Chapter 6: Protectin’ What’s Mine

"What's up, Faith?" Ken's surprised to see me. "Willow's not here." God, she looks like shit warmed over then accidentally stepped in and wiped off on the pavement.

"That's cool, it's you I'm here to see."

She looks fuckin' nervous but she's a brat so she quickly recovers. She folds her arms across her chest and gives a defiant look.

That's good sweetheart, act like a fuckin' bitch. Makes it better for me.

"What's on your mind?"

That makes me smile.

"Let's take a walk." I indicate with my head for her to come outside.

She looks out into the street behind me, some of that nervousness is back in her eyes.

"I uhhh..."

"Don't worry, if I wanted you dead you wouldn't have gotten passed ‘What's up'. You got a jacket?"

She nods.

"Well, get it and let's go."

"Sure, I'll be right back." She turns to go back inside. "Wait, where are we going? I need to call Will and tell her where I'll be...approximately."

Yeah, smart to get all of her affairs in order, let Will know her last known location and who she was known to be with. She might not even be callin' Will for all I know, she's probably callin' one of the other slayers to have us tailed and jump in if I start wailin' on her. Again, smart, but I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of me losin' it. She's not worth that kind of behavior from me. Now if she starts it, then I'm fuckin' finishin' it. In a big way.

"Just around, if we spot a café we can sit. Can you handle coffee and maybe a danish or somethin'?"

She narrows her eyes in suspicion. God, I want to laugh so bad, she's really thinkin' I'm gonna do somethin' to her. Good, that means I still got badass written all over me. I love that shit.

Finally her inner ‘do what's right' instinct kicks in, or betrays her, and she makes up her mind to trust me.

"I'll be right back. Did you want to come in while I get my things?"

"Nah, I'm cool right here."

"Ok, well I have to close the door for a second."

I shrug, "Do what ya gotta."

She nods. Still lookin' hella nervous. I don't break eye contact until the door is closed.

I lean up against the buildin' as I wait. It's times like these that I get the urge to smoke. I've never been a patient person, and they always gave me somethin' to do besides pace around or go out of my mind with waitin'. Plus, how totally cool would it look if I'm all relaxed, leanin' against this buildin' like I'm holdin' it up and have a cigarette danglin' from my lips?

Oh, well. I gave that shit up, so that little scene won't be happenin'. ‘Sides not gettin' the hackin' cough or smellin' of smoke and not havin' Buffy bitch at me constantly to quit is a damn sight better than lookin' cool. Or that's what I tell myself. No, really those things I listed are better than lookin' cool, I'm just messin'.

I take a look around, make sure nothin' demony or otherwise bastardly is lurkin' about. This place is right next to the Park and I wouldn't be surprised if somethin' jumped out at me.

Fuckin' sweet place Ken and Red have here. It's got it's own entrance, they're not in an apartment like me and B are. They've got the two bottom floors, from the corner to the middle, of a 40 story building on Fifth Avenue. Must be somethin' in Ken's family ‘cause I know Tight Ass and his precious council funds ain't springin' for a place this dope. It must be 3500 square feet on the bottom floor, at least. I'll admit, when I first saw it my jaw hit the floor. Like I said, it's pretty fuckin' sweet.

If I had a watch on I'd check it, she's been at least five minutes, but I guess I can't blame her. I wouldn't be rushin' out to face me either.

"Sorry, couldn't find my other shoe." Ken's a little breathless as she shuts the door behind her and locks it.

"Maid's day off?" I smirk. "Nanny Fine couldn't bend down to look under the bed for ya?"

"Funny."

I chuckle.

We walk for a bit, don't really know where I wanna go. All I know is I have to get this shit off my chest or it will fester and then I'll end up poppin' Ken's head like a grape the first time she says some smart ass shit that I take to the extreme.

"There's a pretty good café up the street. Nice and roomy. Warmer than here anyway."

It's pretty cold, there's a strong wind blowin' today.

"That's cool."

Smart of her too, lotsa witnesses.

When we get seated and handed menus Ken doesn't look at hers. She's lookin' at me, tryin' to work up the courage to ask what's on my mind. I look over my menu casually at her. If anyone were to glance over they would think we were two friends out on a standin' lunch date.

"What's good here?"

