Twenty Three: You Did What?

The next morning, Faith made her way downstairs to find Buffy, Willow and Xander all having breakfast at the table.

Faith instantly felt awkward and turned away from the kitchen.

Willow looked up and felt a little bad for Faith, so she welcomed her over.

"Faith! You wanna join us?"

She looked unsure and forced an uneasy smile onto her face.

"Oh, I dunno, I don't wanna interrupt-"

"Oh you're not! In fact, we were just talking about tonight's plan. We'd really liked your input." Willow said brightly.

Faith nodded and glanced at Buffy who kept her head down, staring into her bowl of cereal. Last night was obviously still weighing heavily on her mind.

The only empty seat was next to the blonde slayer herself.

Faith sat down and Willow jumped up, grabbing a bowl, the box of cereal, milk and setting it down in front of her.

"Thanks." Faith muttered as she filled her bowl.

Buffy gave the other slayer a sideways glance and Faith rolled her eyes. She would really need to have a talk with her afterwards.

The breakfast discussion was about tonight's plan; it consisted of Buffy, Faith, the potentials- all of them really- going down to where Caleb and his minions were hiding and smoke him out or go down there and kill him, whatever worked.

Caleb, the evil priest and agent of the first evil, was responsible for the deaths of the potential slayers who had come from all over the world to be trained by Buffy and help in the good fight.

After breakfast, Buffy went to get up when Faith grabbed her wrist.

Buffy looked down at the grip Faith had on her, and the dark haired slayer released her.

"We need to talk."

Buffy licked her lips and nodded.

"Ok."

"Upstairs. I'll be in my room."

The blonde nodded again and Faith excused herself, going up to her room.

She paced as she waited for Buffy. It felt like she was taking forever. Unless she'd chickened out and she wasn't coming at all, but just when Faith's anger got the better of her and she pulled the door open violently, she found Buffy with her hand poised to knock.

Faith relaxed and stared at a shocked looking Buffy.

"Oh...I thought maybe you wasn't coming."

Buffy looked down at her boots.

"I was talking to the potentials...they have a lot of questions." She finished with a slight chuckle.

Faith nodded.

"Yeah, I rememember."

She then stood back, holding the door opened.

"Uh...come in."

Buffy did and Faith shut the door behind her, folding her arms as she turned around.

Buffy played dumb. It wasn't a good look on her but Faith went with it anyway.

"So, what did you wanna talk about?"

"What happened last night. I know you think it would've made it easier on me but I'm over it. I'm over you." Faith told her.

Buffy stared at her.

"Really?"

Faith nodded.

"Don't get me wrong, you got me all fired up last night but then I'm only human, and you were basically offering yourself up on a plate-"

Buffy blushed and bowed her head to hide it.

"I got you fired up?"

Faith nodded with a grin.

"-So much so that I had to bang Robin in the next room!"

Buffy's blush and grin dropped instantly.

"You did what?"

Faith was still grinning as she looked at Buffy.

"I had sex with Robin. I tell ya, B, you should give it a go, he's got such a big-"

"I've heard enough." She interrupted quickly, holding up a hand.

Then she frowned, a little angry at the other slayer.

"Is it your mission to screw every guy that comes into my life?"

Faith's grin became shaky.

"What? Do you have feelings for him?"

"No but that's not the point."

"Then what is, B? You're not screwin' him, you don't have feelings for him so what's the problem?"

"You! You're the problem!" Buffy shouted and then clamped her lips together, wishing that she could take it back.

Faith stood there for a few minutes, just staring at her.

"I knew you wouldn't be ok with me being here... I'll get my stuff and be gone by tonight. That ok with you?" She asked but her tone was flat, void of sarcasm.

"No, Faith, that's not what I meant. I just-"

"It's cool. I get it. I did a lot of bad shit and everytime I do something reckless, it reminds you of what I did, of what I tried to do. It's fine."

"No, it's not, Faith. Please just... don't go. I just need-"

"You need what? Time? Haven't you had enough of that?" Faith snapped as she grabbed the bag from under her bed and unzipped it.

"Yes. I know I have but I don't want you to go."

"Yes you do, and that's exactly what I'm gonna do."

Buffy made the mistake of grabbing Faith's arm and Faith elbowed her in the face, her anger once again, getting the better of her.

Faith clenched her teeth in anger at herself, then her expression softened as she reached out to the other girl.

"Shit...B I'm sorry. I just-"

Buffy shook her head as her nose started bleeding, and she took a step back from Faith.

"You're right...I can't get over what happened."

Faith started grabbing things from her closet and stuffing them into the bag.

Now she wanted to get away more than she felt Buffy wanted to be rid of her.

"It's cool. I didn't expect you to. I know you can never forgive me so it's better if I just leave."

Tears came to Buffy's eyes and she sniffed.

"Faith...I need you."

"No you don't...you have everyone here. I'm only adding to the pain, B. I don't want that for you. I know we both said I'd changed but...but maybe I haven't."

"No, you have! I can see it!" Buffy argued, hoping that anything she said would get Faith to stay.

Faith shook her head.

"It's better this way."

Faith didn't have much and she'd finished packing before she'd even realised.

Maybe tonight was too far away. She could leave now.

Hefting her bag up and onto her shoulder, she glanced at the blonde slayer.

"Good luck with everything."

Buffy watched her walk towards the door and pull it open.

"Where will you go?"

Faith stopped, a small, tortured smile coming to her face as she shrugged.

"I dunno...I'll send you a postcard."

Then the door shut and she was gone.

...

