A/N:

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my own OC's. I sure hope that's not exactly a shock.

Setting: 3 years post Chosen and about 2 ½ years after the end of Angel. Does not take into account the comics (knowledge of season 7 of BtvS and season 5 of Angel are helpful but not necessary)

Rating: M for violence, language and sexuality.

Pairings: Eventual Buffy/Faith (wont happen for a long time) and other pairings as well. Story will have both het and femslash. If this bothers you please do not read.

Summary: 3 years post chosen the activated slayers quickly lose their powers. This forces Faith to return to Cleveland two and a half years after having left on bad terms. She's no longer alone however and has her own loyal team of misfits that she brings back with her. In spite of all their differences the two teams must learn to work together to protect the Hellmouth and the world.

000B&FvS000

"Is it really true?" asked Buffy anxiously, wringing her hands unconsciously.

Willow nodded sadly, worry clear on her face. "I'm sorry Buffy. The spell was unprecedented. There was always some degree of uncertainty that went with it. But I didn't think this would happen."

They were in Buffy's 'office' in their Cleveland headquarters. It was a room with a desk that she avoided as much as possible, but it afforded them privacy. "It's not your fault Wills. I don't suppose there's a way to um... fix it? Or do the spell over again?" Buffy asked hopefully.

Willow shook her head. "No there isn't. Making someone a Slayer is sort of like lighting a match. Once the metaphorical flame caught it was supposed to keep burning. But if it goes out you can't light the match again. It's supposed to keep burning and... well, I mean I dont think there is a way to put that red head back in the girls so to speak so we can light them up again. I don't think it can be done. I'll keep looking and ask Giles to help and get in touch with some of the Covens the council is friendly with but I-I don't know. Maybe there is a way but Giles says he's worried about the stability of the balance and that maybe the PTB's had a hand in this. I'll try to help and try to find something but-but I'm not all sure it can be done. I'm so, so sorry Buffy," said Willow, looking nervous and anxiously awaiting her friend's reaction.

Sitting at her desk Buffy swallowed hard. She tried to put on a brave face, "Hey well at least we managed to defeat the First. And we got about three years of help with all the girls. Guess it was too much to hope for for the PTBs to cut us that much of a break, huh? Had to take it all away sooner or later," as much as she tried to Buffy couldn't keep the bitterness from her voice.

There was a long silence when neither of the girls spoke. Finally Willow said softly, "We'll be ok Buffy. This thing kind of blindsided us and we'll be reeling from it for a while but we've been through worse. Maybe there's still hope to fix it. And even if we can't, you'll still have all of us. After the First, how bad could any future crisis be right?" she said offering her friend a small smile.

Buffy tried to return the smile but it felt more like a pained grimace on her face. "Thanks Will. Thanks for letting me know. Will you make sure everyone knows what's going on? It's not exactly something we can keep a secret anymore. I-I need a few minutes to myself. I'll be out and help you deal with the fallout in a bit," said Buffy while being barely able to keep her voice steady.

Willow gave her best friend a small sympathetic smile and nodded. "I'll spread the word. It's going to get a lot quieter around here soon that's for sure. Take your time, me and the gang can handle things for a while," with that she quietly left the office and closed the door.

It was only moments after Willow had left that hot tears started to roll from Buffy. For three years they had been getting together this training center for all the girls and in other places around the world. Three years where Buffy had worked hard setting up the global Slayer network.

Most important to Buffy the responsibility of keeping the world safe had not just been entirely hers. She had had thousands of other Slayers to help in the good fight against the forces of darkness. Buffy had even been thinking that she might be able to go into semi-retirement in a few years with all the girls they had been training.

Now all those plans and all that work meant absolutely nothing. All the potential Slayers had slowly started losing their powers a few days ago. Now according to Willow all the activated Slayers would completely lose all their powers in another week. All that hard work and all those plans down the drain, just like that.

It was going to be the same as back in Sunnydale before it sank to the ground. It all fell on her again, she was the only one. Buffy buried her head in her arms on top of her desk and sobbed for everything she suddenly lost in a matter of days.

She was the One Girl in all the World. Again. Bye bye hope of having any kind of a normal life, or of ever living to see forty. Making it to even thirty was probably overly optimistic now. Again.

When she realized what else this new development meant, her sobs of loss slowed and were somewhat replaced by apprehension and annoyance.

Now that the potentials were going to be out of the picture she was probably going to at some point have to work with her again.

