Faith couldn't believe the idiot that they'd hired to 'teach' them a new routine. What a joke. And then, at Regionals, when they found out what a crock it was, she wasn't really surprised.

Surprised, maybe, at how many people the idiot had suckered in, but not surprised overall.

She'd noticed that Xander seemed to have a thing for Torrance. She hoped that he wasn't going to get his heart broken. Again. First Cordy, then Anya, even she'd taken a stab at his heart. She'd really hoped that this time he wouldn't. But she knew that Torrance already

had a boyfriend. Even though he was at collage.

So, after Regionals, she wasn't surprised when he came home sad, dejected, and rejected. The vampires that night got their asses' kicked by one pissed off teenager. Faith and Spike just stayed out of his way and watched.

"What's up with him, Slayer?" Spike asked at one point.

"Found out the girl he likes has a boyfriend already."

"Ah. Figured it was a bird that had him all pissy. Not much else gets him that pissed. Well, except for me."

Faith grinned. "You can make anyone that pissy. Even Angel."

Spike chuckled. "Especially Angel."

A week went by. Faith's days were dominated by practice. She even dreamed of cheering. She took swing classes, watched musicals, taught the squad martial arts, did interpretive dances, even took some mime classes. That one scared her a bit. Mime. A mime is a terrible thing to waste, or so she was told.

Meanwhile, Torrance broke up with her boyfriend, and tried to get Xander to talk to her. That didn't work.

One day, while she was practicing, Xander came down the stairs and started to imitate her.

"Bite me."

"Hanging out with the airheads has really sharpened your verbal skills, huh."

"Screw you."

"Said the cheerleader."

"That's right, I am a cheerleader. And you're a dumbass. Torrance likes you. Okay? She likes you."

"She has an odd way of showing it."

"Don't be stupid. She broke up with her boyfriend for you."

"Yeah."

"Look. Do us all a favor and get over yourself and tell her how you feel."

"I thought I had."

"Well try again. And let me give you a little tip from a cheerleader. Be aggressive. Be-ee aggressive."

They all flew down to Florida two days later. Faith had let Angel know that she was going to Florida, and he'd sent her a ticket. Xander wasn't sure if he was going to go to Nationals, so he didn't buy a ticket at that time.

"So, is your family coming?" Torrance probed.

"I don't know if Cliff is coming." Faith smiled. Torrance shook her head.

"I totally blew it with Cliff."

"Forget it. My brother's an idiot."

"You're his sister. You don't see him like I do." Faith chuckled, mentally. Not anymore, I don't.

"Yeah. And that's a good thing. Because that would be a crime."

Two days later, after the preliminaries were done and over with, they moved onto the finals. The night before, Torrance and Faith sat up on their bed and talked for a while.

"I don't know which is scarier, neurotic cheerleaders or the pressure to win. I could make a killing selling something like Diet Prozac."

"Thank god you're here this season, Missy. I couldn't have done it alone."

"Oh. Tear."

"No, I mean it!"

Faith rolled her eyes when she heard a squad outside rehearsing. At night. How stupid could you get? She walked to the window and yelled, "Shut up! You don't got it yet, you don't got it! Give it up already!"

The next day was finals. The Clovers were up first. They did their routine, and Faith had to admit that they were good. They finished, and the crowd love them. Something in the crowd caught her eye. There was Xander. And...Cordy! Buffy, Giles, Dawn, Willow, everyone! Her family did show up. Oh, god.

And they had video cameras. She'd never live this one down. Spike'd make sure of that.

Torrance was not feeling good about this. They were good. They were really good. Then Missy tapped her on the shoulder, and pointed out Cliff, and immediately she felt better. He seemed to have a bunch of other people with him. Must be friends from L.A. she guessed.

Seeing Xander seemed to be the thing that she needed. She turned to the squad and gave a pep-talk that got them roaring. They performed their routine, and it was the best that they'd ever done. Considering how bad they'd done at Regionals, Faith was surprised that they were one of the top five teams. Talk about a comeback.

She hoped that they won any place. She'd never been part of something that actually won anything. There's a first for everything, right?

"And in second place – this was a tough decision, as there were two outstanding performances this year. In second place, from San Diego, California, the Rancho Carne Toros!"

Faith was ready to be upset, if everyone else was. But she was happy that they'd made it to second place. How would everyone else feel, after not getting first place?

"Second place, hell yeah!"

Guess that answered that question.

"Look. My very own Spirit Stick. So, you think the curse is broken?"

"I don't believe in curses anymore."

"Oh, really."

"No." Faith dangled the spirit stick from her fingertips for a few seconds before dropping it.

After a second or two, Torrance bent down and snatched it up.

"Maybe we should burn that, just in case."

"Right."

Xander appeared, and gave Faith a hug.

"Congratulations."

"Oh, thanks. Uh, you remember my friend Torrance, right?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"We'll talk later." Faith leaves.

"So. Second place. How's it feel?"

"Feels like first."

They smile at each other like idiots for a minute, then Torrance grabed him and kisses him.

Out in the stands, Buffy, Dawn, Giles, Cordy, Willow, Fred, and Gunn watched. And took pictures.

"Looks like Xander found himself a girlfriend. Think she's human?

That'd be a first, right? Well, except for you, Cordy, and you were

always, how do I put this, more than 'merely human.'"

"That's true. I was. Still am. And yes, I'd say that she was human. I don't think that Faith'd let her near him if she wasn't." Cordiela shrugged.

"That's true." Willow nodded.

"Besides, I don't think demons are much into cheerleading. Now, eating cheerleaders, that's another mater entirely." Everyone chuckled.

"So, do you think they're going to mind staying for a few more months?" Giles asked.

"Naw."

"Don't think so."

"Are you kidding? They'll love it. At least this way, Faith can officially get her diploma. Even if it isn't in her name. But then, she could always change her name." Buffy said.

They all looked at each other, then shook their heads.

"Naw."

Faith will always be Faith. No mater who she pretended to be.

The End