Faith stood frozen in the middle of the living room, trying to form a coherent thought after Buffy's admission that she wanted her.
'All my life there was only one person that tried to be my friend, - went out of her way when I had no right or reason to expect her to - and I screwed her.' The brunette's own words echoed through her head. "You remember that fight we had right before I went to prison?"
"On Angel's roof."
"I had the balls to ask you what I could do to make it right?" the former rogue Slayer scoffed.
"You're not gonna run, Faith." The blonde was slowly walking up to her.
"What do you wanna do?" The dark slayer paused. "You're gonna throw me off the roof -again?" Faith replied bitterly with her back to her former Slaying partner.
"Any reason why I shouldn't?" Buffy asked letting her anger for the girl slip through.
"There is nothing I can do for you, B. I can't ever make it right." The brunette shrugged defeated, turning towards the chosen one.
"So you're just going to take off again. Leave us to clean up yet another one of your messes."
"It would make things easier for you."
"Till you got bored with the whole guilt thing - decided to come back to shake things up?" Buffy said as the two slowly made their way towards each other.
"That's not gonna happen." The rouge Slayer said with conviction.
"You're right… It's not." The chosen one replied through clenched teeth.
"Angel said there was no way you were gonna give me a chance."
"I gave you every chance! I tried so hard to help you, and you spat on me. My life was just something for you to play with. Angel - Riley - anything that you could take from me - you took. I've lost battles before - but nobody else has -ever- made me a victim."
"And you can't stand that. You're all about control. You have no idea what it's like on the other side! Where nothing's in control, nothing makes sense! There is just pain and hate and nothing you do means anything. You can't even.."
"Shut up!" The blonde shouted.
"Just tell me how to make it better." Pleading was the only solution she had left.
"You did…" Buffy said, standing and walking over to her."When you saved Angel…and fought by my side against the First." She took the brunette's hand in her own.
"Only 'cause I had too…if you…" Faith was cut off by the slender finger on her lips.
"You could have run... After you broke out…you didn't have to come back with Willow…but you did." Buffy removed her finger and started tracing, delicately, the line of the brunette's jaw.
"What can I say? I'm a sucker for a good fight…especially when it's by your side." Faith quipped. "Always know how to make a girl horny, B." Faith grinned, pulling the smaller girl in her arms.
"I'm being serious, Faith." She playfully slapped her on the arm.
"I know, B." the girl sighed and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "You said you don't want another Angel disaster…Well," she paused and placed her chin on top of the smaller slayer's head, pulling their two bodies closer. "I don't want another Jamie."
2 months ago…
It had been several months since they had settled in Lakewood, California. It was nice and peaceful, sometimes too peaceful for the elder Slayers. But one thing they knew was they had gotten closer. Now, sitting in a local diner - this had become a nightly ritual for the two, sort of a release…since there was not much in the way of slayage going on. The sexual tension between them was getting thicker.
"Here you go, ladies." The waitress placed the several plates on the table.
"Thank you." Buffy said taking a fry off her plate first, rolling it in her finger she glanced up at Faith. "Do you sense some oggly-booglies?" Her eyes were wondering around the diner in search of some vamps, but she knew there weren't any. She was getting something like what Faith described as "A good down low tickle." How low, she was surprised by and wasn't sure she was ready to admit.
"What the hell is going on?" Swallowing hard, Faith shook her head as she thought to herself.
"Um, B…I think we might have a situation…major overload." Neither of them really knew how they should approach the subject. There was only one other person that caused her to feel what she was feeling…and that person was the origin of her mantra 'get some, get gone'. "I lied to you." Faith sighed as flash of anger appeared in Buffy's eyes. "Chill, B…it's not really a lie more like an omission."
"Spill it, Faith."
"Ok… No need for the 'tude." Pausing she licked her lips. Suddenly, she didn't feel like she wanted to reveal anything but she could tell Buffy wasn't in the mood for games. "Remember when I told you that I was a loser magnet?"
"Faith?" the blonde's patience was wearing thin.
"Well… I was in love once before."
"I'm serious, Aiden." A girl cut her off as they walked into the dinner.
"A witch? Come on, Ash…And demons. That's a little far fetched…we're not in a fairy tale." He said as they sat at the counter.
"Yeah, you're definitely not Prince Charming." The girl snorted.
