Angel had gone back to LA to 'Help the Helpless', as Cordelia said. Buffy called him whenever she could, and when she couldn't, he called her. They talked for hours, just telling each other about their day, what new monster they faced, anything they could think of to keep the other on the line.
The weeks pass slowly, but eventually the two weeks are up. Buffy makes her way back to Lowell House. She waltzes in and heads straight for the stairs, checking all of the rooms on the way, making sure there aren't any werewolves, or other creatures, locked in one of the rooms. There aren't, so she heads back to the secret doorway. She repels down and repeats the process she used the last time she was here. Inside it's eerily quite, a good sign. She goes to every cell in the building, making sure they followed her instructions. Nearly all of cells contained either a demon body, a pile of goo, or a pile of dust.
"Huh. Guess they followed my advice. Pity, I really wanted to spend some energy." Buffy mumbles to herself, not caring that it was a little crazy. She double checks the compound and the house above, making sure that everyone's completely gone. Before she leaves she goes back into the Initiative and sets fire to the entire place. She sets fire to Lowell House as well, leaving before the fire department can get there.
She stops by the registrar and asks after Professor Walsh and Riley.
"Oh, they left Hun. Professor Walsh got offered a job somewhere in England and Riley went with her. In fact the entire Lowell House just packed up and left without warning. I'm sorry about the inconvenience." The kind lady in charge tells Buffy. Buffy nods and starts to walk away, but stops herself and turns back to the lady.
"Can you tell me who will be teaching Professor Walsh's classes?" She asks her, Clara, according to her name tag. Clara looks it up on her computer and looks up at Buffy with a smile when she finds it.
"A Mr. Rupert Giles will be teaching Psychology from now on." Clara tells her. Buffy turns away and smiles to herself. 'Ah Giles, you sneaky Brit. Once a Watcher, always a Watcher.' Buffy thinks as she walks back to her house. As she rounds the corner she sees a FedEx man trying to lift a very heavy looking box onto her porch.
"Hey, you need some help with that?" She calls out, walking up to her porch. The FedEx guy turns around and sees her standing there.
"Yes, thank you. Though be careful, it's heavier than it looks." The man warns her, though it was pointless. Buffy walks up to him and takes one end, while he takes the other. Together they easily lift it, Buffy trying to make it look harder for her than it is. They take it to the porch, then set it down.
"Thank you Miss..?" The delivery man looks at Buffy expectantly.
"Summers. Buffy Summers." She replies, holding out her hand. The guy shakes her hand and looks down at his clipboard.
"So you must be the Buffy Summers on the sending address. This package is for you, if you could just sign here." He holds out the clipboard and Buffy signs her name. Before he makes it down the steps she stops him.
"Excuse me, but who is this from?" She asks him, wary of unknown packages.
"A Mr. Liam O'Connor in LA." He responds after checking his clipboard. Buffy smiles and thanks him for his help. She waits until he's gone before opening the door and lifting up the box, carrying it inside. She takes it up to her room before she opens it, eagerly awaiting Angel's newest gift. He's already sent her Claddagh ring back to her, along with a set of matching earrings and a necklace. He also sent a belt of 'stake-holsters', as Xander dubbed them, and two arm gadgets that sent stakes flying from her wrists.
She tears open the wooden crating and reveals a dark cherry wood chest. On the lid a Claddagh is engraved, something Buffy has started to expect from Angel. She opens the lid and sees a shallow drawer, empty except for a key laying in the middle. She tests the edges, seeing if there's a false bottom. There is. She pulls it up and sees blades of all different shapes and sizes staring up at her.
'He's really outdone himself this time.' She thinks as she gazes at the weapons. She notices a piece of paper nestled on top of the weapons and picks it up, carefully unfolding it. She immediately recognizes Angel's 18th century handwriting.
My dearest Ionuin,
These weapons, much like yourself, are unique. You will never find their equal, no matter how hard you try. Much like you they are beautiful, but deadly, so be careful with them, you may be immortal, but you can still be hurt. Please keep these well hidden, they are meant only for you. Prepare yourself, Faith will be waking up soon. I wish I could be there to help, but we are in the middle of a case. I leave you with these weapons, as well as all my love.
