Chapter Four - Ya Gotta Have Faith
A/N: It's official; Fuffy is taking over my life! I have important exams to revise for yet I can't wait to write more of this fic…Prequel has been published; it's called "Cannonball" if anyone's interested. Most likely it'll be a one shot.
"Mm, something smells nice." Dawn wandered into the kitchen, looking slightly more smart than she usually did. Buffy had told her that tonight's dinner was important, not only to her but to Faith. Usually Dawn would have just snorted and sat at the table for the rest of the night wearing a moody glare, but she wanted to make Faith feel welcome so she obliged.
Faith turned round on the stool where she was sitting, "Thankfully I didn't make it."
Dawn recoiled slightly, moving to where Buffy was standing at the oven, looking over her shoulder. "Ugh, so that means she did?" She turned to Faith, "Cause I didn't think anyone could cook worse than her."
"Watch it." Buffy warned her sister, "Or this lasagne will be going on your head."
Dawn smiled cheekily, lifting her body to sit on the sideboard, next to the sink. "You're all dolled up Faith…" She teased, "Feeling nervous?"
Faith glared good-naturedly, "Course not." She straightened the white button shirt she was wearing; Buffy had offered some of her own dresses, but they were way too…girly…for her. "Just wondering if any of them will actually turn up…" She mused.
Buffy spun round, laying her hand on Faith's face, "They will." She reassured her lover, "I promise. And if they don't, I'll kick their butts." Buffy nodded defiantly.
Dawn smiled, taking a slice of garlic bread from the plate next to her, promptly having her hand swatted away by Buffy, "Hey…" She protested, "I'm a growing child, I need sustenance."
"Have an apple." Buffy suggested, turning back to the food. Dawn frowned at her sister's words and wondering if she could sneak a takeout upstairs. She swivelled to look outside at the night sky that was slowly darkening as the minutes passed.
She then saw five dark figures walk up the path to the house, Anya bounding ahead, seemingly the only one who was going to enjoy the night. "They're here…" She announced happily and then trailed off as she noticed Faith's expression which was less than happy.
As Buffy took off the oven gloves and walked towards the hallway to open the door, Dawn moved towards Faith, rubbing her arm gently. "You'll do fine…" She reassured her, "And if you don't, I will totally help Buffy kick their asses." Dawn smiled cheekily.
"Thanks Peanut…" Faith said, ruffling Dawn's hair with a sly smile, moving out of the kitchen and towards the door.
"Hey! Don't call me that!"
The table was laid out neatly, a single red rose in the middle of the table, standing in a clear glass vase. Eight people sat round the table, eating and drinking in relative silence, which was so not the evening Buffy had imagined. Hers went something like; her friends accepting Faith and not being so antagonistic towards her, and ending up with one of the video parties she enjoyed so much. But with the tense glares Willow was sending Faith's way, it didn't look like that was going to happen any time soon.
"Uh, more potatoes Giles?" Buffy held the bowl up and he shook his head. She didn't know what she saw in his eyes; she could read him like a book usually, but she knew it wasn't good. Disappointment maybe?
Xander tapped his fork against his plate and kept trying to say something, but got stuck on the first word. To him, not much was appropriate in the situation that you find out your best friend is in love with a once-evil Slayer. Who's a girl. It wasn't like he hated Faith, but more hated the idea of she and Buffy being together; it could only end badly.
"How's school Dawnie?" Kennedy asked after a few minutes of tense silence. Momentarily, Kennedy looked at Willow; it was usually her question towards Dawn, but all she could see her girlfriend was doing was giving Faith the "evil eye" when she dared touch Buffy.
"Uh, it's good." She smiled, grateful for the distraction and the attempt to make conversation. "Or as good as school can be. They're pretty focused on sport, so Faith's teaching me how to kickbox."
"That sounds really-" Kennedy began until Willow muttered under her breath.