At their table across dinner, the two slayers looked at each other. Wordlessly the two slayers stood and made their way over to the young friends. "Yo, kid, what did this witch look like?" Faith said being the first to speak up.
"My name is not Kid…It's Ashley." The young brunette drawled out. "Here, say it with me…Ash-ley."Rolling her eyes. "And this stud is my best friend Aiden."
Putting an arm in front of her partner Buffy tried again. "I'm sorry, you'll have to excuse Faith, she's lacking what I like to call tact." She went to open her mouth when Faith cut her off.
"Don't correct me, B." Faith glared at both of them. "If Ashley's got news some Big Bad I wanna know about it."
"Well there's the Faith I know and love…I was wondering how long it would take for her to come out." Buffy closed her eyes, immediately regretting her words.
"Man screw that…better yet screw you." Faith shouted, waving her off and leaving.
"Faith…" She called after her.
"Um don't mean to break up your lover's quarrel but…"
The blonde Slayer sighed. She knew she needed to go after her younger friend and apologize. If they were going to work on their friendship, and whatever they had blooming, they had to forgive their past mistakes even if they couldn't forget it. "Ashley… I'll talk to you later…nice to meet you Aiden." Buffy said as she left the diner in a hurry. She didn't know where she was going. She just followed the tingle, knowing she was also heading towards danger. After minutes of
aimlessly walking, Buffy finally heard that familiar whooshing of a vamp turning into dust after it's undead heart had been pierced by the pointy end of a stake.
"I knew you'd find me, B." Faith said as she brushed the last remnants of vampire dust from her jacket. "Always follow the danger right?" she smirked.
"So do you…how did you manage to find a vamp?" the rogue Slayer shrugged in answer.
"Faith." Buffy began.
"No big, B…I'm used to it. I was never one for tact." The younger Slayer just shrugged as she hopped on the hood of an abandon car that sat in the alley. "So was that all? You wanted to hunt me down and…"
"Stop it…I didn't come to find you to fight." Buffy bit her lip "I'm sorry…I totally went old Buffy on you back there and I shouldn't have…me and you, we're partners in this. I…we." She corrected herself. "We can't do this alone anymore…this whole Slayer thing. I don't want to fight anymore….with you Faith." Buffy stared at the dark slayer. The silence was killing her. "Well, are you gonna say anything?"
"Her name was Jamie. I was completely in love with her, and she was with me." Faith folded her legs into her as she sat on the car. "Her eyes were like emeralds…nothing I'd ever seen before. She was wicked hot." She let out a chuckle. "But she would never have admitted it. All the girls wanted to be her, all the guys wanted to be with her." She paused, closing her eyes and taking in the night's air.
"Faith why are…" She stopped when Faith held her hand up, motioning her to stay silent.
"But I had her…she was my best friend, my everything…then it happened. I was going over to her house… and…and…the cops were there. First I thought something had happened to her." Faith's were still closed as she recalled the memory. "But she was fine…just ran off with some girl she met at a party. I was devastated, B." She said, looking at her friend who was now sitting beside her. "At least that's what her parents said…they never liked me…what kind of parents would like some girl that was banging their daughter." the dark Slayer tried to shrug off the unpleasant feelings that were growing in her heart.
Reaching up, the blonde slayer cupped her cheek. "Faith, why are you telling me this?"
Taking her hand, she laced her fingers with the other girl's. "Because this…" she said once again feeling that tingling feeling at the bottom of her spine. "The feeling like the big bad is around… I'm getting it now, and I know you are too." She paused "I had that same feeling with her… became stronger after I was called." She said holding her breath after dropping a major bomb.
"I won't lie, there's definite spark-age." Not releasing her hand, Buffy bit her lip. "I wanna try something." She placed her hand on the other Slayer's knee and leaned in, placing a gentle kiss on her lips.
The younger girl's brain froze. She'd never known the blonde to be so bold, but she was glad to find out. When they pulled away, their eyes met, and both of them noticed they reflected the same thing.
"Slow?" Buffy asked. It was not really a question but more like a statement that they both needed to hear.
"Never simple with us is it, B.?" Faith whispered, taking in the other Slayers scent.
"I think we kinda like it that way, don't you?" she slowly pulled away.
"What do you want from me, Buffy?"
"You know what I want." her back was turned to her.
"You have me."
