As the bus lurched on its way down the road to LA, Buffy winced and touched her side. She hoped it wasn't still bleeding, but she hadn't really had time to check. The sleeping faces she glanced at on her way past just proved how weary everyone had been and how much the last few months had taken its toll on them all. She'd been taking to Giles about heading to the Hyperion, and was now headed to the back seat, hopefully for some peace and quiet. She wanted to be alone, just for a little while.

She didn't expect to see Faith sleeping, seeming uncharacteristically small as she lay curled in on herself in the seat. Her head rested against the dusty window, causing Buffy to smile fondly as she realized Faith had given in to her exhaustion, and her head had simply lolled limply. Although her initial reaction was to leave the sleeping woman in peace, Buffy couldn't help but see how vulnerable and peaceful Faith looked as she slept. All her emotional masks down, the fierceness which flashed behind her eyes being shut away, if only for a few hours. Taking a seat beside Faith, the blonde tentatively brushed a lock of brunette hair away from her face, and felt her heart clench at remembering how precious Faith was when she wasn’t teeming with anger, violence, hate or defensiveness.

Way back in high school, before Finch, or the Mayor, or Graduation, the pair had fallen into a relationship. It had been a brief, passionate, hormone fuelled affair, which helped them both clear the air and ease some of the tension between them. Buffy's longing to feel something other than the burden of family, friends and slaying, as well as her desire for an escape matched Faith's unbridled sexual hunger with every kiss and cold night they spent in Faith's motel room.

At first it had been purely carnal; then, in the days leading up the event which tore them apart, it had developed into something deeper. Buffy spent the last few nights sleeping in Faith's arms instead of leaving, and they became increasingly affectionate with each other. Faith balanced this out, by being more reckless in an attempt to still appear untouchable, and perhaps also to impress the blonde, as she struggled to cope with the feelings she harboured for her.

That same recklessness led to one mistake which snowballed into a world of pain and contempt for them both.

Now, as she sat there beside the sleeping slayer, Buffy could see Faith's maturity from a dangerous, loose cannon of a teenager into a brave, courageous young woman. She'd heard how the brunette had risked her life to save Angel, and had to admit to herself that ever since Faith's return to Sunnydale, she hadn't given the other slayer a chance to prove herself, nor to let herself see the new side to Faith. Sitting there, contemplating the last few weeks, she could clearly see that Faith was striving for redemption, and Buffy was fully prepared to help her now in any way she could, rather than stand in her way.

She didn't realize she'd nodded off to sleep, and in such an awkward position, until she felt a hand gently shaking her shoulder to rouse her, and she felt the creak in her neck. Blinking open her eyes, Buffy found herself looking into a soft, brown concerned gaze.

"Hey," she greeted groggily. "Are we in LA yet?"

Faith turned and glanced out of the window. "Nearly but uh..."She twisted back to face Buffy, indicating her filthy shirt, "You're still bleeding."

"Oh," Buffy frowned, craning her head down and pulling her shirt away from her skin, hissing as she irritated the gash.

Faith took Buffy's hands in hers, tenderly pulling them away before taking the hem of the shirt. She raised her head to look into Buffy's eyes, asking for permission to pull up the material, but as soon as their eyes met and the skin of Faith’s knuckles brushed Buffy’s stomach, it was as if they both physically flashed back to so many times before; years ago, when they would be grinning and kissing deeply and Faith would whip the shirt off from Buffy's torso, exposing her to the air of the motel room before luring her into the bed sheets.

Buffy fluttered her eyes as she cleared her head and reinstated herself in the here and now. She swallowed, and nodded, and Faith gently bunched the shirt up as she revealed the deep cut. She softly prodded at the wound, stopping for a moment every time she heard a sharp intake of breath from the blonde. She sighed and pulled the shirt back down.

"I think you're gonna need stitches," she stated.

Buffy bit her lip and nodded. "But let's leave it until we get back to the hotel. There are more important things to worry about now."

Faith nodded, shifting and stretching her stiff muscles from sitting in the seat so long. The blonde's hands danced nervously in her lap as she thought about what she should say to her former lover.

"So, um, how are you feeling?"She asked.

Faith shrugged, slumping back into the hard seat of the school bus. "About three by three. But I'll be fine, ya know me," she replied.

Buffy gave Faith a small smile, and they were silent during the remainder of the journey. But as Faith allowed her head to rest against the window with a soft thump, her eyes watching intently but unseeing at the passing Californian road, Buffy's features pulled into a frown.

