Chapter 11: Love Began Here
Her gaze tracked over to Satsu once more and Faith felt her control over her emotions slip a little. Her voice reflected her anger and disgust, "She's been fuckin' 'round on B for three months and waited 'til last week to tell her and now she wants to act like she's the one who got shafted."
"What?" Willow whispered, her eyes flicking from the older Slayer to Satsu and back.
"B's stayin' at Dawn's right now and this mornin', short-shit came over to give her the divorce papers," She continued, ignoring the redhead's question.
"Why is she staying—" The Wiccan began, only to be cut off.
"Forget it, Red. You wanna know more?" Faith shrugged at her expectant look. "Take it up with B. My ass is gonna be in enough trouble as it is."
"All right," Willow said reluctantly.
"Can I get outta here, now?"
"Sure, if you'll tell Buffy to call me," She said slowly.
"Whatever," Faith mumbled as she stepped around her.
"Are you heading back to my place?" Dawn's voice came from behind her.
She turned to find the younger brunette standing next to Kennedy on the stairs. She contemplated the question for a second. Do I go back there, knowin' B's gonna be pissed when I tell her what happened? She sighed.
Fuck. I just had to promise I'd be back as soon as I got done, didn't I? If I don't go back now, she's probably gonna get all upset.
"Yeah," She muttered and then rolled her eyes at the smirks she received from both the former Key and Kennedy.
"I'll probably be here a while," Dawn snickered and turned to go back upstairs.
"Bitch," Faith grumbled playfully.
"Uh-huh, that's me," She replied cheekily.
Buffy sat on the last step on the staircase with her forehead in one hand and the phone in the other. Her elbow was propped on a bent blue jean clad knee and the phone was dangling over her left knee, her wrist resting on her kneecap. She swallowed hard and sniffled. Damn it.
The day had been difficult enough as it was, but what she'd just learned had made it worse. Dawn had called to let her know that there had been a fight between Satsu and Faith and that Faith had spilled some of her situation to Willow in front of a few others. She hadn't expected to be able to keep it quiet for much longer, but it was her business to tell and she hadn't wanted everyone to know. Now it was just another part of the rumor mill.
The front door opened, letting in the afternoon sunlight around a very familiar figure. Faith closed the door and then paused, her gaze falling on Buffy. She noticed the phone and reluctantly brought her eyes up to the blonde's, her stomach dropping. It didn't take a genius to guess what had caused the anger and frustration being directed at her.
"Um, hey," She faltered, uncertain of what she should do.
"Faith," The older woman said tensely.
"Red wants ya to call her."
"So I heard," Buffy said dryly as she stood.
"Listen, B," She said slowly. "I know I shouldn't have said anything, but I didn't have a choice, aight? I mean, no way was Red lettin' me outta there without findin' out what was up after what Satsu said."
"You could've told her to t—talk to me," She said, her voice cracking. "It wasn't your place to say anything, Faith! And now, thanks to you, the people I have to work with every day know exactly what happened."
The brunette snorted scornfully. "Oh, would ya rather I let 'em think you're the one who fucked up your marriage?"
Buffy closed the distance between them and grabbed a fistful of Faith's shirt. She jerked her closer, bringing their faces just inches apart. She took a deep breath and resisted the urge to close her eyes as the familiar warm, spicy scent filled her. She swallowed hard and forced her thoughts back on track, angry with herself for the distraction.
"They wouldn't have known anything if you hadn't picked a fight with Satsu."
"She started it!" She objected, her voice rising. "She came in the door and got all up in my face, spoutin' some bullshit about everyone bein' able to smell you on me. Then she started the same old song and dance about us fuckin'."
"And that gave you the right to hit her?" Buffy asked sharply.
The younger Slayer jerked away from her and crossed her arms over her chest. She gave the blonde an incredulous look and shook her head.
"Don't tell me you're gonna try to take up for that bitch! Damn it, B! I wouldn't have had to say anything about it to Red if short-shit hadn't opened her fuckin' mouth."
Buffy took a deep steadying breath and rubbed a hand over her eyes. Then she dropped her hand and sighed.
"All right, I get that an explanation couldn't be avoided. And I'm not trying to defend Satsu, but I want to know why you hit her."
Faith clenched her jaw and swallowed hard, her eyes darting away from the hazel ones studying her. The explanations, 'because she had it coming', and 'because she just didn't like the bitch' were good enough for her, but she knew Buffy well enough to know that she wouldn't be satisfied with either one. Fuck. She sighed in exasperation.
