Trials and Restorations

~ Part 10 I (of II) ~

"Well I'm definitely up for kicking a little demon ass, count me in."

"I'd understand, with all you've been through, if you opted to sit this one out."

"Giles, I'm not one for the sitting around with the boo and hoos. I got all my angst out, now I'm looking to move on."

Treading carefully, the retired-librarian replied, "Yes, Buffy told me about your encounter with Scott Anderson." He paused, waiting for the slayer to speak. When she did not, the watcher prompted, "Would you like to talk about it?"

"What's there to say, G? I lost it, now I've got it back. It was no big."

"It is an enormous 'big', Faith," Giles told her. Sitting across from the slayer and looking into her eyes, the watcher attempted to read her expression. "What you went through... It is perfectly understandable that you may have some pent up frustration."

"The only pent up frustration I have, is about to be cured," Faith told him getting up. When met with a concerned expression from the watcher, she smiled clarifying, "Relax, G-man, I have a date." She retrieved her jacket, telling him, "Keep me updated on the demon thing – I've got my cell - and tell B that I'm backin' her all the way, K?"

"Okay." Watching the slayer near bounce from the room, the Brit listened to her call,

"Hey, don't worry about me, I'm doing great!"

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"This is so beautiful."

Looking out onto the darkened horizon and the golden skyline, Faith agreed, "I know. I love this spot. You can see the whole of Sunnydale from here."

Silent and looking to the face of the slayer, Delana smiled receiving a, "What?" from the older girl.

"It's just that, you're so cute."

"Cute?" Faith asked, though appreciating the compliment.

"Yeah," Delana told her. "I thought that you'd take me to a club or a movie or something. But you brought me here, to possibly the most beautiful spot in California."

Taking a seat on the lightly damp green beneath them. Faith motioned for Delana to join her.
"I didn't think you were the club type. You strike me as a girl who likes to be romanced."

Unable to mask her giddiness, Delana beamed and sat beside her date. "I wouldn't have minded the club though. I really wanted to see some of your moves."

"Some of my moves?" Faith asked.

"Yeah, as in I wanted to see how you'd work it on the dance floor."

"I don't need a dance-floor, baby," Faith told her, drawing the waitress toward her. Cupping her chin, the slayer placed their lips together, softly kissing the younger woman.

Making incoherent sounds, as their lips were parted, Delana felt her eyes remain shut for a few moments after the kiss. Shivering, she opened her eyes to the smiling brunette.
"That was awesome. I've been hoping you'd do that the entire night."

"I've been thinking about it," Faith admitted. "But I wanted it to be right." Noticing the younger female's reaction to the chill, she asked, "Are you cold?"

"I'm okay," Delana replied.

"No you're not, you're shivering," Faith replied, drawing her in closer. "C'mere."

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"Hi Joy," Scott greeted as the sulking youngster made her way into the kitchen of their home. He pulled up a chair at the counter, patting it. When the youngster grabbed a jar of hot-chocolate from the pantry and chose to sit in a different seat, the brunette tried, "Hey, Joy, you wanna help me make dinner? We can surprise your mom when she gets back."

"Not particularly," Joyce replied, pouring the content of the container into a mug.

Scrutinising and observing the ex-soldier's wasteful nature, the brunette took hold of the jar.
"Hey, hey, you wanna give yourself a heart attack?" Scott asked, taking the cocoa from the girl. "That's way too much."

"You can't get a heart attack from hot-chocolate," Joyce wryly replied. "And what's your problem anyway?"

"My problem is that if you are going to live here, you are going to do things in the proper way, young lady." He replaced the jar on the table continuing, "I heard you were giving Buffy trouble and I wanted to talk-"

"You want to talk?" the twelve year old interrupted. "Honestly, Scott, it really doesn't matter what you want. See, I'm going to
live here pretty much no matter what I do. You on the other hand? Are expendable."

"You little-"

"I'd watch it. I'm sure you don't want me to tell my mom that you were getting all testy with me."

"You can tell her whatever you like, sweetie because-"

"What's going on?" Buffy asked, returning to see her husband with his hand raised in front of her daughter.

"Joy here is getting a little too cheeky for her own good," Scott explained. "I was just about to explain to her that that is not how we do things around here."

"I was not," the youngster replied, changing the tone of her voice to one of distress. "It's just because you don't want me here. Either of you."

