Chapter Three: Good Friends and Missing Pieces

The car ride seemed to take a long time, and Tara felt the awkwardness in the air. She knew that Willow didn't like Faith, even understood Willow's reasons, but Faith had always been a good friend to her. Plus there was the whole 'Faith knowing Tara liked Willow, and Willow being with Kennedy' thing.

Tara frowned as she looked in the rearview mirror and saw Kennedy's arm slung over Willow's shoulder and her hands in Willow's hair. They were whispering quietly to each other, and Tara couldn't stand it anymore.

"So, why are you here? In England?" Tara asked, looking over at Faith as they pulled onto a dirt road from the highway.

"Well, after everything in Sunnydale, I felt bad, ya know? I found out how to get ahold of Giles and I called him up, asked him if I could stay with him. Since then, I've been here, learning from Giles and living in one of the guest rooms," Faith said, shrugging at her own words.

Tara smiled slightly at Faith's words. "You felt bad? The Faith Lehane felt bad?" Tara said, a small smirk forming on her lips as Faith looked over at her in confusion.

"Yes, T. I did. I am capable of such emotions," she said, playfully slapping Tara's arm as she smiled over at her. "So what about you, T? What have you been doing since my departure from the great Sunnydale?"

Tara just shrugged and looked back out the front window. "Not much. School, family, friends. Everything's the same for me."

Faith frowned and looked at Tara, knowing that she wasn't telling her something, and was confirmed when Willow looked into the front seat and was watching Tara as well. She knew that Tara had problems with her family life, but she never knew everything about it. The only reason she knew about Tara's problems were because they were similar to her own problems. It was why the two were such good friends, even after everything Faith did.

When the car pulled into the driveway, everything was silent before Faith decided to break it. "So Red, who's your girl?"

Willow frowned and looked at Faith with a death glare on her face. "Kennedy," Willow said, gesturing to her girlfriend.

"You like 'em butch, huh? That actually explains a lot," Faith said, smiling as Willow's eyes hardened.

"Be nice, Faith," Tara said, catching her attention.

Faith smiled at Tara and shrugged. "Just saying."

"Play nice," Tara said, though a small smile was touching her lips.

Feeling like she did her job, Faith smiled and looked out the window as they came to a stop in front of the council house. "Here we are."

Climbing from the front seat, Tara looked up at the huge building in front of her. She remembered looking at the pictures that were sent to her in an email from Rupert Giles, but she didn't expect the building to be so big. Hearing the door behind her open and close, Tara turned her head to see Kennedy rounding the car to stand by Willow.

"This is it?" Kennedy asked, less than awed by the castle before them.

"Yep," Willow said, smiling. "This is so amazing. I can't wait to see inside."

As Willow and Tara stood admiring the building, a door opened and a familiar man with graying hair and soft blue eyes. A smile broke out on both girls' faces as Giles walked across the ground towards her. "Giles!" they called out rushing to him.

"Willow, Tara." Giles smiled brightly as he pulled the two girls into a tight hug. "It's been so long since I last saw you two." Pulling back, he looked at each girl closely. "You cut your hair," Giles said, smiling at Willow as he touched her shorter hair.

Willow smiled and nodded. "Last summer," she said, smiling as she hugged him once again.

"And Tara, you dyed your hair, he said, smiling at the young girl.

Tara nodded. "Over winter break," she responded, hugging him again.

Giles smiled and looked up. "Faith, do you mind helping them with their bags?" he asked, looking at the brunette and smiling at her.

Faith nodded. "Sure, G. No problem," Faith said, opening the trunk of the car and pulling out the bags. When Willow's and Kennedy's bags were out of the trunk, Kennedy walked over and picked them up, refusing to let Faith help. Grabbing Tara's bags, Faith nodded off to a side. "You're rooms are all this way," she said, walking off with the other's to follow.

Tara stayed with Faith, keeping stride with her while Willow and Kennedy wandered behind them. Tara smiled at Faith as they walked into the building. "Want me to carry something?" she offered.

Faith shook her head and smiled. "Nah. You pack light. Feel bad for Red's girl though. That's a lot of bags. Which one of them brought so much stuff?"

Tara shrugged. "Kennedy, but Willow brought a lot as well. You know how she likes to be prepared for anything."

Faith smiled at that. "So her girlfriend's not only butch, but is extremely spoiled?"

Tara looked over at Faith and shook her head. "Be nice," she said, smiling at Faith's words.

"She doesn't like you. Why should I be nice when she's doing what she can to rub her relationship with Red in your face?"

Tara shrugged. "I'm use to it. Besides the feelings mutual." Tara and Faith walked in silence for a moment and Faith shook her head.

"I never thought I'd meet the day when you didn't find something good about someone," Faith said, glancing at Tara out of the corner of her eyes.

"I never said she didn't have any good in her. She's good to Willow, and she makes Willow happy. I just don't like her," Tara said, smiling at her friend.

"Well well, T has some fire in her after all," Faith said, nudging Tara gently as they stopped in front of a group of doors.

When Willow and Kennedy stopped a few feet from them, Faith set Tara's bags down in a pile before pointing. "T, this is your room," she said, knocking on the door. "Red, your room is the one closest to you right next to T's room, and Butch, that's yours," she said, pointing across the hall to a door directly between Willow's and Tara's.

Kennedy and Willow both stiffened at Faith's nickname for Kennedy, but she wasn't paying attention. Instead, she bent down and retrieved Tara's bags, carrying them into the room. Tara followed Faith into the room and shook her head.

"What part of 'be nice' do you not understand?" Tara asked, looking at Faith in disbelief.

"The 'nice' part. Sorry, T. I just don't like her, and ruffling Red's feathers is always fun."

Tara smiled and walked over to Faith. "It's good to see you again," she whispered, hugging the one person who understood her better than anyone else. "I missed you."

Hugging her back, Faith felt something fall into place that had been missing for so long. A piece of her heart that had been missing since her departure from Sunnydale suddenly fell into place as she hugged Tara.