Take her please.

I added two today - I'm being productive. Please take the time to tell me if you like it or not.


This chapter is going to start with Faith's point-of-view. I'll
probably alternate from here on out, though I will clue you in as to
who's talking.

Chapter 5

This chapter is going to start with Faith's point-of-view. I'll probably alternate from here on out, though I will clue you in as to who's talking.

Okay, I felt like running. Not going to run. Not going to run. I had to keep telling myself that. That's right, I was terrified. You can't imagine how hard it was to walk into that house. After seeing B. After seeing her.

B pulled my sleeve, "Come on, we don't bite."

I raised my eyebrow at her. "That wasn't what I was worried about. I don't think you are going to bite me or anything."

"Figure of speech, re-re."

She was being nice. I mean, at least she wasn't trying to kill me. I suppose raising a kid (did I even want to go there?) had mellowed her out a little.

They were all standing in the living room. I looked around; I guess this was a living room. This freaking house was huge. And there were toys everywhere. I looked at Red and Kennedy. Who wanted to kill me the most? That was a toss up. At least the other members of the dork brigade were MIA.

And then she came running in. Barreling in may be a better word.
God, she was like a bolt of lightning. She ran up to me, "Hi!"

I smiled at her, "Hi." I could feel the tension in the room. All three of them were on alert – ready to strike if need be. I bent down, "I'm Faith."

"That's funny. That's my other name."

"Other name?"

"Yeah you know my second name."

Oh, okay. "You mean your middle name."

She shook her head. "I've got four names. Elizabeth Faith Lehane Summers."

Oh. Wow. "Oh. Okay. Those are a lot of names."

"Mommy says it makes me special. Special girls have lotsa names."

I smiled at her, "Well your mommy is very smart, so I'd believe her."

I stood up, "So… um hi," I tried with Kennedy and Willow.

Kennedy just stared at me. Red looked like she was going to blow me straight out of the room with some crazy mojo shit. Why is she so damn scary?

Buffy broke the silence. Finally, "Uh yeah… Liza this is mommy's friend, Faith. We used to know each other a long time ago."

She looked up at us, "Before I was borned?" Okay, she was cute.

Buffy nodded, "Something like that."

Willow cleared her throat, "Umm Buff… could I speak to you in the kitchen for a minute?" Buffy nodded. Willow looked at Kennedy.

"One step ahead of you," Kennedy said.

Okay, they obviously think I'm gonna grab the kid and make a run for it. Where the hell did they think I was gonna go? I'm not completely evil or anything.

"Chill Ken," I tried.

"Oh I'm sorry Faith, stories of the psycho slayer and all seem to stick with a girl."

Low blow, bitch.

"Oh oh oh," the kid was hopping up and down, "Are you a slayer too? Like Mommy and Kennedy?"

I nodded, "yep. I'm a slayer."

I raised an eyebrow and Kennedy. She rolled her eyes, "How are we supposed to keep that from her? Huh?" I didn't say anything. "Not that, mind you, you ever thought about something other than yourself. I doubt you would have any idea…"she trailed off, looking at the kid, "never mind."

"No Kennedy, you've got something to say…" I looked down. The kid was watching us like a tennis match. I echoed her, "never mind."

Come back, B. I willed her.

She walked in. Wow, I have the power of suggestion. Wish I'd have known that sooner.

"Come on Liza," Willow said, "Kennedy and I are taking you to the beach," she looked at Buffy, "like we promised."

Buffy rolled her eyes. She bent down to look at Liza, "Mommy's got some stuff I have to do here. I'm sorry."

Liza shrugged, "it's okay." She turned to look at me, "Are you going to be here when we get back?"

I looked at B.

She smiled, "Have fun, sweetie."

"Okay." She waved at me, "Bye Faith," she stood there for a moment thinking, "It was very nice to see you."

Buffy laughed, "meet you."

"Huh," Liza screwed her face up. "Okay, meet you later."

Buffy rolled her eyes, "Bye." She looked at Willow, "Wills…"

"Don't Buffy. Do what you have to do. You always have. Just know that I am going on record here and calling this a very very bad idea."

They walked out. See you later, Red.

I thought of something, "Does she know how to swim?"

Buffy raised her eyebrow, "Willow? Of course."

