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Wishing Changes Everything	By : Declan Category: -Buffy the Vampire Slayer > FemmeSlash - Female/Female > Buffy/Faith Views: 9748 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy The Vampire Slayer Television Series. Joss Whedon does. This is done for simple fun, I'm not making any money from this.

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Faith, Hope And Tricks (Part 2: Kicking Ass And Kissing Toast)
Time seemed to slow, Buffy moved to the side and forward to give Faith room to move, her muscles tensing as she watched the vampires stalk closer. It was instinct, they were vampires, she was the slayer, and while she might not love the fighting quite as much as Faith at the moment, this she was always sure of; fighting, slaying, winning. There was no uncertainty or confusion or mixed up memories to go along with the violence and now she was glad for that clarity.
Instinctively Buffy ducked a wild swing from the first vamp that came at her and spun to roundhouse kick a second, she then jabbed backwards to smash the first one under the chin before Faith wrenched it of it’s feet from behind and threw it against the wall. Buffy pulled out her stake but before she could close on her downed opponent a third vamp smashed her across the back with a pipe, sending her tumbling.
Buffy gasped as she scrambled to recover her stake and shrug off the lancing pain across her shoulders; ducking a second swing from the pipe-wielding vamp she pounded him twice in the face before grabbing his shoulder and flipping him to the ground. As she readied to stake him another vamp caught her wrist and drew her backwards into his grasp.
“For Kakistos we live...For Kakistos, you die.” It growled as it bared its teeth against her neck. His two friends we picking themselves up from the ground as Faith proceeded to soundly beat hers to a pulp, shouting at it as she did so.
“YOU...CAN’T... TOUCH...ME!”
‘Oh, this is familiar!’
Buffy brought her head back fast against her assailant, stunning him and snapping his head back, before bracing against him and kicking off with both feet to send another one hurtling backwards as she fell to the ground. Then freeing her wrist she drove her stake down and back, dusting the prone vampire under her before scrambling to her feet.
The third vamp, this one with a bad pony tail, drove her back with a few of punishing body blows, driving her back towards a stack of pallets. Buffy blocked, countered with two fierce jabs before ducking and sweeping his legs out from under him. One quick staking later and she was left watching the back of the last vamp as he fled.
Buffy looked on as Faith continued to beat her vamp into sloppy joes. “Okay, someone needs to break this up. Faith!”
She hauled the other slayer of her beaten opponent. “Faith, enough. You won okay, he cried uncle!”
Buffy turned to quickly stake him, leaving them alone.
“You okay?” Buffy asked, deciding not to jump all over Faith this time, more flies with honey and all that.
Faith was a little out of breath. “Yeah, just got caught up in the moment is all.”
Buffy nodded cautiously. “Well, one of those guys could easily have had a shot at your back, you gotta be more careful.”
“I can handle myself,” Faith said defensively.
Buffy held up her hands. “That’s not in question; really, you were pounding that guy like he owed you money or something.”
Faith relaxed a little and smirked. “Gee, I hope doin’ violence to vampires doesn’t upset you, it’s kinda in the job description.”
Buffy smiled at the jibe. “Well, while you were getting all slap-happy I just dusted two.” She held up two fingers as she looked around. “Ooh, and the newcomer lags behind...”
“Night’s still young. I’m just getting warmed up.”
“Good to know, but I’m more concerned about these guys. One of them said something while he was trying to bite me.” Buffy looked at Faith and said flatly. “The name Kakistos mean anything to you.”
Faith’s entire demeanour changed, her smirk dissolved from her face and her eyes widened with fear. “Kakistos.” She said, her voice carrying a tremor.
Buffy tried to sound as supportive and concerned as she could. “Faith, what’s wrong? Who’s this Kakistos guy?”
“Kakistos,” Faith said again, running a hand through her hair. “H-he’s a vamp, biggest son of a bitch you’ve ever...I tried to...”
Buffy reached out her hand. “Faith, its okay, but you need to tell me what happened.”
Faith shook her head and turned away frantically. “What I need to do is get gone, the sooner the better.”
Buffy grabbed her hand. “Faith, what really happened to your watcher? Is she...Did he kill her?”
Faith seemed to freeze, her face turned back to look at Buffy, she looked as terrified and as young as Buffy had remembered. “They don’t have a word for what he did to her. I was there...I saw, what he was gonna do to me. I tried to stop him but I couldn’t. So I ran...”
Buffy looked into her eyes. “Listen Faith, you didn’t do anything wrong, okay. If you hadn’t run, you’d be dead too. Now do the math, one vamp, two of us, we stick together we’ll be fine.
Buffy continued to hold Faith’s hand as she led her away. “Come on, I know where we need to go.”