She realized it wouldn't be One Girl in all the World again. It would be two. The Chosen Two as her counterpart liked to put it.

It should have been a comfort and in a way it was. But having to deal with her for any amount of time always ended in disaster.

Buffy gave a small frustrated groan before she started sobbing in earnest again.

Why did the PTBs hate her so damn much?

000B&FvS000

It had been two weeks since Willow had broken the big news and after a lot of tears and denial most of the two hundred girls that had been living in their large compound outside of Cleveland had gone home. Of the potentials so far only Kennedy had decided to stay, both because she wanted to continue with the good fight even though she was depowered and because of Willow.

The original scoobs plus Andrew, Dawn and Kennedy sat around a living area. They knew they had to discuss what to do next but none of them were eager to do it.

"So," began Xander, never one to feel comfortable in silences, "it kinda feels like we've all had the reset button set on us, doesn't it? It's sort of like being in Sunnydale all over again. Except now we're all stronger and wiser. Maybe this isn't as bad as all that. Plus, no more First Evil. After dealing with that another Apocalypse on the level of the Master or the Mayor shouldn't too hard to deal with – I mean relatively speaking of course."

"We're older too, don't forget," pitched in Andrew.

That drew a scowl from Kennedy, "In what universe is that a good thing Andrew?" she said harshly. Kennedy was taking the loss of her powers pretty hard. Willow placed a comforting hand on her shoulder that the brunette gladly accepted.

"Well Cleveland has the most active Hellmouth in the world by far," said Willow, "while it really sucks that now we won't be able to keep the vamp and demon numbers super low worldwide because of what happened, I mean as long as we keep an eye on the Hellmouth and on potentially Earth-ending events everything should be fine. You know, more or less."

"I don't know about you guys, but I really liked having lots of people in an organization helping out," said Xander "If we're going to talk about what we're going to do next, maybe we could find and train some people who could help in the good fight? I mean just because we lost all the Slayers doesn't mean we should let all this work on the school go to waste. We could see about training human volunteers to help with the vampire killing. We've known some human hunters who could hold their own pretty well. Or we could turn this place into a witch-college and have a hundred mini-Willow's running around. Any demon with half a brain would pee their scaly drawers with a force like that coming after them."

"Oh," said Willow, her face brightening at the idea, "I would really like that. But I doubt we could fill this place. I mean people with that kind of magical talent are pretty rare."

The conversation went on like that for a while and Buffy only half-listened, not really caring too much right then what they decided to do next. It wasn't until Giles spoke a few minutes later that her attention was brought back to the conversation.

"We need to contact Faith as soon as possible as well. I'm afraid we'll need her here. This Hellmouth is now at least as active as Sunnydale's and we have a much larger geographical area to cover. It would be prudent to recall her and have her here with us. We need to pool our resources for the time being. It's safest that way until we figure out exactly what we can do."

"Wait," said Buffy, momentarily surprised, "you actually know where Faith is? How to get in touch with her?" Buffy herself hadn't seen or heard from the Dark Slayer in almost two and a half years – not since they'd had the mother of all fights and Faith had left Cleveland. As far as she knew Faith had dropped completely off the grid. The only reason she even knew the other girl was still alive was because she was certain she'd feel it if she died.

Giles looked uncomfortable and a bit guilty. "I've been in more or less regular contact with her since shortly after she... left Cleveland. I took it upon myself to put her in charge of operations in South America. She's been in the continent a bit over two years now, flying around and dealing with demon and vampire activity wherever we've gotten wind of it. I'm sorry I didn't tell you Buffy – or anyone else – but when she left you were on rather bad terms and she agreed to continue to work with the organization only if I kept it all to myself. I've honored our agreement and have been channeling funds to her so she could do her work."

Buffy was stunned. Giles had deliberately kept all that from her, even lied to her the few times she had asked if he had heard anything about Faith. There was so much wrong with all that Buffy didn't even know where to begin being upset.

She took a stab at it and went with the first coherent thing that came to mind.

"She's been running an entire cell in South America? Giles, I am – was – in charge of placing all the girls and deploying them. Where the heck did the girls in Faith's cell come from? I didn't even know we had assets in South America. How did you guys hide these girls from me? Did they even get any training before the went into the meat grinder with Ms. Unstable?" she practically yelled at her former mentor. Reason one of a thousand why Giles keeping this from her for years made her pissed off and hurt.

