Prologue
"I can take this one," D'Hoffryn said.
"Are you sure?" the tree replied, the rest of the council members understanding without hearing a sound from the plant.
"I know this group. They'll accept a delivery from me."
"Fine. Moving on, we have the Klatchup demon uprising in rural Mongolia. We're dealing with a formerly isolated species making contact with a newly nomadic group of humans migrating away from a sinking coastline." A large stone Buddha spoke evenly and calmly without moving more than a few lip muscles.
The group, which consisted of a few more creatures and characters spoke on about the meeting's agenda items. D'Hoffryn sat back and thought a few moments.
Buffy and her slayer friends were always interesting and reliable for certain things. He could pull this off. They'd get something they finally wanted and he would get what he needed. He saw a win win and checked out on the rest of this session.
By the time chairs were being pushed in and hand-claw-goo appendages were being shaken and promises of happy hours in Pltrz Glrb were being made, D'Hoffryn knew whom he could question in the group to know if his plan would work. He would start with the annoying formerly evil boy. If anyone should know how the formerly rebellious slayer was doing, he would.
And then D'Hoffryn would know.
He needed to know if Faith was on the fence.
About more than one thing.
Present Day
Faith pulled up to the San Francisco apartment building to see Buffy sitting on the stoop smoking a cigarette. The blonde was pulling the ends of a maroon peacoat down to cover her bare legs, the chill of fall and the evening beginning to set in. The brunette's eyebrow quirked, more amused than confused, as she cut the engine and stepped out of her rented SUV.
Buffy hurriedly hid the cigarette as she acknowledged Faith's early arrival and took in her appearance. While she didn't think Faith would ever stop wearing skin tight pants, as her black skinny jeans confirmed, the other original slayer had softened up quite a bit since her high school and prison days. She wore a large scarf tied loosely over a plain long sleeved shirt and her hair fell in loose curls past her shoulders.
"Thought you weren't due in for another few hours?"
"Don't worry, B. Won't tell anyone about your dirty little habit," Faith smiled. "Kennedy let me take one of Deepscan's jets. These intercontinental flights ain't my favorite things, anything to make 'em easier."
"Well, thanks for coming."
"Well, I haven't yet, but that's why I'm here, right?" Faith smirked. A lot had changed in the seven years the two women had known each other. Faith's inability to let innuendo slide had not.
Buffy sighed in resignation, "I guess I left myself wide open - "
"Well - "
"Ok, Faith! If we're going to get through this. . . actually I don't know how we're gonna get through this." She hung her head down and stared at the concrete.
By now, Faith had joined Buffy on the stoop and had taken her cigarette. She took the opportunity for a long drag and then spoke. "We talked about this B. It's you. It's me. We've collectively survived multiple apocalypses, trying to kill each other, the damned Council, and all the monsters you could ever dream of. This?" She put a hand around Buffy's shoulders and continued, "This is just you and me having sex. We're gonna be fine."