*~~*

“Buffy?” Giles peered around his apartment door having just put on his glasses. “Is something the matter?”
Buffy was still holding onto the other slayer, who had remained pale and shaken on their way over. “Sorry for the lateitude but we have trouble of the serious kind.”
A short time later they were sitting on Giles’ couch with hot tea in front of them as Buffy continued to explain. “There’s a new vampire in town, goes by the name Kakistos. I’m guessing he’s the one responsible for the disappearances. We ran into some of his lackeys, who are thankfully no longer with us. But this vamp- he killed Faith’s watcher.”
Faith flinched and looked up guiltily at Giles, her face still pale. “’m sorry.”
Giles seemed shocked. “Oh, Good lord, you mean he followed you here?”
Faith just nodded, failure seeming to weigh on her slumped shoulders.
Giles nodded thoughtfully. “I have heard of this Kakistos. In Greek the name means the worst of the worst. But it also refers to a vampire so old that his hands and feet are cloven.”
Buffy thought about it. “Like how the Master got all ‘bat-face’ after being around for so long?”
Giles nodded. “Precisely. I also suspect that like the Master he will have, well, a cult following.”
Buffy leaned forward and caught Faith’s eye. “And we’ve already taken out some of his guys, okay?”
Faith looked like she was trying to compose herself and gave Buffy a determined nod.
Giles brow furrowed. “I think you should both retire for the rest of the evening, get some rest. We can start researching this fellow in the morning. Faith,” his expression changed to one of compassion. “I’m so sorry about your Watcher, Faith. From what I’ve heard she was a truly remarkable woman.”
Faith held Giles’ gaze, her mouth contorting like she was trying to say something, but eventually she ducked her eyes and nodded in agreement.
Buffy and Faith got up and left Giles apartment, Faith hugging herself and Buffy casting a grateful look at Giles; he had handled that well.
Outside his place Buffy spoke up. “Hey, you can come back to my house, if you want?”
Faith snapped her head round. “I’m not gonna rabbit on you, B. You don’t hafta’ keep an eye on me or whatever.”
Buffy shook her head. “That wasn’t what I was thinking, Faith. I was thinking safety, y’know. Motels aren’t homes; if they find you, the vamps can come in any time they want.”
Faith sneered at her before turning away. “Well, I don’t need a babysitter, I can look after myself. Been doin’ it all my life, anyhow.”
Buffy bit down her rising anger, she knew that Faith was just scared and lashing out. Buffy thought about how frightened the Master had got her.
“Faith, I know you can take care of yourself. But I also know that everybody needs help, okay. That’s why I let my friends help, because I know I can’t do this job alone. And I don’t think anybody should have to.”
Faith was still turned away. “Yeah, well I ain’t you,” Her voice was softer now.
Buffy looked at Faith, staring at the back of her head and wondering what she was thinking, caught somewhere between exasperated and desperate; Buffy wanted to reach out but the words wouldn’t come.
So she thought back to what she knew about Faith; no friends, a loner but maybe not by choice, no family that gave a damn, no supportive mom like Buffy herself had, now no watcher; somebody who had plucked her off the streets, given her a purpose, and probably treated her with more respect and affection than anybody had for a long time.
Buffy reached out and put a hand on Faith’s shoulder, feeling her tense muscles underneath.
“No, I’m not you, but I am a slayer, just like you- the only other one in the world, right? That’s why you came here looking for me, and since then you’ve been telling me how alike we are. And, I don’t know, maybe you have a point; maybe there are things I can learn from you. God knows I’ve screwed up enough times, I probably need some pointers...But it can go both ways, Faith, we can learn from each other. ”
Buffy took her hand away a little awkwardly. “Which in slayer terms has gotta be a pretty unique sitch, right? ‘Cause usually a slayer is way too dead to offer any advice.”
She saw Faith relax her posture and turn around, favouring Buffy with a little lop-sided smirk. “So whatcha gonna teach me, Twinkie?”
Buffy smiled in return. “Lots of things, like, for example, how ‘B‘is an acceptable nickname, but being named after a yellow snack cake, not so much.”
Faith grinned a little before faltering and her expression became more serious. “Listen, thanks for the offer but I’ll be okay for tonight. Reckon it’ll take a while for them to find out where I’m holed up.”
Buffy thought back to her internal timeline, she remembered the vamps coming to Faith’s place the night after the brawl in the alley, no reason to think that would change.
“Okay, if you’re sure. But tomorrow come to the school, things won’t be so hectic for me so we can hang out while we plan or strategize...and my god, maybe I do need to find the fun.”
Faith laughed at that. “See ya later, B.” And with that she took off for her place leaving Buffy alone with the night.

