Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. They belong to sat-I mean Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and et. al.

Buffy turned on the flat screen TV as she flopped down on her couch then proceeded to kick off her heels and put her feet up on the glass coffee table in front of the cream coloured leather couch. The announcer on the TV began to announce, "A TMZ exclusive: millionaire socialite, Faith Lehane, was spotted on a private yacht off the coast of Florida about twenty miles from Miami. A photographer was able to get some pictures of her and her companion, Italian model Geovana Lucciano. The socialite and Geovana were cuddled up close and topless." A grainy paparazzi photo of the two women lying on the upper deck of a boat came up on the screen it was then followed up by one where Faith had sat up and flicked off the camera with both middle fingers. Both middle fingers and Faith's bare breasts were blurred out. The announcer continued, now speculating about the relationship between the two women, "Geovoana and Lehane have had a rocky relationship for the last year. The relationship started after Geovana broke up with the Italian basketball player Leonardo Fasulli-

Buffy, having her fill of mindless celebrity gossip, turned off the television and groaned, "I've watched enough." Getting up she padded down the hall to the master bedroom then went into the adjoining bathroom and began to run the water in the bronze claw foot tub. Work had been exhausting and a nice bath along with a glass of red wine was about to be the cure for it. As the water ran she went back into the kitchen and got herself a glass of vintage French wine, a gift from one of her clients. Buffy had been working on the promotion for an upcoming breast cancer fundraiser in New York City and the details and particulars of the event were beginning to run her ragged. Going back into her bathroom Buffy stripped then immersed herself into the steaming tub. This is exactly what the doctor ordered for her.

Next Morning...

Faith was at her penthouse in Boston. She was home after being in Miami with Geovana. She had gone down to see another one of her fashion shows and to throw a few parties for her, but then the paparazzi showed up and put her in a foul mood. No doubt the vultures were running the story on a loop on TMZ. Faith was standing in front of the floor to ceiling windows in her living room and looking at the skyline. She was wearing a mid-thigh length black silk robe and holding a crystal tumbler that was filled halfway with scotch and ice. While she leisurely sipped on her drink her friend Spike came up next to her saying, "Mornin' luv. You see the report on TMZ? You gave them an eyeful. "

Faith scoffed, "Fuck those asshole. And of course Geovoana didn't find anything wrong with them invading our privacy. Something was up with her this weekend."

Faith didn't see Spike's eyebrow arch up questioningly, so he asked, "What do you mean?"

Faith took a big gulp of her drink then took a deep breath and responded, "I threw those parties for her and like she was barely at 'em." The last gulp finished the drink and Faith nonchalantly added, "Fuck it. Let's go to the Rise tonight and get shit faced."

Spike looked at his watch pointing out, "It's only ten thirty in the morning."

Faith tilted her head to the side as she pondered, "Well then I guess we're going to have to stay busy. Care to take a trip to Toronto? There is a gallery opening up and I need some art. Also I do believe Kennedy is home after her trip to France."

"We're going to Toronto, so you can get a shag in?" Spike asked her incredulously.

Faith grinned up at him, "Hey when you're me you can do it." After handing him her glass she playfully slugged his shoulder then started to walk away, "Get ready Spikey. I'll call the jet."

Spike took a cube of ice out of the glass and popped it into his mouth mumbling around it, "Hopefully this winds up better than the last time you saw Kennedy."

Lucky for Spike, Faith was already climbing the stairs to the second floor and heading to the expansive master bedroom. She grabbed her phone off her desk and called the hangar letting them know she wanted to head to Toronto then she called her bodyguard Angel. On the second ring he picked up, "Hey."

"We're going to Toronto."

Angel groaned then reluctantly asked, "Are you going to get into another fight and punch two people then kick a tabloid photographer in the balls?"

Faith clicked her tongue against the roof her mouth as she thought about it then she looked at her fingernails pretending to contemplate more on the idea of getting in a fight with someone as she said, "Haven't figured it out yet."

Angel let out an exasperated groan, "I need to know in advance, so I can get your bail money in order. Last time dealing with the Canadian officials was a bit of a hassle."

Faith rolled her eyes. Angel always worried too much. She got into one altercation at a night club in Toronto and punched one of their vultures. It was a valid fight. Some asshole at the club said something about her and Kennedy and she punched him in the face then his buddy tried to step up to her, but she punched him in the throat. It wasn't her intended target, but the dude moved. He wasn't hurt too bad. Maybe his ego was bruised along with his trachea. Then when she and Kennedy were trying to leave some idiot vulture was asking her personal questions that she didn't want to answer, so she kicked him in the balls. Also to make matters worse her and Kennedy were fighting that night because Kennedy wants commitment and Faith wants...well Faith enjoyed the freedom of doing whatever she wanted to do.