"Make sure you don't happen to kill someone…"
The whole table turned to Willow, who stared intently at her food. "What did you say?" Buffy breathed, her words barely loud enough to hear. Faith gripped Buffy's hand underneath the table, a sign to not make the situation any worse, but Buffy couldn't let it go.
Willow's head snapped up, "Oh, come on Buffy!" She said incredulously, "That's what everyone is thinking about her…"
"I'm not." Anya said simply, taking a quick look at Faith who seemed to appreciate the support.
"You would say that." Willow murmured again. "You didn't seem to have a problem with killing after all."
"Hey!" Xander protested, "You're not exactly Little Miss Perfect either are you, Rosenberg? Remember that time I like to call, "When Willow went evil and tried to destroy the world into tiny bitesize pieces"?"
Giles frowned, "Xander, I really don't think that's the attitude to take-"
"Humans-" Anya muttered, pushing away her plate, only just noticing Faith's disappearance from the table. "Buffy…" She said, gaining the attention from the Slayer who was currently next to Willow's chair arguing with her. "Faith's gone…" She gestured towards the empty seat.
Buffy sighed as she noticed Faith's glaring absence; how could everything go so bad in a few seconds? Turning to her friends who were still arguing with Kennedy threatening to sort her argument with Xander "outside", she decided to stop the pandemonium, she shouted "Shut up!" at the top of her voice, and everyone's heads snapped towards her.
"How can you sit here like this?" Buffy lamented. "None of us are blameless…we've all done things that we'd rather forget. And I don't think its fair to Faith that we constantly remind her of what's happened in the past."
"Buffy, you're not being objective-" Giles started.
"Screw being objective!" Buffy replied, "Don't you understand? I love her, OK? Your stupid fighting isn't going to change that. Whatever you say, or whatever you decide to bring up from the past, isn't going to make me change my mind." Buffy sat down in her seat, "Everyone's made pretty crappy choices over the last seven years, and I haven't complained. So maybe this isn't the sanest thing to do, but when was falling in love ever the sane thing?" She looked at Xander and Anya pointedly.
Xander looked down at the plate, feeling incredibly judgmental. He hated the attitude Buffy and Willow used to hold against Anya and her ex-vengeance demon ways, and here he was doing the same thing towards Faith. Willow didn't seem so able to forget though, still practically steaming on the other side of the table. Xander could see Kennedy keeping a tight grip on Willow's hand, as if letting go would cause the normally tame Witch to go awry..
"Now there's two ways we can do this; either you accept that I'm with Faith, or you don't, and in that case we'll just have to part company. Now which will it be?"
Music pumped through Bass, guitars strumming and the loud rhythm of the drums rung in their ears. But they came here to forget. Forget life and what it threw at them.
Faith knew the feeling. She felt the scowl of Willow on her back, boring into her very soul, almost trying to burn her out…Faith wished she could tell her to quit it and that she got the fact she wasn't welcome. She'd have to be pretty brain dead not to.
Occasionally as they walked down the dark avenues, the streets getting busier and busier as they neared Bass, Faith could hear the mutterings of Willow, complaining to Kennedy about the situation with Buffy and Kennedy trying to calm her girlfriend. Faith appreciated the gesture, but was pretty certain that nothing would calm Red down apart from her disappearing.
Faith wasn't exactly sure why she suggested going to Bass, one of the only clubs in the quiet suburb which the Scoobies and Buffy had settled in. Maybe it was because the suffocating atmosphere was getting to her. Buffy had come upstairs, comforting her with warm words and soft kisses, but she just couldn't forget the venom in Willow's words; they'd become friends over the past six months, but now it was like she'd travelled back in time to years ago when she wasn't the Scoobies favourite person.
"How ya doin'?" Buffy sidled up next to her, slipping her hand into Faith's. Immediately, her concern decreased and she momentarily forgot about the glowering Willow behind her.
Faith paused, "Oh, as good as I can be when an extremely powerful Witch is wishing I was far, far away from here." She said quietly. Buffy squeezed her hand in reassurance.
