A/N: Written for the tth 'Fic-for-all' no. 132

Pairing: Faith/ Tru Davies

Disclaimer: I own naught

Timeline: Meredith doesn't exist. This takes place the Christmas after S7 of Buffy and I'm saying that she's in the middle age wise of Harrison and Tru.

Review Response: Thanks to Matt for reading and reviewing! I hope you like this new ficlet.

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

"I'll get it!" Tru Davies jogged over to the door and yanked it open, surprised for someone to be calling on Christmas Eve.

Her face fell as she saw who it was. "What do you want?"

The visitor, who looked enough alike her to be her double, looked uneasy. "Nice to see you too, sis."

Tru kept blocking the doorway. "What do you want, Faith?"

"Who is it?" A voice called signalling Harrison's arrival to the scene. "Faith? Aren't you supposed to be, you know…"

"What, did you break out?" Tru said scathingly.

Faith narrowed her eyes, deciding at that moment not to tell her sister that she was right. "My record has been wiped clean."

Tru was surprised at that. When her sister had left, she hadn't known why- she still didn't really. The only news they'd had was when a reporter appeared on their doorstep to ask how they'd felt about their sister being charged with the murder of the deputy mayor amongst other things.

"Can I come in?"

Tru's first instinct was to say no. "Why are you here, Faith?"

"The past six months or whatever I've had a lot of making up to do. Things are pretty much okay with the Scoobs now, but you guys are my family."

"The Scoobs?"

"The people I tried to kill."

"And they're okay with that?"

"They get it, but I don't want to talk about them right now. Please, just give me a chance. I've changed, I promise you."

Tru stood aside to allow her to go inside.

"Thank you." Faith turned to her brother still standing back in the hallway, his arms folded across his chest. "Heya Harry."

"Hi." He said curtly before turning away and going back into the kitchen.

She flinched at his tone. "I'm sorry; I thought I could do this…" She bolted from the door and ran away.

"Nice one Harry!" Tru muttered before running after her sister. She'd seen the tears glossing up Faith's eyes- that's why she'd followed. Her younger sister had barely cried when their mother had died, and never in front of people. Sometimes you heard the sobbing in her room, but other than that you might be tempted to believe she didn't really care. There was the evidence that she'd changed- she had emotions now.

"Faith, wait up!" Since when could the younger of the Davies sisters outrun her anyway?

Faith heard Tru calling her, but she didn't stop. She kept running until she came to a park and curled up on one of the benches. When Tru eventually caught up she sat next to her on the bench.

"Why did you run away?"

"Why do you think?"

She tried a different tactic. "How've you been?"

"Five-by-five."

Tru clucked her tongue in irritation- she remembered when she'd first picked up that annoying phrase. "You can't just expect us to be alright with what you did."

"You think I expect that? I killed people; I tried to kill my friends! I don't understand how they can even talk to me after what I did- I'm not proud of it, you know. I just don't want you to hate me."

"We don't."

"Oh yeah? Try telling yourself that a few more times and you might start to believe it."

"I mean it Faith, we really don't. We just don't understand how you got to be that way. Why did you change so much? When did you become a murderer?"

Faith decided to give her sister some sort of explanation, she owed her that much. "It was an accident. At the time, I was kinda screwed up- my…teacher died and then someone I trusted turned on me. Me and a friend were attacked in an alley. We managed to fight them off, but this guy turned up from nowhere and I didn't know he was one of the good guys so I stabbed him and he died." Faith looked over to see that Tru was still listening before continuing. "I didn't want to go to prison. I had to lie to keep out, but someone knew the truth and managed to talk me into doing 'jobs' for him. I didn't mean to hurt anyone, I swear it."

Tru looked at her, searching her eyes for the truth. "I believe you."

"You do?"

"Faith, you were always a crappy liar, I know that you're telling the truth now. But why didn't you tell us sooner? We could have helped you."

"I didn't want your help, I deserved everything I got." She looked away. "I didn't want you to know how screwed up I was."

That sounded so much like her sister. To proud to accept help. When they were young they'd always got along well. Since they were little they'd looked so much alike, they could have been twins, and Tru believed that that had made them closer. "Come on."

"What?"

"You didn't think we'd chuck you out did you?"

Faith smiled a bit sheepishly.

"It's Christmas, you belong with your family."

"But Harry-"

"-Will get used to it. He's not exactly perfect."

"Thank you."

Tru hugged her sister who, to her surprise, hugged her back. Faith hadn't been much of a huggy person, but now she was practically suffocating her.

"Need…air!"

Faith pulled back. "Sorry."

"S' okay." Was it the hug or everything? Could she forgive her after everything that had happened? Yes, she could. "I mean it."

"Really? About everything?"

Tru nodded. "Of course I can- It's what big sister's are for."

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WALKING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!