"I snapped. The fuckin' bitch was runnin' her mouth and callin' you a whore, and I just couldn't take it, aight?" She snarled. "Is that a good enough reason for ya, princess?"
Without waiting for an answer, she turned and left. She slammed the door shut and paused on the front porch, contemplating her destination. I need to go somewhere quiet and clear my head 'fore I do somethin' stupider. She growled audibly and set off at a fast pace in a familiar direction.
She was taking up for me. The blonde almost giggled. It should have made her mad, but her anger had dissolved into a giddiness that made it impossible to think clearly.
She wasn't certain which was funnier, the younger woman's actions or the expression on her face when she was admitting to it. It had seemed as if it hurt just for Faith to say the words. Buffy bit her bottom lip. Actually, it was cute more than anything else.
Oh my God. She closed her eyes briefly and then turned her gaze up to the ceiling. What am I thinking? I'm nowhere near ready for those thoughts.
She shook her head and went to the den to return the phone to the base. Then she sat down on the couch and looked around the room. Her gaze fell on a line of picture frames on a shelf above the TV on the entertainment center. Drawn to the display, she stood and walked over to get a closer look.
The pictures were various combinations of the Scooby gang, plus a few of the other Slayers and some of Dawn's college buddies. One photo had the original Sunnydale group, including Cordelia and Oz, another had Dawn, Buffy and Joyce, and the rest were more recent ones. She smiled sadly and paused to gently trace her finger over the image of her mother with her arms around them. It was one of the few pictures they had left of Joyce since Sunnydale had been destroyed.
Mom would be completely amazed at the turn our lives have taken, She thought, not for the first time. She chuckled. She'd be proud, though.
Another photo caught her attention and she smirked. It was probably the only one of her, Dawn, Giles and Faith that existed. They were at a table in some restaurant she couldn't even remember the name of, her and Dawn on one side and Giles and Faith on the other. She recalled that Giles had forced Faith to switch seats when the younger Slayer had decided to move from verbally harassing Buffy to throwing food at her.
It hadn't stopped them from glaring at each other and exchanging insults, though. The photo had been taken just shortly after they'd started talking again, but it was before their silent decision to be friends had been made. Willow had said the photo was proof of something after she'd taken it, but she'd refused to explain what she meant. But now, looking at it, the blonde knew exactly what her best friend had meant.
The expressions on their faces were telling. Faith's eyes were dark, containing a faintly amused glint and a sexy little grin displayed her dimples. Something about the look just screamed "I know you want me" to Buffy. Her own half-smile and narrowed eyes caused her to blush as she realized just how transparent she had been.
She rubbed her cheek, the heat radiating from her skin causing her to chuckle. It's not like I didn't all ready know I think she's hot. I've even admitted it, indirectly, to her. But I think there's more to it than that.
But right now, She mused with sigh. Right now, I need a friend more than anything else. If I still feel the same when things settle down, maybe I can explore a little and see what comes of it then.
Faith leaned back against the boulder and picked up a handful of sand, letting the fine grains trickle between her fingers. She sighed and dropped the rest of the sand as she let her gaze lift to the ocean just a few feet away. The only sound to be heard was the surf and the voices coming from further down the beach. The natural rock alcove she was in not only kept her from view, but filtered out some of the Saturday afternoon crowd's noise as well.
This little section of the beach had been her safe haven since she'd discovered it several years back. She came here alone and never brought anyone with her since she wanted to keep it to herself. She'd discovered by accident that it had a soothing affect on her. The peacefulness seemed to be just what she needed to think, too.
She hadn't come here to think this time, though. No, she'd needed to get out of there and calm down before she blurted out something that didn't need verbalized. It didn't take much contemplation to discover the reason for her reaction to Satsu. She'd been down that road before and she knew the signs.
She was in love. She was mature enough to admit it, and accept it. She was also smart enough to realize there was nothing she could do about it. She couldn't run from it, but she couldn't try to act on it either.
Yeah, we'd be wicked hot and bring a whole new meanin' to the phrase "makin' sweet music together". A leer crossed her face briefly and then she shook her head. But B's hurtin' 'cause of that fuckin' bitch and she needs me to be there for her as a friend. I'll just let things happen as they come along, no need to rush.
Chapter 12: To Have and to Hold
A few minutes had passed with her sitting in silence, just listening to sound of the surf and reveling in the warmth of contentment curling in her chest. The decision to just be Buffy's friend was curiously satisfying. It took off a lot of pressure.
Besides, She mused, smirking. This way we won't end up killin' each other if we do get into a relationship. We'll get everything settled and talked out 'fore things get to that point. It'll give me time to deal with the way I'm feelin', too.