"What? Joyce, no," Buffy tried.

"Aw, give me a break," Scott told the young girl, inching toward her. "Now you're trying the sympathy bit."

"Stay away from me," Joyce warned, keeping the hysteria in her voice. "If you hit me again, I'm going to-"

"You hit her??!" Buffy asked, turning toward the psychiatrist and moving to stand in-between him and her daughter.

"I didn't touch her, Buffy," Scott merely replied. "You know I didn't."

"Joyce, would you excuse Scott and I," Buffy instructed. "We have a few things we need to talk about."

"K, mom," the youngster replied, obeying.

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When the door was opened for herself and her date, Delana introduced her room-mate.
"This is Guy."

"'Sup," Faith offered, by way of a greeting.

"Hello," the man replied leering at the brunette and giving a smile of approval to his friend.

"Down, Guy," Delana instructed. "She's with me."

Now almost drooling, the flat mate stepped aside and let the girls into his house. "Need any help?" he called after them.

Glancing back, Delana told him, "I got it!"

Leading the slayer into her bedroom, the waitress illuminated it. Looking sheepish she the turned to the older woman.

"It's been a while since I've done this," Faith confessed in a bid to put the blonde's nerves to rest. "You'd think it was like riding a bike."

"That's okay," the waitress replied, taking her hand. "I like to lead by example. You can relax."

Grinning, the slayer allowed herself to be guided onto the bed. Jumping on and lying back, she placed her hands behind her head. The slayer crossed her legs, taking the New Yorker's advice to relax.

Standing beside the bed and removing her top, Delana smiled. "Wow, you must really be rusty," she told her, separating the slayer's legs from each other. "Because this is pretty much the position I'm gonna need you to be in."

"No complaints here," Faith admitted, watching the girl strip for her.

"You might want to lose the pants," Delana observed, letting the last article of clothing she was wearing, drop to the floor. Her tanned body now naked in front of the slayer, she looked up at the brunette who took her hand and used it to draw her nearer.

The room now completely silent, Faith felt obliged to speak, but felt no words come to mind. Her desire to act scuppered by the ring of cell phone, she looked towards it.
"You're jokin’," Faith replied, in disbelief. Wanting to ignore it, but remembering her obligations, she reached for her pants, pulling her mobile phone from them and picking it up. Instantly recognising the number, she felt startled as she answered, "Hello."

Delana listened as the slayer answered. "What's wrong?"

Unable to hear the person on the other line, the waitress felt disheartened as the slayer replied,
"Of course, I'll be right there, J. Hang tight."

Ending the call, Faith looked to the blonde beside her. "I will be right back," she promised, giving her date a kiss. Retrieving her pants, she threw them on. Moving back to the bed and kissing her near-lover again, she told her, "Don't even think about moving, you got it?"

"Got it," Delana muttered, watching the slayer race off.

TBC...

~ Part 10 II ~

"Of course I know you didn't hit her, but you were awfully close."

Rubbing his face, Scott admitted, "She was really out to wind me up."

"She's eleven, that's her job."

"Do you know how hard this is? I want so badly to be okay with this, but I don't know if I can be. I am trying so hard to get on with her, but she..."

"Is behaving exactly like anyone in her situation would."

"In what situation? She has a roof over her head and is back from God knows where she's been for four years. She's got a brand new step-father who… who's trying his best..."

"She doesn't know you Scott, not properly. But give her time."

"How much time?" the brunette asked, frustrated with the situation. "This is intolerable."

"I don't know how much time," the slayer earnestly replied. "With Faith still being in her life, it's not going to be easy."

Her husband's adopted silence, worrying her slightly, Buffy called, "Scott?"

"What does that woman have to do with all this? That Faith… Buffy, who is she or was she to Joyce? And the truth would be nice this time."

"I already told you-"

Shaking his head, Scott continued, "Y'know, I've been going through that night over and over in my head and that woman sought me out. So why would 'just an old friend' of yours be out to get me? And why will you still not let me call the police?"

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Opening her front door, Buffy stood almost speechless in the face of her visitor.
"Faith. Wh-what are you doing here?"

"I was in the area, thought I'd stop by," the taller of the two lied. "Some legal people said they'd send some stuff here for me." In a bid to remain casual, she also slipped in, "Where's J?"