Always,
Angel
Buffy smiles at the note and replaces the false bottom, putting some books in the drawer to make it look full. She puts the chest behind her other one and checks the time, getting up and leaving the house once she realizes that she'll be meeting Willow and Xander soon.
Buffy wanders through Sunnydale, looking for her friends. She knows she could cheat and just call out for Willow, but she wants the exercise. When she finds them Xander's chatting with someone about dry-walling and Willow's deep in conversation with Tara. Buffy contemplates going up to them and talking to them, but she knows that she'll just feel out of place. Buffy continues walking and finds herself heading toward Angel's mansion.
She makes her way up the steps and into the mansion proper. Xander's construction crew has done a fantastic good job cleaning the place up. They've installing a special glass in all the windows, in case Angel decides to see a few clients of the fanged persuasion when he stops by for visits. They've even found a few rooms Angel hadn't known about and started opening them up. The design crew is currently working to furnish the place with the types of furniture Angel likes, but in slightly brighter colors on Buffy's request. Everything in the mansion reminds her of him, while still being foreign.
"I wish Angel was here." She says to herself. Suddenly she hears a crash from somewhere in the mansion. Her Slayer senses instantly perk up, but she can't feel a demon of any kind nearby. Thinking it's a human intruder, she makes her way towards the noise.
Buffy is in the hallway when she sees a woman with dark hair dash across the hallway and out of a window.
'What the hell was that?' Buffy thinks to herself as she runs toward the window. She barely gets a glimpse of a very familiar figure running from the grounds.
"Faith." She whispers to herself. It looks like Angel was right. Though she's a lot sooner than Buffy expected. Buffy quickly pulls out the cell phone Angel gave her and calls Giles.
"Hello?" He answers, his voice rough from sleep.
"Giles, it's Buffy. Call a Scooby meeting, Faith's up." She tells him as she exits the mansion and begins walking to his apartment.
"Are you sure? I'm positive the Council would have told me. I may not work for them, but I'm still the only contact they have in Sunnydale." Giles replies, definitely more awake now that there is a clear threat.
"I'm sure. I just saw her exiting Angel's mansion. Just call everybody up, I'll see you at your place, okay?" Buffy asks him.
"Yes, I'll see you then. Goodbye Buffy." He assures her.
"Goodbye Giles." She replies, closing her phone. Halfway to Giles's she gets an idea. She takes out her phone again and hits speed dial #1. It rings once before it's answered.
"Buffy." He breathes, his voice whispery even over the phone.
"Angel." She responds, her own voice just as whispery.
"Is something wrong? It's too early for our regular call." He asks her, his voice revealing the worry he feels.
"Faith is awake. I thought I should tell you." She informs him, feeling slightly silly now that the words are out of her mouth.
"And this couldn't wait until later?" He asks her, teasing her slightly.
"I just wanted to make sure you knew as soon as possible. I have a bad feeling that something will happen tonight and I wanted you to be prepared. Also, I wanted to tell you that I put the chest in my closet behind my other one. Thank you by the way." She begins jogging through the neighborhoods, knowing she's getting closer to Giles's apartment.
"You're welcome Ionuin." He responds to her, using the Gaelic word for beloved.
"I love you Angel." She tells him, finally reaching Giles' apartment.
"I love you too Buffy. I'll hear from you tonight, yes?" He questions.
"Yeah, but let me call you. And if I don't call at the usual time, assume something is wrong and come down here, okay? I know you're in the middle of a case..." She doesn't get to finish because Angel cuts her off.
"It doesn't matter. If you're in trouble, I'll help." He reminds her. Buffy smiles slightly on her side, knowing he can't see her but unable to keep it off her face.
"Thank you. I've got to go, we have a Scooby meeting. Bye." She tells him regretfully.
"Goodbye." He says and she hangs up. She puts her phone away and knocks on the door. Giles opens it and lets her in. The Scoobies discuss what's happening with Faith, not knowing she's outside the window, listening in. Buffy, finally coming to the conclusion that Faith will try to go after her mother and Dawn, runs to her house, just in time to make a dramatic entrance.
Buffy fights with Faith, leading her into the living room. She's close to winning when Faith grasps her hand and she blacks out. When Buffy wakes up she sees her face staring down at her. She realizes it's Faith, that she somehow took control of her body, and tries to warn her mother and Dawn, who are standing near the ambulance, but Faith, using her body, knocks her out again.
