We Need Each Other

--



Faith stood outside their bedroom door for a few minutes, listening to Buffy cry. She didn't exactly know how to approach her girlfriend, so she just stood there with her own heart sinking from hearing Buffy in pain.

Taking a chance, she opened the door quietly and her heart fell even more. She went to the bed and took Buffy in her arms. Holding her and stroking her hair, whispering "Shh..it's ok, B. It's ok."

"F-Faith, don't hold me. I don't deserve it." Buffy said through the tears that were streaming down her cheeks. "I'm the worst girlfriend ever."

"Angel told me what happened..", Faith whispered to her "I..dunno how to say this.."

Buffy looked up at her, eyes pleading, "I'm sorry Faith! I'm so sorry! We were just talking and then we..and I haven't dealt with alot of stuff. You're my.."

Faith just smiled shaking her head. Finally she reached out and clamped her hand firmly over Buffy's mouth.

"Mmph?"

"Buffy, would you shut that cute little mouth of yours, for five friggin' seconds, and let me finish?"

"Mmph?"

"Good."

Faith stood up and stood in front of Buffy, holding both of her hands in her own. Buffy was still looking down at the floor.

"B, look at me." the blonde finally looked up at her girlfriend. "What you did outside. Nobody ever did anything like that for me."

Buffy's brow furrowed and she wiped her cheek on the back of one of her hands. "What do you mean?"

"Don't you get it? You chose me, over someone else. Especially someone who means as much to you as Angel does. Nobody ever did that..ever." Faith smiled down at her. "If I had even one doubt in my mind, it's gone now. I love you, B."

Buffy started to tear slightly, once more. Faith knelt in front of her, cupping the older girl's face in both hands. The dark Slayer grinned.

"Now don't start that weepy shit again." She brought the blonde into a long, tender kiss. Buffy felt her mood lighten, finally. Faith was hers. She still loved her, and that was all that mattered.

"I love you, Faith. And I really am sorry that I freaked. I just thought.."

"Shut up girl" Faith said, grinning ",and just hug me, ok?"

"Oh, Faithy."

--

Faith was in the kitchen. It was 2 a.m., and she had left Buffy asleep to come down for a snack. She opened the refrigerator and began poking around for something that looked interesting. Baloney, half a head of lettuce, and wow..more baloney. Pretty sparse pickings. Damn these teenage bitches could eat. Guess that makes my decision for me, she thought.

She grabbed the package of processed lunchmeat and turned from the fridge to look for some bread, when she was suprised by the dark figure standing directly behind her. Her hand shot out reflexively, knocking the figure backward a few paces. Then, she took a defensive stance.

Angel stumbled back, stopped by the kitchen counter. He threw up his hands in a mock pose of surrender and gave a slight smirk. "Whoa, Faith! It's just me, calm down."

Faith took a deep breath. "Whew. Geez Angel don't you ever get tired of sneaking up on people? I know that's the way you dark guys like to make and entrance, but you can get hurt suprising people like that."

"Yeah, well I've had my own share of suprises today." Angel regained his composure and walked over to the kitchen table, pulling out a chair for Faith and then sitting down, himself. Faith finished making her sandwich and sat in the chair Angel had provided for her.

"Sorry about the whole `woman scorned' routine I played on ya earlier." ,she said between bites. " I tend to jump first and ask questions later when I see Buffy hurt."

"Hey don't worry about it. Water under the bridge. I can't say whether or not I'd do any different if I were in your place."

Faith continued to munch on her sandwich while Angel got up and looked into the fridge for one of the bottles of cow's blood that Buffy kept for Spike in the bottom drawer. Twisting off the top he said, "If he asks tell him I'll pay him back."

He sat back down.

"Thanks for understanding, A." Faith said "Most people in your spot would be kinda wigged out."

Angel smiled taking a drink.

"I can't say that I wasn't suprised. Not nearly as suprised as I was to find out what happened between her and Spike, mind you." He shook off the ickies of that thought. "I mean, I just never thought that you were.."

"Gay? I'm not. It's Buffy..and only her." she smiled, looking down at her plate.

Angel sat back in his chair. "That makes sense, in a way."

They sat in silence a while longer, before Angel finally spoke. "Buffy seems really happy."

Faith looked over at him, as he continued. "You seem to be good for her. Look, I gave up on anything real between us awhile ago. But, when I see her it still cuts me inside. I'm sorry about before. I didn't know about you and her."

"S'ok, Angel. I'd be weird around her too. You and me got too much history for me to hold that against you. Nothin' really happened anyway."

"So what about this evil preacher guy? From what I hear he's pretty tough."

"Yeah, I'd be six feet under if it weren't for B. He's a badass. He's got some type of healing power too. Everytime I hit him, he seemed to heal right away."

Angel thought a while. "I've seen a few like that. Usually you need to do so much damage that it's catastrophic. Regeneration can't handle that. Come to think of it, you guys still have a tactical advantage over him."

"What's that?"

"He still thinks you're dead."

Faith grinned. "Yeah, you're right. The only thing we need to worry about is how to find his ass."

--

"Hey. No fair." the two heard Buffy's voice from the kitchen doorway. "You guys are having midnight yummies without me."

Faith got up from the table, smiling. "Hey sweetie. I didn't know you were awake. Everything ok?"

"No." Buffy said, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes, as her lover hugged her. "I'm mad at you. I woke up alone, and I need my late night snuggles."

"You little cutie." Faith smiled, her arms still around Buffy's waist. "Alright then, let's go see about those snuggles ok?"

Faith took Buffy's hand and began to lead her up the stairs, as Angel just looked on. He was satisfied and glad that Buffy was happy.

Then the loud crash.

--

They all heard the shatter of glass and sprung immediately to action mode. The front window had exploded inward, and the girls immediately ran a few steps forward to see two Uber-Vamps standing in front of the couch in the Summers living room. They growled and stood in their feral manner, advancing slowly.

"Angel !" Faith called, "I don't think finding him is a problem anymore…"