*~~*

Buffy didn’t sleep well that night; her mind seemed too busy with all the connotations of what was happening in her life. She had changed things, used her knowledge to actually alter what had happened from what it was, what she remembered.
And now she knew how.
It had taken her long enough, thinking back to the hospital with Faith, through her tearful regrets and ramblings to what exactly she had said. She had wished, she had asked for that second chance and someone or something had answered her.
Buffy’s knowledge of wishes was fairly sparse, since she knew of two things that granted wishes; vengeance demons and leprechauns, and leprechauns weren’t even real.
And this really didn’t seem like a vengeance thing either, maybe if Faith had made the wish, but she’d been pretty quiet- a coma would do that to you.
So what did that leave? A sorcerer? Maybe a faerie like the ones in children’s stories? Rumplesomething, did he grant wishes?
Could be a genie? No, there hadn’t been a lamp there or anything. Buffy sighed; she was so large with the not knowing. Maybe Giles would know; maybe she could casually slip it into conversation? Or research it herself? Or ask Willow?
It worried her; from her experience things like this came with a price, but what kind of price? Maybe things get worse? Or one of her friends gets hurt this time round? Or worse somebody dies.
As sleep finally overcame her she decided to deal with it after Kakistos, one thing at a time.

*~~*

Buffy walked into the library, after pretty much sleepwalking through class, and was pleased to see Faith was there, sitting cross-legged on the desk idly playing with a stake. Willow and Xander were there as well, laughing at something Faith said, and Buffy spotting Giles rooting around behind the counter.
“Hi guys,” Buffy greeted. “Don’t tell me, more tales of wacky slayer hi-jinks?”
Willow grinned. “Actually we were mocking the fashion disasters that Faith saw when she arrived here this morning.”
Faith shook her head. “Never seen so many bright colours on one person ’fore, like a clown exploded near ‘em or something.”
Xander nodded. “Hence the wackiness. Don’t worry Buff, we’re not gonna tell her all the embarrassing tales about you. Unless you, y’know, don’t pay us.”
“I’ll take my chances, thanks.”
Giles stepped back to the counter, a stack of books in his arms. “Ah, Buffy there you are. I think I have an idea of where we can begin our research.”
“Right, Khaki trousers guy, I remember. I’m here and alert, ready to study.” She put a hand over her mouth as she yawned.
Giles looked up from the books he was flicking through. “Did you sleep alright?”
Buffy shook her head. “I’m fine really, just been kinda busy up here.” She tapped behind her ear.
Xander regarded her sympathetically for a moment. “Does somebody need some sugar?”
“That sounds nice.” Then Buffy frowned a little, “As long as you’re talking about candy bars and not the whole kissing thing.”
Xander laughed nervously. “Um, the first one, really, I’ll just go get some study fuel.”
Xander left the library and Buffy slumped into one of the chairs, tilting her head to look at Faith.
“So how was your night, any trouble?”
“Five-by-five, B, just like I said it’d be. Seems like I slept better too, looking at you.”
Buffy stifled another yawn. “So, you’ve been here since this morning?” She looked around at the books scattered across the table, a few resting open near Faith, “Researching?”
Faith made a face. “Not exactly my speed, B. Giles was showing me the weapons and I told him more about Kakistos, what I know anyways.”
“Giles says that all vampires who get that old tend to develop some kind of special ability,” Willow added. “We’ve just got to find out what.”
Faith scowled down at the table. “Well, his head ain’t axe-proof, that’s for damn sure. I made him even more butt-ugly than he was before.”
Buffy thought about it. “So, we’re not going to bump into him out patrolling. That probably means he’ll only act when his people know where you are.” She turned to look at Giles, “I say we stake out Faith’s place tonight, loaded with weapons. And when they arrive we ambush them.”
Giles, chewing on his glasses as he read, looked up. “Are you quite sure they’ll do such a thing? It seems more likely they’ll try and ambush you whilst patrolling again.”
Buffy nodded. “Yeah, but I bet this Kakistos guy has a serious mad-on for Faith after what she did. And I’m also betting he’s not going to be waiting patiently for his guys to fetch and carry. As soon as he thinks he knows where you are he’ll come in force.”
