Part 5

Buffy rose dazed and confused from her slumber. At first she couldn't remember where exactly she was, but the roaring of the ocean soon reminded her. She was in LA. City of Angels. Maybe home.

All outside was darkness and she soon discovered that what she had thought would be a short nap, had somehow turned into a few hours deep sleep. She didn't mind, she had obviously needed it, and what with the time difference, and the jet lag, she had probably been sleeping when her body was most expecting it.

After she had made some calls to Dawn and to Giles to assure them of her safe arrival she turned her thoughts to food. She was starving. The crap on the plane had been laughable, and her tummy was growling in ways only fit for the most nasty of demons. She would've been embarrassed if there had been someone there to hear it, but there wasn't. So she wasn't. She just patted her stomach and assured it in placating tones that soon she would give it a whole lot of what it desired.

Searching the kitchen though didn't bring much joy. There was a few token bits of food stuff, but nothing that could satisfy the need she had right now. There was of course some low fat yoghurt, and Buffy wasn't entirely sure that this wasn't some form of cheeky joke from Angel. She turned up her nose and decided she would have to leave the house and find something wholly more substantial.

Freshening up and grabbing her keys, she made her way to the front door. There was still no sign of a vehicle in her new neighbours drive, and that led Buffy to wonder again that maybe she was a slayer, out performing her nightly duties. For a second she was envious... jealous of the action she wasn't a part of, but then she remembered... VACATION!!! And that made her feel a whole heap better. She could always call on Angel to provide her with action if she needed it.

Plus there was Faith. Buffy knew for sure that at some point she would be searching out her previous partner in crime, and that had to mean that they would slay together again. She allowed herself a smile at that, maybe more then a smile, a full wattage grin. Some things just couldn't be forgotten or replaced, and the feeling of slaying with Faith was one of those things.

She pulled out of her parking space and headed on out to the road, and although she WAS concentrating on the flow of traffic and the road signs by the way, her mind couldn't help but travel back to the times gone. Feelings gone. The absolute unmatched joy of being at one with Faith.

It was an unrivalled emotion. Knowing that the power you held so firm in your grasp was matched totally by the one beside you. That your thoughts, your feelings, your very mind was in total harmony with the other. Not like flip sides to a coin, but the SAME side to a coin. It had freaked her a little at first... it was Faith after all. Uncontrollable, unrestrained power. The kind that scorched you if you got too close. She knew. She had been scorched. Although it wasn't her that had the scars to prove it.

But now it didn't freak her. Hadn't freaked her the last time they were together. The words that Faith had spoken to her, about understanding, the loneliness, those words had given her a strange feeling of..? She wasn't sure. Maybe hope. Hope for something un-named.

She believed that Faith truly was her equal now. Not just in power held, but also in feelings felt. And she liked that. She looked forward to it. All she had to do now was work up the courage to seek her out. To renew the ties, renew the bond. Renew the feelings.

As she mindlessly pulled into the lot of a typical kind of highway restaurant she promised herself that tomorrow, as soon as could be, she would speak to Angel about speaking to Faith. He was after all Faith's friend, and he would know best whether she wanted to hear from Buffy in the same way Buffy needed to hear from her. She hoped so.

Little did she know that she would be face to face with Faith a whole lot sooner then she expected. And it would be a meeting that went with a bang.

Faith waited at the counter for the waitress to deliver her take out ribs. She had been ready to sit in and eat, but the looks she had received, the turned up noses, she just couldn't be bothered. She knew she stank. No need to inflict that on the public at large. Although if she thought about it she would maybe consider that the stench and slime had been gained whilst protecting these very people with the snooty noses. She didn't really care. She wanted a shower badly. Getting home sooner rather then later was no real hardship.

The waitress approached her with the boxes held at arms length. There was enough food here to feed way more then the five thousand, and the woman had to wonder to herself who on earth was going to keep this rather unkempt and disgustingly smelly girl company whilst she ate.

"Is that everything?"

"I don't know... err, maybe throw in a couple of slices of pie? I love the pie."

"Two slices?"

Faith looked at the display of deserts on show, they all looked mouth watering, and maybe she could manage more then a couple of slices?