No, I don't think I know you now at all.

*****

Buffy kept a brisk pace as she walked further and further from the city. She wasn't sure how far she'd come, but she did know that when she left the hotel the sun hadn't risen, and now it was creeping higher into the clear blue sky above LA.

Last night, no matter how worn out she’d felt, her fatigue hadn't been enough to lull her to sleep. She could sense Faith in the room next to her, and it had almost driven her insane. Yesterday evening, it was as if all of the lingering negativity and harsh, painful past that hung in the atmosphere around the chosen two had disappeared, and once again, Buffy felt her cheeks heating up at every dimpled grin, every subtle touch and every crude joke followed by a wink that came from the brunette. All of those feelings that had run rampant through her in her senior year returned with full force, and she felt like she was suffocating as she realized that perhaps they'd never really gone away.

Barely sleeping for two hours, Buffy had had enough. Pulling on the fresh clothes that Angel had graciously provided, she set off to clear her mind. When Faith offered to stitch her wound last night, Buffy had almost snapped at her. She tasted the words on the tip of her tongue; What do you want from me? You want to go back to how it was before, just like that, is that it? Or maybe you've had a hard fight and now you're in need of a good lay. She forced a tight smile, and shook her head, patching herself up before her shower instead.

She just about registered, as she squinted in the morning sun, that she had followed the sidewalks with led high up into the foothills surrounding the city, and she spotted a bench nearby. Pressing a hand gingerly to where the gauze was on her abdomen, Buffy held her breath and lowered herself onto the bench, releasing the air in a long breath through gritted teeth. She closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of the city. She wanted clarity; she wanted to know what she was supposed to do next, about her friends, about Faith.

She blew out a long breath and rested her head on the back of the bench, tilting her face into the warm rays of the sun. She hadn’t even taken time to properly mourn the lost; Spike, Anya, the other young slayers. No matter how she thought about them, she couldn’t force herself to feel anything except shock. It wasn’t grief. She didn’t feel numb, and she had spent a period of time last crying with Xander especially, but apart from that...she didn’t feel as affected as she probably should.

“Buffy?” A surprised voice asked.

Blinking open her eyes at the sudden voice, she raised her head and frowned at the person hovering beside the bench. “Giles?”

The Englishman looked a little flustered as he found the blonde woman on the bench so far from the hotel. After his breakfast, he had taken a drive to let his thoughts filter and process through his own mind, and was currently on his way to the hospital to visit the wounded when he spotted Buffy along the side of the road, resting on the bench which overlooks the city.

“Mind some company?” He asked.

She shook her head, shifting from the middle of the bench in order to let him sit down. “How are you feeling?”

She shrugged, looking down into her lap. “Felt better. You?”

He made a thoughtful noise. “I understand. Did you walk all of the way out here?”

“I must have. I had to clear my head and now...” She trailed off and looked around her with wide eyes. “Now I have no idea where I am.”

He smiled warmly, shaking his head at her as she slumped back into the seat. He thought she looked so defeated, which surprised him, seeing as they’d been so victorious over their toughest adversary just the day before. Perhaps the poor woman is in mourning, he mused. “I’m actually rather glad I caught you, Buffy,” he said.

She raised her eyebrows. “You are?”

He nodded, sighed and crossing his legs as he sat back on the bench and watched a flock of birds circling in patterns overhead. “I wanted to apologize. The last few months have been rather...strained of late. I shouldn’t have doubted you so much, no more so than in regards to Spike.”

She smiled sadly. “It’s okay, Giles. I get why you’d be so, you know, wary of him. I got worried for a while too, especially to do with his chip.” She followed his gaze, watching the birds as they parted into groups and continued to glide in the air above them. “And as for being strained, I wish things had been less strained for sure. You know, if we were more like stew than soup. Soup gets strained, but stew...well, it’s not stirred as much...”

He frowned in confused and looked across at her. “Not...stirred as much,” he parroted, clarifying what she had said.

She nodded emphatically. “Yeah. You know, in this big pot of life. And when things get bad, it’s cause there’s a really aggressive person holding the spoon, stirring, oh or they turn up the heat. Sometimes the heat gets turned up too much. Life heats up too much, and that brings the badness.”

His face was a picture of pure exasperation. “Buffy, I’m afraid I have no clue which direction this metaphor is taking.”