"They're in the kitchen," Buffy remembered. "And she's upstairs."

"Is it cool if I come in?" Faith felt she had to ask. "It's just that I don't want Scottie boy to piss his pants when he sees me all up in his house."

"He's not here," was Buffy's only reply, as she allowed the younger slayer into her home.

"You changed the place," Faith observed, instantly noticing the differences between the images stored in her memory and the place before her.

"Not much. I just got rid of a few of the old things; they had a lot of... It was hard staying here keeping it the same way. Too many memories." The psychiatrist led the way into the kitchen and located the documents in question. "Here."

"Thanks. I'm sorry they had to send it here in the first place. Something about address verification."

"I'm not," Buffy admitted. Taking a seat, she clutched at her side. "I really wanted to see you. To tell you that I-"

"What's wrong with your cage?" Faith asked, in reference to her ex's side and instantly moving to be beside the blonde.

"It's nothing," Buffy replied. "A small scratch."

Lifting up the older slayer's white polo-neck by its hem, Faith revealed a seeping and poorly bandaged wound. "Pretty nasty 'small scratch' if you ask me," the brunette decided, moving to the cupboards and locating the first-aid kit, still in its original place. "What happened?"

"Apparently I'm not as quick and agile as I used to be," Buffy explained, allowing Faith to remove the make-shift bandage she'd put on earlier and in a hurry. "The demon got a few good hits in. Still, it wont be able to tell any tales now."

"I told Giles to tell you that I had your back. You shouldn't have gone by yourself," Faith berated, treating the cut but finding the older slayer's clothing in her way. "Take your top off," she instructed.

Wincing as she removed her polo-neck, Buffy cried out and clutched at her ribs, as the no longer adhesive strip covering her wound, peeled off.

Gritting her teeth and withstanding her own empathy pain, Faith took hold of some anti-septic, applying it on the now open, but healing gash.

Bracing herself, Buffy leant against her ex, as the younger woman cleaned her wound and re-dressed it.
"Thank you," she muttered, when the dark slayer was done.

"No problem. You should get some rest."

"Yeah," Buffy agreed, allowing the brunette to help her upstairs; the both of them walking in silence.

Following the blonde into their former bedroom, Faith was hit by pangs of nostalgia watching Buffy enter the bed the two of them had once shared, alone.

Uneasy, she asked, "Do you mind if I just go and say hi to J. I know it's late, but I'll be quick, I swear."

Giving a nod of approval, Buffy settled into the comfortable queen-sized furniture, resting her eyes and listening out.

"J," she could just about hear.

"Faith!" Joyce exclaimed, from her bed as the brunette walked into her bedroom. "I'm so glad you're here. Mom wouldn't let me come and see you. Are you okay? Did she hurt you?"

"Hurt me? Kiddo, you know no-one can take me," Faith told the younger girl. "What's going on, what's the big emergency?"

Lowering her voice, Joyce explained, "It's Scott. I told mom he hit me."

"Did he?"

The youngster shook her head.

"Man, J. Why d'you do that?"

"He was being a major jerk."

Looking at the youngster wearing a questioning expression, the brunette asked, "Was he?"

"Yes. No. I started it, but he really wasn't that hard to trip."

"J, you can't go around pushing buttons."

"I can, Faith. Look, once he's off the scene, you can totally get back in with mom. We can be a family again."

Taking a deep breath, Faith looked at the youngster, searching for the best way to phrase what she wanted to say. "J. Kiddo, I... We can still be a family without me and your mom being together like that."

"What?" Joyce had to ask. "What do you mean? You don't want to get back together with my mom anymore?"

"It's not that... Well... But kiddo, she's married now. I won't stand in the way of that."

"Because I will, right?" Joyce asked, hoping for the slayer's agreement.

"No, you wont," Faith told her. "'Cause you're gonna be good, for me."

"Why?" the blonde retorted, looking away. "You don't love me anymore."

Pulling the youngster toward her, Faith brought herself to the child's eye-level. "Hey, don't even try that. I taught you all that reverse psychology shit." She mellowed. "But just in case you're not fakin' - kiddo, I love you... So, so much."

"I love you more, Faith," Joyce confessed. "I missed you. Can I come and live with you again?"

"Why, what's wrong with here?"

"Mom. She's always on my case. Asking me stuff, fussin' over me."