"Okay, throw in the whole thing. The cherry one... and a slice of that chocolate thing, wait... two slices."

She cast an amused glance at the waitress who was stood with her mouth hanging open.

"What can I say..? I have a big appetite."

The waitress rang up the purchases and held her hand out for money. When she saw the slime that encased the cash though she looked a bit unsure about whether to take it.

"Hey lady, it's all that I got, if ya wanna give me this for free, I'm not gonna complain..?"

"No, no, that's fine... although, if you don't mind me asking, what IS that stuff?"

Faith wondered whether to tell her. 'Well at the moment it's some unclassified slime from some unclassified demon.' But she thought better of it. She was already getting strange looks. No need to get committed too.

"Over active sweat gland?"

The waitress just gingerly took the money and offered a sympathetic gaze.

"You should see someone for that."

"Don't I know it lady, but medical insurance, who's got the cash?"

With that she took her food and headed to her car. It hurt her to get in the car with the slime, but what was she to do? The car had been a birthday gift last year from Angel and Wes. It was a beautiful red and chrome AC Cobra. It purred. It sang. Hell, it made her cream. She'd put some makeshift plastic style covering over the seat and hoped for the best. If the car stank tomorrow though, then Angel was sure as hell gonna know about it. She LOVED her car!

She gunned the engine and listened to the familiar sounds as it kicked into life. Felt the throb as the car roared all around her. She checked her mirrors and reversed from her space, swung the nose round and went to leave the lot.

That's when it happened. She felt it before she heard it. And she was screaming even before the metal finished meshing together. Someone had hit her car. Some absolute fucking moron had hit HER car. Some person who was very soon gonna be getting acquainted with the nasty side of her rage. Not much could make her lose it nowadays, but this..? This was akin to killing her first born. It was her car for gods sake!

She was up and out of her seat and cursing all around her in seconds. She didn't care who the fuck was driving the other vehicle... and look at the thing! A fucking jeep! Probably a tourist, maybe a Brit, some mindless twerp that didn't know which side of the road to drive on.

Faith stalked menacingly up to the drivers side door of the little jeep, she was gonna unload and she was gonna unload good. This person was gonna regret the day they messed with her prized Cobra. Hell yeah!

"For FUCKS sake, do you have fucking eyes? Do you have a fucking drivers license? Cos that there..? That was fucking bullshit dude, fucking bullshit!"

The driver of the other car looked up as the words were thrown at her. She had been lost in her thoughts, lost in Faith... and now, hearing the familiar Boston tones, she couldn't believe it. Could it really be..?

"Faith..?"

Buffy spoke the word as her eyes travelled the distance to the ball of rage in front of her. It was Faith. It was the Faith from her nightmares. The one who could turn your insides to jelly for fear of what she was about to do.

It took a second longer for Faith to gain recognition. She was too busy pulling on the drivers door, intent to make the other person understand just how exactly pissed off she was.

"Buffy..? B..? I should have fucking known it, this is JUST great! Why the fuck people insist on still letting you in a car is beyond me. And a jeep..? What kind of bullshit is THAT? A prissy fucking car for a priss, is that it?"

Buffy was stunned into silence. This certainly was not the way she had hoped to be reintroduced to her fellow slayer. And for gods sake... it was a car! Just a car!

"I mean I saw the flower pot earlier, and I figured you still couldn't drive for shit, but this..? This is beyond a joke. Nothing like funny!"

All the excitement that Faith had felt about seeing Buffy again was lost in the moment. All she felt was pissed off. Angry. Enraged.

"The flowerpot? How do you know about the flowerpot? And THAT so wasn't my fault... it's the mirrors or something, they're faulty. Or the steering. MY driving is fine... maybe it was YOUR driving to blame here, huh?"

"My driving? You are joking yeah? I swear Buffy, you better tell me you're joking, cos if you're not, I am gonna be SO pissed."

"As opposed to the calm nature you're displaying now?"

Faith shook her head. This was all wrong. Buffy was joking with her? She had hit her car and she was making jokes?

Taking a deep breath to compose herself, Faith released her death grip on the door in front of her and took a step back.