Giving Angel a break she grinned, "I'll tell you what if I feel like punching a guy out I'll let you know in advance. Give you and Gunn time to arrange the funds."

Angel groaned again then decided, "I'll just have the funds on standby. We'll be up in a minute. What are you doing?"

Faith knew he meant what she was going to do for transportation. Taking a limo was definitely out of the question. Maybe taking a private car and going through the back. The fact that she had to strategise to leave her own home was ridiculous and pissed her off. Taking a deep breath Faith said, "Let's take the town car and head out back."

Angel told her okay and they hung up. Faith quickly went into her huge walk-in closet and she got dressed throwing on a pair of tight jeans and a tight black tank top. After putting on her Jimmy Choo biker boots she grabbed a pair of dark Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses and a beanie along with her leather jacket then headed downstairs yelling, "SPIKE!"

Spike came out the downstairs hallway that led to the guest rooms on the first floor replying, "Oi I'm not deaf." He watched as Faith headed into the kitchen grabbing a bottle of mineral water, "We all set?"

Taking a big slug of water she nodded her head yes and as she twisted the cap back on she told him the details, "We're gonna go down the service elevator and out the back."

Spike smirked, "What no confrontation with the fuckers out front?" Faith glared at him and he laughed, "Was this that nancyboy Angel's idea or his sidekick Gunn?"

Faith shrugged into her jacket responding, "It was actually mine. I'm trying to keep this as low key as possible. I don't need to go pissing Kennedy off."

Spike decided to hold in the thought that he wanted to say which was how she was going to piss Kennedy off regardless because she won't give her what she wanted. He nodded in understanding before they left the penthouse running into Angel and Faith's other bodyguard Gunn. A tall, bald black dude that most people tried not to engage with. He wasn't big, but he had a lethal look in his eyes that made those who tried to get to Faith think twice. Faith and her entourage headed to her private hangar that was five miles away from Logan airport. After pre-flight checks they were up in the air and headed to Toronto.

Albany, NY...

Buffy's morning had been busy. Her and her English business partner Rupert Giles had run into a snag with the venue. Then the promotion for the event, which was in two weeks, had not been to the client's liking so that had to be re-done. So by the time lunch rolled around she was ready to just sink herself in her tub then drink herself into a deep sleep. Giles had managed to book all the talent for the event which was a silent auction fundraiser that included a vast collection of items that were up for bid. There were some completed works by big name artist, tickets for extravagant trips, celebrity chefs, and a host of other things that Buffy herself was contemplating on bidding on. Opening her desk drawer she got a bottle of Advil popped four then washed it down with the glass of water on her desk. No sooner than she had set the glass back down her phone started to ring. Groaning on the inside she picked up the phone and mustered up a professional voice, "Buffy Summers speaking."

"Hey Buff!" The perky voice said quickly making Buffy smile. She was glad that she worked with her best friend. It made the job bearable plus she could vent and Willow would know exactly what she was talking about.

"Hey Will. What do I owe the pleasure?" Buffy asked leaning back in her office chair then propping her beige Manolo Blahniks on her mahogany desk.

She could hear Willow typing away on her keyboard as she talked, "I just wanted to let you know that I sent the promotional ads and billboard graphic to the client. I'm just waiting to hear back on them."

"Giles?"

Willow half-snorted, "He doesn't care what I do." Willow did her stuffy English impression of Giles, "Oh Willow you don't have to run every mock-up by me. I'm off to play squash."

Both women laughed then Buffy caught her breath and backed up Giles, "But he is right Willow. All your promotions have always been spot on. You even got a couple side gigs because of it."

Willow chuckled, "Eh it's nothing. Have you had lunch?"

Buffy warily eyed the glass of water on her desk, "No not yet. Why?"

Willow was quiet a moment, even the typing had stopped, then in one breath she said, "There's this really nice guy I want you to meet and I think he'd be a great date for you for the fundraiser."

Buffy pulled the receiver away from her ear and scowled at it. This would be the third blind date Willow had try to set her up on. It wasn't that she wasn't trying to date. She'd just been busy. Putting the phone back to her ear she sighed out, "No Willow. I'm not going on anymore blind dates. Plus don't you have a wedding to plan?"

Willow and her girlfriend of three years, Tara, were finally tying the knot now that the advertising firm was off the ground and running. They had wanted to do it last year, but there was a big contract bid for Nikon that Buffy and Giles wanted to be a part of because it utilised both their Albany and London offices. Buffy could hear Willow's smile as she responded, "My lovely wife-to-be doesn't want me to stress myself out so she said she's handling everything. Plus I'm marrying one of the country's top celebrity wedding coordinators. I don't think I'm expected to do anything."

Buffy laughed as she pointed out, "I don't think she wants to plan her own wedding Will. Doesn't she know people who can plan it out for her, so she doesn't have to lift a finger and all she can do is boss people around?"

