AN: Sorry I didn't update for a while guys. Busy with the Buffy marathon that was going on here w/ me and my dad. Bonding time because he just got Season 7 and we finished it tonight with the big Spike's-a-burning-pillar-of-sunlight bashing. Strangely, Season 7 is the only one that I cry at. I'm highly emotional. Anyhoodles, here's Chapter 3 for you guys. Alrighty, nothing happened in Angel so Faith just kinda escaped jail... but not with Wes. I love writing Faith so we're gonna go along and put her in here. Smile, it'll soften the killing blow.

Chapter 3: Ring Around the Graveyard

"Honestly, guys! I'm fine! Just a bit jumpy from being dead and all," Buffy said. She stretched and grabbed her coat off the coatrack by the door. "I'll be back in a few hours. Just need to work out a few kinks in the body." She smiled reassuringly and left the house, whistling a jaunty tune.

Buffy walked down the road and was nearly at Restfield Cemetary when Spike popped out from a shadow. She sighed and continued walking, hoping to release a bit of stress on some unexpecting newbie. Her luck caught up to her when she saw a hand shoot out of a grave three yards to her left. She rolled her eyes when a head popped up and then the other hand.

"Uh, could one of ya'll help a feller out? I seem to be stuck. Coffin or some-odd," the Texan-sounding vamp explained.

"You're stuck? Well, I guess I could help you." Buffy went behind him andpulled him out of the ground. "See? All... un-stuck and dust."

The vamp gave her a confused look right before exploding into dust from her staking it. Buffy dusted off her hands and continued on the prowl for some unlucky undead. She caught three of them offguard and kicked the first in the head, sending it flailing about. She sent another a roundhouse kick to the stomach and she was knocked down by the third. She kicked its legs from underneath it and did a double-axel to her feet. She threw a stake and caught the first one. The second and third took off running and both exploded into dust as Buffy threw another stake. When the dust cleared, Faith stepped out.

"Hey, B. Heard you were dead. Not that I'm worried or anything but, hey. Can't blame a girl for being curious." Faith smiled at her sister slayer and walked over to Buffy.

"Faith," Buffy sighed. "Thought there was some sort of funkiness going around. Heard you were in jail. How'd that work out?" Buffy asked.

"Five by five. Second month in and boom, there I go, out the window. So, vamp action growing or am I just missing out on the small fryes?" They walked along more headstones and stopped at the entrance on the south side of the graveyard.

Buffy shrugged. "Ehh... I've been kinda... iffy on the whole subject. Being dead does that to ya. It's just... it's been three months, I'm getting back into the swing of things but also I feel like I'm missing part of the funny." She looked at Faith and waited but Faith said nothing, silently encouraging her to go on.

"Xander tells jokes, everyone laughs, except for me. I don't laugh anymore. I miss it. I have bitchy puns instead of catty ones. It's starting to scare off the vamps. They take the threats seriously. Something big is going down and I'm not in on the evil secret," Buffy finished.

"It's okay, B. Life's a bitch so kick its ass! I mean, you're not getting any of the laughs, but hey. Who is? Sometimes you just gota ride out the storm. You know, go with the flow until the flow is no mo'." Faith smiled. "It'll get better, B. Don't worry." They headed in the direction of Buffy's house.

Back at the Summers' house:

"I'm just worried is all," Willow confessed to Tara.

"Sweety, nothing has changed. Buffy's just... getting used to living. Give her time," theblonde witch reasoned wisely. She kissed Willow's forehead and snuggled into the covers with her girlfriend.

"You're right. She'll be fine," Willow concurred. She yawned and tried to talk at the same time. "Sleep now, worry later. Pankakes in the morning?"

"Funny shapes or round?" Tara asked.

"Funy shapes make my tummy happy. So we'll go with them," Willow said tiredly. She spooned against her lover and fell asleep quickly.

Downstairs:

Buffy opened the front door quietly, not wanting to wake anyone. She went inside and motioned for Faith to follow. The dark slayer quickly went through the door and closed it silently behind her. She went to the couch and flopped down.

"I'll be back with a pillow and blanket," Buffy whispered. She went to a trunk and opened it up, pulling out a pillow and blanket. When she retured to Faith, the darker slayer was fast asleep, exhausted from the six or so vamps they dusted that night. Buffy lifted the head of Faith up and slipped the pillow under and laid the blanket over.

She tiptoed upstairs and was nearly to her room when a white-hot, firey pain shot through her. She gasped at the sheer, exsquisite pain and fell unconscious as she felt something being shoved inside her heart. She collapsed from the pain in the hallway.