Trials and Restorations

A/N: It’s been about two years since I last had to step into a garage- ah, the joys of having an extended warranty- so, um, if any mechanics are reading? Sorry : P

~ Part 18: Faith’s Trials (I/II) ~

"Ohhhh shit!" Faith slot a new spark plug into the engine of the Hyundai she was tending to, dropped her wrench and ran to her planner. Frantically turning the pages, she landed on today:

December 19th.

"Shit, shit, shit!" she repeated.

She had a Prius that she had to pop out a dent from by close of play and she hadn’t even started. The slayer looked to the time. She had exactly half an hour to make it decent enough for a respray, before she had to pick Joyce up from school and start their quality time weekend.

Faith and her kiddo’s QT weekend was scheduled to be every second Saturday of the month. It was just their time to hang and bond; no interruptions, just their time to go nuts and have a blast... ‘twas a total flip-side to the girlie weekends Buffy’d make Joyce have every alternate week. Whilst even Faith could admit that every girl needed a mani-pedi every once in a while, she *had to* draw the line at the spas and facials that’d follow when B had her way.

That said, she also had to admit that she’d make her peace with it, considering the fact that Buffy was looking pretty damn fine these days. It was like the slayer was getting hotter by the day. And the week they’d spent together a little while back, was evidence that the older slayer’s focus on her appearance, was money well spent.

Faith remembered the poolside barbecue that Kennedy and Willow had organised as part of her week-long leaving party. Monday to Saturday was to be spent aiding Faith’s crossing over to the other side... Of Sunnydale that was... Y’know, the side where the residents didn’t live three people to a 6-bed house. Where they couldn’t open the window of the 'small' guest en suite and be greeted by the view of a large pool down below... Yes, the poor side of SunnyD.

Anyhow that day was a fine Saturday afternoon with Faith lounging on a lounger at the pools edge; a Pina in one hand and her shades in the other. Across the way tending to the roasting meat was Willow and her deliciously tanned ex, sporting a white bikini and sarong set that was making her mouth water a little more so than the aroma of the cooking Rib eye.

She tried to make her leering as discreet as possible, only stealing the occasional glance during the pauses Kennedy was taking during their rather one-sided conversation... That was until Buffy caught her gaze from across the way. The slayer gave her a small smile, that had Faith grinning wildly and caused Kennedy to snap her fingers in front of her face.

"My bad, K." Faith replied, turning her attention fully to the other woman. "You were saying?"

Rolling her eyes, Kennedy continued, "So, I think it’s a great idea. She should totally introduce Amy."

"Who’s Amy?" Faith had asked, sipping her drink and allowing herself to be distracted by Buffy again. She was talking and laughing with Willow and it was making the brunette a little hot under the collar... Well, bikini top.

"Oh," Kennedy fanned her arms around to emphasize her description. "She’s this super cute girl at Willow’s coven. She’s so sweet, you have no idea. I think she and Buffy will make the cutest couple."

OK that got Faith’s attention loud and clear.
"She and who will make the cutest what?" She waited for Kennedy to fill in the blanks with an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah..." the younger woman scooted away a little. "Will and I are sorta... Kinda setting them up on a date? It’s just that Buffy’s been so lonely and... and please don’t hit me."

"Why would I hit you?"

"You’ve got that look in your eyes."

Faith forced herself to exhale – why was breathing all of a sudden so damn difficult? I mean she’d been doing it just fine for twenty eight years. "Ken, it’s totally cool if you wanna set B up. 'Bout time everyone moved on right?"

"Um, Faith..." She looked as though she felt she had to point out the fact that, "If you squeeze that arm rest any harder-"

The sound of cracked wood finished off that sentence and added a rosy hue to Faith’s cheeks. "Shit," the brunette mumbled, clearing the splinters until a shadow cast upon her.

"Uh-oh." Buffy observed, she sat down and shared Faith’s sun lounger, avoiding the fragments, "What did the chair do now?"

"Nothin’." The younger slayer turned to her host, as Willow took a seat beside Kennedy. "Real sorry ‘bout that, Red. I’ll buy you a new one soon as I get my first paycheck."

Willow waved it away. "It’s no big... I’m sure the chair deserved it."