It's not that I don't like the thought of bein' in love. I'm just freaked at startin' anything with her 'cause she has more power to hurt me than anyone else. I know that from past experiences. The bond between us is both a blessin' and a curse sometimes.
She sighed, her expression shifting to one of annoyance. Enough of this shit, all ready. There'll be enough time for this later. I need to relax before I go back there.
B's probably gonna smack me for walkin' off like that, too, Faith winced. At least she didn't seem nearly as pissed by the time I left. Her eyebrows twitched slightly as she considered it. Come to think of it, she would've come after me if she was all that angry.
She shook her head and popped the knuckles of her left hand. Then she started to pop the other set and winced, finally taking notice of the abraded skin on her knuckles. She grimaced and flexed her hand. Fuck, forgot just how hard that bitch's jaw is.
Faith gently probed the tender skin, a soft hiss escaping as the pain increased. It was all ready starting to heal, but that didn't stop it from being painful. She was just relieved that it wasn't broken. She sighed and scraped a bit of dried blood off her hand with her nail.
If she was honest with herself, Buffy wasn't the only one upset by her fight with Satsu. She'd gotten better at controlling her anger in the past few years, but there were still moments when it was all too easy to slip back into the familiar patterns. Unfortunately, there were two people who had the ability to cause those incidents frequently; Satsu being the main one and Buffy being next in line.
She smirked. Who would've thought B would ever be second to anyone in the category of 'who pisses Faith off the most'? I used to live to piss her off, too. There's just somethin' so fuckin' thrillin' 'bout seein' little Miss Tightly Wound lettin' loose.
Her amusement faded. It wasn't so funny after that last time though. That was the first and only time I ever believed I could actually have killed her. Yeah, we used to be on opposite sides, but I didn't ever put any real effort into killin' her–I couldn't.
When I was workin' for the Mayor, the thought of bein' completely alone in this world scared me too much to follow through. I couldn't let anyone else know, so I put on a show. I let 'em think I could've done it. But I couldn't kill her even when my life depended on it in the end.
That last time we fought, though, I was so fucked up. I don't know who I was more pissed at; B, 'cause of what she'd said, or Genevieve for makin' more problems for us. Comin' that close to killin' B was the last straw. I think I was more tore up about what I'd done to her than the fact that I'd had to kill again when it was all over with.
Faith's eyes fluttered shut for a moment, the memory of that night making her chest tighten with grief. Her fists clenched tightly in the sand and she shuddered. The phantom memory of Buffy's struggles beneath her in the water made her feel sick.
Shaking her head roughly to clear away the memories, she stood abruptly. A brief glance around made her aware of just how late it was and she smirked. The sun had started to set, bringing nightfall with it. That meant she could patrol the cemetery a block away from the beach and probably catch a few vampires.
She chuckled. A good Slay is just what I fuckin' need right now. She set off at a jog, turning the corner of the alcove and startling a few beach goers as she passed.
Faith had seen plenty in her time as a Slayer. Slimy demons with control issues, vampires who were fashion disasters, horned demons with a thing for cows... But a vamp holdin' a picnic basket? What the fuck?
She paused behind a tree, pressin' up close to it as she peered into the open door of the crypt. He was waiting for the last rays of the sun to disappear. He seemed pretty anxious, too. She arched an eyebrow.
She'd all ready busted in on a few others, gleefully adding their dust and blood to the clutter on the floor of another mausoleum. Her heart was pounding from the adrenaline and her body throbbing with it. Her instincts were screaming for the satisfaction of a good hunt. She wouldn't be able to get that until nighttime.
For now, she'd just have to pacify her inner Slayer with this Goth-wannabe. She smirked and made her move, deciding it was way past time to end him. She moved with full Slayer speed, slamming into him and causing him to drop the basket as he grunted in surprise. He stumbled backwards, her weight bringing him down to the cement floor.
For a moment, there was no movement. Then he shook off his surprise, automatically trying to power out of the hold she had on him. They grappled, his hands grasping at her randomly as he attempted to roll them over. She ended his struggle with a right-cross and then a sound caught her attention briefly, making her look up.
He tried to use her distraction to his advantage and without missing a beat she grabbed his arm and twisted until she heard the bone in his forearm give with a sick snap. She concentrated and over his agonized moaning, she heard it again. It was a low, plaintive mewling, one she recognized from the alleys back in Boston. She snapped her head around and glared down at him.
"You sick son-of-a-bitch! You got kittens in here?"