She took her eyes of the birds to look at him, and couldn’t hold the giggle at his expression. He even smiled himself as he saw the happiness lightening up her eyes. Buffy shrugged, sheepish now as she once again became captivated by the birds above her. “I guess you’re right.”

Enjoying the warm caress of the summer sun, Buffy breathed in the breeze and felt like a weight had been lifted off of her chest. She reached across and patted his arm amiably. “I’m glad you’re here now. I want to repair this whole horribleness between us. It’s been... hard.”

Giles nodded his head in understanding, watching smoke rising from a remote part of the city, and letting his mind float away with the grey plume of smoke for a moment. And then he muttered something to himself, before glancing across at his charge, who was wearing a silly smile.

He cleared his throat. “I sense, however, that ours is not the only relationship that you’re seeking to repair.”

Her face fell as she turned her head towards him. “What do you mean? Me and Will are peachy, and no problems in the house of Summers and Harris...wait, does that make us sound like we’re married?”

He smiled wanly, looking out at the city again as he said, “I believe I was referring to Faith.”

“Faith?” She squeaked. “Why?”

He sighed wearily, fixing her with a withering look. “Oh, Buffy please don’t patronize me. I may be..older, but I do know about your previous, um, relationship with Faith.”

She grimaced, still not quite believing that of all the people she knew and spoke to, he was the one who seemed to get her the most. “I guess that by relationship you don’t mean the Chosen Two ultra slaying team, huh?” She mumbled, self consciously not meeting his gaze as she pulled a stray hair from her jeans.

“No. I saw the signs, the sudden closeness. How there was a little more affection behind your interactions, how you didn’t shun away so much from her rather derogatory comments.”

She laughed out in disbelief. “I can’t believe it. Why didn’t you say anything?”

He smiled thinly, glancing at his watch and thinking through his reply. “I held out on the thought that if you trusted me enough, or wished to tell me at all, you would,” he said, not unkindly.

“Really? Wow,” she breathed, and then her voice rose a little higher than normal as she rushed, “I can’t believe you knew! I mean, we were discreet! There was discreetness in abundance!”

He snorted. “Of course. That must have been why I found a pair of hastily discarded underwear on a shelf in the stacks that particular day in January.”

“Giles!” She whined.

Giles took of his glasses, cleaning them with a hint of a teasing smile. She bit her lip, thinking that if there was anyone to ask, it was Giles. “Giles...can I have your opinion on something?”

He put his glasses back on his face, nodding his head. “Of course.”

“Do you...” She took a deep breath. “Do you think she’s really changed? I mean, I know she’s not...she’s more stable and she’s more mature but...” She struggled to voice what she really wanted to say, but thankfully, the Englishman got the grasp of her meaning.

“But you want to know if you should attempt to rekindle your relationship?”

She hesitated, glancing at the ground, and then nodded shyly. “I think it might be fruitless. No fruit for Buffy,” she said in a serious and worried tone, repeating what she’d once quoted to Angel.

Giles paused, considering his words before he answered her. “To be frank with you, Buffy—”

“I’d rather you be Giles,” she cut in, making his eyebrows rise in amusement and her cheeks to heat up in embarrassment. “I didn’t really just say that, did I?”

He waved it away, a faint, bemused smile lingering on his features. “I can’t tell you how you feel, nor provide an insight into how Faith feels. If you want to know, you’ll have to speak to her, Buffy, however, I doubt even now that you and she are a point to sit down and bare you souls straight away. You can’t push her, she’ll pull away. But...” He sighed helplessly, “At the same time, I can’t tell you how she’ll react. Perhaps she feels exactly the same way. Maybe she wants a new start, with or without you. There’s no telling.”

Buffy nodded as he spoke, taking in his words with a mixture of hope, excitement, fear and disappointment. He was right; was Faith even interested in her? Of course, they had been active bedmates so long ago, and by the time Alan Finch had been killed, they were getting closer and deeper into a relationship setting. Buffy took the moment of silence to ponder a few what ifs; what if Finch hadn’t been killed? Would Faith and she have continued their charade until one of them finally admitted they wanted it to officially be more? What if they had broken up, or Faith had up and left one day? Would Buffy have been heartbroken? What if they had come out to their friends and family? Would Buffy have been so alone, the way she’d felt after all that she’d been through?

