Giles lead Buffy to a side of the room. He picked up another little piece of food to have something to do. It seemed this might become a serious discussion. Buffy watched the other Scoobies for moment. Spike caught her eye and raised an eyebrow – asking if she was okay. She nodded.

"Buffy," Giles prompted.

"Is, ah, is… Faith too evil to let out of prison?" Buffy asked in a rush.

Giles was silent for a moment. He didn't even take a bite of his cheese.

"She gave herself up, Buffy. That shows her intentions are good. With the proper training and a supportive Watcher…"

Buffy snorted.

"With a supportive Watcher, she could do very well. especially if you willing to give up the primary Slayer position."

"I died. I want to have my life now that I have it, you know?"

"I understand that. You will have to be respect the new Watcher and answer to them in all things Slayer related, as will I. The only way it will work is if both of us are under Faith and her Watcher."

"You meant that figuratively, didn't you?" Buffy asked.

Giles choked on his cheese. Xander and Willow appeared by their side. If Buffy had shocked Giles, something might be wrong.

Buffy was very pleased with the effect she had had on her Watcher. And he hadn't seemed to mind the idea of Faith coming to Sunnydale. Maybe he'd already thought of that, she thought. Oddly, the idea of Giles thinking of those things didn't upset her. She knew that that was part of his job; think of the things she might not be able to.

She shook her head at the concerned questions from Willow and Xander. Giles was still in no state to answer.

"I want to invite Faith to Sunnydale," Buffy said. "To be the active Slayer."

It took Xander and Willow each a moment to process what she said. Buffy decided that in her still disconnected state she could take their reactions as comical.

Xander's eye twitched and he clamped a hand over it. Willow kicked him, and managed to school her features into confused understanding.

"Giles thinks it's a good idea."

Giles nodded.

"He's about to pass out," Xander said.

"That was something else," Giles said, managed to swallowed the cheese.

"Okay," Willow said. "So we get the Watcher's council to get the government to let Faith out of prison. Will they do that? She did turn herself in."

"I think we could just ask the President," Giles said.

Willow seemed almost overwhelmed by the thought. Xander was still having problems processing the first part of the conversation.

"We trust her?"

"She'll prove herself," Buffy said.

"We'll find her a Watcher," Giles said.

"Wesley?" Willow asked, sceptically.

"I think he and Faith have reached an agreement not to talk to each other," Giles said, slowly.

"She tortured him," Buffy told them.

Xander whistled. "And we still want to let her out of prison?"

"I've got some names," Giles said. "Someone who knew her first Watcher, and who has been out of England for a few years would probably be a better bet."

"Lord Marbury?" Willow asked.

She looked over to where the lanky man was defending himself to Anya, under the amused appraisal of both Abbey and Leo. Xander smiled at the sight.

"We can work out that part, later," Giles said. "But Lord Marbury is not an appropriate choice. As Lord Watcher he's not an member of this division of the Council. And he's the Ambassador for England, he has to stay here."

"Do we discuss it with the others?" Willow asked.

"No," Buffy said, shortly.

She still feel really up to convincing anyone of anything. She didn't care what anyone thought of what she wanted. She wanted a break, they had to understand that. At least she didn't have to tell them why.

Willow was half a beat behind Xander in accepting her declaration. Giles was watching them carefully, ready to defend her to them. Buffy wanted to cry, again. She had spent several minutes in the corridor of the First Family's residence in tears while Abbey sat beside her.

"So who made the decision?" Xander asked.

Giles blinked and looked at Xander with a strange respect.

"I did," he said. "I'll talk to the President."

"I'll come," Xander said. "A chance to talk to big man himself, it can be my thing."

Willow grinned at him.

"Buffy, are you okay?" Willow asked, gently, as the boys left.

Willow sounded almost professional. Buffy nodded once, succinctly, acknowledging that. Her resolve broke a moment later. Willow held her arm out. Buffy hugged her best friend closely. It felt good to be held, even when the rest of the world was so stark and hard.

Dawn had been explaining to Sam and Josh what life as the younger sibling was like when she saw Buffy collapse into Willow's arms. She quickly hurried away to lend her support.

"Sweet kid," Sam said.

"They really love each other," Josh said, watching as Buffy wrapped her arms around her sister.

Sam gripped Josh's shoulder. Charlie appeared at Sam's elbow.

"So I just wanted to ask…"

"Yes," Josh prompted.

"What's going on?"

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

Charlie raised a suspicious eyebrow. Sam had seemed nonchalant, but Charlie wasn't buying it. He glanced around the room.

"The bright young blonde is crying on her friends' shoulders. That guy looks like he wants to eat her. Abbey is more upset with whatever Marbury is saying than Leo. Donna and C.J have a sisterly vibe going that they didn't before."

"They didn't?" Sam asked.

"No, they had whole tension thing going over Josh, sorry man."

Josh shook his head. He's obviously missed something somewhere. It would take some thinking about. Charlie ignored him and turned back to Sam.

"You're good with words, how short can you make it?"

"Do you believe in magic?"

"No."

"Then not very short," Sam said.

Charlie sighed.