Buffy had found herself alone. She knew she had Spike, Giles, Willow, Xander, Dawn and God forbid, Andrew, but she was the only real slayer here.

With Faith gone, she felt more alone than ever and since that day, more potentials had died and it had forced them to question Buffy's leadership. They had demanded that Faith return and as Buffy found herself kicked out of her own home, others had tried to contact Faith but she wasn't answering her cell and no one knew where she was.

It was like she'd vanished off of the grid.

...

Faith stared at her phone as she lay on her lumpy motel bed and a frown creased her brow as she read the texts back.

FAITH. WE NEED YOU.

FAITH, WHY AREN'T YOU PICKING UP?

FAITH. IT'S WILLOW. BUFFY HAS BEEN KICKED OUT. WE NEED YOU.

It was that last text that caught Faith's attention.

They had kicked her out?

Faith shook her head and sighed, tossing the cell phone to the space beside her and sitting up, rubbing at her face.

She looked around at the familiar room.

She shouldn't be here. She was supposed to leave and never come back.

Leave B to it, remember? So why was she now staying in the same dingy motel as she had done all those years ago?

She sighed and pulled on her boots.

She wondered where Buffy was holed up now that she'd been kicked out of her own home.

Faith stood and stretched, feeling the muscles pulling and cracking her knuckles.

Shrugging into her jacket, she pocketed a stake, just in case, and headed out to find the other slayer.

The streets of Sunnydale were abandoned. Houses had just been left; doors were open and a there was no one even walking about or taking advantage of the fact that you could walk into any house you wanted and take whatever they'd left.

Faith kept walking each street, she passed Buffy's house and Restfield Cemetery until she turned into a side street and stopped outside one particular house.

Her connection to Buffy never really went away; it couldn't. They were The Chosen Two and no matter how much either one of them would like to forget the other (sometimes), that connection of being slayers was still strong and they could always use it to find each other if need be.

Too bad Faith was using her's more than Buffy ever had done, Faith thought a little bitterly.

The door to the house was ajar and Faith pushed on it gently, entering into darkness.

She didn't bother to check the rooms. She knew Buffy was upstairs.

As she reached the landing, she found the other slayer, frowning at the opposite wall as she lay on her side, one hand propping her head up.

Buffy sat up, her eyes widening as she saw Faith standing in the doorway.

"Faith..."

The dark haired slayer spread her arms in a grand gesture.

"The one and only."

She frowned as she looked down at Buffy.

"So, they kicked you out."

"They did." Buffy confirmed sadly.

"And you what? Let them?"

Buffy looked up at Faith and her brow creased.

"What else could I do, Faith? They wanted you back and me gone."

Faith looked down and scratched the back of her head.

"Uh...yeah, heard about that."

"Well that is why you're back, isn't it? They called and you came running."

"No. I came because Willow text me saying you'd been kicked out. I came back to find you. But if you're gonna be ungrateful about it-" Faith said, turning away.

"No, Faith wait!"

The dark haired slayer stopped and came back into the room.

Buffy let out a breath.

"I'm sorry. It's just...when they said they wanted you and they kicked me out, it hurt, you know?"

Faith nodded, completely understanding how Buffy felt.

"You feel like you belong somewhere and then they turn. Yeah, I get it."

Buffy could hear the pain in Faith's voice but like she always did, she chose to ignore it. It made things easier on her if she didn't feel so much empathy for Faith.

"So what now?" The blonde slayer asked, feeling way past defeated.

Faith cracked her knuckles.

"We take back what's your's. Make theses girls see sense, then it's up to you on how to finish this."

Buffy raised an eyebrow.

"Finish this?"

"Well yeah! B, how long has this been going on? Some big bad shows up, you wait around, waiting for them to strike and then you attack. Maybe all your fights would be over quickly if you made the first move."

"Oh you mean like you would?"

Faith shrugged.

"At least I get shit done."

"Yeah but you're reckless and sometimes thoughtless and you get yourself lead into danger-"

"There it is. All negatives...maybe if you just followed your gut instead of having to think everything through, we might actually stand a a chance at beating this thing."

Buffy gave her the tiniest smile at the one word she'd latched onto.

"'We'?"

Faith sighed, she hated letting onto buried feelings accidentally but she'd said it now. No going back.

"Yeah. 'We'. I'm gonna stick around, help and then-"

"Then what?" Buffy asked, her smile fading.

"I'll take off again."

"What if I need -"

"You won't need me after this. It's the Hellmouth. Once that closes, you're free...for the time being."

"Have you ever thought that maybe I need you in my life as more than just another helping hand? Just another slayer to ease the burden?"

Faith folded her arms defensively.

Don't let her in. Don't get hurt. She chanted over and over in her head.

"As what then?" Faith asked, trying to appear unaffected.

Buffy's friendly smile returned.

"How does 'friend' sound?"

Faith blinked.

"Friend?"

"You know what that is, right?"

"Yeah...course I do. I just...never had one."

"Well maybe you and I could be that. What do you think?"

Faith looked at her for a long time before a small smile curled one corner of her mouth.

"Friends...yeah, I guess we could try that. Everything else we've tried has gone to hell so why not."

Buffy chuckled a little.

"You sound funny when you're unsure."

"Hey, I'm trying to be normal here."

Buffy nodded.

"I know you are. I'm sorry. Friends?" Buffy pushed, teasing Faith with her new position in her life.

Faith rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. Now do you wanna go back home or not?" Faith muttered.

Buffy nodded.

"I really do."

Faith gestured with her head for them to leave this house.

"Come on then."