"She's your mom. That's, like, her role in life 'til you're twenty one."

"I don't want it to be. I want to be with you. I miss the way I can talk to you."

"You can talk to your mom."

"No I can't. She doesn't know anything." The blonde further explained, "She wants me to go to school. With other kids."

Understanding, Faith sat up and allowed to youngster to sit next to her. "Kid, you're gonna have to spend some time with people your own age sometime."

"But I'll be smarter than them. And they'll all pick on me 'cause I won't know anyone."

"Are you kidding me? You're stronger than them, just beat 'em up." She smiled as the youngster appreciated the joke and
laughed. "You'll be alright. If not, you still have your K-19 automatic, right?"

The youngster laughed again.

"Give your mom a chance, k?" the slayer pleaded. "She deserves it. She's worried out of her mind for you and I don't want her to be. You're a good kid, so show her that, yeah?"

Joyce nodded. "Can I still come and live with you?" she tried.

"I'd love you to, but I'd be a terrible parent. I'll probably get drunk every night and never feed you green stuff. You'll barf up
pizza every day and probably pass out from the reek of it - 'cause I'd never clean."

"You don't want to live with me."

"Hey, do you not listen anymore? I just told you I would, but Buffy's your mom. I can't keep you away from her." She added, "And I wouldn't want to. You can still come over and hang whenever you want – I'm still over at Ken & Willow's place. And whenever you wanna see me, just call my cell and I'll come runnin', 'kay?"

The blonde nodded.

"D'you want me to stay 'til you fall asleep?" Faith asked, letting the girl lay back.

"Yes," Joyce replied. "But I can't sleep."

"Have you not had your cocoa?"

The younger female shook her head.

"I'll go get you one," Faith told her standing. "But close your eyes and count bad guys."

When the youngster obeyed, Faith left the room, heading downstairs. Navigating around the kitchen like the house was still her home, the brunette prepared a cup of instant hot chocolate and took it upstairs. Having to pass Buffy's room before getting to Joyce's, the brunette entered the older slayer's room first.

"Is she asleep?" Buffy asked.

"J can't sleep without some hot choc," Faith explained. "I said I'd bring it to her, but you should. And just sit with her and talk to her until she falls asleep - bedtime at the barrack wasn't exactly the most peaceful time; she could do with a little soothin' before she konks out."

Grateful, the golden slayer nodded, attempting to painlessly make her way from her bed.

"Wait," Faith called, as if she'd found an alternative. "Stay there."

Disappearing from the room for a moment, the brunette returned carrying Joyce in her arms. Walking over to the bed, she motioned for Joyce to move off. "Kiddo, you sit there," she told the child, placing her beside her mother. Waiting for the girl to make herself comfortable beside the older slayer, she handed her the hot drink and asked, "Hey, did you tell your mom about that time when we had to save some whales on the beach?"

Laughing as she recalled the memory, Joyce turned to look up at Buffy. "It was so funny, 'cause Faith was showing off how she could lift the whale with one hand. Naturally everyone gathered around and was waiting for her to do it. So she went up to this huge whale and-" the youngster sipped her drink.

Smiling in anticipation of the punch-line, Buffy filled the silence with a, "Then what happened?"

--------------------------------

"I'm gonna take off," Faith told her ex in a whisper, when Joyce was unmistakably asleep. "Tell J I'd have stayed, but I had something I had to rush off to."

"Really?" Buffy enquired. "Somewhere nice?"

"Yeah, I have a date."

"Oh," was all Buffy could find herself able to say.

Moving to leave, but whipping around before she did, Faith asked the older slayer to, "Tell Scott I said 'Hi'."

Giving her a playful stern look, Buffy waved goodbye and watched the dark slayer leave. Walking downstairs, Faith looked up one last time, assuring herself that the older slayer was going to be manage though the night. Letting herself out of her former home, she walked on, taking her cell phone from her pocket. Hitting the speed dial key, she listened to the automated message, speaking after the 'beep'.

"Hi Delana, it's me. I'm sorry that I had to run out on you tonight - I was really looking forward to getting to know you some more. But, I guess the fates had to step in and mess that idea all up... Listen, I'm real beat now, so we're gonna have to do this some other time. I'm not really sure when I'm free, so I'll give you a call. Later for now, baby."

With that, the slayer switched off her phone, making her way down the darkened street.

TBC...