PART 4
“Not if I listen to chicks like you.
##Oh. Seems like she has some trouble. And yes about this, how does she do for the money? ##
“Roomates are extra.”
“I'm just visiting.”
The clerk left and Buffy closed the door behind her.
“So, what brings you to the poor side of town?”
“Cloven guy... Goes by the name Kakistos.”
“What do you know about Kakistos?”
“Just that he’s here.”
##She looks panicky? I haven't seen such look on her since that night in New-York when the two vampires attacked us. But now she's a slayer?##
“What did he do to you?”
Faith grabbed a bag in panic, “It’s what I did to him, all right?”
The brunette started quickly putting clothes in it.
“And what was that? Faith you came here for a reason... I can help.”
“You can mind your own business. I’m the one who can handle this.”
“So you’re just gonna leave and dump this on me? I could help you.”
“Stay away from me Buffy.”
“That's the best one yet, you came here with trouble and you're hoping to leave it behind you. It doesn't work like that, Faith.”
“I don't care what you think Buffy, and I don't need you.”
“What are you gonna do next time he catches up with you, run farther? You run, he runs after you.”
“That's my problem; I'll take care of it.”
“Like you took care of your watcher?”
##She froze, it's not a good memory, like I didn’t guess that already.##
“He killed her, right?”
“There's no word for what he did to her.”
##Why does she have to have so many bad memories? If I could just take some away. ##
Faith closed her bag, trying to shake the memory she just evoked out of her mind when someone knocked at her door.
She checked in the peephole to see the hotel's clerk, “What now?” She cringed then opened the door and she froze.
“Faith.” Kakistos said as he dropped the manager's dead body. He gave a low growl as he grabbed Faith by the throat.
“No!”
Buffy rushed and grabbed Faith to pull her back in then closed the door.
“I just bought us a little more time.”
Kakistos hoof broke through the door.
Faith looked panicky.
“Well, now’s a good time to run away finally.” Buffy said as she grabbed Faith’s arm and led her out while Kakistos broke through the door.
They ran down an alley. They came to a walled end, but turned left. Kakistos and his henchmen followed. One of the head vamp, Trick, motioned for the vamps to double around, while Kakistos and he followed the Slayers. Buffy broke through a door of a building. They both stood up.
“We're ok. What happened?”
##God, she looks petrified.##
“Faith, what happened?”
“I.....I was there when he killed my Watcher. And I saw what he did to her -- what he was gonna do to me. I tried to stop him, I hit him with a knife and I... I tried but I -- I couldn't. And I ran.”
“Faith, first rule of slaying, don't die. You did the right thing. Ok? You didn't die. Now you do the math. One of him, two of us. Yes.”
Faith was looking elsewhere, “No.”
##I’m confused. Where is she looking... Oh boy. Bodies.#”
“This is his place.”
“He drove us here.”
A female vamp appeared at the door, Buffy and Faith glanced and then ran. The vamp chased after them. Two more vamps blocked them off. Buffy kicked up an orange bucket at one of them, knocking him over. Quickly, she executed a roundhouse kick to the female vamp, and turned to kick the other standing vamp. He wobbled onto a table and fell over. Buffy rolled onto the table and kicked him as he tried to get up.
Kakistos and Trick approached Faith while the female vamp went after Buffy who hits her with a pipe, knocking her out. Kakistos slowly walked to Faith and growled. Faith backed up, unable to stop the images of him tearing her watcher apart, unable to react like she normally would.
“Faith! Don't die!”
Buffy threw her the pipe. Faith caught it and raised it to stake, but Kakistos gave her a right cross and knocked her down. Trick vamped out, walking in to watch the action. Buffy flipped the bucket vamp over her shoulder.
Faith, on the ground, scrambled backwards to the wall as Kakistos walked closer. He picked her up by the throat.
“No!!”
He punched her repeatedly.
Buffy kicked a vamp, knocking him to the floor and staked him. She looked up to watch Faith.
##God!##
Faith was getting pummelled, and floored. The female vamp regained consciousness as Buffy went to attack Kakistos but she and Trick slowly walked away from the fight.
Buffy continued her attack on Kakistos.
Kakistos tossed a few more swings before Buffy jabs a stake in his chest. He pushed Buffy hard to the wall.
“I guess you need a bigger stake, Slayer.” He started laughing as he took the stake of, under Buffy’s stunned gaze. He threw himself at her, catching her a little off-guard and he starting punching her.
Anger took over Faith and gave her the adrenaline she needed to finally react, she picked up a broken wooden column and jabbed it into Kakistos. He turned to dust.
Buffy’s breath was heavily as she stared at the dust on the floor while adjusting her jacket. Then she looked at the brunette who looked rather oblivious.