Ken doesn't answer. I look up from my menu and she's still starin' at me like she's tryin' to read my mind.

That makes me laugh. She's probably tryin' to use some mojo Red taught her. But it won't work on me, I've got some impenetrable blocks that were put there by some very powerful people. I don't mean to say that to put Willow down either, she actually was with me when I had the block put on. We went on a mission to this mystical place in the Middle East. Someone was killin' Shaman. I dunno why they thought we could help ‘em out but they contacted Giles and got me and Will to go out there.

Two things I can say about that mission. One, me and Will bonded in a way only two people facing death can, and no we didn't fuck, so get that shit outta your head. There was a lot of cryin' and forgivin' each other for past mistakes and all that kinda stuff. The second thing was that I had sand in places I didn't even know existed. Buffy joined us later, (she had been on a mission in England when the call came in), and she practically died of heatstroke. You don't know hot until you've been out in that desert. When I complain about the cold I just think of that place and somehow I feel better. I grew to love it. Maybe we'll honeymoon there, but I don't think Buffy would go for that. She wants to go to someplace tropical. I should suggest the Sahara.

Anyway, for helpin' ‘em they gave Will some really awesome power boosts and spells and they gave me some mind control stuff so no one can get inside my head without me wantin' ‘em to. Too bad I didn't think to ask ‘em to do somethin' about the fact that my face gives everything away anyway. Oh well, next time.

Kennedy hasn't answered me. She's still tryin' to gauge what's about to happen here.

I look at her like I'm expectin' an answer, now.

"The croissants with raspberry jam are good. W-Will likes their panini with portabello mushrooms and mozzarella."

"Sounds good." I go back to scannin' the menu.

The waitress comes up and introduces herself as Kelly, Ken orders a coffee and the croissants.

"Café Americano and the apple strudel. Also, I'm gonna need a portabello and mozzarella panini to go later, can you arrange that?"

"Yep, I'll be back with your drink order shortly." She collects our menus.

"Thanks, Kelly." I give her a wink and she blushes. I can spot someone who digs me a mile off. Too bad for her though, there's only one honey for me.

"Flirting? Does Buffy approve?" Ken gets all righteous and smug.

The look on my face shuts her up and she goes back to lookin' nervous.

"Funny thing about flirtin'. I could flirt with anyone I feel like, that waitress, or that old lady or her old man over there, doesn't mean I'm gonna cheat on Buffy with ‘em. But you probably wouldn't know how that works." I take a sip of my water and look deep into her eyes. "Would you?"

"Oh, the "rogue" slayer's giving me pointers on how to act? I thought you'd sleep with anything."

She's got nothin' and she knows it, that shit she just said was weaker than Andrew.

I put down my menu and lean in a little, claspin' my hands together as I smirk at her, "Are you done? Any more witty shit you got to say?"

"No" She mutters and looks away.

"Good."

Kelly comes back with our drinks and I lean back in my chair, waitin' for her to leave before gettin' into it with Ken. She says they're gonna need about 10 minutes to make the panini so we should let her know before we're ready to go so they can have it ready when we leave. I thank her and she looks like she's waitin' for something, then shakes her head a little and gives a blush. Poor girl, she wants to say something, I can tell, but she decides just to tell us she'll be back in a few with the food, and then leaves.

"So, what's up with you and Danielle?"

Kennedy noticeably flinches and looks anywhere but at me. Seems she's havin' a hard time keepin' eye contact. She picks up her coffee and holds onto it like it's gonna help her.

"Look, Ken, I'm not your mother, I'm not your girl, hell I'm not even really your friend anymore." She looks a little upset at that last one. Nice to see she has a bit of a heart. What can I say? We were friends at one point, then she went off with Will and when she came back she was a mega bitch. Now, I find this shit out and I'm done with her.

"So, what's the point of this?" She points to the table.

"I wanted to find out why Buffy, why now?"

Ken looks like she's really strugglin' with something internally. She wants to say something but if she does she might get her ass kicked.

"I don't know."

"Not good enough. See, I kinda need an answer. Things are goin' too good right now for shit to get in the way of that."

"I don't know what to tell you, Faith. I mean, why did you fall in love with Buffy?"

Fuck, she admitted it. I thought she was goin' to deny it, I needed her to.