Giles watched as the emotions flickered over the young woman’s face, and decided to give her a piece of advice which he knew she would find a way of manipulating and making the right decision about. “If I were you, which I am by no means saying that you should do, but I would find a way to talk to Faith in an environment you are both comfortable with. Perhaps tonight if you went out slaying or maybe just sitting down with, oh I don’t know, a cup of coffee and an open mind.”

Buffy nodded, and all her thoughts cleared. She knew what she was going to do, because it was the one thing that would draw any lingering affection out of the brunette. She knew it. She smiled.

“Giles, can you take me back to the hotel? I’ve got an idea.”

*****

Kennedy sat alone in the lobby of the Hyperion on one of the large couches, her knees drawn up to her chest, sullenly staring into space. She’d had a row with Rona about their room, and now that she had some down time to stop and think about the rush of the last few months, she felt lost and alone. Sure, she loved Willow, but now what? Did she continue with this ragtag team of demon fighters, or go back home to New York? She’d changed as a person since becoming a slayer, and but not enough to say that she felt like she belonged with the Scooby gang. Honestly, she felt like she didn’t belong anywhere.

The sofa depressed beside her and she was startled as someone threw themselves down beside her. Her eyebrows rose in surprise at the grinning brunette. “Hey...Faith...” She said, waiting for the Bostonian to explain why she was there.

“Saw ya looking all lonely. Thought I’d join ya. What’s got ya all sad and shit?” Faith asked flippantly, putting her hands behind her head as she reclined.

Kennedy scoffed, but smiled. “Nice to hear you being so eloquent.”

The Bostonian shrugged, crossing her ankles as she stretched out her legs. “It is what it is. So, you, miserable, what gives?” 

The New Yorker moved to mirror Faith’s position, but folded her hands on her stomach and let her head hang back against the top of her couch. “I feel weird now. I mean, yeah, we won. And that’s amazing. But now...Willow consoling Xander, which I get, y’know? But I realized that...I don’t think I...”

“Fit in?” Faith suggested. Kennedy breathed out slowly, and then reluctantly nodded. “S’okay, y’know, to feel like ya don’t belong with them. They’re a pretty well knit group of people. It’s hard to get accepted. Hell, I’m still not sure I am.”

Kennedy smiled sadly. “It sucks. I have super powers now, and there’s so many of us. So why the hell do I feel so alone?”

Faith didn’t answer so a while, glancing around them before watching the younger girl carefully. “Y’know, I’ve never really had any friends, and I know we didn’t really get on back in the ‘Dale, but you seem kinda cool I guess. And hey, you’re a loner and so am I. We can be loners together.”

Kennedy slowly lolled her head in Faith’s direction, grinning at the other slayer. “Seriously? That’s your sales pitch on potential friendship?”

The Bostonian shrugged. “Like I said, I’m crappy at this kinda stuff.”

Kennedy thought about it for a moment, and then nodded. “Yeah, alright.”

“Cool.”

They appraised each other for a minute, and then Kennedy decided that she wanted to know more about Faith, or at least, a little bit of whatever the Bostonian was willing to share. “So friend,” Kennedy said, “Tell me about you and Summers. What’s the deal there? And don’t tell me bad past, cause I know there’s more to it.”

Faith opened her mouth and closed it with a click before she grinned slyly. “You don’t stand for bullshit, eh?” she said, her tone impressed.

Kennedy shrugged. “I’m a stubborn girl who likes to know who she’s dealing with.”

Faith nodded, scratching at her tattoo. “Fair enough. Me and B were a thing, and then shit went down, and I broke her heart. I’ve always been a one night stand kinda girl, y’know? But Buffy...” Faith’s eyes glazed over and her voice got smaller as she became lost in her thoughts. “It started as this sex thing. I wanted it, and she was willing to give it. But then...I started to feel things, and sometimes she’d stay after we’d fucked, and for a while, I got to hold her in my arms.”

Kennedy blinked in surprise at the show of deep confession from the usually closed off woman, and wondered just how much Faith was trusting her with this. The older woman came out of her stream of consciousness, sighing and shaking her head. “After Finch I panicked and pushed her away, and I said some...really shitty things to her. After that, we’ve never been the same.”

“Until now. You never know,” Kennedy offered, but Faith waved it away.

“Nah. I mean, I just wanna concentrate on a friendship with her now, y’know? When she makes her decision, I’m gonna make sure I’m right there with her, fighting all the baddies and training all the little juniors that pop up all over the world. Where she needs me, I’ll be there.”