"I AM CALM! Now back the hell up so I can see what the fuck you have done to my car... or maybe you need me to back up for you..? Maybe point out where the hell reverse is?"

"Oh for crying out loud! It's a car, Faith, I'll pay for the damage, ok? Just chill the hell out... AND I'm perfectly capable of reversing. I'm perfectly capable of driving full stop."

"As the flowerpot will surely testify."

Buffy waited for Faith to step back and duly reversed the jeep back off the front bumper of the little car in front. She did have to admit to herself... it was a beautiful car. Something she herself would be proud to drive.

She then got out of her own jeep and walked to the front to look at the damage done. In her opinion it wasn't much. A scratch. A really deep scratch. With dents. A little bit of paint transference. Nothing really.

"Is it bad?"

Faith was just shaking her head. She looked close to tears. Buffy wasn't sure, but maybe there WAS tears.

"Are you crying?"

"No I am not fucking crying. You're lucky it's you or you would be crying!"

"Is that a threat?"

"Oh shut up! Just shut the hell up!"

Faith looked again at the damage done. She felt it. Somewhere deep inside she felt it.

"Sorry."

"You're sorry?"

"That's what I said isn't it?"

"Forget it. Just... hell I don't know, just don't get in a car near me again, ok?"

She leant forward and ran her hand the length of her damaged bumper.

"I can't believe you hurt my car."

"I don't think cars have feelings, Faith. They're inanimate. Like flowerpots, which I still don't know how you know about, but yes. Inanimate. No feelings."

Faith huffed her way back to her own car, jumped in the drivers seat. Pretty soon Buffy would know how she knew about the flowerpot, and she wasn't so sure that they would be such happy neighbours now.

As she turned the key in the ignition and again felt the familiar purr, she saw rather then heard Buffy mouthing her name. She cut the gas and raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"What is it now?"

"I uh... just well... you kinda stink, did you know that?"

Faith had no answer. None that she thought Buffy would want to hear anyway. As she floored the pedal and brought her baby to life she mouthed silently to her former partner and flipped her the finger. Then she was gone. Buffy had caught the words, it wasn't a 'great to see you', no. It was a rather pleasant 'fuck you Blondie', but she had also caught the softening smile, the hint of a wink. This was going to be fun. She could tell.

A whole heap of fun.

Part 6

Buffy stayed at the restaurant just long enough to eat her dinner. She didn't take her time. Didn't savour the flavour of the food. There would have been no point. She couldn't think about food any more, her head was full of her meeting with Faith. Over and over again she replayed the events, the curses, the rage filled glances, the absolute venom which had filled Faith's tones. But more then that, the thing which she was seeing on repeat, the thing that had filled her senses was the smile. The one Faith had thrown at her whilst driving away. Admittedly it had been kept company by the finger and the mouthed comment, but it was still special, it still made her smile in response.

Whenever she had thought about Faith over the last couple of years, her smile had always been something which Buffy's mind had settled on. It was so full of promise, like she had a thousand secrets she was just dying to show you. It made the deep brown of her eyes just shine with life. Even when Buffy remembered the times when Faith had been 'Evil Faith', she still had visions of her smile, it's sadistic nature not always able to cover the beauty underneath.

She was glad for the smile now, it reassured her that tonight's incident wasn't going to taint any future get together the two girls would inevitably have. Buffy would hate to go back to the tempestuous relationship they had shared in the past. It was too exhausting. Took too much energy, and with nothing but pain as a reward. No. This time her and Faith would be close, the way they always should have been. Because she, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, would make it so!

At least she really hoped so.

As she drove home she paid extra particular attention to the roads, she was no way convinced that the fender bender of earlier had been entirely her fault, but there was no need to get into anymore little mishaps. All the way home she followed the speed limits, kept correct distances between herself and the cars in front... she was a model driver. And then she pulled into the little private road where her own house for the time being was situated. Next, so distracted by the familiar little red car with slightly damaged bumper sitting in the parking space next door, she managed to hit the dustbin which sat alongside her own drive.