They turned a corner of the street, the club coming into full view. "Bass" was displayed above the door, illuminated in neon lighting. "It's not exactly the iest place in LA but it's the cheapest." Faith muttered.
Buffy smiled, leading the others onward. Giles had decided to retire home to his apartment a few miles away. He gave Buffy a chaste kiss at the door, and muttered a few words which made her frown. Faith didn't want to ask what he'd said to her, but it must have been something pretty big.
The seven Scoobies walked into the bulging bar, people crowding the dance floor and spilling out of what seemed to be an addition to the main area. "I can't believe you never brought me here before…"Dawn said, hitting Faith playfully on the arm. "Why didn't you bring me here before?"
"Uh, probably 'cause you're underage.." Faith replied and Dawn frowned, "And B would royally kick my ass."
Buffy smiled at the interaction, getting the drink orders from her friends, and pushing through the throngs of people to get to the bar. The others made their way to the quieter end of the club, where a few couches were left empty. They all slouched onto the seats, no-one really thinking about partying, except for Dawn, and all musing about the events of the dinner.
Faith had interrupted before anyone could reply to Buffy's ultimatum. In truth she was scared that Willow would abandon Buffy, and without Red's friendship Buffy would realise she'd made a terrible mistake.
Faith glanced towards the object of her thoughts who was waiting to gain the bartender's attention as the others talked quietly about nothing in particular; she imagined that this was the tense atmosphere left after Xander and Anya's wedding. Buffy turned almost instantly towards Faith no doubt through Slayer sense, and smiled, gesturing that she should wait with her.
She nodded, getting up and pretending to be annoyed by the request but failing totally with a huge smile. Before she could leave though, she felt a strong hand on her forearm and turned to see Red behind her with a glare. "If you hurt Buffy one bit, I will hunt you down." Willow said, lowering her voice significantly. "And you do not want to know what I'll do to you. But I'll promise you this, it won't be pretty."
Faith's eyes flicked up instantly to Buffy who was increasingly concerned, but Faith shook her head trying to dispel her girlfriend's worries, then turning to face Willow. "I would never hurt her. But it seems you're doing a pretty good job of it yourself." Willow blanched, but Faith continued regardlessly, "All she wants is a little acceptance. And if it grieves you that badly to be civil towards me now, then fine. Don't be, but don't expect Buffy's friendship anymore."
"You tryin' to get her away from us? Are you making her do this?" Willow countered.
"Hey, this is not my idea." Faith replied, "Didn't you hear Buffy's little ultimatum; did it come from my lips? And if you decide to take your head outta your ass for a few seconds, you might realise that Buffy doesn't want this. So why don't you be civil to me, if not for her sake, but for yours." Faith paused, "Cause she will cut you off. And however much we've had our disagreements in the past, I know how much you care about B and I know you don't want to lose that."
Willow looked down at the ground, avoiding the eyes of Dawn et al. She wasn't sure what to say or what to do with the passionate words that Faith spoke. And if she looked down into herself, Willow could see the love in Faith's eyes…even what she said and how she said it spoke volumes about the adoration she felt for Buffy.
Faith spoke quietly this time, hoping she'd broken through Red's wall of hate, "But this is your choice Red. Your choice."
Willow nodded mutely and Faith sighed internally. Was this a signal that Willow accepted, maybe not liked, but accepted their relationship? Hopefully, she thought as Buffy made her way over to where the Slayerettes were sitting.
"You guys OK?" She asked tentatively, catching Faith's eye and asking wordless questions. She just nodded in response, and walked towards Buffy. Silently, the pair walked towards the bar leaving Willow to sit down dazedly on the couch next to Kennedy. "What was all that about? Will wasn't giving you a hard time was she?"
Faith shook her head as they reached the bar, immediately gaining the barman's attention. "Nah. In fact, I think Willow may have less problems with us tomorrow."
Buffy smiled, "You're a miracle worker, you know that?"
"It has been said."
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