Giles shook his head. "There were never any Slayers in her cell Buffy. Faith never gave me the specifics but she found some people who have been helping her in her duties for the past two years. She says she trusts them, and I decided to trust that she knew what she was doing."

Buffy felt bitterness and a vague pang of jealousy. So Faith had been living it up in South America with a whole new group of unknowns she hunted with on a regular basis. Why did the thought of that bother her?

"Giles, I don't get why you decided to keep this from me," she said, eyes hard and angry, "I've asked you more than once over the past couple of years if you knew anything about Faith. You lied to my face every time. So much for being able to trust you."

"Buffy," began Willow in a conciliatory tone, "maybe we should hear him out? And you know the fight you two had was rather epic when she left..."

Buffy shot Willow an angry glare, "Whose side are you on anyway Willow? And you can't tell me you're happy to learn we've had a whole operation going on in South America that nobody knew about."

Giles took off his glasses and he looked at everyone before his gaze settled on Buffy, his voice taking firm tone, "I feel I made the best decision I could at the time and I stand by my decision. The options presented to me were losing Faith completely from the organization or agree to keep her dealings quiet from the rest of you. By all accounts she and her team have done a fantastic job in reducing the number of supernatural threats in the continent. Besides that things between you two had degenerated rapidly after we all arrived in Cleveland and quite frankly Buffy you have not always acted entirely rationally when it comes to Faith. If you knew where she was Faith was afraid you might try to micromanage her activities or otherwise interfere. That would have ended in disaster and as angry as you two were at each other I have little doubt you would have eventually tried to do so Buffy. I truly do not like keeping things from you but in this case I felt it was necessary. I am sorry that circumstances forced me to have to lie to you. That was something I did not enjoy and hope I will never be in a position to have to do so again. However it did keep Faith in the fold and she has done rather well in that time. Plus, I gave her my word. All of you know by now how difficult it is for Faith to trust anyone and had I betrayed that trust we may well have lost her for good. That was not a risk worth taking in my judgment."

Buffy fumed. Basically Giles had lied to her because he didn't trust her not to get into another fight with Faith and drive the girl away completely. Well, that and he had given his word. Buffy looked around briefly and saw everyone else looking uncomfortable but something in their expression told her they thought Giles was not entirely in the wrong.

Dammit thought Buffy, if I HAD known especially early on I probably would have called Faith and it would have degenerated into another huge fight. Plus I probably would have been really tempted to try and manage what she did down there. I don't have to like it but maybe it was for the best... at least from purely slaying point of view.

"Ok," said Buffy, "I'm still pissed off that nobody bothered to tell me anything for over two years. But I can understand your reasons for keeping quiet Giles. If anyone deserves to get raked through the coals it's Faith for pretending we don't exist for two and a half years."

Dawn rolled her eyes "Would you get off it Buffy? Just get over whatever beef you still have with Faith. Hello, hang on to anger much? It's been over two years and she left because of you. If you blow up on her as soon as she walks through the door she's just going to turn around and leave all over again."

It was Buffy's turn to roll her eyes. Unfortunately this time her sister was probably right. "Fine I'll make an effort to keep things civil. Eventually she and I will have to hash some things out after she gets here though. I can't imagine that will be pretty or quiet," said Buffy. Saying out loud that Faith would be coming back made her stomach clench uncomfortably. Somehow that just made the whole thing more real.

"I'll make the call later," said Giles, "now, about this place still being a school I think we should consider..."

Giles kept talking but Buffy found herself unable to focus on the discussion around her once again. The loss of all the activated Slayers had been a heavy blow to Buffy that she was still reeling from. The Faith thing was also making her worry. She couldn't help but wonder who these people who had been helping Faith fight evil were and if they would be coming with her back to Cleveland.

000B&FvS000

Nightime in Bogota was pretty much the same as any other place so close to the Equator; hot, hot and more hot with a side order of hundred percent humidity. It had taken a while but Faith had more or less gotten used to the constant wet heat that existed year round in much of South America. Mostly giving up leather and dressing more sensibly for the weather helped. Cold beer helped to fight the heat even more.

Faith was sitting in her hotel balcony with her feet up on the rail, cold beer on one hand and cigarette on the other. As she looked over the Bogota skyline she tried to relax and will her aching and tight muscles to unclench.

The Slayer felt her partner of two years walk up behind her. When they had first started working together she never would have trusted him at her unguarded back; now after two years of fighting and bleeding together she trusted him as much as she had ever trusted anyone.