Faith smiled grimly and nodded. “Instead he finds us loaded for bear.”
“That’s my brilliant plan.”
“Oh, dear.” Giles murmured.
Buffy frowned. “We don’t like my brilliant plan?”
Giles looked up. “No, I...I mean that’s not what I was commenting on. I’ve just found a rather grim 16^th century account of a battle that Kakistos was involved in, outside Santiago.”
Buffy raised her eyebrows. “San Diego?”
Giles gave a long suffering sigh. “Santiago de Campostela, a famous religious site in Northern Spain.”
“I’m guessing it went badly for the other guys.” Willow replied sadly.
“It says here that his ‘breast could not be penetrated with arrow nor with spear’, um, that he couldn’t be staked. At least not by any normal means.”
“Was he wearing armour?” Willow asked. “Because isn’t that like cheating.”
Giles shook his head. “No, uh, according to this description it’s far more likely that, given his age his bones may have, uh, changed somehow.”
Buffy didn’t like the sound of that. “Changed how.”
Giles carried the book over to the table and seemed to be trying to cross-reference something. “Most likely a fused sternum, where the spaces between the ribs would be replaced with more bone and the ribcage itself may also warp.”
‘And I thought I was just having an off day.’
He turned to Faith with an open book. “Was his body shape anything like that? Barrel-chested?”
Faith flinched and glanced away. “Pretty much, yeah.”
Giles set the book down and sighed. “It is, well, a fairly rare vampiric trait brought on by extreme old age. And given that it was evidenced in the sixteenth century...”
“Then he’s probably much older, got it.” Buffy finished as she straightened up, “Still, with the two of us, I still think we’re looking at one very old pile of dust come night-time.

*~~*

A couple more hours of research later with no new helpful data Buffy was getting restless, one look at Faith showed that she felt the same way. Faith hadn’t really looked at any books, instead spending her time packing up a collection of crossbows, stakes, and holy water, as well as a couple of axes into a large canvas bag.
“All set?” Buffy asked as she closed a particularly boring tome.
“Everything a girl needs to get her slay on,” Faith patted the bag. “I’m thinkin’ I’ll take off for the motel, get changed before the sun goes down.”
Buffy stood and grabbed her bag. “We’ll both go; I’m being zero help here. It’s all ‘stakes are a big waste of time’ over and over.”
Willow looked concerned. “Be careful.”
Buffy gave a reassuring smile to her as Giles came out of his office. “Buffy, if I could have a moment.”
Buffy nodded to Faith. “I’ll catch up.” She walked over to Giles, “So what’s up?”
“Just to tell you that I’ve informed the Council of the situation here, and they approved my request, Faith is to stay here indefinitely, I’m to look after the both of you until a new watcher is found.” Giles removed his glasses and began to clean them. “How do you think she’s doing?”
“She’s dealing, but I don’t think she’ll be okay until she kills this guy and gets some closure.”
Giles nodded in sympathy. “Well I just wanted to say you’re being remarkably supportive. I know you have some issues of your own to work out as well.”
“It’s a relief actually, focusing on someone else’s problems for a change.” Buffy shrugged, “Besides, if she’s going to be here for a while then I should at least get to know her.”
“Agreed. Oh and Buffy, be careful tonight, this is a particularly dangerous vampire you’ll be facing.”
“Aren’t I always careful?” Buffy said walking towards the double doors. “Besides Faith’ll probably just shove a support beam through his chest and that’ll be that.”
Buffy stepped through the doors and almost ran into Scott. “Oh, uh, sorry. Were... you waiting for me?”
Scott smiled nervously. “Hi and yes I was.”
Buffy smiled awkwardly. “Listen Scott I really have to be...”
“I know, be somewhere else. Think of this as my last ditch effort, I realise that one more will qualify as stalking.” He paused to catch his breath, “I’ve given a lot of thought, some might say too much thought, to how I might be a part of your life. It begins with conversation, we all know this. Maybe over a cup of coffee, maybe at the Buster Keaton festival- playing on State Street all this weekend...”
‘Buster Keaton, Yeesh...’
Buffy sighed. “Listen Scott, you’re sweet and all but I’m not really...interested in dating any guy right now. I just, I’m in a really weird place right now and I’m taking a break from the whole guy scene, so, um, sorry and I really have to...”
Buffy left hurriedly leaving a puzzled Scott behind.