"I've been in love with Buffy even before I knew who she was."

Ken snorts disbelievingly at that. "Oh, really? How's that work?"

"Firstly, you keep up your smarmy looks and I'm gonna rearrange your fuckin' face," I say sweetly. " Secondly, I don't think you deserve to know, but I'll tell ya anyway since you and I are through." She gets a questioning look on her face. "Yeah, ya fucked up and now I gotta cut ya off." I use a line from Goodfellas, I love that movie. "Anyway, it's like this, Buffy's always been a part of me, even when I didn't know it." Ken frowns tryin' to figure out what that means. "Yeah, I used to fuck around with a lot of people but that was because I was lookin' for someone, something to make me whole. None of the people I was with made me feel that way. When I first saw Buffy outside the Bronze I knew I had found what I was lookin' for. She completes me."

"Oh that's so, ‘Jerry Maguire'." Fuckin' bitch still hangs onto the bratty attitude.

"Make fun of it all you want, we were destined to be together."

Our waitress arrives with our food.

"Thanks a million, Kelly." She nods and looks expectant. "I think we're due for some more refills. Huh, Ken?"

"What?" Kennedy comes out of her black cloud trance.

"More coffee?"

"Oh, uh, yeah."

"Ms. Manners says, ‘Thanks', Kelly." She chuckles and I smile. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Another lingering smile and she's gone again.

"Well, looks like you're the winner, Faith. You're Buffy's soulmate. I'm just the slug who happened to fall in love with her."

"Yeah, well, been there done that. Sucks for you though ‘cause I eventually ended up with her and you're not gonna. I'm real sorry about that, too." A more sarcastic sentence, there has never been.

"You sound so sorry." She gives it right back.

I wiggle my eyebrows.

For a while we're silent, Ken chokes down some of her croissant like it was made of glass and I inhale my strudel, this shit is the bomb! I look at Ken and silently ask for her other croissant, she nods. I put some of the butter and jam on it.

Damn, that's good too! I inhale that and lean back with a smile on my face and sip my coffee. Whew, I really should eat before I go out, but I guess I wasn't thinkin' of anything but ‘Kill Kennedy' when I got up this mornin'.

"So, you were saying. You're in love with Buffy, you still love Will, but you don't know."

She huffs.

"Look Faith, this is really hard. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"Oh, so fuckin' someone who looks exactly like my girlfriend was an accident?"

"No, yeah," She huffs again. "I don't know." She looks defeated. I think I'm not the only one who has a ‘sharin'' problem.

"Wow, Ken." Kelly stops by and refills our coffee. She tries to catch my gaze, but I'm still tryin' to bore a hole through Kennedy's skull with my eyes. At the last second I remember my manners and thank her again. She smiles that soft smile that says so much. Shit, she really digs me. I'll have to let her down gently.

"Kelly, can you have them make that panini now? I'd appreciate it." Well, who said I was good at lettin' honey's down? Not since I've been tamed by Buffy anyway.

"Sure, anything else?"

"No that's all, thanks."

Another shy smile and she's gone again.

"Doesn't she look like Buffy but with..." Ken trails off and looks at me nervously.

Oh fuck, she's got it bad, and I'm about two seconds from losin' it. I practice my calmin' techniques, I haven't needed them this bad in a while.

"Ok, here's what's gonna happen. I'm gonna forget you said that and try to help you out here."

"How?"

"By not smashin' your face in for one, for two, lettin' ya know we won't be seein' ya much anymore, hopefully that'll help with the pinin' for Buffy."

She has the balls to look like I just told her that her dog died.

"I'm pretty sure I speak for Buffy when I say that neither of us will be patrollin' with ya, and we won't be hangin' with ya either. Now, if we're all invited to the same place, well we won't interfere with that, but we're not gonna be all pal-y and chum-like."

"Buffy didn't send you here?"

"No, she told me not to try to talk with ya, she was afraid I was gonna beat ya down."

Kennedy gets a small smile on her lips and a hopeful look in her eyes. God, why did I promise Buffy I wouldn't touch her? One fuckin' smack to the mouth would get that smile right off.

"That's not because she doesn't want you hurt, numbnuts. It's because she doesn't want me gettin' in trouble."