Buffy couldn't believe it. Three accidents in one day..? It almost beat her record! More then that she couldn't believe that there was exactly the same two cars in LA with exactly the same damage on the front right hand bumper. She didn't believe in coincidences. It had to be Faith's. And what did that mean..?

Maybe Faith was friends with the girl that lived there..? It lent weight to her theory that the girl next door was a slayer, because Faith would surely be her friend, and would maybe pop over to say 'hi', and 'hello'. Maybe to have dinner... at past midnight.

Surely Faith didn't live there herself..? Angel would have said something. Would have warned her. Checked that it was ok.

Buffy didn't have long to wait to ask the girl herself. At that moment the front door opened, and there was Faith. Dressed in shorts and a bikini top, she was stood there with at first a puzzled frown adorning her features... then disbelief, and finally a smile, a smirk and a laugh!

"You TRYING to get my attention?"

Buffy eyes wandered over the vision in front of her. The teeny tiny shorts. The teenier tinier bikini top. She thought that maybe that comment should have been spoken by her... cos Faith surely HAD her attention.

"Earth to Buffy... come in Buffy?"

"Huh?... OH! Right... no I wasn't, I just..."

She gestured to the dustbin lying on its side, as if maybe THAT had been the responsible party in the latest of little driving mishaps.

"...I wasn't looking. I saw your car and I guess... well, the bin was just left there."

"You sure it didn't jump out at you?"

"Of course it didn't, Faith. It's a bin. And I guess you know that and I guess you were just making fun of me, right?"

"Right."

Buffy considered her next actions. She could either try and negotiate herself into her parking space and suffer abject humiliation if she hit another flowerpot. Or she could abandon the car halfway on the sidewalk. It was a private road. What the heck..? She unfastened her seat belt, and exited the jeep. And there she was, face to face with a smiling Faith.

For a second or two no words were spoken. They just stood there, studying each other. Neither one knowing the thoughts of the other, but at the moment just happy to be lost in their own musings. It was Buffy that finally broke the standoff.

"So you live here, right?"

"Is that a problem?"

"Do you stay up all night playing loud music and generally upsetting the tranquil nature of the neighbourhood?"

"Not last time I checked... and this IS the neighbourhood. No one else for miles. Or a block or two. But it feels like miles."

"Don't ya get lonely?"

"Yeah. I just spend my nights craving human contact... someone to talk to, a friendly ear to bend."

Faith certainly did not. She had Angel and the gang when she wanted company, at other times she craved the silence. She wasn't always a people person. It didn't bother her.

"You're still the same I see."

"Hot as hell?"

"Full of shit."

"Aw thanks B, coming from you that's almost a compliment."

"It was meant to be."

Again they sized each other up. Faith couldn't help but look, Buffy was still beautiful, her hair slightly blonder then the last time she saw her... her body still looked firm and trim as she knew it would do. And again she felt the ache. The ache that being with Buffy always brought. The ache that would only ever go if she could one day hold the girl in her arms. Could whisper in her ear all the promises she wanted to make to her. But she couldn't, so she got used to the feeling. Accepted it in the same way she accepted most things in life.

As for what Buffy was feeling..? It was almost the same. Seeing Faith bought to her an ache, a need. Maybe a longing. She was fighting to stop her legs from carrying her forward, from delivering her right up close and personal to the girl in front of her. Her hands wanted to raise. They wanted to travel the distance that was keeping them from the other and touch. Just a caress. Just a reaffirmation that this was indeed Faith in front of her. The Faith from her dreams. But she couldn't do that. She wasn't at all sure what Faith's reaction would be if she sloped up the garden path and started caressing her. It didn't bear thinking about, so instead she asked a question.

"Why are you wearing nothing?"

Faith looked down at her shorts and bikini top. It didn't look like nothing.

"Hate to break it to ya, B, but these are clothes I'm wearing... if you wanted, I could do naked, never been afraid of some skin action, but hell... ya just got back, you sure you're ready for nakedness?"

"I meant NEXT to nothing. Not 'nothing' nothing. Not NAKED nothing."

Faith laughed at Buffy's flustered answer. It had always been fun winding the girl up. And so SO easy.