"Not going out and getting piss drunk lass? And after a big job? We should get the little guy on it, I'm thinking this could be a sign of the apocalypse," came a voice behind her.

Faith couldn't help but gingerly look over her shoulder and give him a sour look, "If a certain pasty peroxide addict hadn't gotten lost finding his way to that basement, I wouldn't have gotten the shit beat out of me as badly as I did."

The vampire sat in another cheap chair next to her, popping open a beer in his hand, "I told you luv I didn't get lost. I got jumped by a bunch of human gangbangers of all things. Took me a bit to put them all out of commission without killing any of them. They even put a few new bullet holes in my coat, the bloody wankers."

"Really Spike? You let some vanilla humans get in your way?" she was trying to sound pissed but couldn't keep the amusement and the teasing mockery out of her voice, "It's really great you being one of the good guys and all but I'm thinking this new and cuddly vampire routine might be making you soft. Been stopping to help any old ladies cross the street lately? Volunteering at soup kitchens and saving kittens from trees on your nights off Spike?"

"Bloody hell Slayer, I wasn't the one who got beat like a soddin' drum by a nest of demons tonight like a complete ponce. If anyone screwed the pooch tonight it was you luv. I told you to wait for me before checking that place out didn't I? But you just had to go charging right in when I was ten minutes late. You're still the type that's got more balls than brains, that's for sure" said the vampire while pulling out and lighting a cigarette.

Faith knew she should have waited even though chances had been low that the demon nest was actually down there. She hadn't been able to sense the demons in the building, and it turned out they had some exotic spell up to keep themselves hidden. Faith didn't make many mistakes hunting anymore but that night she definitely had. Just another reminder that without the allies she'd found she would have probably been dead somewhere in South America a long time ago. She wasn't about to admit that outloud to Spike though. Besides they both knew he was right.

Instead Faith just grinned at her friend, "How do you know I've got balls? You been trying to see me naked again Peroxide Avenger? I knew I shoulda found a hotel with locks in the bathrooms, I know you still got that sick kink for Slayer booty in that perverted head of yours."

Spike rolled his eyes. He'd walked into the bathroom to get something while she was showering that one time and now he'd never hear the end of it, "Get over yourself Slayer. I'd tap that, except I'd rather not get every venereal disease in South America. My Slayer was a nice girl, not one who took Casanova's life as a personal challenge to overcome."

"Fine by me. I got lots of issues, but necrophilia thankfully 'aint one of them."

They lapsed into companionable silence, Faith trying to settle herself into a somewhat comfortable position with bruised ribs, bruises on her face and torso and a badly twisted ankle. She was too beat up to go partying as was her routine after a mission but chilling with Spike wasn't so bad. Though they tended to rib each other mercilessly they had developed a surprisingly strong friendship and bond to both of their astonishments.

"So where are we going next boss?" asked Spike between beer and pulls from his cigarette. He called her 'boss' always with a mocking tone but they both knew the score. Faith was in charge of their little group of rejects because she held the purse strings and Spike didn't particularly want the responsibility... and because she was a natural leader and her stupid ballsiness made people want to follow her into battle no matter how ridiculous the odds.

"'Lil-C thinks he's got a lead on a group of demons living in the Amazon in Brazil. Been snatching people from villages up and down the edge of the forest. Always on the move. Figure we go down there and dig up some more info, hunt the bastards down."

Spike groaned, "Not the bloody Amazon again Faith. Seems every time a demon or vampire spooks in this damn continent they run to that soddin forest. If I have to spend another week slugging through the jungle I'm going to burn the whole lot of it to the ground."

"Don't be such a pussy Fang," said Faith in a good natured way, "at least all the bugs and giant mosquitoes leave you alone with you being dead and all. Besides, I've kinda started to dig the whole outdoor girl thing. It's nice to get away from the city life for a while."

"It's not exactly a vacation lass. We'd be going there to fight demons in case you already forgot."

"Oh I didn't forget. What part of killing demons isn't vacation material? Best damn relaxation anyone's likely to find," she said to him with a little wry smirk.

At that moment Faith's room phone rang. The girl muttered a few curses feeling every bruise and hurt on her body as she got up and limped to the phone. On the sixth ring she picked up.

"Que quieres?" she asked rudely, using the Spanish for 'what do you want'. Faith had not appreciated getting up from her beer and cigarettes.

"Faith? It's me, Rupert Giles."