A little while later the ambulance is taken over by a team of council assassins. Buffy tries to explain to them that she isn't Faith, but they don't believe her, not that she can blame them. After what seems like been a day, she finally manages to escape and goes to find Giles.
She knocks on his door and he opens it. Before he can say anything she interrupts him.
"I'm not Faith." She blurts.
"Really, you could have fooled me." Giles says in his stuffy British way.
"Giles I can prove it, just let me in." Buffy pleads. He opens the door a tiny crack and Buffy charges her way in. She turns to face him.
"Just stay there and let me explain, okay?" Giles freezes where he is and Buffy continues. "I know. Giles, you just have to- stop inching! You were inching." She accuses him as he starts to make his way to the hallway.
"No I wasn't." He lies through his teeth.
"Just hear me out." She begs him.
"I know what you're going to say and-" He doesn't get to finish that thought.
"I'm Buffy." She interrupts him.
"All right I didn't know what you were going to say but that doesn't make you less scary." He responds, flabbergasted.
"Faith switched. She had some device, she switched our bodies." He stares at her. "I swear, Giles, it's me." She really hopes he'll see that soon.
"If you're Buffy, then, then you'll allow me to tie you up, without killing me, until we can be sure that you're telling the truth." Giles suggests hopefully. He still thinks she's Faith.
"Giles, Faith has taken my body and for all I know she's taken it to Mexico by now. I don't have time for bondage fun." She berates him. She suddenly gets an idea. "Ask me a question. Ask me anything!"
"Who is president?" He says after thinking for a moment.
"We're checking for Buffy, not a concussion." She reminds him, exhausted.
"Yes. Right. Um…" He trails off, not sure what to ask.
"Oh, this is- Giles, you turned into a demon and I knew it was you. Can't you just look in my eyes and be all intuitive?" She asks him, slightly annoyed.
"How did I turn into a demon?" He asks and Buffy catches on, getting excited that he might actually believe her.
"Oo! 'Cause of Ethan Rayne. And, and, you have a girlfriend named Olivia, and you've taken over Professor Walsh's Psych classes, and" She pulls out the big one, the one she knows will make him believe it's her. "Two weeks ago Angel came by and told us that we were all immortal. Is that enough?"
"Yes. That should do it. Hello Buffy." He says, finally believing it's her.
"Finally!" She says, happy that he recognizes her.
"All right. Let's… I want you to explain everything." He says, going into full Watcher-mode.
"And I will. After we get Faith. Jesus, Giles, she's got my skin on." She shudders, thinking of what she might be doing with it. Or, another shudder, who she might be doing.
"Yes of course. Just give me a minute to-" And again he's cut off. This time it's by Willow and Tara bursting through the door.
"Giles!" Willow calls out to him.
"Willow! Tara!" Buffy calls out, exited.
"Oh, my god." Willow says, surprised. Buffy hurries to explain,
"Willow, wait. You don't understand!" She tries to explain to her.
"You're Buffy. You and Faith switched bodies, probably through a Draconian Katra spell." She explains for her. Willow and Tara go on to explain that Faith stopped by the Bronze in Buffy's body and didn't recognize Tara, and then explain what they can do to reverse it. Mid-way through explaining there's a desperate knock on the door. Giles opens the door to see Angel standing there.
"Angel! What are you doing here? I thought you had a case in L.A." Giles says, still by the door. Angel pushes his way past him, not noticing Buffy staring at him.
"I think Buffy is in danger from Faith. She called me last night before she went to your place. She said that she had a bad feeling and that if she didn't call me at our regular time to come down here. When she didn't call, I thought the worst had happened. And Giles, did you know that Faith is standing in your living room?" He finally notices Buffy (in Faith's body) standing beside Willow.
"Angel. I'm-" She breathes his name, even in Faiths body. He cuts her off.
"Buffy." He breathes her name, recognizing her instantly now that the shock has worn off. He runs over to her and folds his arms around her in a tight hug.
"Angel, air, becoming, problem." She gasps out. He quickly releases her and moves his hands to cradle her face.