"I know what ya meant. And I just got done showering, we had a fucked up run in with some sewer dwelling slime thing tonight... I was getting ready to turn in, heard the noise outside, figured you were here..."

"Came to welcome me... make fun of my driving?"

"It's hard not to."

Buffy just offered a pointed look which warned Faith not to comment further.

"So the slime thing, is that why you stank?"

"That or an over active sweat gland... depends who you ask."

"Anything I can help with?"

"The sweat gland?"

"The slime thing, dork."

"Don't know yet. Angel's got a team working on it, Fred says it's nothing we've seen before, so it could be exciting... you sure you want in? It could ruin the whole meaning of vacation."

Buffy thought for a moment... did she wanna get involved? Damn right she did. She wanted to hunt and slay and find some action. But more importantly, she wanted to do it with Faith.

"No rest for the wicked! And anyway... this might be more then a vacation. I haven't decided yet. I need somewhere to put down roots, you know? Someone that feels like home."

"Someone?"

"SOMEWHERE! I meant 'somewhere'. And on that note I've gotta go, been great chatting... maybe we can catch up tomorrow, if you want to, I'm not saying you have to, but uh... it'll be nice. Catching up."

"Sure, B. Tomorrow."

With that Buffy made her way to her own front door, careful to avoid the trashcan upturned on the sidewalk. She couldn't resist one look back though, and what she saw was Faith staring right back at her. It made her smile, raise her hand to wiggle a wave goodnight. It also sent a million tingles shooting throughout her body.

Faith watched as Buffy went inside. It had certainly been fun meeting up with her again. And painful... the car would bear witness to THAT! Also kinda confusing. She had seen Buffy looking at her. Had FELT Buffy looking at her. And all the while Angels words were ringing in her head... 'Its Buffy that's come searching for something. Maybe you're that something.' Faith had also heard Buffy's own spoken words, her own slip of the tongue... 'Someone that feels like home.'

She didn't know what it all meant. Was terrified to even think about being in love with Buffy again... but if there was a chance, if she could be Buffy's 'something she was looking for', if she could be that 'someone who felt like home'... then she was damn sure gonna do everything she could to make it happen. She owed it to herself and she owed it to Buffy.

With one last gaze at the neighbouring house, and a last chuckle as she observed the abandoned jeep, she made her way back inside. She did turn in to bed. And she did fall into sleep. And as it was for Buffy, all her dreams were of the other slayer.

Part 7

The next day arrived full of sunshine and blue skies. This was nothing that much different if you lived here all year round, but for Buffy it was a treat. She had of course been living in England for the last few months, and over there it was all grey skies and cloudyness. Rainfall, and then more rainfall. Possibly followed by a rainstorm or two.

The sunshine was putting an extra special spring in her step. Something that had been missing since she had left America for pastures new. Buffy felt it and acknowledged it. Not for what it truly was... excitement at seeing Faith again... but as some kind of confirmation that coming home was right. She had made the right decision.

After she had retrieved the jeep from it's haphazard parking space and collected some groceries from the store, she made herself breakfast and then went to bathe in the sun on her back porch until Faith made some kind of appearance. Buffy hoped it wouldn't be too long, already she was counting the minutes since their last meeting... had grown tired of going over and over the same words again and again in her head. She needed new material. Something else to analyse. At one point, as the sun beat down on her head, she had almost started to analyse her feelings for Faith. But she shook away her musings as sunstroke and went inside to fetch a cold drink.

It wouldn't do to have feelings for Faith. Aside from the fact she was a girl... a very hot girl, a girl who excited her more then anyone else she had ever met, regardless of gender... she was also the biggest cause of hurt and confusion in her life. Possibly ever. And yes, Faith was different now, a new person almost, but maybe she could still hurt her, WOULD still hurt her? It was all too much to wonder upon. So she didn't. She instead decided to wait and see, to let time tell if things were like THAT between the two of them. She wasn't stupid... always. She knew that at a time before there had been something there more then friendship. A need to be with the other. Even in the throes of badness, she could recognise that the reason it all cut so deep was because she cared. She CARED about what Faith thought of her, and that made betrayal all the harder.