Faith's sour mode was instantly washed away, "Hey G-man! What's up? We weren't scheduled for contact for another week. Got some hot tip on some new baddy down our way?" she asked.

"No, not exactly Faith. There have been some rather startling developments of late. I know you're not thrilled by the idea but I'm afraid I must ask that you come back to Cleveland."

Faith frowned. She had promised herself she would never go back there unless it was some life or death situation. The brunette Slayer had spent the last couple of years trying to carve out a life for herself and learning to trust the people she fought with. Their little group was not perfect but it was the best she'd ever had and she wasn't about to give that up. Not now.

"Listen G I've got absolutely zero desire to go back to the U.S. right now, much less go back to Cleveland. The scoobs never liked me much and Buffy and me were at each other's throats almost from the minute we got to Cleveland. No offense, but there's no friggin way I'm going back there. With the snap of your fingers you and the super-friends could have five hundred Slayers backing you up for whatever's going on. You don't need me there."

"I'm afraid you're wrong about out ability to summon backup Faith. That is precisely what the 'startling developments' I mentioned are about," said Giles. He then proceeded to tell Faith how over the period of a couple of weeks all the activated Slayers had lost their powers, probably for good. Faith had to sit down on the bed as she took in all that news.

"Damn. That's some heavy shit right there, G-man," said Faith almost absently, mind still whirling by what this would mean.

"Yes, significant and extremely unfortunate. That is why you are needed back in Cleveland now Faith. Unfortunately at least for the time being it looks like we will have to resume operating like we did before the potentials were activated. That is the Slayers need to keep a lid on the Hellmouth and unfortunately let everything going on in the rest of the world sort itself out. Any world ending events almost invariably originate from or have something to do with the world's most active Hellmouth and it must be protected at all costs. As one of only two Slayers in the world it is imperative for you to be in the Hellmouth Faith."

She knew what Giles was saying technically made sense, but she wasn't going to give up that easily. "You don't need me Giles. You have the Chosen One, little miss perfect Buffy Summers. She and the scoobs handled the Sunnydale Hellmouth without any help for what, seven years? Buffy can stay and be queen of the Hellmouth and I can be the Slayer who flies around the world making sure evil doesn't get too comfortable everywhere else. That's a much better use for two Slayers as I see it."

"Cleveland is much different than Sunnydale in a lot of ways that make it a more difficult and dangerous place to keep a lid on Faith. The Hellmouth is at least as active as the one in Sunnydale was but with the difference that the human population here is much, much bigger. That means a proportionately larger number of vampires and demons than there ever were in Sunnydale. With teams of girls it was relatively simple to keep their numbers down but with only one Slayer we'll soon be up to our ears in at least vampires, if not other demons as well. I think it's going to take the full effort of both you and Buffy to keep this Hellmouth under control," said Giles in a conciliatory tone.

Unhappily, grudgingly Faith conceded that Giles kind of had a point. Her time in South America had shown her how more people meant more vampires. The problem would become many times worse in the Hellmouth.

On the other hand there was no way in hell that Faith was going back under Buffy's thumb. There was also no way she was breaking up or giving up on her team. After feeling rejected and unwanted by Buffy and her precious scoobs this had been the family she had painfully managed to put together for herself. Yeah it was a fucked up group, having Spike included in her little 'family' was proof enough of that. But it was hers goddamn it.

"If I go back – and it's still a big 'IF' at the moment Giles - I'm not going back there alone. My team comes with me," she said, tone clear that she would not be moved on this point.

There was a hesitation on the other end of the line. "I never heard of any details as to who these friends of yours are. Perhaps we could discuss who and what they are? And how many are there?"

Faith was still hoping to somehow get out of going back to Cleveland. If she had to go anyway she was going to be getting everything she damn well wanted. "There are four of us now, and a fifth who's going to meet up with us in a few months. And I'm not going to sit here and discuss who or what they are and justify myself to get the approval of the scooby gang. I trust them and that should be good enough for everyone. They either come with me or I don't come at all," part of her was hoping her crappy attitude would just make Giles say 'screw it' and tell her not bother coming after all.

There was a long silence on the other line. Eventually Giles cleared his throat and said somewhat uncomfortably, "I know I can't speak for everyone but for what it's worth I trust your judgment Faith. If you think they can help us here in Cleveland then I suppose we would be lucky to have them here." Faith could tell he was uncomfortable about letting completely unknown peoples in to live in the Cleveland compound but Faith was kind of touched by the trust he seemed to put on her.

