Faith woke two hours later to find herself asleep in the chair in the lounge covered with a blanket and a pillow behind her head, the potentials were gone and she heard the sounds from outside telling her thatWesley had probably taken over for her.
The slayer uncurled herself in the chair and shrugged the blanket off her as she got out the chair and went to the window to see Wesley sat talking with Montoya and two of the other girls she'd brought to the hell mouth on the patio.
The groups had been sorted according to who had found them, So far Faith had nine, Xander had four, Willow had six and Giles had the most which was about thirteen even though he had had a lot of help from Buffy and Spike. Not like it was a competition of course.
Faith's little group consisted of Montoya who she had brought back first from Brazil, picking up little Clarity from Liberia in Columbia on her way back to California. Then she'd had to make a little trip to Europe to pick up some resources and chase up contacts for Giles, while there she had picked up three more girls Indigo, Jaquelle and Serenity. Then over the last few months she'd spent a lot of time persuading the latest four to come. Shanay had had reservations about leaving her family in Bombay, Nirvelli had just got injured in a fight and her parents had wanted her to stay in Jaffna, Sri Lanka with them until she was healed.
Aderes' parents didn't want her to do anything so dangerous without them being there, so it had been a few weeks in Ampanihy, Madagascar persuading them that she would be perfectly safe. And then when she was stopping over in Esmeraldas, Ecuador before flying up to LA She'd found young Gypsy on the street, reminding Faith of what she'd been like before she'd been found in Boston.
Gypsy had as much spunk as Faith had had before she'd gone on her little 'diet' and she was now the one flirting with Wesley, her big blue eyes and golden hair which curled in ringlets giving her the natural 'butter wouldn't melt' expression, that had been used on Xander many times causing her to get her own way, whether it was the last piece of pie or the best battle axe.
Faith felt an unfamiliar lump in her throat and her stomach growled. It took a while for the raven-haired slayer to realize she was jealous…
"Oh my gawd I really must be cutting out a lot of food to be jealous of Gypsy flirting with Wes," muttered Faith as she walked out the lounge and through the kitchen.
She paused as her hand went on the doorknob, part of her wanted to break up Gypsy's little flirting session so badly but the other was amused at what Wesley's reaction would be. When ever she'd flirted with him back in the old days it had been funny to see him blush and mutter as he took off his glasses and pretended to wipe them.
Faith bit her lip as she tried to think of what to do and in the end decided just to play the by-stander first and see what happened before breaking it up. She didn't want to ruin Gypsy's fun. That girl was like the raven-haired slayer's Achilles heel.
Faith checked she didn't look too much like death before opening the door and going into the garden.
The baby slayers were dotted all over the place in their small groups chatting amongst themselves about anything from Brad Pitt to Buffy and Spike's 'relationship'.
Faith rolled her eyes; they obviously had nothing better do if they were talking about Spike and Buffy. If only they knew about Angel and Buffy, oh the tales she could tell them about those two If only they knew.
Faith grinned to herself as she approached where Wesley, Montoya, Gypsy and Clarity were sat. Gypsy flirting with Wesley while Montoya and Clarity exchanged glances that she easily read, as 'Faith isn't going to like this'.
Faith leaned against the nearest wall listening to Gypsy, she really was a pro when it came to boosting guys' egos and Faith had to give her, her props the girl was a genius.
She felt Montoya and Clarity's gaze on her and looked down at the two, Clarity looked like she was about to warn Gypsy about Faith's presence but Faith shook her head, gesturing for her to let the younger girl go on.
Faith couldn't help but grin when Gypsy started comparing Wesley to Pierce Brosnan, she supposed in the right light he did but it was time to stop the charade before it got any further.
"Whose supposed to look like Pierce Brosnan? I don't see him anywhere around here." Said Faith with a grin that Clarity and Montoya soon reflected when Gypsy froze at the sound of the older slayer's voice.
Wesley looked up at his ex-charge and Faith could see the clear amusement twinkling in his stormy blue eyes like stars in a stormy night's sky.
"Um hi Faith…I didn't know you were standing there." Said Gypsy her normally pale complexion going a little pink as she began to curl a piece of golden hair around her index finger nervously.
"I guessed that some how. Gyps why don't you Toya and Clar go gather up the others and ask around for pizza orders for dinner?" asked Faith as she sat down beside Wesley.
She could feel Clarity and Montoya's eyes pass between her and Wesley as if they'd found out the two were secretly together.
"Um Ok. Come on Toya, Clar." Said Gypsy getting up, red spreading across her cheeks as she avoided looking at the older slayer.
"Should we come back for your orders later Faith?" asked Montoya as she and Clarity got up.
"Yeah you do that." Smiled Faith watching as the three girls separated into the crowd.
"You have them as good as trained don't you Faith?" asked Wesley with a slight grin.
"Nope…we just have an understanding…if they behave themselves and don't piss me off, I'll take them out on the odd patrol every few weeks." Shrugged Faith, brushing a piece of hair behind her ear.
"I doubt Giles and Buffy will like that if they find out." Said Wesley as he took aglance at whereGyspy waschattering with two blondes who were looking in his and Faith's direction before looking back at Faith.
"I doubt they will either but only if they find out. Your not going to tell are ya Wes?" asked Faith, her heart racing partly with fear that he would turn her in and partly with the way he was looking at her.
"Me? No. Why would I tell? But only if we have a little understanding of our own." Said Wesley, seeing the perfect opportunity to work his plan into action.
"Let me guess, the whole eat more thing right?" asked Faith rolling her eyes irritably at the fact he care so much about her health, though the mere prospect that he cared sent a warm feeling in her empty stomach.
"Yep that's right. You eat more and I don't tell Buffy or Giles about your little plan…seems a good exchange to me." shrugged Wesley as he looked back out to the crowd of Potentials.
Faith sighed as she considered the facts, there was a way to sweeten the deal though and that was the perfect way to talk to Wesley about the little topic of conversation they'd been avoiding for so long.
"Ok deal. But only if you come out on patrol with me and baby slayers. Its hard to control all nine of them when their hyped up on adrenaline." Said Faith looking pointedly at her ex-watcher.
"Ok fine. When's the next 'patrol'?" asked Wesley with much reluctance.
"Your in luck Wes, its tonight." Grinned Faith as she got up to gather together the orders from her charges.
Wesley groaned to himself, brilliant. What was he getting himself into?