Hi :)

So I told you that the chapters would come on an irregular basis from now on, but the story will keep going until its end. Which probably will be in a few chapters. It might not be as good as before, so I apologize in advance. I really hope you'll like it anyway.

Give me some reviews so that I know what I need to work on !

And check my new B/F one-shot "Fool Me Once". It hasn't been reviewed yet, and it'd be a great pleasure for me if you left a few words about it ! Thanks, and enjoy your reading :)

Satsu spends the next two days wandering in town, trying to engrave in her memory every detail of what makes the city what it is. She wants to be able to remember what she lived here. She met wonderful people, she fell in love, and she experienced many things. She'll miss it.

But this is her opportunity to be on her own, to discover who she truly is. Satsu knows that she needs this. That's why she asked Giles to leave the country. Well, among other reasons, obviously. She hasn't seen or heard of Buffy since she brought her back at their apartment after she was released from the hospital. The Japanese slayer really hopes that her ex-girlfriend will get better soon. She can't help wondering what would've happened if Kennedy hadn't found her in time. And even if the rational part of her mind knows that she isn't responsible for what happened, the irrational part won't leave her in peace. She should've confronted Buffy about her negative behavior. But she was too afraid to lose her if things turned out badly. Her decision blew up in her face, and in the end she had lost Buffy all the same.

As she turns around the corner of the main street, Satsu bumps into a woman and almost falls down from the impact. Hitting a wall wouldn't have been so different. When she looks up to apologize, she realizes that the woman is none other than Faith. The brunette watches her silently, waiting for Satsu to say something.

"Uh… Sorry."

"S'okay. Didn't hurt me." Faith replies in a neutral tone.

"What… What are you doing in town ?" Satsu asks hesitantly.

"Walking. Trying to clear my head. You ?"

"Well, I have time to kill before leaving, so I decided to take a walk, to see things one last time."

"Making memories ?"

"Sort of. How… How's Buffy ?"

"She's doing better. She has an appointment with a shrink this afternoon."

"Oh. Well, that's good. I mean, if it helps."

"I'm sure it does."

"But… Is she gonna tell him about, you know, vampires and demons ?"

"He's from Wolfram & Hart. He already knows all about it, trust me."

"Oh. Okay… Do you stay with her now ?"

"No. I just… call her twice a day, to check on her."

Satsu frowns slightly, surprised to hear that. Faith doesn't bother to explain, as she continues :

"Are you going to talk to her soon ? I know she needs to talk to you."

"Uh, I don't know, later maybe. I've got four days left here, so I guess we still have time."

"You should really have a talk, you guys need a proper closure."

"I know."

"You know, Satsu, under different circumstances, I think you and I could've been good friends."

"Really ?"

"Well, you're smart, definitely not bad to look at, and you truly care about Buffy. No matter how much it kills you, you're still willing to do anything for her. You're loyal. That's a quality I appreciate."

"Thanks."

They stare at each other for a moment, and Satsu realizes that as much as she'd like to be able to hate Faith for stealing her girlfriend away from her, she just can't. There's something about the dark slayer that makes it impossible to resist her. Somehow, the redemption thing suits her perfectly. It makes her look like a fallen angel. Maybe that's what she is. Satsu chuckles and shakes her head as soon as the thought crosses her mind.

"What ? What's so funny ?"

"Nothing. I was just… I gotta go. Take care of Buffy, okay ?"

"I will. Do you… Do you think you'll keep in touch with her ?"

"It depends."

"On ?"

"Whether she wants it or not."

Her remark earns a grin from Faith.

"She doesn't wanna lose you."

"Yeah. Don't tell her you ran into me today, okay ?"

"If that's what you want."

"Thanks. See you around, maybe."

Satsu walks past Faith but she feels a hand on her arm and turns round.

"Satsu… Look, you might not believe me but… I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot, you and me."

"I believe you. You've been a real bitch, but turned out to be right. I can't exactly blame you for being foreshadowing."

The brunette laughs and it sends a shiver down the young slayer's spine. No wonder Buffy fell for this girl. Everything about her makes you want to jump her right here, right now. Satsu blushes furiously at the thought. She shouldn't be thinking like this. Sensing the Japanese's sudden uneasiness, and quickly understanding why, Faith adds with a smirk :

"What do you know ? If things don't work out between Buffy and I, maybe we should give it a shot, you and me."

Then she winks at her and walks away, leaving a dumbfounded Satsu behind her.

The night comes down quickly and Satsu smiles, realizing that she's been outside all day. She's tired and her feet hurt, but she doesn't regret all the walking. She feels a lot better. It's easy to pretend, in front of the others, that everything's fine. That it doesn't hurt so much to lose Buffy. But it's all a lie. Since their break-up, she feels empty, like her life's lost all meaning. It sounds corny, she knows it, but there's no other word to describe the feeling.

She can't tell anyone. Even if she's sure some of them would understand, like Xander or Willow, she can't bring herself to say anything about it. She has to get over it. She's seen enough movies to know that it takes time to heal from heartbreak, especially the first one.

The house is empty when she comes back, and she quietly pours herself a glass of wine before staring out the window of the living-room. From here she can see the lights of the dock reflecting on the water. Xander and Dawn really have found the most perfect house in town. They are happy together, and they give Satsu hope. She learnt about Anya's death in the battle of Sunnydale. She knows that Xander had almost married her a few years ago before retracting himself. But somehow he had managed to get over all this and he was now happily in love with Buffy's little sister.

As she puts the glass in the sink and retreats toward the bathroom for a quick shower, Satsu wonders why she didn't realize before that her relationship with Buffy was never meant to last. All the signs were here but she had never paid attention to them. Was she the only one thinking it could work ? There are a lot of questions going on in her head now, and she needs some answers.

Tomorrow, she thinks, she'll go to see Willow. The redhead is Buffy's best friend since… well, since what seems like forever, so surely she does have some valuable answers.

It's short, I know, but I'm still lacking inspiration... I think it'll get better soon though, what with school starting again and all.

Don't forget the feedback, and check "Oil & Water" ! :)

OTH-FOQ