“So, you don’t wanna get what you had back?” Kennedy asked, frowning.

Faith ran her hands through her hair, a self-deprecating smile on her face. “I ruined it. We coulda had something really strong and special. But I got reckless, killed a guy or two, and hurt her and her friends more than I can say. I don’t deserve that second chance with her, but I’m gonna work damn hard to her trust and her friendship back,” she replied firmly.

Kennedy was about to answer her with some inspiring words when the front doors banged open and both slayers were on their feet. Buffy strode in, hard determination on her face. She practically hopped down the steps onto the main floor of the lobby, and Faith’s heart was in her mouth as she realized Buffy wasn’t slowing as she headed straight for her. The New Yorker’s eyes gradually widened as she watched Buffy heading straight for Faith, but otherwise stood stock still. Faith was tense, thinking Buffy had snapped and was finally ready to sort things between them once and for all. And the blonde was.

But not in the way Faith was expecting.

As Buffy was a few feet from her, Faith opened her mouth to speak when Buffy raised her arms. As an instant reflex, Faith stiffened, anticipating a blow. But no right hook came. Instead, Buffy’s hands grasped the front of her shirt and crushed their lips together. Faith let out a noise of shock as her hands flapped around, disarrayed in the air for a moment before her hairs plunged into Buffy’s hair. The blonde sighed and tilted her head, deepening the kiss and moving her hands from between them down to Faith’s hips, pulling her closer. Breaking away, Faith was breathing hard, eyes flicking around Buffy’s face in confusion.

Kennedy whistled low in her throat, dropping back down on the couch. Buffy smiled coyly. “Hi.”

Faith frowned. “Uh...hey?”

“So I’ve been thinking, and if you don’t think the same thing then we can forget this just happened and we’ll...” She tore her eyes away from the whiskey ones staring down at her as she looked across at the smirking New Yorker sitting watching them closely with her arms folded across her chest.

“You can bribe me. I’ll keep your secret,” she suggested.

“Okay, we’ll kill Kennedy,” Buffy said happily.

“Hey!” The younger woman protested.

Buffy focused her attention back on the brunette woman that she slid her arms further around. “I’ve been thinking. Sunnydale’s gone. We’re all about to make a new start. We don’t know what that is we’re gonna be doing, or where we’re gonna be going. But I realized something.” She paused, swallowing down her nerves. “I want you there, and it’s so crazy, I don’t know what I’m gonna be doing. Or...or what I’m supposed to. I just... I need you there.”

“Then I’m there with you,” Faith breathed, not hesitating for a moment.

Kennedy groaned in frustration. “Get a room.”

Faith coughed and shifted on her feet, her hands finally coming out of Buffy’s hair as she slid them self consciously into her back pockets and the blonde took her hands off the brunette’s hips to smooth down her hair. Buffy’s cheeks flushed, and her eyes looked down at her feet for a moment. “Actually...that’s not a bad idea.”

Faith raised her eyebrows in surprise as Buffy made a flash decision. She abruptly reached for Faith’s hand and entwined their fingers. She looked pointedly at Kennedy. “Tell no one to disturb us until at least dinner.”

Faith wore a silly, smug grin as Buffy led her towards the staircase, and she glanced over her shoulder at Kennedy, who gave her two thumbs up. Watching her new friend disappear up the stairs, Kennedy flopped back onto the couch, wondering what she should do now. She sat up when Willow came into the room and sat down beside her.

“Hey,” she said softly.

“Hey,” Kennedy replied, rubbing her shoulder, knowing that comforting Xander must have been tough. She knew it also must have brought back tough memories of how she’d mourned for Tara when she lost her last year.

“Have you seen Buffy?” The witch asked. “I haven’t seen her all morning. I hope she’s not alone right now.”

“Actually, Will..” Kennedy started, and then stopped. A huge smile grew on her face, and she reached for Willow’s hand, pulling her up to stand. “It’s a beautiful day outside. How about we go for a walk and clear our heads for a little bit, yeah?”

“But what about Buffy—?”

“Believe me, Will. Buffy will be fine this afternoon,” Kennedy said knowingly, as the pair walked towards the front doors. “I’m sure she’s in safe hands.”

Yup, really safe hands.

*****

As the door to Buffy’s door clicked shut behind Faith, the blonde sat on the edge of the bed. The brunette stayed by the door, leaning back against it. Neither were sure what the other wanted, so Buffy plucked up the courage to try and voice what had been swimming around her head since their bus journey yesterday afternoon.