*~~*

Buffy made it to Faith’s motel with the sun hanging low over Sunnydale, climbing up the steps she knocked on the door.
Buffy heard movement from inside and then the door opened, Faith stood there dressed only in a short, tight, red t-shirt and black panties, her hair was still wet from the shower and she was holding a stake in one hand.
Buffy smiled. “You remember what I said about vamps and no manners, they rarely knock. Also it’s daytime.”
Faith shrugged as she left the door open and went over to her bed. “Yeah, well you could’ve been the manager hitting me up for some cash.”
“And you thought you’d stake him.”
Faith gave her a look. “The way he’s been lookin’ at me, thought I’d give him a little show.” She gestured to herself, “Get him to lay off about the rent.”
Buffy hesitated. “I could help out with that...”
Faith shook her head as she sat on the bed and pulled on her leather pants. “Not a charity case, B. I’ll figure somethin’ out.”
Buffy looked around the room as Faith finished getting dressed. She’d forgotten how grim it was here, the kind of place you’d stay only if you had nowhere else to go. She decided she wasn’t going to let Faith stay here again, that’s for sure, charity or not.
Faith caught her looking. “You like it so much, I’m pretty sure I could get you a sweet deal for the one next door.”
Buffy reddened a little. “Sorry, but, uh, at least you’ve space, lots of space. And a bath, that probably helps with the, um, bathing and all.”
Faith stood and picked up the bag. “C’mon Blondie,” she smirked. “Let’s get this over with, and then, if your real good maybe I’ll let you use the bath later.”