He chuckled nervously. "Well, isn't it better if I drain kittens than humans, Slayer?"
"Nah, it'd be better if you were gone," She answered, pulling her stake and dusting him before he could react.
She stood, wiping her leather pants off as she glanced around. Her eyes found the basket in the open doorway and she winced. The cloth had fallen away, and four small, furry forms were now sprawled over the littered entryway. She approached warily and crouched down, her forehead wrinkling as she realized that none of them were moving.
"Shit," She muttered, feeling her chest tighten in reaction.
She hadn't ever cared much for animals, but seeing these creatures like this definitely had an effect on her. It was one she found that she didn't much care for. They were just defenseless babies, She thought with a sharp, ragged intake of air.
She swallowed hard and started to stand, only to freeze when something caught her attention from the corner of her eye. She glanced at the kitten farthest from her and a shaky, relieved laugh escaped. Grayish blue eyes were peering forlornly at her from a dark gray and cream colored face, the small form moving toward her tentatively.
That's gotta be the one I heard. She paused. Wait a sec... Faith turned her attention from the kitten for a brief moment, gently pressing her fingers to each of the others.
Faith was disappointed to find that none of the others were breathing. The kitten reached her and weakly nudged her hand with another sad cry. She looked down at it and her eyebrows furrowed. It bumped its' dark nose against her again and she sighed.
"What do you want, huh? I ain't got anything for ya."
It meowed again and she sighed in annoyance as she gently wrapped her hands around the trembling, furry body. She lifted it and cupped it in one hand, steadying it with the other as she brought it up close to her face. It tried to lick her nose and she glared.
"Hey, what do ya take me for, huh? I ain't havin' none of that."
Tiny paws scrabbled over her skin as the kitten squirmed, trying to get to her. She frowned and held it further away from her.
"How do you know I ain't gonna just finish what he started, huh?"
It meowed again and nuzzled her fingers, sharp, tiny claws flexing against the base of her hand. She shook her head and shrugged as she stood. The kitten protested loudly and she brought it close to her chest. It snuggled against her breasts and Faith smirked wryly.
"Don't get comfy there. Only one pussy I want that close to the twins and you ain't it, aight? Soon as I figure out what to do with you, you're gone, buddy."
She could've sworn it sighed in contentment as it closed its' eyes, as if ignoring her. She just shook her head and started towards the gates, grumbling under her breath.
"Stupid cat, gotta ruin' my night. Ain't no way I can Slay with you here; should've just left ya there. You better hope B doesn't come lookin' for me 'cause she'll never let me hear the end of this if she sees ya."
She paused underneath the arch of the cemetery gates, a wide grin slowly forming. Her eyes glinted with amusement and she glanced down at the kitten. The grayish blue eyes blinked open, sensing the pause in her rhythmic stride. It looked up and meowed.
"Oh that's just fuckin' perfect," She snickered. "B's gonna love ya, buddy."
Faith paused inside the darkened kitchen, looking down at the box in her hands. She was suddenly unsure of the reception of her gift. She could hear the faint scrabbling of the kitten's claws against cardboard and see the moving form through the air-holes she'd poked in the box. She sighed and set the box gently on the counter.
She set a plastic grocery bag on the counter next to it and bit her bottom lip. What if she doesn't like cats? I mean, it ain't like we've ever talked about pets.
She heard movement from upstairs and felt the familiar tingles growing stronger. The brunette shook her head and pulled an envelope from the bag. She set it on top of the brown box and turned to leave. I'll find out soon enough.
It's not like I can just take this stuff back tonight since the store was closing when I got there, anyway. She smirked slightly at the memory.
She'd arrived at the store just before closing. She'd had no trouble at all in convincing the pet-store clerk to keep the store open just a little longer for her. She'd been a little lost when she'd seen all the different choices but flirting with the clerk some more had solved that. He'd been all too willing to help her choose the best supplies to care for a kitten.
He'd even helped her figure out that it was a female and that she was around two months old. Men, She snickered. They're way too easy.
Approaching footsteps caught her attention and her eyes widened. She slipped out the backdoor and moved around towards the front of the house. She didn't want to be around when Buffy first saw the kitten. That way if the blonde was pissed, she'd have time to calm down first—and also, if she got sappy, Faith wouldn't get caught up in it.
Wonder if I can pass the kitten off as symbolic? She snickered. I'll just tell her I always wanted to give her some pussy when she asks about it.
She flinched and shook her head. That was too crude even for her liking. She wouldn't have hesitated to say it in their younger years, but even she had her limits now.