“Look, I know what you’re thinking...” She stopped, and her brow furrowed. “Actually I have no idea what you’re thinking right now.”

Faith snorted, scratching the back of her head. “Uh, well, you kissed me. Let’s start with that.”

Buffy’s shoulders slumped, playing with the sleeve of the burrowed shirt she wore. “I had this whole big speech planned out. And then there’d be more kissing. And...well I hadn’t thought that far.”

Faith chewed on her full lower lip for a moment. “Well, that was a great kiss downstairs. If that helps ya at all.”

“Oh, well that’s good.” Buffy chose to look at Faith’s feet rather than her face as she took a deep breath. “See the thing is Faith, I don’t want to be your friend.”

The brunette cringed, but tried not to appear hurt by the words, and let Buffy continue. “I want you to be my lover.” Faith nearly swallowed her tongue as Buffy looked up at her with sincerity in her eyes and words. “I know it seems impossible that we can just pick up where we left off, but hey, I thought it was gonna be impossible to survive yesterday and here we are. Granted I have a hole in my side but that’s just not the point,” she rushed, one hand unconsciously ghosting the bandage under her shirt.

“I think I get the point, B,” Faith whispered.

“What I’m trying to say is, when we ended things, well, when you said some things and I said some things, and then we screamed at each other for a while and you started killing people, I was so broken. But I fixed myself up and forced myself to hate you,” Buffy said. She stood up from the bed, making her tentative way over to the taller woman. “I don’t want to hate you anymore Faith.”

The brunette cleared her throat so that she could speak as Buffy stood close to her. She held Buffy’s gaze, before she reached out and cradled Buffy’s face with her hands, stroking her thumbs over her cheekbones. “What do you want, B?”

“To be with you. To love you. To make it all right,” she uttered, worrying her bottom lip. “If you don’t want that, then I can just...get past this somehow. I did it once, I’ll do it again. But I need to know, Faith, back then; I knew that you saw how I started to fall in love with you. But did you feel it too? Or did you just go along with it?”

Faith smiled genuinely. “Course, B. We were kids, and it freaked me out, but I felt it. Somewhere along the line, before things got crazy, I kinda started to fall for you too.”

Buffy kissed Faith gently, simply brushing her lips over the brunette’s, before she took Faith’s hands in her own and pulled her back towards the bed. “Let’s not waste anymore time. It would be stupid.”

“Very stupid,” Faith agreed, dipping her head and kissing the blonde again.

It was a passionate blur of arms being thrown around each other as the pair kissed deeply and eventually made their way to the bed. Buffy felt the mattress deflate and the soft sheets give way beneath her back as Faith moved from her lips to her neck. She sighed out and closed her eyes, thinking about how different she hoped they’d be this time around. Heated gazes and words of encouragement where exchanged with each piece of clothing shed. Buffy ran her fingertips up Faith’s smooth, curved spine as the brunette kissed her, seeking out each and every vertebra each time she ducked her head down to kiss the woman beneath her.

Faith couldn’t believe it. She’d always prayed she’d have a second chance to make things right with Buffy, but she could never have imagined this; hovering over her, catching glimpses between their deep kisses of slightly ruffled blonde hair and a flushed face grinning up at her. Buffy moaned softly as Faith nipped at her collarbone, her hot breath tickling Buffy’s warm skin. When they were both topless, Faith moved her subtly shaking hands to Buffy’s fly, and then stopped. The blonde, who had her eyes closed in pleasure, blinked them open and leaned up on her elbows.

Faith was frowning and she clenched her jaw as she stared hard down at her hands, entranced for a second. Then she sat back further onto her heels and her eyes met Buffy’s. “I...I don’t know if I can do this,” she murmured, taking her hands away from where they were brushing the skin above Buffy’s waistline.

The blonde sat up. “What? Why not?”

Faith opened her mouth, but no words came out. She shook her head and turned her back on Buffy, sitting on her edge of the bed and running her hands deeply through her tousled hair. “How are you so frickin’ optimistic about this, B? How come you’ve got so much trust in me that we aren’t gonna mess it all up like last time?”

Buffy shuffled forward, sitting up and kneeling behind the torn brunette. She placed a cautious and caring hand between Faith’s shoulder blades, feeling the taller woman tense. “Faith,” she soothed, “We won’t let it. I want you. I need you, and I’m not gonna give up on us this time. You can fight me tooth and nail, but I’m so sure that this is gonna work.”

