Happy To Bleed For You

(Npov)

The two dark haired girls walk together down the street,hand in hand,and smiling widely at each other. They're headed for the Bronze.

Sammy notices Faith visibly tense as the Bronze comes into view,and she squeezes her hand tighter to encourage her. Faith gives
her a grateful smile.

"I'm kind of nervous." she admitts,now swinging their hands.

"Don't be." Sammy says simply,stopping outside of the door to the Bronze and flipping Faith so that they're eye to eye,both hands holding now. "I won't let anything happen to you,I promise. I'm right beside you,say the word and we're gone. Don't be
scared Faith."

Faith kisses her forehead,"Thank you."

Sam grins sloppily,"No problem. Besides I can think of a million things I'd rather be doing right now after that little show on the beach yesterday."

Faith smirks,pulling the door open and leading Sammy in. "Don't tempt me babe." She looks around through the little bar,it is
rather crowded and she gets a little on edge,the last time she went to a club she almost gotten eaten and not in the good way.
Her eyes catches a lone girl in black leather pants and a navy blue tanktop. She immediately recognizes the blonde and her body
tenses.

"I take it you found her?" Sam asks next to her,looking around the room for any signs of trouble. Not vamps or demons yet. Thank
goodness,maybe there was a chance that they might get through this without drawing blood anywhere. Faith pulled her towards a
couch and table on the far side of the bar and as they got closer she recognized Buffy sitting in the couch and sipping on a
beer.

"Hey." Buffy stands to greet them. A sudden rush of regret and jealously pass through when she sees how tightly Faith is holding on to Sammy's hand. She smiles howver and sits down,motioning for them to do the same. "How are you guys?"

"Alright." Faith answers,her voice wavering,which makes Buffy feel like a total bastard.

"That's good." she sighs,this is certainly going to turn out harder than she originally thought. "Faith...I don't
even know how to begin apologizing for what I did to you...I'm probably the worst thing ever being here telling you this
right now but I have to. I'm so damned sorry,you have no idea how much."

"It's okay Buffy." Faith tells her.

"At first I hated you when you came to SunnyDale." Faith frowned,this wasn't what she wanted to hear right now,not at all.

"I was going through a really rough time,and I had just gotten everything in my life back together. And it felt...it felt like
you were trying to take my friends away from me. And then we started becoming friends and that thing with Allen happened."

Faith flinched,hearing the name of the innocent man she had killed. It still hit her like it had just happened. Sammy rubbed a
circle on the back of her hand with her thumb. She nodded,telling Buffy to go on.

"You went all hell bent and then that night on the rooftop...it hurt. It hurt me so bad. For eight months I tried to forget you,
tried to forget anything having to do with you...but then you showed up again,and you hurt me again. But now I know why it hurt
so much Faith." Buffy took a deep breath. "You turned yourself in and I thought that was the last I would ever hear from you and
I was happy. Then I hear about Angelus and how you saved Angel's soul and I freak out. Willow's told me you've really changed.
Wesley tells me he couldn't have asked for anything more,even Cordellia calls up and tells me that you're great,that you've
really changed,that you deserve a second chance. But I didn't want to believe it. And when you showed up,deep down I knew you had changed,and I was falling for you again. But I didn't want to get hurt. It was easier to just hate you then to deal with these feelings you know?"

"B,what feelings?" Faith asks rather wary of Sam gripping her hand tighter with each word that escapes Buffy's mouth.

"Ever since you came back I've done nothing but torment you one way or another. It wasn't even your fault it was mine. I don't know how to make this any less shocking,so I'm just ganna say it...I've been afraid to forgive you... bec-because...I love you. And I was afraid you would hurt me again. Faith,I've loved you sice the first time I saw you. At the time I just thought it was me being horney and that it would pass,but I figured since it hurt so much when you went over it must have been something more." Buffy looks to Faith,she looks rather shocked. And Sam looks like she got shot in the dark.

Faith moves her mouth to speak,but Buffy raises her hand to stop her. "I don't know about the past,some things just never stop
haunting you,and they never go away. I do know that I forgive you...and I want you to forgive me. I'm scared to give us another
chance,we always seem to screw up but that doesn't mean we can't try and forget and start new. That doesn't mean we can't forgive each other...and it doesn't mean we can't be friends."

All this time,Sammy's heart beats faster with every declaration Buffy gives. It's pissing her off and yet she's happy to know that maybe they can all just be friends someday. She glanced over at Faith and all her worries leave her and only her huge crooked smile is left on her face,Faith is happy,she's happy.

"You don't know how much that means to me B."

Buffy smiles gently at hearing Faith use her old nickname. "So what Faith...think we can give it a shot at being friends?"

"You know it girlfriend." Faith gives her the oh so familiar smirk,but it looks nothing like the was it used to. Now it's happy
and completely innocent.

Buffy chuckles happily. "Sam? What about you? Can you forgive me?"

Sam gives her an award winning smile,finally letting her guard drop and her real self show to Buffy. "There's nothing to forgive
Buffy. Faith wants you in her life,I want her to be happy,so who am I to intervene?"

"You're my girlfriend,that's who you are." Faith touches her cheek lovingly,giving her a smile of gratitude.

Sam blushes,but takes Faith's hand and kisses her palm. "Anyone up for some drinks?"

"Oh! Oh! Jack Daniels!" Faith says excitedly.

"Jack D. Buffy?"

"Tequila."

"See we're clicking already."