Chasing the Girl

Disclaimer - part one

Part 3

Faith ordered a beer and sat down at the bar. Propping her feet on the stool she swiveled around and faced the entrance. What she saw almost knocked her off her seat.

Willow, if it really was Willow and not some Alternate Universe Willow, which would have made more sense, walked up to her and hugged her.

"Wow Faith, I call and call, and I never get you and two days later you show up. I should have known better, I mean it is you, and the element of surprise doesn't surpass you. Yep, that's Faith, always one for surprising." Willow finally took a breath. "You look exactly the same. I mean your hair's a little longer, but, do Slayers age, I swear Ken still looks 17, makes me feel like a cradle robber."

Faith held up her hands. "Slow down, Red. Shit, let me get a look at you."

Faith eyed the redhead's ensemble first. Willow, in a short black skirt and tight white top shocked her...the knee high fuck-me boots, as Faith called them, sent her into a spiral.

"New wardrobe?"

"Oh, you know how it is, being professional and all." Willow answered.

"And the hair and makeup, nice, all grown up and stuff."

Willow's hair was shorter,eredered, and with soft auburn highlights; and she had on a shade of lipstick that reminded Faith of Harlot, something she'd rather forget.

"Well, you know how it is, Faith. I mean, we grow up, r? I ? I mean, most of us anyway." She said as she quickly looked down at her hands.

"Hey, Lisa." Willow called the bartender."Give me a Gin Martini."

"Well, that's a grownup drink, Red, that's for sure." Faith eyed her as she sat down. "So, about Buffy."

"Yeah, so what have you been up to, Faith? I know you stayed in Boston, but why? No going out and finding yourself. No slaying duties taking you places?" Willow asked.

"Way to dodge the subject, but yeah, I stayed in Boston. Worked some odd jobs. I would have thought, if I hadn't seen you, that my life would have shocked you. But you don't look easily shockable now."

Willow nodded.

"Anyway, I made a few friends, got in good with a few people and found a job bartending at some upscale hippy joint downtown. It's cool and I make decent money. After I cleaned Boston of the supernatural riff-raff, I figured I had to do something."

"Cleaned Boston?"

"Yeah, you know, word got around that one of the original Slayers was in town, made for some fast get away, figured I'd drive them all to Cleveland, let you guys deal with 'em. By the way, why aren't you in Cleveland?"

"We left Cleveland about a month after we got there. I mean it snows there. Did you know that? Snow sounds fun, but trust me when you're from sunny California it isn't. And with all the new Slayers, well, they had it pretty much tied up, they've got it all pretty much tied up."

"Yeah, I've noticed the lack of supernatural activity and figured I was just really scary, but I guess a hundred bad ass girls scares 'em pretty good, huh?"

"Well, there's still quite a bit in New Orleans, so Ken has fun." Willow answered, smiling at Faith.

"Ok, enough avoidance, Buffy?" Faith asked. She hated to make Red squirm and Buffy's name seemed to do that, but there was a reason she was here and she was getting antsy with the chitchat.

Willow avoided Faith's eyes for a few seconds, making Faith's tension meter rise dramatically.

"Buffy. You got a few hours, Faith, cause it may take me that long to explain it."

When Faith nodded, she continued.

"Look, I'm getting off in thirty, so why don't you hang around. Kennedy was gonna pick me up but I'll see if I can catch her. You can stay with us."

Willow noticed the protest Faith was about to make and held up her hand.

"No, don't, Ken's got money, remember?" Faith nodded. "As it is, we have four bedrooms. It's a big place. I didn't invite you to stay to throw you off in some motel. Let me call her. I'll meet you out front in twenty minutes."

Twenty minutes later, Willow sauntered out of the casino and looked around for Faith.

"Nice car," She said, leaning in the driver's side window."but it's New Orleans and rush hour, plus you've been driving all night, and I know where I live, so scoot it."

Faith was too tired to protest and didn't really feel like driving anyway, so she relinquished her seat to the redhead.

Willow whipped out of the parking lot at breakneck speed and Faith hurriedly put on her seatbelt.

'Fuck,' She thought. 'Red's the driver from hell.' And she fished around in the console trying to find her smokes.

"Bad habit." Willow observed, as Faith was lighting up.

"Yeah, well, it's the only vice I got. That's the first beer I've had in months, and I don't have enough money to gamble." She said, blowing smoke out the window, preferring not to look out the windshield as Willow dodged in and out of traffic.

"It's weird. You being responsible. I mean, no offense, but who would have thought you would get it together, and..."

Faith didn't know how to take that, and she was sure that it was an allusion to Buffy, but Willow never finished, as she was cut off by some driver, so Faith decided to wait.

Fifteen minutes later, Faith was trying to inconspicuously remove her fingers from the death grip she had on her seat as Willow slung her car into the circle drive. Faith opened the door, and on shaky feet, made her way to the house. Swearing that she was never, under any circumstances, life or death or otherwise, getting in the car with the redhead again.

"Nice digs, guys." Faith said, as she was escorted by Kennedy into their home.

She was a little intimidated, but wasn't going to let it show in front of another Slayer. Still, the house, with its circle drive and stone masonry, overwhelmed the girl. Not to mention the antiques which littered the hall and she figured the rest of the house as well.

"Thanks, it's a family house. I'd soon live at the HoJo," Kennedy said, taking Faith's bags.

"So, you hungry?" Kennedy asked, as they sat in the study.

"I'd really rather just get to it, if you guys don't mind. I mean it's good to see you and all, but I'm curious to know what the hell's the deal with B, and why I'm the only one who can help."

Willow glanced at Kennedy before nodding her head. "Yeah, I guess that's best. "

Kennedy grabbed Willow's hand and Faith felt a pang of loneliness at their comfortable affection.

"I guess we should start from the beginning."

To be continued