Chapter Four

A/N: Yes, I know that Faith showed up in Sunnydale when she was 15 and not before that, but in my story she lived in Sunnydale with a foster mother, and grew up with the Scoobies and Buffy.

"So…Faith," Max started, "How long have you known Tess?"

"About 10 years," She replied, taking another bite of dessert, "Naesado brought her to Sunnydale for protection as well as training when he went to look for you three." She looked from Max, to Michael, to Isabel as she said it, making them all the more uncomfortable.

"So you know about…about us?" Isabel asked.

Faith nodded as Michael leaned forward in his seat, "How much?" He asked taking on his protector tone.

"Everything," she said as if it were nothing, "Naesado wanted me and the Scoobs to be prepared for any one that might have come for Tess. I know all about Antar, about your past lives, your past history…past loves," she said looking pointedly at Max. She was still pretty pissed at him for what he was doing to Tess, but, as she had promised to her friend, she would not hurt him…much. "I know about your deaths, and any other thing that happened on Antar, courtesy of Tess." She nodded to the corner of the room where Tess was in a conversation with Jim.

"But Tess doesn't remember that much about Antar," Liz butted in, "She couldn't have told you EVERYTHING…"

Faith's stone cold gaze drifted to Liz, the prissy earth girl who didn't know shit about what she was talking about or what her affair with Max was doing to Tess. "She remembers more than you could ever know."

Just then Tess came back to the table, "Hey, Jim said you could stay with us…under one condition…" She leaned in and whispered something to Faith who readily agreed. "Thanks, you have know idea how rusty I am…"

"Oh, I have a pretty good idea," Faith said jokingly, "After all, you were a little shaky with the knife, so I can only imagine how badly you let yourself go with the…"

"Shut it," Tess said again, smacking Faith's arm. She reached over and grabbed her coat, motioning for Faith to do the same. Soon everyone had interpreting this as the night being over, time to leave…which it was.

The group started to head for the exit, Tess and Faith taking the lead, many of the group following behind confusedly.

Everyone follow Tess and Faith out of the building carrying on their own conversations. Liz was walking with Maria, who was dragging along Michael.

"So…what do you think of Faith knowing all about you guys?" Liz asked Michael.

He merely shrugged, Maria huffed, "I don't think it is such a good idea that she knows also."

Michael shrugged again, "I think that there are already too many people who know about you guys…"

"And whose fault would that be?" Michael asked looking pointedly at Liz.

"What…I…Don't you dare go saying that about Liz, she didn't do anything wrong!" Maria said in a disbelieving tone.

"Oh yes," Michael said sarcastically, "Telling everyone our secret after she was told not to is certainly doing nothing wrong! And afterall, Tess deserves to have someone she can talk to besides Kyle who really doesn't know all that much."

"Are you saying that you'd rather I didn't know about you?" Maria asked getting all worked up.

"At this point, YES!" Michael answered as he fell behind the girls meeting up with Isabel, feeling no remorse for what he had just said. He was sick of their secret being in danger everyday due to the sheer number of people who knew about them, all thanks to Max, the great leader.

"Can you believe Max?" They both asked at the same time. They looked at each other, and looked away laughing…

-

"This will be a great opportunity for you guys don't you think?" Alex asked Isabel, mid ramble of what he had concluded about Antar and the aliens' history. "I mean, if Tess remembers as much as Faith says she does, and Faith knows the same amount, than you all could talk to Faith, since Tess isn't talking, and actually find out what happened to you guys back then…"

"We know what happened," Isabel said icily, "Max loved Tess, he married her, she died to protect him because I betrayed them to our enemy…Michael…he died protecting me from Kivar…he…I…" tears started welling up in her eyes. "Tess is my friend, and I let her alone because Max didn't trust her. She has done nothing but try to help and protect us all and no one accepts her…"

"Okay…" Alex said completely getting lost in what Isabel was trying to convey to him.

"She doesn't deserve that, can you believe Max?" she asked, venom in her voice. "He loved her, she dies for him, and nowhe treats her like shit, at least have a little more respect for her…"

She saw Michael drop back behind Liz and Maria and sped up to meet him, leaving Alex alone and confused.

"Can you believe Max?"

-

"Hey you didn't seem all that shocked when Tess threw the knife..." Max said stepping up beside Kyle as he walked with his dad.

"I guess not," he said, leaving it at that, hoping that Max would walk away, but when he didn't he elaborated, "She did something like it during spring break."

Max just made an O shape and continued to keep up the pace with the Valenti men. "So who is Faith, exactly?"

Kyle sighed, "No one you should be worried about" was his curt reply.

Max just continued to walk in silence next to Kyle behind the Tess and Faith. Kyle who was still fuming at what Max was putting Tess, his sister-I-never-had, through, kept silent also attempting not to hurt Max like he had promised Tess.

-

Faith and Tess continued to walk a head of the group, carrying on a low conversation. "So, Buffy said she'd come visit?"

"Yup, and you know B, she says it, she'll do it."

"I can't wait," Tess said getting excited, "Do you know what this means?"

Faith took a moment to think, "We have to see all the spuffy action?" Tess just looked at her confused, "Oh that's right she hasn't exactly seen them together yet…" "Trust me Tess, it is really sweet...in a kind of creepy love/hate way. They'll be all over each other." She shuddered.

Tess shook her head at her friends antics, "No…remember what follows the Slayers?"

"…Demons?"

"Yeah, and Vampires, Oh God, I haven't staked a decent vamp in so long…"

Just as she said this a pale arm reached out from the alley way and grabbed Tess' shoulder. She immediately went on the defensive, flipping the owner of the arm over her shoulder.

The bleach haired man, landed on the ground with an oomph, letting off a stream of curses in his British accent in the process. When Tess finally got a look at whom she had flipped she immediately knelt down to help him up. "OMG! Spike I am so sorry! I didn't know it was you!"

"Bloody good welcoming that was," He muttered sarcastically, "Look, now me duster's all dirty," He said brushing off the invisible dirt, opening his arms to Tess, who jumped in it and gave him a brotherly hug. A throat cleared behind her as she turned to face two jealous faces, she blushed.

"Sorry, this is Spike, he was like a brother to me in Sunnydale."

"Thanks Nibblet," He replied in his usual sarcastic way, "who would ever want to be your brother?"

That just earned him a jab in the ribs, by a pointy elbow, "Hardy Har, Hardy Har…" Tess said.

"So…where's B? She coming?" Faith asked.

"She's here," a voice replied from the alley, as a blond woman in a white sweater and black pants stepped out of the darkness. "And Tess, excellent form on the flip, I couldn't have done it better myself."

"Yes you could have," Tess replied, giving her a friendly hug

"Hey B," Faith said.

Tess turned to her new friends, "Guys this is Buffy Summers."