*~~*

They didn’t walk far from the motel, across the street through a small car park to a patch of waste ground where they decided to wait. Buffy turned and saw they had a decent view of the whole street, even with night closing in they should be able to see anyone lurking about.
“Won’t be long now, he’s pretty close.”
Faith crouched to load one of the crossbows. “How do you know?”
‘Oh, because he chased us to his lair from right about over there...’
“Um, well, it’s the poor side of town, right? Lots of abandoned buildings to hole up in during the day, makes sense they’ll have a nest nearby.”
Buffy had actually tried to remember the exact location of Kakistos’s nest from memory, but it had been so confusing that night, the vampires had chased the both of them all over the place before leading them there.
“Locked and loaded,” Faith said handing a crossbow to Buffy. “You a good shot?”
Buffy nodded. “I do alright, what about you?”
Faith grinned proudly. “Oh yeah, Diana said I was a natural dead shot.”
Buffy looked at her. “Diana was your Watcher, right?”
Faith’s grin faded. “Yeah, she...she was alright, y’know.”
Buffy nodded in sympathy. “If you ever want to talk...”
“Right now I mainly wanna kill things, but, uh, thanks.” Faith stuffed a couple of stakes in her denim jacket and picked up an axe before looking at the both of them. “If anyone saw us like this...”
“I wouldn’t worry; the people who live here tend to ignore the weird and the unexplained.”
Faith raised her eyebrows, “And chicks walking about with battleaxes?”
“Um, we’ll say were taking them to an antiques shop...to be cleaned or valued or something.”
“You sure the cops are gonna buy that?”
Buffy smiled. “Sunnydale cops? Probably.”
Buffy then held up her hand as she saw movement on the street, a quiet figure shifting through the shadows heading straight for Faith’s motel room. The figure moved up the stairs and paused before moving over to the window, peering in at empty space.
Faith moved a little closer. “Perv or Vamp, which d’ya think?”
Buffy followed the figure as he suddenly turned and leapt over the railing to the ground. “Our survey says vampire.”
Before either of the slayers could move closer the figure waved a hand over to a car idling a half a block down the street, a limousine by the look of things.
The limo moved a little up the street, stopping again outside the motel; waiting.
Faith tensed up. “That’s him. I know it, I feel him.”
In the street light Buffy saw the spotter for the first time as he leaned down to talk to the passenger, she recognised him as the vampire from the other night- the one that ran from them.
Buffy nodded. “There’s a familiar face, looks like he came back for a second date.”
As suddenly as it had appeared the limo drove off down the street leaving the vampire alone outside the motel.
“Looks like we’re only dusting the one tonight.” Faith said raising her crossbow.
Buffy held up her hand. “Or we get him to tell us where their nest is...”
Faith nodded as she and Buffy moved stealthily towards the motel, but when they got within twenty feet the vampire, seeming to sense he was being watched, turned and spotted Buffy as she stepped out onto the pavement.
The vampire shifted on his haunches before suddenly turning and running towards the back of the motel, Buffy cursed and began to give chase as Faith again raised her crossbow.
“Faith, no!”
Faith ignored her and fired at the fleeing vampire as he was about to climb up onto a car and leap to the roof of a building, instead though he tumbled to ground letting out a strangled cry. The two slayers ran over to his prone form and in the illumination of the motel sign Buffy saw that a bolt had neatly skewered the vamp’s thigh, which he was now clutching in pain.
Buffy looked wide-eyed at Faith. “Nice shot.”
Faith grinned, pleased with herself. “Stick around, maybe I’ll teach you.”
Buffy shook her head as she squatted down next to the vamp. “Say, don’t I know you? Isn’t that nice, running into old friends, it happens so rarely in my line of work. So, now that we’re all caught up, where are you staying in town? Please be exact.”
The vampire grimaced in pain. “For Kakistos we live...”
Faith stomped on his leg and the vampire cried out in pain. “Tell us something new.”
The vampire grinned around his pain. “You are nothing to us slayer, nothing. I followed you last night, heard you talk, you’re terrified. Little girl lost without her Watcher, and now your friends’ too.”
‘Giles, he followed us to Giles’ place...’
“Oh, no...” Buffy stood up and backed away from him, her mind whirling from the fact that she might just have gotten her Watcher killed. The vampire laughed again before Faith slammed a stake into his chest.
“We’ve gotta move, B, you know a shortcut?”
Buffy shook her head. “What?”
“A shortcut to Giles, cut through the alleys or something.”
Buffy simply turned on her heels and ran as fast as she could, hoping that Faith could keep up and praying that they weren’t too late.