"No, I have the Faith that's too afraid to admit what is going on with…us."
"I.." Closing her eyes, she knew what the other wanted to hear. She just didn't know if she was ready to say it.
"It's ok. I just don't know if I can take little touches here, and kisses there. I…I need someone who's gonna love me back." The blonde slayer said dropping the L word for the first time.
"So what are you saying, B…I if I don't tell you I love you, we're done?" she turned the chosen one around to look at her. "Fine if that's what you want to hear…I love you, B., and it scares the hell out of me."
"No, you don't." Buffy smiled weakly at her. "But I believe that you're scared…" she pushed some of her hair behind her ear. "I'm scared, too…we've hurt each other so much…and now we have a chance to heal with each other. I don't…I'm not asking you to commit to me." the blonde slayer paused trying to formulate what she wanted to say. "I just want to know when your feelings get too overwhelming that you're not going to leave…you're going to stick around and see it through."
"Nobody's ever made me…want to stick around." the dark Slayer sighed and closed her eyes. Whether she wanted to admit it, Buffy Anne Summers was etched into her heart. "I can do that, B." Faith opened her eyes to see gorgeous hazel ones staring back at her. "That I can definitely do." Giving her best dimpled grin she leaned down to give her a gentle kiss on the lips.
"Uuhmm."
"Uh you guys know that their are like twenty rooms in this house…" The young Slayer scoffed as walked into the house. "Here's an idea…use one!"
"Hey, Kennedy." Faith said not breaking her hold on the blonde Slayer. "Bite me."
"I'll leave that to Buffy…Oww….What was that for?" the young Slayer exclaimed and glared at her girlfriend.
"You're talking about my best friend and her girlfriend." the redhead replied looking at them. "I think it's cute….young love and all." she smiled sweetly at her best friend.
"I wouldn't call it love, Wills…" Buffy glanced over at Faith who just tightened her hold on her.
"Definite potential though." The blonde Slayer nodded with a smile spread from ear to ear.
"Besides, it was only a matter of time before she fell for the dimples." Faith quipped flashing the dimples in question.
"She's got a point." Willow said as she sat down on the couch pulling her girlfriend with her.
"Uh…Wills? Supposed to be on my side." the blonde Slayer said as she folded her arms over her chest.
"She is, babe." the former rogue Slayer said tapping the end of her nose.
"Anyway," the witch's girlfriend drawled out, rolling her eyes. "What's the deal with the Big Bad…Willow said that Ash called earlier."
"Nothing new since she called, but they're supposed to be here…" she looked over at the clock on the wall. "Over an hour a go." Buffy said with concern.
"Me and Faith can do some recon." Kennedy said eager to go to work.
"Thanks…ever so much for volunteering me!" running her hand through her hair, Faith plopped down on a chair. "I just would like to spend some time with my girlfriend."
"Whipped." Kennedy coughed. "Oww…again with the hitting!"
"What was that? You want to say that a little louder and to my face?" Faith seethed as she started to get up.
"Well…I, for one…" The Wicca smiled at her best friend. "Think it's sweet." She was completely ignoring the two brunettes who were glaring at each other. Willow mouthed 'girlfriend' with a questioning look to her blonde best friend.
"Me too!" The blonde replied, and shrugged at the redhead's silent question. This had been the first time that Faith had actually used the word…up to that point, they had just been friends with benefits.
"Enough already, you two." Buffy snapped out of her own admiration of the reformed Slayer. "If you two were guys, I'd say take the testosterone outside! Faith.. you're coming with me! Will, I need you to find something that we can beat this God with…besides the Auximoa." she noticed the confusion on her best friend's face "We'll be back in a couple of hours." The blonde said grabbing Faith's hand and pulling her out of the chair before heading out.
"That was fun." Kennedy said putting her feet up on the table.
"If I wasn't so in love with you." The Wicca rolled her eyes…and with a snap of her fingers her girlfriend changed in to a donkey right before her eyes.
"Hey, no fair using magic." the donkey yelled to the young witch.
"I know but," She said laughing. "But you're such a cute ass." She snapped her fingers once again, changing her Slayer girlfriend back.
"Oh you're so dead, Rosenberg." The Slayer said as a mischievous grin appeared on her face.
"You gotta catch me first, Slayer." The redhead giggled as she made her way up the stairs with the young Slayer hot on her trail.
TBC…..