"Buffy, how-? What happened?" He looks deep into her eyes and sees the spark of Buffy behind Faith's whiskey-colored eyes.
"Faith. She had a device and she switched our bodies. Faith is somewhere out there right now walking around in my body." She shudders at the thought. Angel's thumb strokes her cheek.
"We'll find her. Don't worry. I promise that we'll get back your body." Angel tells her, trying to comfort her. Faith's eyes fill with Buffy's tears.
"What if we can't? What if I'm stuck in Faith's body forever?" Buffy sobs. Angel wipes away the tears with his thumb.
"We'll deal. We might not have in the past, but from now on we will. I love you Buffy, not the body you're in. As long as you act like yourself, I'll love you." Buffy smiles at him and he gives her a small smile back.
"Thank you Angel." In the kitchen the phone rings and Giles answers it.
"Buffy, I think I know where Faith might be. There's a vampire attack at a church, she might be there."Giles informs her. Buffy breaks away from Angel and looks to her Watcher.
"Thanks Giles. Angel, wanna come help me out?" Buffy asks as she gathers stakes.
"I think this is something you need to do for yourself Ionuin. I'll talk to you when it's done." He says, turning to leave the apartment.
"Angel, don't leave until I come back, okay? I want to make up for our missed call last night." She requests, stopping him as he crosses the thresh hold.
"Anything for you Ionuin. I'll see you at the mansion later." With that he sweeps out of Giles's apartment and drives off in his Plymouth GTX (she only knows this because Cordy is always complaining about not being able to drive it).
"Giles, I'll see you later. Willow, the Katra please." She asks, holding out her hand. Willow gives her the glowing orb and wishes Buffy good luck.
Buffy runs to the church after Giles tells her the name. She recognizes it as the one Riley went to. She runs in and sees that Faith has already taken care of the vampires. They start to fight and Faith wails on Buffy, taking out her self-loathing on her body. Buffy finally manages to get the Katra between their hands and suddenly she's looking down on a very bruised Faith. After that Faith runs off and Buffy heads to Angel's mansion. She walk down the steps and sees Angel starting a fire in the hearth. It looks so much like a scene from her Senior year that Buffy starts to well up with tears. Angel looks up and sees Buffy standing there with tears in her sparkling hazel eyes.
"Buffy, what's wrong?" He asks, worried. She smiles at him, shaking her head.
"It's just that this whole thing reminded me of last year. Fighting Faith, coming back here to find you making a fire, it just overwhelmed me that's all." She reassures him, moving so that she's in the mansion proper. Angel takes her in his arms and sits down on the couch with her in his lap.
"Yes, but last year you weren't immortal." He whispers in his ear. She smiles again.
"And you couldn't walk in the sun. Or get staked without turning to dust. Or-" She's cut off by Angel's lips on hers.
"Do that." He finishes for her. She smiles and nods. Angel sighs and looks at his watch.
"I have to go back to L.A. Faith will be going there and she expects me to be there. I still have to help her, even if she's not exactly helpless. It's what I do." He reminds her, regretfully.
"And I love you for it, even if it is a little inconvenient." She tells him, lovingly.
"Thank you. I suppose I'll talk to you later tonight." He says, disentangling himself from her and standing up. Buffy pouts slightly, but she knows that he has to leave.
"I love you Angel." She tells him and stands up on her tiptoes to kiss him.
"I love you too Buffy." He says, breaking the kiss. He walks outside and gets into his car, driving off to begin the two hour trip back to L.A. Buffy stays for a moment and puts out the fire before going back to her mom's house to help clean up the mess the fight with Faith had caused.
The next day Giles gets a call that informs him that Faith is indeed in LA and that she had been hired by a law firm to kill Angel. Buffy goes and helps Angel deal with Faith. Together they manage to reform her and they tell her about her immortality. Faith decides to stays in LA to help with Angel Investigations.
"Soulboy here needs the extra muscle B. 'sides, I've got a feeling that Cordy, Irish, and English are gonna be fun to watch." She tells her sister Slayer with a wink, causing Buffy to laugh.
"Good luck with that Faith." She tells the newly reformed Slayer. Buffy and Angel say goodbye again and she returns to Sunnydale. She continues with her life and her friends continued with theirs, unaware of the distance they were putting between themselves, both literally and figuratively.