Chasing the Girl

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Part 18
As Buffy was taking a shower, Faith brought Rose into the Kitchen.

"Did you tell her?" Willow asked, taking Rose from Faith.

Faith was busy making coffee. "Not yet, but I will."

"You should. Like now. They're gonna be here tonight, and well, it shouldn't really be like a surprise party. I guess. I don't know, should those types of things be surprises? You know they did that intervention with Bailey."

Faith and Kennedy were now just staring at Willow.

"You know on Party of Five, and it was a surprise. Of course, it didn't turn out well, so maybe we shouldn't do that..." Willow trailed off, thinking.

"Okay, Red, no more coffee for you." Faith said. "I'll go tell her."

Buffy was getting dressed. 'I can't believe I curled into Faith like that, in the middle of the night. When is the last time I've actually slept in the bed with someone anyway, where sleeping was the primary goal?' She wondered to herself.

Faith knocked on the door. "Hey B, can I talk to you?"

"What about?"

"Well first of all, sorry about falling asleep in here. I didn't mean to. I'm worn out." Buffy nodded. "Second, GilesandDawnarecoming." She rushed out.

"What??" Buffy asked. "Did you say Giles is coming, and bringing Dawn?" Faith nodded. "That's what I thought you said. When?"

"This afternoon."

"Thanks for warning me, Faith. I would've hated having been prepared." Buffy said. "Don't give the flight risk a reason to run away. It'd be easier just to spring it on her." She finished in a mocking tone.

"That isn't why we didn't tell you. Hell, we just found out. It's not a personal attack, B. But you're attitude changes so quickly...we just thought it was for the best. " Faith finished.

"I'm glad you people have so much interest in what is for 'my best'." Buffy said. "What would I do without my own personal set of guardian angel friends?"

"You'd probably be dead." Faith deadpanned back.

"I'm just wondering, Faith." Buffy said, letting her anger get to her.

"What's that?" Faith countered.

"How does it feel to swoop in here and save the day. I mean they couldn't fix it, could they? So they call you, as a last resort mind you, to come in and 'help me.' I mean, that must be pretty good for the ego, right? Helping Buffy. The one person who never needed help. The one person you've always had a thing for, and now she needs you. How does that feel? Do you feel vindicated? Do you feel superior now that I've fucked up? Do you have anymore little pearls of wisdom to throw my way?"

Faith stood for a minute staring at Buffy, slowly counting to ten before speaking.

"I have a couple of things I want to throw your way B, but it ain't pearls. As for how it feels, well, it feels pretty shitty. I'm not taking a victory lap by being here. I didn't win anything. In fact, I feel like I lost it all. I especially don't feel like fixing anyone's problems. And I didn't feel superior. Not until right now."

Buffy looked up.

"You judge me by how I felt about you, fine. You think I'm here so I'll look good? I don't give a fuck what anybody thinks about me, and that includes Willow and Kennedy in there. I just wanted to help you because you needed it. And you know you needed it. So in this situation right now, I am superior to you. You accuse me of having ulterior motives and I know I don't have any."

"I don't even understand that." Buffy said.

"I don't expect you to, B." Faith said. "Look, Giles and Dawn are coming. Deal with that. I am going to be here. Deal with that. And you can be in bitch mode or mother mode, and I couldn't care the fuck less. It's not gonna make any of this easier. So deal with that. Now, I'm going to go swimming. I'll see you after while."

"Still not afraid I'll leave?" Buffy said.

"If you want to leave, you know where the door is." Faith said, walking out.

Faith put on her bathing suit and grabbed a towel. Kennedy and Willow had taken Rose to the store and Buffy still had not come out of her room.

Faith was struck by how much she really didn't care. It was fine by her, if she stayed in there all day.
She thought back to what Buffy had said. Did she feel vindicated? She couldn't answer that. If she was honest with herself, she would have to say, yes. If only because she wasn't the screw-up this time. But Buffy is? And that's not what I wanted either.

'Still,' She thought. 'I could've slapped her back there. How does she manage to drive me from wanting to stay in bed with her all day, to wanting to put her face through Willow's wall? I never really knew how right I was about thin lines.'

The rest of the day was tense for the four. Buffy and Faith avoided each other. Buffy and Faith avoided Willow and Kennedy, as well. Buffy came in when the girls got back from the store, and she and Rose played for a while with Mr. Gordo at the kitchen table.

Rose soon wanted to find Faith, so Buffy took her outside and waited on Faith to get out of the pool. Faith came and got Rose, and the two still managed not to speak.

'It's for the best.' Faith told herself. 'save it for tonight.'

Buffy was arguing with herself as well.

'I'll just leave. As soon as it gets too tough I'll leave. But that's what they expect? So, fuck them. I'm gonna sit this out. Let them all gang up on me. All be in on it together. I'm not budging, and I'm not talking either. Nope not talking. They can talk all they want. But I'm not volunteering shit. I'll only answer their questions.' She'd then change her mind. 'No, I've got to calm down. They are trying to help me. I can't go into this being defensive. I have to listen to them. I hurt them.'

She laid down on her bed. She could hear Rose and Faith in the pool splashing.

"I can do this." She said out loud, before laying down.

Faith brought Rose inside.

"We should give her a bath." Kennedy said. "Mrs. Chambers is coming to get her."

"Who's Mrs. Chambers?" Faith asked.

"She's the neighbor." Faith looked suspicious. "No, don't, we trust her. She has been a huge help and she's agreed to watch Rose tonight."

"As long as you trust her." Faith said.

An hour later, Rose was gone and Faith, Kennedy and Willow were sitting in the living room.

"Buffy hasn't left her room all day." Willow said.

"I know." Faith said. "I lost my temper with her. I shouldn't have, but...she just knows what buttons to push, I guess."

"Well, they should be here in a minute. Should we get her? What are we going to say? I'm starting to think we should have thought this out a little more than we did. I just don't want to be counterproductive. Maybe this was a bad idea." Willow said.

"Why's that?"

"I just, I don't know what to tell you, Faith. Honestly I want to help Buffy, you know that. There's too much between us for me not to want to help her. But..." Willow trailed off.

"Rose." Kennedy finished for her.

"Yeah, Rose. It's just...we've basically been her only real stability for a year. And Buffy comes back and is all reformed, and that's it. Mommy's better, so see ya? I'm not sure I can do that. I don't know if I can ever trust her. What's worse, I don't want to. I can't imagine what's going to happen because of this. I never thought she would come back here and actually want Rose. In all honesty, I thought she would come back, pull the same stunts as before, and that would be the end of it." Willow said looking away from Faith.

"Is that why you called me? You didn't think I could really help, did you? I'd drag her back, she'd laugh in our faces and take off again. Or did you think I'd join her, give her a running buddy, seeing as her scene was so my scene? Is that it?" Faith asked, angrily.

"No, no of course not. I knew you would never do that. I don't...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. I'm being selfish, I know that. It was stupid of me."

"No, Red I'm glad you did say something. Makes me feel better, really. I guess everyone does have ulterior motives. No wonder B doesn't trust us." Faith said, and then turned toward the door which had just rang. "It's too late now. They're here."

"Faith, wait." Kennedy said, as Faith was walking out of the room.

"No, Ken, answer the door." Faith turned around.

"I'm going to talk to Buffy."

To be continued