Faith exchanged glances with Kennedy, who knew differently, and was glad when Ken spoke up. "I was just about to tell Faith about Amy."

"Oooh, yes." Willow popped her shades atop her head and with an animated smile asked Buffy, "What are you doing this Friday night?"

"Umm... Preparing for Monday morning’s counseling sessions."

All three ladies gave her a look that said they didn’t believe her for a second.

"Watching a reality TV show about a millionaire," Buffy admitted, her head hung in shame.

"OK, great! We have a surprise for you."

"A good surprise? Or a let’s-ask-Buffy-to-meet-us-at-the-Bronze-for-drinks-then-forget-about-it-and-leave-her-waiting-for-two-hours kinda surprise?"

Faith chuckled into her drink, as the blonde narrowed her eyes and glared at the couple.

"Yeah, again really sorry about that." Kennedy apologised.

"It’s a good surprise." Red answered. "Remember that girl I was telling you about, Amy? Well, it turns out she’s recently single... and you’re recently single... So, we thought you ladies might like to make with the meet-age. Say this Friday at eight thirty at Chez Nous?"

Buffy’s eyes widened, as she realised, "You’ve already set this up, haven’t you?"

"Kinda."

"No..." The slayer shook her head. "It’s too soon."

"C’mon B," Faith chimed in. "Way Ken tells it, this chick sounds pretty decent. Worth at least checking out over a bite, right?" OK she had no idea why she was encouraging this. Half of her wanted to beat living shit out of Kennedy for having the stones to fix Buffy up with a chick... Whilst the other half couldn’t understand why she was getting bent out of shape about the whole thing. After all, they’d moved on, right?


The loud tick-tock of the clock on the wall above her, brought Faith back to the present and she reached for a rubber mallet. Crouched down low by the Prius, she used the hammer to smooth out the crease in the metal. The panel would need to be re-sprayed metallic red to match the rest of the car, but she was sure that her shop would have it looking good as new in no time.

The slayer’s new job at the auto shop meant a lot to her. Thanks to the steady income, she was finally able to get back to some sense of the normality she had before the last three years. She was making her own money, contributing to rent. She was even able to put some aside that would make up part of Joyce’s college fund. It was very important to her that Joyce’d go to college, something that she wished her parents had made a priority for her. She also made sure she took every opportunity that she could to spend time with her kiddo, because as far as she was concerned, the girl was the most important person in her life.

It had bugged her girlfriend a little at first – they could be in the middle of a date or lounging around at home and Faith’s cellphone would ring, and the slayer would take off. They'd fought about the fact that Faith hadn’t even seen fit to introduce Delana to the reason why she was to be spending this particular Friday night alone.

"Babe, you want me to leave a twelve year old alone in a big house unattended?"

"No," Delana had replied, sitting up in her bed against her three fluffed up pillows. "I just don’t see why she can’t come over here instead."

"’Cause, J’s having some girlfriends over and I can’t exactly tell her to cancel. Plus you need your rest, babe." Faith started lacing up her boots, before giving her girlfriend a kiss. "Look, I’ll be back before you know it. Guy says just holler if you need anything, ok?"

D nodded, as Faith took leave and headed over to Summers’ household. She was due there at eight and she looked to her watch as she pulled into the driveway. Eight on the dot.


Another interruption distracted the slayer from her reverie of times past. "What’s up?" Don - her boss - had entered from behind her and looked over her shoulder for the source of the issue. "Heard you cursin’ like a sailor."

"Nothin’" Faith had finally answered. She smoothed the side of the vehicle and stood back to admire it.

"Oh-kay. There’s a woman outside. Says she wont let anyone else touch her bimmer," Don dipped his head under the hood of the vehicle occupying most of the space in the auto shop. He inspected the changed part and waited for the answer. "Great work on this."

"Yeah?" Was Faith's response to both statements. She pointed to the waiting room. "Okay I'll take care of her, but after that I gotta go. I’ve got my kid this weekend and she finishes at four."

The slayer guessed that the grunt she received in reply was enough permission. She checked her handiwork again, before saying, "Send her in."

The slayer’d heard her boss ask that the lady come, "This way, ma’am."
That was her cue to straighten up her coveralls and do a quick palm-wipe, as the customer walked into her office slash workshop. She was pleasantly surprised to see a familiar face, as Buffy stepped inside.