Willow chuckled into the phone, "You know Tara can't boss people around. She can barely get me to remember to pick my towel off the bedroom floor and we've been together for three, almost four, years. Tara has told me she's spent five years making people's dreams come true, so now it's time for her to make her own dreams to come true. Buffy can you believe that I'm getting married in six months? It's so surreal."

Buffy smiled at her friend's happiness. It was kind of surreal. Buffy and Willow had gone to high school together along with their friend Xander and now they were adults with careers. Willow would be the first of them to get married. Xander would have been the first if he hadn't left Cordelia at the altar. That was a mess considering she was his assistant. Now he was dating outside of his sports management company and had been seeing a blonde with no social filter from a law firm that dealt with high profile divorces, break-ups, and other relationships that had turned sour. Buffy's smile widened as she said, "I'm super excited for you Willow. Dawn and I can't wait to plan you and Tara's bachelorette party. I'm certain Dawn said something about a stripper, but-"

Willow shrieked, "No strippers!"

Buffy was laughing hard at her friend's reaction. There wouldn't be any strippers both of the brides, no matter how well they handled it, would have banned her and her sister from the wedding as punishment. When Buffy could form a coherent sentence she assured the red head, "Calm down Willow. We won't get any lady strippers. We'll get the sausage-"

Buffy didn't have a chance to finish as Willow began to loudly sing some nonsensical tune to block her out. Buffy wiped her watering eyes, taking care not to mess up her makeup then she yelled, "Willow I was only kidding. You know it'll be a small get together. We'll go to my beach house in the Hamptons."

Willow stopped singing and said, "Thank you. So lunch?'

Grinning Buffy nodded her head as she agreed to go to lunch with her best friend.

Not good. Not good at all. Faith had called Kennedy's cell, but there was no response. Then she called her loft and there was still no response. So now her and her entourage we're headed to Kennedy's work space in downtown Toronto. They got to the five story brick building near the edge of Lake Ontario. Looking back at the guys she said, "Why don't you guys go find a pub or something. I should be all set here."

Spike looked at her carefully asking, "You sure luv?"

Faith nodded her head and said, "Yeah. I'm sure."

Spike gave a quick whistle and he, Angel and Gunn headed to the bar that was at the corner of the street. Faith went in and took the freight elevator up to the fifth floor. As she pulled up the gate she could hear the heavy metal music bouncing off the brick walls and the high cathedral ceiling. She walked further into the space and she found Kennedy at a twenty-four foot canvas. Her arm was making wide arching motions with the brush which had a plum coloured paint on it. Faith liked watching Kennedy paint. Other than when she came it was the only other time when she looked completely relaxed. Her body moved fluidly as her hands brought forth what was created in her mind. After watching Kennedy create for a minute Faith walked over to the stereo and pushed the power button. Once the workspace was silent Kennedy looked over yelling, "What the-" She saw Faith and her look of confusion was replaced by one of anger. Kennedy put her palette on the wheeled cart next to her and as she wiped her hands she said, "I see Queen Faith has decided to grace us commoners with her presence. Oh great Queen what do we owe the pleasure?"

The sarcasm wasn't lost on Faith. Faith folded her arms across her chest shooting back with, "I thought you'd be happy to see me. We haven't seen each other in a month."

Kennedy scoffed then started to clean out some of her brushes as she replied, "I would be, but the sight of you and Geovana took that away. I'm surprised you were able to untangle yourself from her long legs."

Faith rolled her eyes, "Cut the crap Ken. I missed seeing you okay? I miss watching you work."

Kennedy just eyed her in disbelief before saying, "I'm sure you did while you had your head between Geovana's legs. Let me guess she didn't give you the attention that you were looking for and you decided to come to me because I give into whatever the hell you want." Faith went to go respond, but Kennedy cut her off, "Faith I can't keep doing this. You and I have been seeing each other for two years now. Something needs to change."

Faith just stood there looking Kennedy in her eyes. She wasn't going to give her what she wanted. She couldn't and Kennedy knew that. She knew that the moment she got into Faith's bed. On some level Faith had developed feelings for Kennedy, but it wasn't love like Kennedy was feeling. Kennedy didn't have to say it. Faith could see it on her face and she knew she didn't deserve it. Faith clenched her jaw then said, "What do you want me to change Kennedy? We can't keep having the same conversation because frankly it gets boring."

Kennedy slammed her paint brush onto the cart as she shouted, "That's your problem Faith! You get bored! Nothing can keep your interest for long enough!" Shaking her head she ruefully laughed, "You know maybe what I am asking is too much. If that's the case then I need to find someone who can give me what I want."

Faith put her hands in her back pocket then shrugged, "Okay Ken-doll if that's what you want." They stared each other down for two minutes then Faith stalked off to the freight elevator walking out of Kennedy's life forever.