“So sure, huh?” Faith scoffed. “And how are ya so sure, B?”

“Because we’re gonna make it work,” she said, pulling on Faith’s shoulders and shifting off to the side. She hopped off of the bed as she encouraged Faith to lie back. The Bostonian looked bewildered as she watched Buffy moving around her, bare feet padding on the carpet as she tossed her hair back behind her shoulders before straddling Faith’s hips. Buffy kissed Faith chastely, repeatedly, until Faith eventually brought her hands up from where they lay dormant on the mattress to settle upon her shoulders.

“B...”

“Faith,” Buffy groaned, “Shut up. Nothing is going to happen. Except maybe orgasms.”

Faith quirked her eyebrows. “I can do that...” She purred, her doubts washing away as she brought Buffy’s lips down to hers once more. 

For Faith, it was just the same as it had been four years ago, except this time she wasn’t running from what she was feeling inside. Everything about Buffy was the same; how she’d bite her bottom lip a little too hard in an attempt to muffle her moans, the way her green eyes grew dark, but pleading as Faith teased her, running her hands along her body in every place except where Buffy needed her, even the way her skin tasted. She smelled different; but that was the fact that the shampoo and body wash that they’d used in the Hyperion was different to the one back in Sunnydale.

However, for Buffy, this was an entirely new experience. Faith wasn’t guarded; nor was she rough and rushing for her release, nor demanding. She would give Buffy open looks, not hiding her real emotions for a moment. Buffy felt a new warmth radiating off Faith, who paced herself, and took her time learning Buffy’s body in a way she didn’t allow herself to do before. She would pause every time Buffy’s breath hitched, before leaning down to kiss her tenderly and ask if what she was doing was okay. Buffy wanted to slap her and tell her to get on with it, but the fluttering of her heart at the sweetness drowned the impulse out. As pleasurable as these experiences were, Buffy knew that it wasn’t just about them both having sex for the sake of it; it was about healing.

Faith returned to her previous task, popping open the button on Buffy’s jeans. One of her hands splayed on Buffy’s lower back, keeping her steady and feeling the slightly sweat slicked warmth of her skin. The other dipped down inside her jeans. Buffy moaned into her mouth as they kissed as Faith continued to tease the blonde woman over her underwear, subtly grinding her hips in encouragement. The taller woman relented, tugging Buffy’s jeans and underwear down only enough to allow her to snake her hand down past the last cotton barrier into the arousal soaked underwear. Faith’s eyes were mesmerized by Buffy’s pleasure strewn face as the blonde threw her head back and her mouth fell open in eager pants.

“Faith,” Buffy pleaded, her eyes squeezed tightly shut in pleasure. “Please.”

“Please what, B?” Faith replied, her voice smoky and low.

Buffy grunted in frustration, reaching down and tearing Faith’s hand from where it was caressing teasing circles around her swollen need. Faith was about to protest when Buffy jumped from her place astride the brunette, but then the blonde was pulling hastily at her pants, leaving her naked on the bed. Faith propped herself up on her elbows as she watched casually at Buffy also stripping down completely. The blonde returned to the bed, into Faith’s awaiting arms; heated, sensitive flesh pressed together. Faith kissed Buffy with all of the feeling in her, all of the longing and the need. She wanted Buffy to imagine all of the lonely nights spent dreaming of her as she lay in her dreary, sticky, humid prison cell in the Californian desert. She hoped Buffy would know that there was never anyone else; could never be anyone else.

Faith rolled them over, grinding down on Buffy, who cried out softly as she nibbled on Faith’s jaw line. Buffy swept her hands up Faith’s slender back, kneading the firm shoulder blades and clutching at her shoulders as she placed open-mouthed kisses down Faith’s neck. The brunette closed her eyes and held herself up on her elbow, allowing her to dip low enough and brush her lips over Buffy’s ear.

“You’re amazing,” Faith whispered huskily, tearing another groan of need from both of them.

Faith used her knee to nudge Buffy’s apart, and the blonde quickly grasped the initiative, spreading her legs and hooking them over the back of Faith’s thighs. Sucking in sensitive spots that she remembered elicited the best response from the woman underneath her, the whole way down to her collarbone, Faith rested her weight on one elbow and ran the other down Buffy’s side. Buffy was trembling, but Faith knew that it was with desire and anticipation of touch more than anything else. Gasping as Faith reached between them to align their heated centres perfectly, Buffy jerked her hips up into Faith’s. Faith created a steady rhythm, holding herself up on tensed arms as Buffy pulled her into a sensual kiss.