The smile on her lips dies in a second. Well, guess I didn't need my fist after all.

"You need help, Ken. Sorry, but ya do."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you're plottin' and schemin' in that spoiled brat head of yours how you can play relationship spoiler and you're wastin' your time and energy."

"I'm not trying to break you guys up!"

"That's good, ‘cause ya don't have that kinda power. But I'm not givin' ya any chances. So, that's it, when we leave here we go back to forgettin' each other existed."

"Will's gonna be upset."

"No, I don't really think she will be. I think she'll understand perfectly. And that's another thing, if I hear you hurt Will any more than you already have, then I don't fuckin' care about any promise I made, I'm comin' to kick your fuckin' ass. Got it?"

She nods and a few more minutes of silence pass between us.

"So this is it, huh?"

"Yep, the end of a not really beautiful friendship."

"I'm sorry, Faith." She says quietly.

"Well, whatta ya gonna do, right? What's done is done. You're gonna have to decide what you want. Unfortunately for you, that's not gonna include Buffy. So you need to do what's right."

"What's that?"

"You have to figure that out for yourself, but you probably should talk to someone about it."

She nods.

"Here's your panini." Kelly smiles again. She leaves the bill and brushes my hand a little as she hands it to me. She blushes and looks away. "Uhh, I hope to see you again sometime."

"Thanks for everything."

I give her enough for the bill and a generous tip.

"Th-thanks!"

I nod and get up. "Well, Ken. I guess I'll get goin'. Take care."

"You too..." She wants to say more, but she really doesn't know what. I wouldn't either. I'm just glad I let her know what was on my mind. I can't make her stop her feelin's but at least she knows that I won't stand by and let her try to get close to B.

As I'm walkin' down the street I hear Ken yell for me to wait up.

"You forgot your panini."

"Nah, that's for Will. I thought maybe you'd like to do somethin' nice for her for a change. And this is just the start of it, she deserves so much more."

"Oh," Another hurt look, she feels like she can't do anything right, I know that feelin'. "I promise, I-I'll..."

I hold up a hand stoppin' her from what she was goin' to say, "Save your speech and just fuckin' do it, ok?"

"Ok," She looks thoughtful. "Thanks for not smashing me in the face."

I give her a smile, "You're welcome." I feel bad for her, just a little. "Word of advice, K." She looks at me expectantly. "There's no substitute for Buffy, so there's no use in tryin' to find someone who looks just like her. And if you don't love Red, tell her and let her find someone who'll treat her right. Don't let this shit drag on for years, it only hurts worse as it goes. Oh, and don't forget the part about me kickin' your ass, ‘cause I sure as shit won't forget it."

She nods and thanks me again.

I feel like skippin' down the street. I was able to curb my urge to punch her in the face, Buffy will be so proud. I step up to the curb and hail a cab.

I'm gonna go see my baby!

"Hi, baby! Where are you?"

"I'm headin' home, sweets. You still at Giles'?"

"Yeah, I'm getting ready to head out. What's for dinner?"

"I dunno yet. I'll figure somethin' out. Any requests?"

"Hmmm, I don't know. I guess I'm in the mood for something meaty."

"Oh yeah?" I put the seductress voice on.

"Yeah," She laughs.

"Well, I guess I'll have to think of somethin' so you get your dose of meat."

"That's sounding kinda icky." I can almost see her shudder.

"I know, I'm tryin' to be all sexy and suggestive and it's not workin'"

"Well, I'm sure you'll think of something better by the time I see you."

"Doubt it, but we'll see."

"Ok, sweetheart. I'm gonna go say goodbye to Giles and then I'll be heading home. I wish you were here so we could snuggle on the train, but..." She sighs.

"Yeah sorry, I had some stuff to take care of. Hurry home, B."

"I will. Love you."

"Love you too. Bye."

"Bye."

Ten minutes later Buffy comes out and squeals when she sees me leanin' up against the buildin' waitin' on her.

"I lied." I smirk as she jumps into my arms.

"I see that. I might have to punish you later for that." Fuck, I just got a twinge in my pussy. She smiles and winks at me pullin' my face to hers. We kiss deeply. "Oh, wow, Faith. I've been waiting to do that all day." She practically sighs out as we break our kiss. She leans her forehead on mine.