I shook my head. Good god, she could still be dense. At least some things haven't changed, "Uh no. Liza?"

Buffy smiled again, "Yeah, she knows how to swim. I taught her when she was a baby. Can't live in Florida and not know how to swim. It's not natural."

I must have looked as bad as I felt all of a sudden.

"Are you okay, Faith?"

"Yeah… I just need to sit down for a minute."

She looked concerned. Okay, who are you and what have you done with the real B? "Do you want something to drink?" She asked.

Okay, civility kept me from saying a big shot of whatever the hell was in one of those bottles behind her head. "Water, maybe?"

She smiled, "I'd rather have a scotch myself, but water it is."

Damn.

She handed me the glass, "Take a deep breath. It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Why not?" What am I, a glutton for punishment or what?

She sighed, "You know what, I'm gonna have a drink." I watched her fix two glasses. She brought me one and sat back down. "I really don't know why Faith. I guess… I am just over all the fighting, you know?" She didn't wait for a reply, "It's all I ever was, until she came." She turned and looked at me, "And I love her. I suppose I should be scared. Scared you are going to try and take her or something – but I'm not. You were always harder on yourself than anyone else Faith. And I know you know she is where she should be."

I nodded. I didn't trust myself to talk.

We sat in silence for a while. I was shaking. I couldn't be still. Buffy got up and moved beside me. She put her hand on my knee, "Calm down Faith."

I stopped moving, and stared at her hand. She cleared her throat. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"S'okay," I managed.

She looked down at her hands. "Faith? Why did you leave? I mean, I know why… but I don't. Didn't you think I would help you?"

"I was afraid of what you'd think."

"I don't believe that. You never cared what anyone thought. Do you think you were the first person to get pregnant? Come on."

"No," I took a deep breath. Okay Faith, you can do this. "Shit B. You know why. Don't make me say it." She didn't say anything, just nodded her head for me to go on. God, who was she, Barbara Walters? "How could I stay there? It wasn't enough. And it hurt so goddamn much. Watching you pine over Spike. Watching you… I don't know B. It was just hard."

She shook her head, "Damn."

"What?"

"It wasn't like I didn't know, Faith. I wasn't stupid or blind."

"I know that B!" Okay, calm down. "I knew that. But how would you feel? How would you feel if you were me? 'Oh poor Faith. Still pining over Buffy. When will she ever learn?' I didn't want to be the laughingstock anymore."

"Is that what you think you were? The laughingstock?" She lowered her voice, "You never even asked?"

Slayer hearing and all – well, I heard her perfectly, but still… "Huh?"

"I said you never asked," she whispered.

I took a deep breath and turned to her. God she was so beautiful. Focus Faith. "And what if I had?"

She looked down, "Maybe you would have stayed."

Holy shit. And just like that – I turned into the old Faith. "Give me a break B. I'm not stupid."

She rolled her eyes, "I never said you were stupid Faith. Stop assuming shit."

"Oh and just like that – we'd have been all hunky dory, making with the girl on girl love." I stood up. "Give me a break, B."

"Don't be so crude."

"Fuck you, B."

She stood up, "Stop being an idiot Faith and listen to what I'm saying," She grabbed my wrists, "Why have you always been so damn deluded? You could have saved us both a helluva lotta grief."

"Let go of me," I growled.

She squeezed my wrists, "make me."

And what, might you ask, was the one way I should not have replied to that statement? Yep, you got it in one, I kissed her. She struggled mand let go of my wrists at once. My stomach dropped.

She stood back and looked at me.

She rolled her eyes, "Jesus Faith… I should have known you wouldn't…" she was staring at me – at a loss for words.

And then she started crying. And that was not what I wanted. "B," I took her hand, "B… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…"

But I couldn't finish that statement, cause now she was kissing me.

This… I never imagined that it could be like this. She wrapped her arms around me and brought me closer to her… oh god, I never wanted to be anywhere but right here. Her body fit perfectly into mine. I felt her pushing her tongue against my lips. An invitation I only needed once.

"Ahem."

Shit Giles!

We both jumped back.

"Well. This has certainly become an interesting day all of a sudden." He said, taking off his glasses to clean them.

No shit, Sherlock.


TBC - Please review, it feeds the inner demon.