CHAPTER 1

FPOV

Out of all the things I could have possibly imagined, this was definitely not one of them. I’ve had a thing for B in the past. I’ll admit it. But this? No. This is different.

So I’ve been hanging around with the super hero squad for about 3 weeks now, since we blew up Sunnydale. L.A’s my kinda place, I like it here, I like hanging around with Angel, well at least when he’s not hanging around B. He kinda turns into a walking soap opera when he’s near her. Only this soap, no one’s watching. I don’t mean to be a bitch about it, but seriously, figure it out already. Ok maybe there’s a tiny bit of bitterness there when it comes to B. I gotta stop thinking about that. Even after all these years, the fact that she chose his life over mine, well, it still hurts like a bitch.

Whatever. I’m over it.

So here’s the thing that I didn’t see coming. Willow. She's different now. She's changed. People used to call her shy, or weak, she was never like that with me. Well, the old me. Even when I was way over my fair share of the crazy quota, she stood up to me. Told me what she thought of me. Never backed down, even though she knew I could have snapped her neck with no regret within a blink of an eye. She’s still got that about her, but today, I dunno, she’s just more badass. Sexier. Maybe she’s always been like that, and I’ve just never noticed. Too caught up in the blonde necro maniac that is her best friend.

 I think it started when we were driving back to Sunnydale. She carried most of the conversation, I wasn’t trying to be rude or anything, but it was kind of hard to get a word in most of the time. She told me about how everyone’s lives had progressed over the past few years. She explained that Dawn was a mystical key, the battle with Glory, B dying, coming back. Then she told me about what happened to her girl, Tara, and the aftermath. I felt bad and all, but I couldn’t help but think she must have been wicked hot as a badass evil witch. Its kind of hot, knowing she could still be like that. I mean if she wanted too. Power. It’s kind of sexy.

She’s confident now. Not in a short skirt, cleavage out kind of way. More of a, I’m a grown up, I’ve been through hell, and there’s nothing you can do to faze me, so bring it, kind of way! Does that make sense? Also, I see the way she looks at people she cares about, I’m not gonna go into it in too much detail, but, I like that look. She’s got a lot of love to give. I’m not saying I’m in love or anything, I’m just saying there’s something about her.

Well anyway, since then, I can’t stop thinking about her. Problem is, she’s dating Kennedy. Who, I kinda like. It’s nice having a friend who isn’t a con, or doesn’t have vivid memories of me trying to kill them. Rare thing in my life these days! We hang out, talk fighting techniques, talk video games, comics, yeah I never really grew out of all that stuff. I’ll never admit it out loud, but I could see me and Kennedy being good friends. If it wasn’t for the fact that I want her girl! I don’t think they’ve been together long, like a couple of months maybe. So who knows, maybe it won’t work out. Is that crappy of me to think? Probably.

 I know what you’re thinking, even if they don’t work out, what makes you think Willow would even be interested in me, well I just want to take this moment to point out, that Kennedy? She’s like a watered down version of me! I mean you couldn’t get further from what Tara was like if you tried.  Well actually you could. Me. So I guess there’s hope, right?

I’ve been sitting in the basement of the Hyperion for over an hour now. This cage they got set up in here is oddly comforting. Some people go sit on a rooftop and look at the stars, me? I sit in a cage in a dark basement to reflect. Anyway, stars are too beautiful, I’m not sure if I deserve that yet. I’m sure there’s a shrink somewhere that could write poetry with that!

I gotta admit, sometimes I miss the old me. The old me, would look at Kennedy and think ‘Game on bitch’. She’d win too. The new me, well the new me sit’s in a basement feeling sorry for herself. The new me has to take a moment to consider other people’s feelings. It kinda sucks. Acting like I’ve got a soul. I mean I have a soul, don’t get me wrong. Just sometimes I wonder if mine’s kind of defective. Like I’ll be in a situation and I gotta remind myself that other people would care about it, so maybe I should too. I don’t always care automatically.

So I guess either, I keep these weird crush feelings to myself, or I go after her and possibly ruin any friendship I might have with Kennedy.

Screw it. Game on.

“What the hell is her problem?!" Buffy exclaimed after Faith rushed past her in the hotel lobby.

“I’m sorry who?” Giles said as he looked up from some texts sprawled out on the floor.

“Faith! She never stops to talk, if she’s not sitting in the basement like a freak, she’s always running around in some kind of hurry. I feel like I don’t even know her anymore. At least when she was a crazy psychotic slut, I knew who she was,” Giles looked at her slightly confused, “Ya know, a crazy psychotic slut,” Buffy finished off.

Giles sighed and stood up stretching his legs a little “Buffy if you wish to get to know Faith, I suggest putting a stop to the name calling would be a good place to start.”