##She just saved my life. She just... She's still here, that young and scared little girl. Innocent and fragile and loveable girl. She’s not that far way, she just got hurt too many times...##
Faith swallowed, trying to steady her own breathing.
“Faith I...” Buffy trailed off but then looked focused again as she moved closer to the brunette and took her hands.
Faith tried to remove them, wanting to hide that she was shaking but Buffy held them tighter, “Faith, I believe we can do this.”
Faith stared at her.
“We can work this out together. I know what happened between us makes it hard. It's hard for me too to be beside you, to hold your hands right now, but it's harder for me to see you in pain.”
Faith sat on a barrel, rather drained with the last days events. Buffy kept her hands in hers.
“You came here because you needed help. You came here because a part of you knew that I could and I would help you. So now whatever you want to call what happened between us; teenage experiment, outcasts bonding or whatever, I tell you that it doesn't matter anymore. Because no matter how it ended, it started by friendship; a strong, close and innate friendship. And maybe we shouldn't have gone further than this, maybe I made mistakes, maybe you did, this doesn't matter; we were friends first and foremost. And this matters Faith because I believe we can have that again. I know I'd very much like to have that again.”
Faith seemed hesitant, she looked aside. Buffy let go of her hands.
“You can help me here, we can share this. If you would allow us to try, I'm very sure this could work. I know I want to make it work.”
##Please say yes, God I don't want to see her leave now. It would be so much easier though but I can't have her gone now. Not after that look in her eyes. I can't leave her alone. I can't let her down. I can't walk away again. She's here and I believe there's a reason.##
“I think, maybe... we can try. I mean, I might stay here for while anyway.” She casually said, diverting her eyes from Buffy who smiled at that.
“Deal then?”
“Deal.” They shook hands strongly then both slightly looked aside with a smile.
“Ok, I guess we should go report that to Giles.”
Faith got up from her spot, “Later, I’m too hungry for now, I need to go grab something to eat first. You not hungry?”
“Starved. Could go to the bronze, get some chicken wings?” Replied the blonde slayer and they headed out of the warehouse.
“What happened to your non fat yogurt craving?”
Buffy raised her eyebrows explicitly, “Please don't tell my friends.” She whispered and they both slightly laughed.
~~
They were at the bronze, they’d been slightly talking and laughing about post slayage hungriness, only, as they’d greedily attacked the chicken wings they’d ordered, but slowly they’d become silent.
A little awkwardly now, but still glancing at each other very often.
“I’ll ask Giles if he can do something about your money situation.”
“It’s cool B. I don’t need anyone’s charity.”
“It’s not charity, you’re a slayer; you have a mission to do and I think it’s only fair the council takes care of these details if they want you to work in the best condition.”
“If you say so.”
##I wonder if... No, I couldn’t have her in the house all the time. But maybe that’s what she’s waiting for me to say? And maybe she’ll get mad or thinks that I didn’t really mean what I said in the warehouse if I don’t... God do I take the risk? What if she says yes? That would be too much and-##
“Whatcha thinking B?”
“Oh err, nothing, I mean, well... Maybe I could ask my... Well I would tell you to come bu-“
“Oooh B, I’m done being watched over you know that. Your mother seems nice but I need my freedom.”
##She saves me there, but at least I asked right?##
“Besides, would you really handle this?”
“What do you mean?” ##Ok I’m lame.##
“Come on, being together that much time, in the same house, every night; would you really handle it that easily?”
Buffy shrugged, “Sure, of course. Told you, we’re friends now.”
##She gives me the look. She knows me too well, and I don’t want to lie anymore.##
“Alright, no. It would be... confusing, having you around like that; I admit... it’d be hard, yes.”
##I hope I didn’t ruin it. She smiles, must be a good sign, right?##
“Well, guess it’s time to split then.”
“What?!”
“For tonight B.”
## She smiles. Why did I sound so panicky?!##
“Alright, err, yes... I’ll see you... later then.”
Faith got up; she started leaving but then turned around.
“Err Buffy,”
Buffy stared at her, not knowing what her deep gaze on her meant.
“It would be hard for me too.”
She gave her a shy smile then left. Buffy smiled too then looked thoughtful.
##I can do that. Now it’s gonna be fine. We’re friends, we can be friends. I can put things back in order in my life. First thing tomorrow I’ll catch up with Scott, make him a speech and get a date with him. I’ll tell Giles what really happened at the mansion. I want to put this behind me... I just have one more thing to do to complete this. ##
Buffy went home and took the Claddagh ring Angel offered her and headed out. She walked to the mansion and stood still for a while at the exact same spot she sent her lover in Hell months ago. She kissed the ring then put it on the floor.
“Goodbye Angel.”