They kept kissing when Buffy gripped onto Faith’s ass, driving her hips up harder, faster, more desperately searching for her release as well as that of the woman above her. Faith sucked on Buffy’s lower lip as she felt the burn of an impending orgasm starting to take over. Their eyes remained locks as their breathy sighs became stunted moans, and then heads were thrown back, bodies stiffened, torsos lifted from the mattress, hands clawed at hot skin, eyes glazed over and chants of each others’ name filled the room around them.

When Buffy became coherent again, she realized she was rubbing her hands up and down Faith’s back, the other woman collapsed on top of her. She gulped at the air, feeling Faith’s heart pounding in her chest against her and her breath puffing at the salty skin of her own neck. Buffy smiled lazily as Faith finally raised herself up, and captured Buffy’s lips in a slow kiss.

“Hey,” Faith said, eyes glimmering even in the darkness that the drawn curtains brought to the room.

“Hey to you too,” Buffy replied, holding her impossibly closer.

“So...whatcha wanna do now?” Faith asked jokingly, kissing Buffy’s cheek.

The blonde pretended to think, closing her eyes and making thoughtful noises in the back of her throat. She cracked open her eyes and grinned mischievously before pushing Faith onto her back. The brunette’s eyes widened for a split second before her lips grew into a salacious grin. Buffy ran a single fingertip down the centre of Faith’s chest.

“I can think of a few things....” 

*****

Hours of giving and receiving satisfaction, screaming her lungs out and taking a refreshing shower, Buffy was descending the stairs. Faith was asleep in her bed, and she promised the brunette that she’d return with food for them both. They’d missed dinner, and the sun was low in the sky, long shadows being cast in the lobby. Thankfully, she hadn’t run into anyone yet, suspecting they were all in the rooms sleeping off the exhaustion, or out getting fresh air. She made her way to the kitchen, saying a silent prayer of thanks to the Powers That Be when she got there without encountering anyone armed with heavy, loaded questions she wasn’t sure she could answer yet.

The only person she found in the kitchen was Giles, who sat with a mug of steaming tea and read the morning paper that he’d picked up on the way back from the hospital but hadn’t sat down to read until after dinner. When he looked up, his eyes glinted knowing behind their glasses, but he suppressed it as her cheeks heated and she moved quickly to the fridge. 

He cleared his throat, hiding an embarrassed smile as he sipped at his tea. “For the sake of both your dignity and mine, I shan’t ask you why you and Faith spent the whole afternoon cooped up in your room.”

Buffy opened and closed her mouth, unable to give him a reasonable answer, instead just nodding and letting her hands run through her still damp hair. The silence was thick, but she was relieved at least to see that he didn’t seem to be reacting negatively in any way. When she hadn’t replied, his eyes met hers again as they rose from the paper, and his gaze softened.

“Buffy,” he said warmly, taking off his glasses and setting them beside his newspaper. “You don’t need my approval. You made a decision, as I’m sure the record shows, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Buffy swallowed, unable to hide the big smile that sneaked onto her face. “Thank you, Giles. That means a lot,” she said quietly.

“Well, when you’re ready, you’ll inform the others. In the meantime, you have nothing but my unwavering support for whatever decisions you plan to make,” he assured her, reinstating his glasses on his face. “Oh, and considering Faith and yourself didn’t quite make it down in time for dinner, there are two plates in the oven. Hawaiian with extra pineapples, if I recalled correctly?”

The Englishman didn’t get his full sentence out when arms were flung around his neck and he was being hugged tightly. He chuckled, wrapping his arms around his surrogate daughter and embracing her back. She pulled away from him, and for the first time in a long time, he could see the happiness radiating off of her. He watched carefully as the bounce, so long missing from her step, had returned. The perky grandeur of every movement made him more and more confident in the relationship that had indeed been rekindled between the two lovers.

Even as she took the two plates and shot him one last grin, he could feel the new future ahead of them. Ahead of all of them. Decisions would have to be made about the new slayers al around the globe, as well as what they would all as individuals want to do following the destruction and loss of their home. But for now, in the very meantime, they were all content to be. As Giles finished his tea and turned the page of the newspaper onto a dull report about the stock market, he still managed a proud smile.

Everything would be just fine.