The Next Day

"So Angelcakes you want to go after the friend of the police chief? Well aren't you turning out to be the real go getter." Lorne said as he sat in the living room.

"Yeah anyways…can you help?"

"Of course. I'll send Kathy somewhere she won't even know where it is." He said with a laugh.

"Um…yeah anyways, what about everyone else?"

"Sure. They'll be separated though. I'll send her couple pals to separate location."

"Spike's staying here. He's girlfriend doesn't want to leave, but…she's going through some stuff so they'll be here. It's just Kathy, Willow and Oz and then Xander and Cordelia." Angel told his friend.

"Okay no problem." Lorne said getting out of his chair. "Well I've got to go. I'll talk to you when everything is set." He said to Angel. "It was nice to meet you honey." He said to Buffy before leaving the apartment.

Angel turned to Buffy. "Buffy are you alright?" Angel asked.

"Yeah I'm just…well…didn't you say he was a lawyer?"

"Well actually Lorne heads up the entertainment division of a law firm in LA."

"And how is it that he'll be helping us?"

"He knows a lot of secret hiding places for the gang. Places no one knows about." He told her.

"How?"

"Well his clients hide there." He said with a chuckle.

Buffy just laughed. "You sure do know some strange people." She said with a smile.

Angel just laughed and hugged her. "Buffy…I…I want to help you as much as possible. I think we both need some closer to all this. Once Riley Finn is behind bars, then I think we'll both feel a whole lot better."
"Thank you so much Angel. I really appreciate all that you're trying to do for me."

"I care about you Buffy. I don't want anything bad happening to you." He told her, squeezing her a little bit closer to his body.

"I care about you too Angel. That's kind of why I don't want you too involved in this. I don't want anything to happen to you or Kathy, but I understand why you have to do this." She said as she squeezed him back.

"Aw look at the love birds." Spike said as he entered the living room with Faith.

"What's up?" Angel asked as he and Buffy parted, still holding hands.

"Nothing, we just got sick of sitting in Faith living room."

"Hey Faith." Buffy said to the older girl.

"Hey B. How you been?"

"Looks like I've been better than you." The blonde said softly to the brunette.

Faith only nodded. "Can we talk?" Faith asked nodding her head to the balcony just outside of the kitchen.

"Sure." Buffy replied, following the other girl out the living room.

"So what's up Faith?" Buffy asked once the two girls were outside.

"I'm really sorry for what happened to you." Faith told her as she looked out over the city.

"No reason to. You're not the one who raped me. Riley did."

"Yeah…I just…well I know how it feels, to be…violated like that. I just wanted you to know that I'm right there with you." She whispered.

"I know. Faith look…I know you and I don't really know each other very well but…I'd like to. I think you're cool and I'd love it if we could be friends." She told the brunette placing a comforting hand on the girls shoulder.

Faith looked up abruptly. No one had ever made a conscious effort to get to know her. Not even Spike. He just let her talk when she was ready. It didn't really bother him that they hardly knew each other despite their three year on and off relationship. "I…I'd like that too." She said with a small smile.

"Great, so how about tomorrow afternoon you come with Cordelia, Willow and I to the mall." She asked. At Faith hesitant look Buffy continued. "My friends are really cool and I'd love it if the four of us could all be good friends." She told her.

Faith only nodded her head. "What time?"

"One."
"Okay, I'll steal some money from Spike's wallet tonight while he's asleep." She said with a smile.

Buffy only laughed.