to kiss me."
"Wow. I didn't know Faith could be that sweet."
"Yeah well, you can tell her I said anything or she'll squash me."
"Is that an exact quote?"
"Not exactly," Willow said as she stretched her arms. "I think maybe it's time for me to get out of bed. Stop being a bum."
"Good. That's the spirit." Buffy stood, hugged Willow and left the room.
"Alright, I'mm awake." Faith rubbed her eyes before she opened them. "What's going on?"
The three women were hovering over Faith, each telling her what they thought about her not bringing Willow home until very, very, late.
"I told them you were probably fine and that you guys just went for a walk," Dawn said, "But when you didn't come back and it was past 3 a.m., what was I supposed to think? What were we supposed to think after the other night?"
"It's not like that Dawnie, give me a chance to explain."
"I'll give you a chance," Kennedy said, "You got one swing at me, then I'm swingin back." Kennedy put her closed fists up to her chest as if to prepare for a fight.
"I'm not gonna hit you. Besides, shouldn't you get the first shot? After all, I am the bad guy here." Faith said sarcastically. Kennedy rolled her eyes.
"Another night at the Bronze Faith?" Buffy stood in her usual position, arms folded with her body putting all her weight on one foot so her hip stuck out. She thought this was her big chance to bust Faith.
"Why don't we just let Faith tell us what happened?" Dawn spoke up again.
"Yeah Faithy, what happened? I saw that whole hand-holding and giggling thing. What, do you have her wrapped around your finger or something? Got her believing that you're all righteous now?"
"You need to step down, Bi**h. I didn't brain-wash her. I didn't talk her into anything. Red's not the kind of girl to just let herself be manipulated like that. She's to smart. Yeah, I may have been a little shady, but I didn't wanna tell anyone what I was doing so it'd be a surprise for Red. If she knew about it, she wouldn't have agreed to it." Faith's brown eyes look at each person in front of her. She wasn't hiding anything. "BUT, if you want to know about last night, it's up to Willow to tell you. That girl's been through a lot and I got mad respect for her. If I was in her position, I don't think I could be as strong, or half as brave."
"I trust you Faith, but next time, just warn us that you're gonna be out late at least?"
"You got it Dawnie." Faith smiled.
"That's Mister Dawn to you."
"Ok, ok, Mister Dawn. Got it... hey—Dawn, thank you."
"Don't mention it," Dawn walked up the stairs, leaving Faith alone with Kennedy and Buffy. The two girls were talking about the events of the past few days. Buffy saw that Dawn had left and turned to Faith.
"So, friends with Dawn now, huh?"
"Yeah. Dawn is actually willing to give me a chance."
"She's just a kid. She doesn't know any better," Buffy yelled.
"She's acting like more of a young adult than either of you two lately."
"I resent that."
"You would Kennedy. And I'm sure you're not too fond of me either. Anyone who'll take your piece of ass away from you, is sure to be on your shit list." Kennedy became silent after Faith's comeback. Buffy began to speak but Faith continued on, now directing her words toward the older slayer: "You're no help either, B. She misses her best friend. Ever since—since Tara died you two have grown so far apart, and Willow's tired of being the one to make the effort. You should talk to her. I'm not telling you anything else. I've already told you too much. You'll have to hear the rest from Red."
With that, Faith left the basement. Buffy looked at Kennedy. "Don't talk to me," Buffy said as she walked away from the angry potential.
"Ok, what the hell just happened here?"
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Willow awoke to the sun streaming through her window. It was a beautiful day outside. She rolled over and looked at the clock. It was almost 1p.m. ^Goddess, how late was I out with Faith last night? Why did Amy do a protection spell on us, after what she did to me? I thought she hated me after the whole rat thing.
There was a gentle knock at her door. She hoped in her heart that Faith was on the other side. Willow crawled her way out of bed and in her pj's opened the door. "Buffy, what's up?" She said, glad to see her friend, but her heart dropped when she saw that I wasn't Faith.
"You were out awfully late last night."
"Um, yeah," Willow put her head down as she blushed.
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm just tired. Come on in, sit down." Willow took her place on the bed, sitting with her legs folded. Buffy sat beside her with her feet on the floor.
"Will, I'm sorry."
"Buffy, you didn't even give her a chance."
"Actually, she's why I'm here. Faith told us about last night."
"She told you? Everything? And who's us? Willow had so many more questions in her head, but that was all her nervous lips would let escape.
"Kennedy, Dawn and I. She only said that you guys went for a walk and it was up to you to tell the rest."
"Oh."
"She also said that you mentioned me the other night."
"Yeah. I'm just—we used to be so close Buff." Willow looked at her friend with say eyes.
"I know. I know and I've been the one to pull away. Will, ever since I came back from... ever since you did that spell to—"
"Since I ripped you out of heaven," Willow finished. Both women were silent. Buffy looked Willow square in the eye and said, "I'm glad you did it."
"What? Why? You were happy there."
"Yeah, but now I get to see Dawn grow up. Well, if the world exists that long. But I get to be a part of that until then."
"Wow." Was all Willow could say.
"But I'm really sorry Will. I've been distancing myself from you most of all because—because of Tara. You didn't know this, but before she died, we were beginning to become friends. And instead of just dealing with her death and only losing one friend, I pushed you away too and now I've lost two friends."
"Buff, I'm still your friend. I love you. Always." The two hug. After a while they begin talking about things that have been going on in the past few months, about Willow's recovery from the majicks and her grieving over Tara. She told her about what Faith did the night before. She told her about Tara's grave and the flowers Faith had bought.
"And then she walked me home."
"Sounds like a date; was there a goodnight kiss?" Buffy started to giggle, expecting Willow to do the same. She stopped and looked at her redheaded friend when she realized she wasn't laughing. "Willow!" Buffy shouted.
"It's not what you think, although I wish I was." Willow paused for a second. Buffy sat with her jaw wide open. "She kissed me on the cheek and said goodnight. And when she was walking away, I called out 'you missed' and she said 'what' and I said 'my lips.' I don't know why I said it, but thinking back, I really did want her to kiss me."
"Wow. I didn't know Faith could be that sweet."
"Yeah well, you can tell her I said anything or she'll squash me."
"Is that an exact quote?"
"Not exactly," Willow said as she stretched her arms. "I think maybe it's time for me to get out of bed. Stop being a bum."
"Good. That's the spirit." Buffy stood, hugged Willow and left the room.