That night after most of the potentials had gone to sleep in their sleeping bags or on the couch or where ever else they could find a spot, Faith sat up in the kitchen talking to Willow. Despite all the teasing comments she used to make about her, she had always liked Willow for some reason or another. She was so sweet and innocent...was being the operate word there. It was obvious Buffy had not been the only one to change. Willow didn't seen depressed like the blonde, but it was obvious she was still heart broken over what Buffy had told her happened to Tara.

The only time Faith had met her was when she was in Buffy's body, and she knew she hadn't made the nicest impression on the girl but from how everyone talked about her, she had been the sweetheart of the group.

Xander didn't seem too different however, despite his recent lack of getting married. His personality was unchanged. He was lucky. The red head and Faith chatted for a little while...or did whatever Faith's version of chatting was. The girl didn't actually chat but more pigged out on leftovers and listened while Willow chatted, and then one of the potentials that had been introduced as Kennedy earlier entered the room. Faith wasn't sure, but she was getting the vibe from the two of them like something was going on and she was already on information overload for the day. So she just decided to turn in like everyone else.

She figured Buffy would already be asleep when se got to her room but instead was just kind of sitting there in her own little world.

"Mind if I borrow something to sleep in? Don't really have any clothes except the ones I got on." Buffy looked up at her suddenly, as though she had just realized the younger girl was there.

"Yeah, sure." She got up and rummaged through a dresser drawer, pulling out a tank top and pajama bottoms and handing them to Faith. She just continued to stare at the girl and Faith walked to the other side of the room and changed right in front of her, paying her presence no mind or attention.

"Faith!"

She finished pulling the tank top down and turned back around to look at the girl like she wasn't sure what she had done at first. "What?"

Buffy quickly tried to stop her face from blushing. "Nothing." She still found herself turning around to face the wall instead though. But Faith was right not to think about it. They were both girls. Girls change in front of each other all the time. She shouldn't have even thought about it. So why had she? She decided that maybe she didn't want to think about it. She laid down in her bed on the side near the door and pulled the comforter up to her waist as Faith crawled in the other side.

"Thanks for letting me stay here." She said simply just to be sure Buffy knew she appreciated it. She really hadn't had anywhere else to go and without any money it would have been hard to have found another place to stay like she thought she'd have to.

Buffy turned around to face her. Seeing Faith again had put in in a very reflective mood. "Do you ever think about how things should've gone?"

"Nah, no point." The brunette answered immediately, lying through her teeth.

"I wish-" Buffy let out a breath, knowing she couldn't get the rest out and deciding that she would go with something safer. "I wish all that crap hadn't happened to you."

Faith looked down. "Well, from what you've filled me in on you haven't had it easy there either, B."

"No." She carefully placed a cold hand at about where her dagger scar was and rested it there. "I wish that had never happened to you. I knew you wouldn't have done it to me. I mean- I tried to kill you. Could you have done that to me?"

Faith shook her head slowly. "No...but I coulda gotten close...I did get close, and I coulda done it to a lot of other people. I started it."

Buffy's hand reached over and found Faith's somehow, surprising the girl a little. "And I should have found another way to end it."

"What are ya doing, B?" She didn't let go of Faith's hand. Faith couldn't get over how much she had changed. No way would she have done that a few years ago.

"I'm just so tired Faith." There was pleading in her voice and Faith started to wonder if maybe...

She didn't do anything but nod and squeeze Buffy's hand back a little for reassurance. "Go to sleep, B. Tomorrow u'll be harder."

Buffy gave her a saddened look and closed her eyes, falling asleep almost immediately as Faith kept watch of her for a while before falling asleep herself.

"Faith? Faith?" Buffy sat up in bed and reached over to where Faith should be. The bed was empty and cold. She looked around with a sense of urgency, an unknown panic filling her body until she felt like screaming. The dark room looked empty at first, but when she looked again she saw something standing in the shadows. Faith. She came closer slowly and Buffy's heart filled with dread as she noticed the dagger in Faith's side and the younger girl staring down at her blood filled hands.

She looked up at Buffy with a pain filled face. "Why?"

Buffy snapped awake and shot up to a sitting position, immediately reaching over to Faith and only relaxed a little when she felt the slayer's body there. She turned to look at her and screamed out her name. She was dead. Faith was laying there dead and Buffy's hand felt the blood and saw her whitened face and wide open eyes still staring across at her in shock. She screamed again as she began to cry.

"Buffy? Buffy! What's wrong?" She opened her eyes to Faith leaning over her and gently shaking her awake as she tried to catch her breath and stop crying. But the tears refused to quit and before she knew it she found herself pulling Faith down and hugging her like the world was about to end.

"I'm so sorry! I'm so, so sorry!" She continued to cry and the tears streamed down to Faith's shoulder. The other girl was a bit confused and a little worried for Buffy, but she didn't pull away or stop her. She just let Buffy hold onto her and cry and tried to breathe despite Buffy's almost rib breaking hold. She was going to have some definite bruises later, but she didn't care.

Finally, after several minutes, Buffy loosened her death grip somewhat and laid her head back down, putting enough distance between the two girls to see each other's faces. Buffy stared up at her with tear stained eyes just to make double sure that Faith was really there and ok and Faith stared back trying to figure out Buffy's odd behavior. But before she could get enough thoughts in her head to think about anything Buffy's lips were suddenly on hers and the older girl had her arms wrapped around her again. As soon as Faith could even process what was going on all thoughts fell out the window and she tried to figure out what she should do. Buffy let up too soon, however, and backed her face away with the fear of God in her eyes. Faith became even more confused.

"Faith-"

"It's ok." The girl shook her head and comforted her as she backed away slowly from her position leaning over Buffy.

"I don't care anymore." She let out quickly. "I was so scared- I...please don't leave."

Faith could only stare dumbfounded. Buffy had kissed her. What was up with that? And why would she leave? Buffy wasn't a lesbian...she didn't think. And neither was Faith. Not that she had ever really given it any thought. Maybe it was just a panic thing? She searched Buffy's eyes for an answer and what she found confused her more. She always had a little bit of a crush on Buffy but she had never thought about-

"I don't care anymore." Buffy said, interrupting her thoughts almost defensively at her stare. "I missed you and I just- I just don't want anything to happen again."

"It's gonna be ok Buffy." Faith said seriously.

"Do you mind?" Buffy asked softly, praying that she didn't.

Faith shook her head 'no' and Buffy began devouring her mouth again, this time leaning over on top of Faith and holding her to her again, except softer this time. She kissed her with the ferocity of years of wanting and caring and holding back and finally letting all of it go. And after a moment, Faith kissed her back with just as much frustration. She caressed the side of Faith's face and held herself off of her with the other arm, not wanting to completely invade her space. But soon after Faith started responding she put a hand at Buffy's back and gently pushed her down closer to her, telling her it was ok, and then rubbing up and down her back over her shirt soothingly in a very un Faith-like way.

They kissed that way for a while, and then Buffy finally pulled away with a new reassurance. If Faith or anyone else had asked her exactly what just happened she would have had no idea what to tell them. But thankfully Faith didn't ask and no one else knew. The brunette just stared with slightly bigger than normal eyes. Buffy laid back down on her side facing Faith and stared back for a little while.

Neither ever said a word until Buffy finally muttered an "I'm sorry" softly as she finally began to fall back asleep.

Faith, still wide awake from the encounter, answered with a "me too" before she turned over and closed her eyes, hoping for sleep.