And now... years apart, she still cared.

Buffy looked longingly at the house across the way. Still no movement. Was it possible that Faith still slept..? At one in the afternoon. She wouldn't have thought so, she herself could never sleep that long... had way too much energy to lay in bed all day. But as for Faith... who knew?

She placed her tall ice filled glass of tea by her side and closed her eyes again. The waves were beating a hypnotic rhythm as they lapped against the shore, and it was easy for Buffy to tune right out. She allowed her mind to play again amongst her memories, finding the ones of her and Faith in happiest times. Before it went wrong. Before they both fucked up.

In the distance she was vaguely aware of a dog barking. It sounded as though it was coming closer and closer. And then she could almost smell wet fur, as if the dog had swam in the ocean and was now coming to tell her about it. She ignored it of course. And then it was on her porch... she could hear it's nails scrape along the surface, and the minute she opened her eyes and went to sit up, was the exact minute the dog knocked into her glass and upended a half pint of iced tea over her baking body.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

The scream would've woken the dead, if there had been any dead present.

Faith ran the distance to Buffy's porch to see what the hell was the matter. She had seen Scoobs make his way onto the porch, but thought nothing of it. She couldn't believe that Buffy was scared of dogs... of puppies?

What she saw on arrival brought nothing but laughter. Buffy covered in ice cubes and tea, desperately trying to stop Scoobs from licking the juice from her body.

"Is this YOUR beast, Faith? Can you call it off, cos I swear... one more second and this dog is gonna be a dead dog!"

"Whoa there girl... take it easy on the pup, he's just happy to meet you, I've told him ALL about ya, he's just excited."

"Well let him be excited all over you, I need to get up and clean the mess that the thing spilt all over me!"

Faith whistled and the puppy returned to her side. She gave it a look which may or may not have been scolding. Then she patted its head and offered it a quick tickle. Watching Buffy getting all wet and flustered was not a bad vision to return home to. She had to admit, she was kinda grateful to her four legged friend!

She hung out on Buffy's porch whilst she waited for the older girl to get herself cleaned up, and she couldn't help the slight frown which crossed her features as she returned almost fully dressed. Damn drink spilling dog!

"So... you hear from Angel yet? You know what the demon thing was?"

"Is that all you want me for, B... a little bit of demon action?"

The sun chose that exact moment to shine full on in Buffy's face, turning her skin an unnatural shade of red.

"You blushing?"

"NO! It's the sun. And no to the demon thing, I don't just want you for demon action, I want you for all sorts of action... like talking, and eating."

"You wanna eat me?"

"Faith!"

"Yes, baby?"

"Oh god... my head hurts."

"From the sun?"

"Can you just be quiet for two seconds..? Please?"

Faith was quiet. She didn't wanna push too far, too fast, but it was hard. This banter, joking with Buffy... it was the best times she had ever had, and it was far too easy and comforting to fall back into it. But she would try. For two seconds.

"What I MEANT was... I don't just want to go slaying with you, although I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to it a little bit, but apart from that... I wanna hang out with you. Catch up. Maybe get some lunch? Not the other thing, which I'm sure would also be all sorts of fun... but no. Lunch. Ok?"

"So you don't wanna eat me?"

"Do you ever give it up?"

"I'd give it up to you."

Buffy shook her head in defeat. It was always like this. Everything she said, no matter how innocuous, Faith had always found a way to make it suggestive. Sometimes yes, she maybe planted the thing because she enjoyed the banter... but even if she didn't, Faith still found a way.

"Can we just start with lunch?"

"Fine. But don't say I didn't offer. And I want dessert!"

"I don't have dessert... but I can do lunch."

"No worries, you can have some of my cherry pie."

"Will we ever have a conversation that isn't a sexual innuendo?"Faith raised her eyebrows in her patented way and travelled the distance back to her own house. There she picked up the leftover pie... innuendo indeed! It would be cool catching up with Buffy, and then this evening they could both go to Angels and see about the slime. Faith hated the slime. HATED. But at this moment, the thought of getting all messed up with Buffy..? It had her all kinds of hot and all kinds of excited!!