*~~*

Buffy made it to the end of Giles’ street in pretty much record time, in time enough to see the limousine pull up in front of Giles place and stop. Doors swiftly opened and figures climbed out, Buffy counted five, with one big enough to count for another three.
Buffy paused briefly to raise her crossbow and shoot into the group before discarding it and pulling her stake. She saw one vampire, a blonde woman, reel away in pain and the others turn there attention towards her.
With a grunt she dived at the group, lashing out a foot at one before backhanding another, sending him sliding over the car. Grabbing a surprised vampire by the jacket, she threw him face first into the car window of the limo before pounding a stake into his back. As he was dusted the female vamp managed to jerk out her crossbow bolt and the vampire Buffy had just kicked whirled to face her.
Buffy recognised him as Mr. Trick, right-hand vamp for hire. This year would go a whole lot easier if she could stake him right now.
“Slayer,” He grinned as he circled her. “I believe this dance is mine.”
He lashed out fast, catching her in the side with his leg before grabbing her and slamming her against the car. Buffy squirmed against his strength; leaning backwards she suddenly twisted and lashed out, catching him in the chest with a well-placed elbow before flipping him over her shoulder.
“Guess what, the music stopped.” Buffy drove her stake at him but he quickly rolled away and back to his feet.
“But the beat goes on.” He finished, but then stepped back.
Buffy turned around just in time to see a large clawed fist lash her across the face, sending her to the ground.
‘Ow... he hits hard,’
“Mr. Trick, fetch the gasoline and burn the Watcher out. We are wasting time here.” Kakistos rumbled.
Buffy flipped to her feet. “Actually this is a good cardio workout for me.”
With that she launched a couple of kicks at the huge vampire, hammering her foot into his side, which still felt like she was kicking a tree. She punched him in the gut again before ducking a slicing forearm and driving her stake into his chest.
Kakistos laughed, grabbed her wrist and twisted it, making her release the stake. He then effortlessly threw Buffy around and slammed her hard against the car, grinning as she tumbled to the ground.
“I guess you need a bigger stake, slayer.”
Buffy looked up as Kakistos loomed over her, and then suddenly she saw Faith standing on the roof of the limousine, axe raised above her head with both hands.
Faith snarled. “Motherfucker,” as she swung the axe downwards and to the side with all her strength, like she was felling a tree. The blade struck Kakistos’s neck as he was turning to look and then there was no head on his massive body, there was just a thunk noise as something bounced off the hood of the car. Kakistos fell to the ground and exploded into dust.
Faith seemed to sag with relief as she climbed to the ground and helped Buffy to her feet.
Buffy looked around for Mr. Trick but, of course, he was gone. She then turned to the brunette.
Buffy smiled. “Potty-mouth.”
Faith shrugged. “Seemed like the thing to say, oh, and you’re welcome.”
“Well I was just keeping him busy while you caught up.”
“Didn’t know little legs could move that fast.” Faith nodded at the house. “You’re Watcher okay?”
Buffy sighed with relief. “Probably still asleep. C’mon, I’ll say thanks by buying you dinner, you hungry?”
“Starved.”

*~~*

“I can’t believe you got all that in your mouth?” Buffy gaped across the booth at the other girl, “So what happened? Bitten by a radioactive Anaconda? Taught some strange technique by a circus freak? What?”
Faith, her cheeks stretched out by food, merely smiled and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. She set down the remains of her second massive cheeseburger of the night and reached for her milkshake, managing to poke the straw between her lips as she chewed.
Buffy just shook her head and bit into her chicken salad sandwich daintily, which she was quite steadily demolishing; unlike Faith she wasn’t trying to be set some kind of record.
The diner they were in was quiet, a nice little retro place with a few couples talking in low murmurs and relaxed waitresses tending tables; a lot nicer than the one she had worked at in LA. And a hell of a lot nicer than the one she’d gone to with Faith the first time around, but unsurprisingly Giles lived in a much nicer neighbourhood than a bunch of smelly vamps.
They’d sat down half an hour ago in exhausted silence before ordering, and then Buffy had used the payphone outside to call a slightly tired and grouchy Giles and tell him that Kakistos was so much dust. She had gotten back to find Faith ordering two double cheeseburgers, fries and a shake; she’d then asked Buffy what she was having.
“Man, you are such a chick. ‘Can I have low-fat mayo, please.’?” Faith shook her head after the waitress had left.
“I’m watching my figure,” Buffy grumbled. “Just because I don’t eat like a pig.”
“What can I say, I’m a gal who likes to indulge her appetites,” Faith grinned widely showing Buffy her cute dimples, she’d rarely seen the brunette so relaxed. Like Buffy had told Giles, all Faith needed was closure and now it seemed a weight had been lifted.
Buffy pouted. “Besides, I’m treating myself to dessert after. Modern medicine has for too long ignored the healing power of ice cream.”
Faith grinned. “This girl just can’t be tamed. Seriously B, do you have any vices?”
Buffy counted things off on her fingers. “Let’s see; Shopping, shoes, more shopping, ice skating shows, ooh and did I mention shopping?”
“You are so vanilla...”
“Well, maybe I don’t sleep in the nude or wrestle alligators,”
Faith leaned forward and looked into her eyes. “Well maybe it’s time you started; guarantee you’ll have more fun.”
Buffy stared right back. “Well maybe I will,” then she frowned. “The first one anyway, I don’t think we have any alligators in Sunnydale. Maybe the zoo, but I can’t break in there. I just couldn’t cross that line.”
Faith, seemingly busily trying to imagine something, smirked. “What line’s that?”
“The ‘something a drunken frat guy might do’ line. I have my pride.”
They bantered like that until food arrived and then Buffy had watched in amazement as Faith devoured her meal with relish, sucking her fingers and making quiet murmurs of enjoyment.
Buffy dabbed hers lips with a napkin as she looked on. “Also, are you always this loud?”
Faith licked her lips. “Y’know, you keep pitching me all these suggestive questions, I might just make you blush.”
Buffy raised her eyebrows. “I think you’ll find I’m harder to shock than you think.”
“Okay then,” Faith leaned forward with a sly smile, her voice getting low and husky. “You ever notice how food tastes so much better after a good slay, it’s like that with the sex as well- I swear doesn’t take too much for a guy to get me off afterwards, and I come pretty hard too. Hell, everything’s better, I think it’s all that energy, y’know? Doesn’t just go away, it just buzzes under your skin, making you feel so alive you feel as though you can do anything. Have anybody.”
Faith leaned back smiling. “You ever notice that?”
Buffy, suddenly feeling a little hot, just shook her head. “Uuh...no, never noticed that.”
Faith gave her a look like she knew she was lying but then just shrugged. “Whatever. So, you want dessert?”