Faith couldn’t stop herself from eye-ing up the other slayer from her stilettos to the half-smirk she wore oh so hotly.

"Wow," she let slip. She cleared her throat and walked over to Buffy, kissing her ‘hello’. She stood back and took another peep. Damn, the way Buffy was working that pencil skirt and white top had her head spinning. So much so that when the slayer had began explaining the reason for her visit, Faith hadn’t heard a word she’d said.

"Earth to Faith...?" Buffy tried again, walking towards her now wearing the most adorable expression. "Are you okay?"

The younger slayer shook herself back to reality. "Five by, babe. Uh, so, what’s up?"

"Um.. Tyre punctured... Needs changing?” Buffy explained for a second time.

"Oh? Yeah no problem." Faith reached for a jack and gestured for the other slayer to lead the way. As Buffy strode past her, the brunette caught the slayer’s subtle scent of Chanel perfume and breathed it in with a sigh.

She grabbed a quick sip of some nearby water, set the bottle down and walked up to the silver soft-top, kneeling beside it and positioning the jack underneath. Using her strength to prop the car up on its front wheels, she reached for the wrench on her belt and used it to work the bolts on the wheel.

"You’re sexy when you work," Buffy’d observed from behind her. It caused the tool in her hand to slip from it and clank against the ground.

She looked up at the other woman, before moving out from beneath the vehicle and standing to full height.

"I’m sorry." Buffy apologised, before biting her lower lip and and retrieving the tool, returning it to Faith.

The brunette glanced around quickly and stepped towards the other slayer. Keeping her voice low, she merely said, "Think I need to remind you the meanin’ of the word discreet."

Faith found that she was having to give lessons in the art of being covert to Buffy, ever since the other night when she found that it was humanly impossible to resist her ex.

With Delana in recovery, she no longer had a way to release the frustration that was pent up inside her, the level of which was incidentally proportional to the time she spent alone with Buffy.

Yet, she seemed to want to find any excuse to continue to torment herself. For example, it had come to Faith's attention that while she’d been away, Buffy had taken on the role of watcher to the two 'active' slayers; Kennedy and Amanda. She’d let the juniors do the slaying and had observed from a distance, helping them hone their skills. Since Faith had returned, however, she would not let the fairer slayer slack off. They’d take turns patrolling with the juniors and sometimes with one another. Therein lay the major problem.

See side-by-side sweaty action with her ex, but no release afterwards? It was driving Faith all kindsa crazy.

One night after a particularly busy Restfield sweep, both slayers had stood in the aftermath and after-dust of their fight. Hair tousled, skin gleaming, chests heaving; their bodies were humming... But for different reasons.

"Oh, wow..." The way that drawl had escaped Buffy’s lips had turned Faith on. Her eyes raked over the woman’s tight little body and she felt her heart rate quicken just a little. "I’m cancelling my gym membership and doing *this* more often." Buffy continued.

Faith stepped back and tried to get her own body back under control. It wasn't so long ago that she'd take advantage of the other slayer's post-slay adrenaline rush; throw her up against the closest hard object and fuck her senseless. Buffy's voice when she was taking her... her scent... The way she tasted... Faith could remember it all and it was as though every moment they spent together was a test of her willpower.

It all had to come to a head a few nights later, when Faith was sat in the living room of the Summers’ house, idly watching television and waiting for Buffy to return from her date. Joyce and her friends had been keeping her company for the most part of the evening, but the youngsters had konked out after their twenty-fourth round of blackjack and Faith had helped them to bed & sleeping bags in Joyce's room. She’d then made her way back downstairs and turned on the television. They were showing late night reruns of Robot Chicken, but even that barrel of laughs couldn’t hold her attention tonight.

She was too busy thinking about Buffy being on a date with another woman. She’d mentioned that Amy was taking her to some lame-ass show at the local Art Gallery... Ok so maybe Faith’d added the ‘lame-ass’ part... She figured Buffy’d probably enjoy it and a part of her hated that. Was it wrong to wish that the two of them would have a crappy time together?

Faith sat back and tried to make sense of her feelings. On the one hand she so desperately wanted to move on. Buffy’d hurt her in ways that she’d never even knew that she could be hurt and it was going to take time to heal. On the other hand, she knew that the older slayer would always have a piece of her heart that no one else would ever come close to and that confused the hell out of her.