“I know, I just wish she would slow down and give me a minute of her time, we’ve hardly spoken to each other since Sunnydale. With all these mini slayers running around, I just want to touch base with the only other chosen one in existence. I mean really, is that too much to ask?” Buffy said as she followed Giles over to the make shift kitchen area in the hotel lobby.

Giles pulled a plastic food bag out of his pocket filled with tea bags, and placed one in a mug, “Is there a particular reason you want to speak with her?”

“I just think it’s important that we be able to work together. I mean things are different now. There are all these slayers, and I think it’s up to me and Faith to guide them. I feel more responsible now than ever, she must be feeling it too.”

Giles sighed whilst switching the kettle on “Well, she seems comfortable as she is. She enjoys spending time with Angel, and some of the new slayers. Just give her a bit of time. Maybe she doesn’t yet wish to...well.”

“Spend time with me?” Buffy finished for him. “Well that’s stupid, she’s being stupid. Shouldn’t surprise me really, seeing as she is stupid.”

“Buffy...” Giles warned

“I’m just saying, we have a connection. Something special. It’s rare and it’s unique, more so now than ever. Besides we talked in Sunnydale, we’re over our past issues, we talked it through.”

“Was this before or after you punched her in the face?”

“…I don’t remember,” Buffy pouted at Giles.

“Well you know where she is now, should you wish to speak with her,” Giles said as he nodded his head towards the stairs. Buffy looked over at the staircase leading up to all their rooms, “I suppose.”

Faith rushed into her bedroom and quickly shut the door behind her. Since she decided to go after Willow the day before, her bravado had shrunk the minute Kennedy approached her and asked if she wanted to hang out in the evening. She had made up some excuse, and decided to go hide in a seedy bar all evening.

She had just come from a run, looking in the mirror she sighed to herself, before stripping off and taking a quick shower. Everything was quick these days; a way to distract herself from unwanted feelings was always finding something to do. A few minutes later, she was out of the shower and drying off before she heard a knock at her door.

“Just give me a sec,” Faith quickly found a clean pair of pajama bottoms and tank top and hurriedly put them on before opening the door.

“Err...hey,” Faith looked a little startled to find Buffy standing in the hallway looking a bit uncomfortable. They had pretty much stayed out of each other’s way since getting to LA.

“Are you busy?” Buffy asked.

“No, what’s up? Something brewing?” Faith replied as she moved back to her bed to retrieve her towel for her hair.

“Giles is making tea,” Faith looked at her oddly “That’s not what you meant is it,” Buffy said as she stepped inside Faith’s room. “No, no trouble, just wanted to check in with you. Make sure everything’s okay?”

“Sure, why wouldn’t it be?” Faith replied.

Buffy looked around the bedroom, before taking a seat on a chair in the corner of the room, whilst Faith stood in front of a mirror and began towel drying her hair, “Faith, I just want you to know that you can talk to me, about anything.”

“What is this about B?”

Buffy looked down before meeting Faith’s eyes in the reflection of the mirror.

“Faith there’s no need to be a closed book.”

“Huh?”

“I know what you’re feeling.”

Faith froze before clearing her throat, before trying to act normal again “I don’t know what you’re talking about B.”

Buffy however had noticed Faith falter in the reflection of the mirror.

“Me and you we have a connection, even though there’s all these other slayers now, they don’t feel the same, not like we do. We’re different, do you understand what I’m saying?”

Faith turned around to face Buffy, and leaned on the dresser behind her.

“Look B, I’m flattered, really. I mean maybe a few years ago, I woulda gone for this.”

Buffy’s face was pure confusion at Faith’s response “Gone for what? Sharing your feelings? Because if I remember correctly, a few years ago, not only were you a closed book, you were a book covered in cellophane. With maybe a security seal wrapped around too. You know like how they have in stores, for like really expensive things.”

Faith threw her towel on the bed and grabbed her comb. “Okay, I don’t really know what you just said, but I’m just saying, I couldn’t do it to Angel. The big guy’s done way too much for me to go stabbing him in the back like that. I know you guys aren’t really together but still.”

“What are you talk-“

“Look B, you’re a total hottie, but it’s more complicated now.”

Buffy stared at Faith open mouthed, “Do you think I’m hitting on you!?”

Faith who was now facing the mirror again began combing her hair, “B, there’s no need to get defensive just cos I’m knocking you back. Besides, like I said if the situation was different, I’d totally do you.”

Buffy closed her eyes and grit her teeth before taking a deep breath “Faith, I’m not hitting on you, I just wanted to talk about our connection, and our connection with the new slayers.”

Faith put the comb down and went to sit on the bed to face Buffy “You want to make a connection with one of them?”