*~~*

Afterwards, as they walked back through Sunnydale Buffy was deep in thought, wondering about tonight and the unintended consequences that had put Giles in danger.
She decided that maybe she should closer to the script, do most of the things she remembered doing- like dating Scott Hope. If she didn’t date him then maybe there would be some unforeseen consequence, like he could go out on one of the nights when they had been dating and end up getting hurt, or killed or even vamped.
But if she dated him, which hadn’t been a bad thing after all, she could then change only the bad things that were going to happen.
“B? Buffy?”
Buffy blinked and looked at Faith. “Huh? I mean...I’m listening.”
“Yeah, listening to the sounds on whatever planet you were on just now. Everything okay?”
Buffy smiled at Faith’s concerned look. “I’m just thinking that I might give Scott Hope another chance.”
Buffy thought she saw a flicker of disappointment on Faith’s face before it broke into a smile. “You gonna go and look him up right now?”
Buffy giggled. “Ew, no. I mean, at school tomorrow.” She looked sideways at the other slayer, “Unless, if you like him, y’know, you could date him. I wouldn’t mind really.”
Faith shrugged. “Nah, it’s cool. I don’t really ‘date’ anyways.”
Buffy saw Faith’s motel in the distance so she slowed to a stop. “Um, listen I don’t really know how to say this, or even if it will make you feel better, so I’m just going to say it okay?”
Faith stood with an expectant look on her face. “What’s up?”
“Giles, um, wasn’t my first Watcher,” Buffy said quietly. “In L.A, when I was first called...chosen, there was this guy called Merrick, he’s the one who started...teaching me or whatever. I wasn’t really the best student, not very focused or brave really. I kind of gave him a lot of attitude.”
“What happened?” Faith’s voice was soft.
“There was a vampire, a real Anne Rice freak- Lothos I think his name was. Anyway he came at my watcher and I wasn’t ready...I couldn’t protect him. Merrick told me to run and then... he killed himself before Lothos could turn him into a vampire.”
“Jeez, that’s rough.”
“I felt guilty for a long time after that, like I’d let him down or something. But, I don’t think I did, not really. Slayers fight and Watchers help how they can; but the point is that the Watchers almost always outlast their slayer; they get to see them die. So the longer I live, I think, the prouder Merrick would be of me, of what he helped me to be. And tonight... I think you made Diana really proud, doing what you did.”
Faith looked at Buffy for what seemed like a long time. Her eyes, dark in the moonlight, seemed sad and solemn, like she was remembering something. Then she gently took Buffy hand and squeezed it. For a moment Buffy didn’t know what the other slayer was going to do and then suddenly Faith leaned into her, Buffy felt Faith’s breath against her cheek, and then her soft lips pressing there for a moment before she pulled away.
“Thanks, B. G’night.” She left Buffy standing on the sidewalk.
Buffy watched the other girl leave, her heart thumping a little from both the kiss and what she had told Faith, what she had wanted to tell her for the longest time. There was no guilt in screwing up, because everyone does it, but if you were very lucky you got a second chance to do things right.
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