Faith sat alone on the steps of the back porch staring aimlessly at the ground, as she took another drag from the cigarette in her hand, the morning's events playing on her mind. What the hell had she been thinking jumping in the sack with Xander, She didn't have relationships or attachments and she sure as hell didn't go back for seconds. 'Get some, get gone.' She told herself. She sat there in quiet frustration as the realization of what had happened settled over her, he'd finally done it, he'd gotten under her skin and there was a small part of her that didn't mind, that wanted to let those walls down... not that she would ever admit it.

'Damit Harris!' her mind screamed as she took another drag from her cigarette. Her thoughts were interrupted when a pair of black boots came into view.

''You still smoking those things?'' Hope asked.

''I'm gonna quit.'' Faith shrugged as she looked up from the ground.

''Sure you are...'' Hope said before taking a seat beside the rogue slayer.

'What are you…' Faith began as she saw the future slayers hand shoot forward.

'Hey!' Faith exclaimed as the remainder of her cigarette was snatched from her hand

'If I'm gonna die, it's not gonna be from your second hand smoke.' She smirked crushing it under her boot.

'No, but do that again and it'll happen sooner than you think.' Faith muttered as went to pull another from the packet.

'I hate repeating myself.' Hope said snatching the packet and tossing it in the bushes.

'You got a death wish?' Faith asks her annoyance clear in her voice.

'Please…' Hope huffed, clearly not threatened by the older slayers attitude.

'You okay? You seem a little...' Hope paused unable to put her finger on it.

'I'm fine.' Faith replied a little too quickly as she began to fiddle with her hands.

'Sure...you're sat out here in the cold...' Hope paused when she spotted the collection of cigarette butts at her feet.

'Chain smoking because you're fine...' She said concerned.

'Did something happen after I...' Hope began when she didn't get a reply.

'Would you just drop it.' Faith said sharply.

'Look something is clearly going on, I just figured maybe you needed someone to talk to.' Hope said, as she stood to go inside.

'Guess you were wrong.' Faith muttered, never turning to the future slayer.

'Wouldn't be the first time.' Hope began.

Standing in front of the door she turned suddenly examining Faiths outfit for the first time since she arrived, the man's shirt clinging loosely to her slender frame, the collection of cigarette butts at her feet. Even an idiot could have connected the dots.

Her eyes widened as she realised whose shirt Faith was currently wearing.

'You slept with him?' Hope asked with a hint of surprise in her voice.

'I said drop it okay.' Faith said.

'I'm guessing you bailed...' Hope said softly.

'Not really your business...' Faith added, clearly not in the mood to talk about it.

'Maybe not...but you can rip my head off all you like but it isn't gonna make the issue go away...' Hope said getting to her feet.

'Let him in.' She said, her voice soft.

'What are you my matchmaker now?' Faith groans.

'No. But it beats the alternative.' The future slayer responded with a shrug.

'Let him in.' she repeats before leaving the older slayer to her thoughts.

Stopping in front of the half open door Hope knocked softly before poking her head inside.

'Hey...' she said with a small smile seeing Buffy sat at the small counter.

'Can I come in?' Hope asked pushing the door open.

'Sure...' Buffy paused.

'You're knocking now?' she asked.

'I kinda thought I should...' Hope replied, draping her jacket over the stool.

There was a moments silence between the two, the future slayer more than aware that anything she said could add fuel to fire that was her relationship with these people.

'How've you been?' Buffy asked before taking a sip of her coffee.

'Pretty good, all things considered...' Hope answered.

'You want some coffee?' Buffy asked the future slayer as she got up to refill her own cup.

'No, I'm good thanks.' Hope declined, as she took a seat at the counter.

'Faith told me, about the other night...' Buffy said turning to face the younger girl once more.

'She did huh?' Hope said a little surprised.

'It was good of you to pitch in.' Buffy said.

'She would have done the same for me...' Hope paused seeing Faith come through the door to her left..

'... I think.' Hope chuckled, clearly still aware of the slayers foul mood.

Ignoring them both as she stormed through the kitchen.

'Don't look at me.' Hope smirked as Buffy looked between the two.

Shrugging her shoulders at the rogue slayers behaviour, she quickly joined Hope at the counter.

'Faith tells me you ran into the slayer… Mel…' Buffy paused, trying to remember the name.

'Melaka.' The future slayer supplied.

'Is she going to be a problem?' Buffy asked, the conversation soon becoming tense.

'Honestly. I have no idea…' she said after giving it some thought.

'Girl's just as damaged as the rest of us…' she muttered.

Buffy was about to speak when the future slayer stopped her.

'I know that you don't trust me, and that's not you're fault.' She told her quietly.

'It's mine.' She informed her, unaware of Faith's presence in the doorway.

'I'm not a saint, there's a lot of things that I wish I could…' she paused.

'I've taken something that I can never give back, and that's…' she didn't continue, there was no way she could ever make them understand.

'You think it was the right thing to do?' Faith asked making her presence known.

The two senior slayers waited in silence, clearly wanting a better understanding of what was going through the future slayers mind.

'Not right. Necessary.' She said meeting their eyes.

'You didn't see the things that they had done…' she said visibly shivering at the memories.

'I meant what I said the night I left, I don't blame you…' She began

'You made us slayers, you didn't make us monsters.' She said with a sad chuckle.

'That one we managed all by ourselves.' She added.

The tense conversation was interrupted as Dawn stumbled into the kitchen, yawning as she approached the refrigerator, seemingly oblivious to the kitchens other occupants as she grabbed a glass from the cupboard beside it.

'Yo Dawn, you in there?' Faith asked as the teen joined them at the counter.

'Can I answer that in about an hour.' She yawned again.

'Research?' Hope asked, looking towards the others.

'Worse. Homework.' Dawn said in defeat.

'That bad huh?' Buffy said with an affectionate smile.

'Just when you thought they couldn't give you anymore…' Dawn began with a pout.

'Do they still give out mass amounts of homework in the future?' she asked Hope.

'I wouldn't know, what with the world ending and all.' Hope shrugged.

''Spike around?' Hope asked, as she hopped from the stool.

'Downstairs.' Dawn said, before yawning once more.

'Thanks.' The future slayer replied before heading towards the basement.