"I know, I don't like this whole not seein' each other for hours thing."

"I know exactly what you mean." She captures my lips in another heated kiss.

After we break our kiss this time, she gets a puzzled look on her face.

"Why didn't you come inside? We could've done that sooner!" She's really such a spoiled girl.

"I wanted to surprise you. ‘Sides, how sexy did I look standin' there waitin'?"

She blushes and I have my answer. She pulls me to her and we kiss again.

"Ready for your injection of meat?" I say when we break for air.

"That's what you came up with?!" She swats my arm.

"Hey, I didn't have much time to think about it."

"Are we going home to eat?"

"Nah, I'd thought I'd take ya out. I feel like spoilin' ya little."

"I hope you get that feeling a lot."

"You know I do, ya brat."

We're snugglin' in the cab as we're makin' our way downtown. Normally we'd take the subway, but we wanted to be all warm and cozied up with each other in close quarters. Plus I wanted to feel her up and she gets all shy in public.

"So what did you do today?"

"I went to see Ken."

I feel her instantly tense up.

"And?"

"Don't worry, she still has a face."

"What did she say?"

I decide to just go for it.

"She admitted to me she loves ya."

Buffy doesn't say anything, but her breathin' tells me everything. She's upset for Willow.

"And what did you say?"

"I said that she needs some help and that if she doesn't love Will she should tell her so Will could find someone who does. Also, that if she hurt her anymore, she would be gettin' a visit from me."

"Good advice." B relaxes back into me. "Did she say anything else?"

"Not really much of anything, except she was sorry and she didn't know."

"Didn't know what?"

"What she was gonna do next. I know one thing though, we won't be seein' her around."

B stiffens again and I chuckle.

"Don't worry, baby. I said I didn't do nothin' to her." I pull her back into me and she relaxes again. I breathe in her shampoo. Fuck, that shit just calms me. Unless it's makin' me horny but right now I'm drawin' calmness, well maybe a little bit of horny, too. What am I dead?

"I know, but..."

"But you thought I was gonna beat the livin' shit out of her?"

"Yeah, kinda. I know I would have."

"She's fucked up, I don't want to add injury to insult."

Buffy laughs.

"But really, I just told her that we couldn't be friends anymore and that we wouldn't be hangin' out."

"How did she take it?"

"She seemed upset. I don't know exactly where her heads at, but I kinda do."

"Explain."

"Well, when I would see you with all those other guys..."

"Not, all. Two."

"What was Spike?"

She turns and looks at me confused for a second and then a light bulb goes off.

"Oh, shit, I forgot about Riley!"

That fuckin' cracks me up. God I love this woman!

"Anyway, you were saying?" She turns back around and settles into me again.

She's gettin' a little annoyed that I'm laughin', she thinks I think she's stupid. But no, I just think she's fuckin' adorable.

"Oh, so yeah. When I would see you with your men,"

"And woman," Buffy adds helpfully.

"Oh yeah, how could I forget Sashimi?" I smile. I didn't forget, I just wanted to make that joke.

Buffy slaps my thigh. Good at least it wasn't my arm. I have a permanent fuckin' bruise there.

"So, you were saying, Miss Smartass?" I can tell she's smilin'.

"I would be pinin' away when I'd see you with your other flings, but somehow I knew not only were we meant to be together, but we would be together. So in a way, I know what Ken feels, but then again, I don't because I've got you and vice versa, and I knew that would happen all along."

'Cept when I wanted to jump from that buildin' that time in Scotland, but let's just forget about that one, huh? Buffy doesn't know about that and Xander said he'd never tell.

"Really?"

"Yeah, like I knew one day we'd get over our history and realize we were meant for each other."

"I'm glad you saw that. I thought I was going to have to clonk you on the head and drag you off somewhere to get that to happen."

That makes me smile. She's such a man-handler, my sweety.

"Me Buffy, you Faith." I grunt.

She snorts.

"Love! Love! LOVE!!!" I don't have much to expand on for that joke, but what I do got, I got with a Tarzan accent.

We're still laughin' and jokin' when the cab pulls up to the restaurant. Before we break apart to get out, I pull her to face me.

"Love." I say softer and look into her eyes.

We kiss sweetly before steppin' out into the cold.

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