“Not in a sex way Faith, this is not a sex talk!” Buffy threw her arms up in the air before standing, “You know what, this is ridiculous, I should have known this would be a waste of time. Talking to you is like talking to...to…well a really stupid thing.”

Faith stood up to face Buffy “What the hell is your problem?”

“You’re my problem Faith, how you think you’re still relevant here is beyond me.”

“You know what, screw you B, you’re the one that comes into my space, talking bout comparing me to books and shit, hitting on me, then when I’m trying to help you with your connection to one of the newbie’s, you turn all super bitch Buffy on me.”

Buffy stared at Faith shocked, “You know what Faith, you are a monumental moron, I don’t even know why I bother!” Buffy then turned to leave Faith’s, room slamming the door on the way out.

_______________________________________________

To say that Faith felt stressed out was an understatement, she was currently sitting in Wesley’s old office, with Giles, Buffy, Xander, Angel, Kennedy and of course the cause for most of her unwanted stress, Willow.

“I just think that we need to move on, Angel your hospitality has been most appreciated, but we can’t burden you further. We need to set up somewhere more permanent,” Giles said from his chair next to the desk.

Faith could feel Buffy’s eyes piercing her with an evil glare, but chose to ignore it. She could also feel Kennedy looking at her with an emotion she couldn’t quite read.

Faith rubbed at her forehead before speaking up, “I dunno G, I like it here, LA I mean. We don’t have to stay with Angel, but we could set up in LA.”

Buffy rolled her eyes, “Well that would be kind of pointless Faith, seeing as Angel has LA covered,” she said slowly as if speaking to a child.

“Don’t talk to me like that B.”

“Or what?”

Faith stood up to face off with Buffy, followed quickly by Buffy getting to her feet. Before they knew it, both of them were forced back into their chairs. Looking momentarily confused, they then both looked at Willow.

“Sorry guys, but we don’t really have time for this right now, maybe you can pummel each other after the meeting. As I was saying to Giles earlier, the coven in England have a few prophecies they urgently want looked into. It makes the most sense for us to relocate there. At least for the time being.”

“I agree. I can look into accommodation that would house us and all the girls, maybe somewhere a little low key, out in the country side perhaps.” Giles added.

“Does this mean I have to get monsoon weather clothes? A brolly or two, that’s what you guys call them right? A brolly?” Xander said before Giles nodded.

Buffy sighed before standing up, “Okay, that sounds fine, you find the place I’ll look into booking us all a flight, unless,” She said before turning to Willow “You don’t fancy zapping us all into jolly old England using the free and instant option?”

“Actually Buffy, I’d prefer we did this legally and all above board, well on paper anyway. I might just help it along, using the old hacker skills,” Willow smiled.

“Sure, expensive and long it is.” Buffy smiled back.

Faith who had been quiet during this agreement, decided to choose this moment to speak again, “Erm, the thing is guys, I don’t really have a passport. Plus I’m kind of wanted, so I couldn’t leave the country even if I did have one.”

“Well that’s fine Faith, you wanted to stay in LA so badly, why don’t you go see if your old room at the women’s penitentiary is still available,” Kennedy said before standing up and leaving the room.

Buffy smirked at Faith, “Gosh that was so rude of her, I mean she didn’t even offer to call them to find out for you,” she said before leaving the room.

Giles rose to his feet before awkwardly addressing Faith, “Yes, well, I’m sure between us, we can somehow eradicate the problem quickly and efficiently.”

“Sure,” Willow said smiling at Faith. Faith couldn’t help but smile back at her; she found Willow’s smiles to be kind of infectious.

Angel looked at Faith oddly, noticing the interaction.

“Excellent, well now that’s all in order, I shall start looking on the internet for something suitable, Xander if you could help me out, I’d be most grateful,” Giles said before exiting the room with Xander in tow, leaving Willow, Angel, and Faith alone.

Willow leant forward and put her hand on Faith’s arm, “Faith, I wouldn’t take what Kennedy said to heart, she kind of feels like you’ve been all avoidy girl lately, I tried to explain you might just need a bit of space, but maybe if you could just talk to her, it’ll get straightened out pretty quick.”

Faith swallowed, before quickly nodding her head and replying, “Sure Red, Willow, I meant, Willow.” Faith was cursing herself on the inside but all she could focus on was her sped up heart rate, that didn’t seem to be slowing down, at least not until that hand would remove itself from her arm.

Willow stood up and smiled at both Faith and Angel “Okay well, I better call the coven and tell them we’re on our way.” She then walked out of the office.

Faith turned to look at Angel who had a grin on his face, “Willow?!”

“Oh god,” Faith groaned as she collapsed in the chair behind her.