She took a deep breath and stood, as she heard a set of keys in the front door lock.
"How was it?" Faith emerged from the darkness within the living room.

"Faith...? You startled me." Buffy swung her scarf from around her neck and closed the door behind her. "It was nice," she answered. She'd reached for the light switch, but Faith took hold of the outstretched hand and used it to pull Buffy towards her. She just caught the wide-eyed expression on Buffy’s face, before her eyes closed and her arm pinned Buffy’s behind her, just above the smaller slayer’s ass. She leaned down and kissed her.

She felt Buffy moan against her and stepped forward, pushing the slayer into the door behind her, not breaking their contact for a moment. Her mouth opened and her tongue sought Buffy’s, as she tasted the wine the slayer'd drank earlier that evening. She sucked on her, lightly biting the muscle and drawing a soft whimper from the blonde, whose other hand had made it beneath Faith’s shirt.

The contact of their skin, brought Faith out of the lust-trance that she was in and she stepped back out of the other slayer's grasp. “I’m sorry,” she told a clearly confused Buffy.

Faith reached for her jacket beside the door and when Buffy stepped aside, near broke into a sprint out of the door.

OK that was so not good. She had a girlfriend; of whom she was very fond. Delana was a sweet and caring girl. And not to mention the fact that she was hot as fuck. The slayer felt she’d be a fool to lose her over what may or may not just be a relapse thing with her ex. She felt stupid for letting things go as far as she had with Buffy, not to mention crazy-guilty.

That guilt had forced Faith continuously remind herself that she had a girlfriend and find every reason she could to slip Delana into conversation – something that backfired when one evening at the dinner table, Joyce observed,

"How come we’ve never met Delana?"

That question had earned Faith silent, questioning looks from those present at the dinner table. Willow had then reached for more yams, whilst Kennedy and Buffy had taken simultaneous sips of their glasses of water.

Chewing down her vegetables, Faith eventually answered, “I didn’t know you’d wanna, kiddo".

"I’ve got to agree with Joyce, Faith." Great, now Willow was adding her two cents into the mix. “It sounds like Delana is really important to you. It’d be nice if she was part of the gang.”

The slayer had noticed that Buffy had been mostly silent throughout the exchange, but turned to Joyce regardless. "Yeah, kiddo. I’ll set it up for sure. ‘Bout time D got to meet the fam’, right?"

"Right!" Joyce had exclaimed, rather chirpily. The slayer wondered how she’d managed to pelt into that one. She had not wanted a situation where Joyce would get attached to her girlfriend unless she thought the relationship would stick and right now, things were complicated.

The rest of their dinner was consumed amiably enough. Willow and Kennedy had said their goodbyes and left satiated and happy. Joyce had taken her taken off upstairs to take a call from one of her friends and the remaining slayers had begun the cleanup of the mess left in their wake. A dish in each hand, Faith approached Buffy at the sink in the kitchen and placed the dinner ware in the soapy water.

"I’m sorry about the D-heavy convo earlier," she admitted, wrapping her arms around the blonde in front of her. "Just thought it’d seem kinda weird if I didn’t mention her, y’know?"

She felt Buffy lean back against her and relax into the embrace.
“You realise this means you are now going to have to introduce the two of them.”

Closing her eyes and leaning her head on the older slayer’s shoulder, Faith sighed, "Me and my big fuckin’ mouth."

"Yeah." Buffy had turned around in her arms then. "Or..." The taller slayer had felt Buffy’s arms circle her shoulders and her hands rubbing the tense muscle there. “We could just tell her about this?” She kissed her then. "About us."

Oh God, were they an ‘us’ ?

Faith sighed and "We don’t even know what this is yet, B. You really wanna have *that* conversation with everybody before we’ve had that conversation with each other?"

"So, let’s have that conversation."

"Not here... Not now."

"Then when?"

Faith leaned her forehead against that of the woman in front of her and looked into those gorgeous green eyes of hers. "Soon," she promised. "Til then, let's just keep this" She pointed between them and finished off, "Discreet." She placed another small kiss on the slayer’s lips and stepped back. "Thanks for dinner."


TBC.