"You sure Buffy and the scoobs won't overrule you on this G?" asked Faith, half teasing and half serious.

"I told them you might be reluctant to come back so I was given the task of ah, negotiating with you about your return. Whatever we agree to they will abide by."

Well. Imagine that. Maybe going back to Cleveland wouldn't automatically be a full on nuclear disaster. Maybe it would only be at the level of a natural disaster. There were a few more things she needed to have if she was really going to go back to Cleveland.

"Well that's good to know G. There are also a few other things that a non-negotiable as far as I'm concerned. First of all I don't want to be taking orders from Buffy or any of the scoobs again. I'm used to planning and running my own ops now and I'm not about to go back and play scorned second fiddle to little miss sunshine. I'm in charge of my people and my team doesn't get broken up. And we work with you, not for you. We get treated as equals to the superfriends or we don't go up at all."

Some part of Faith was sure this would be a deal breaker. Even if Giles agreed to it she knew once Buffy got wind of it she would shut it down no matter that she agreed to let Giles "negotiate". In L.A. that one time on the roof Faith knew she had been right, Buffy was nothing if not a control freak. Maybe this would make it so she could continue as she had been without having to deal with Buffy Summers again.

There was a long pause from the other side once again. Then Giles said, "In theory I don't see why that would be a problem operationally speaking. And I know many of your... difficulties... with Buffy were often disagreements over how to go about doing things. Perhaps this would be for the best in order for everyone to be able to work together," said Giles cautiously. Faith could tell he wasn't entirely comfortable with this idea either but was willing to go along with it.

"You sure Buffy won't overrule you once she hears of that little nugget?" asked Faith with amusement in her voice.

"Nowdays in running the organization things are a bit more... democratic than they used to be. Even if one or two people were uncomfortable with the arrangement I believe the rest would go along with this course of action with my recommendation," said Giles in careful even tones.

Faith was surprised. When she had been there last Buffy still had the last word on all decisions. Faith started to feel a little bit hopeful that maybe things had gotten better in Cleveland.

Also if Giles thought most of the scoobs would go along with this even against Buffy's likely protests then the situation in Cleveland might be even worse than she thought.

Faith raked her brain furiously to think of what else she should ask for. It wasn't just to protect her, but now she also had people she was in charge of. Granted all of them could take care of themselves but if she was going to be their "leader" for a while longer she had to do everything she could to make sure they were taken care of. And to keep them out from underneath the boot of the scooby gang.

She was going to push the envelope one more time, this being a make or break moment. "Ok, well if that's all agreed to then just a couple of more minor details. We want to live in a house on the property, my people aren't getting shoved in some crappy student housing. And I want a guaranteed stipend and operations budget that can't be taken away or changed unless we leave the organization. As in I want it in proper legalese writing. I don't want Buffy pulling out our funding if she gets in a huff," said Faith. So maybe it was unfair to paint Buffy that way but Faith didn't have a lot of fond memories of the last couple of months she had been in Cleveland. "If you can do all that," said Faith gritting her teeth, "then I guess we're in. Provided that my team agrees to it that is, though I really don't think that will be a problem."

"Yes well we do have a four bedroom on the property that is currently unused though it does need some fixing up. But you said there were five of you? I'm sorry but currently we don't have anyplace with five bedrooms."

"Don't worry G," said Faith, and then suggestively she added, "there won't be any need for that fifth bedroom. Trust me on this."

"Ah, yes, well," sputtered Giles a bit, uncomfortable with her insinuation, "and the stipend for each of you won't be a problem. We can make an appropriate contract once you are here. If you don't mind Faith I would like for you to get here as soon as possible. How soon do you think you and your... team will be able to leave for Cleveland?"

"I'll talk to everyone and start looking for tickets tomorrow," said Faith, sounding a little defeated and accepting that she would indeed be going back to the Slayer Compound, "I'll let you know when the flights are and all that."

"Right. Well, I hope to see you soon Faith. I'll see what can be done to make the empty house livable in the meantime."

"Sounds good G," Faith then hesitated before adding, "by the way thanks Giles. You know for being cool about this and working with me like you have the last couple of years. I don't think I ever really said that before."

"It's no problem Faith," she heard him say, and she could hear the genuine smile in his voice, "you've done well these past few years and it has been a pleasure working with you. We'll see you soon Faith."

"Right. Goo'bye."

They hung up and Faith took a deep calming breath.

"So, old Giles talk you into going back to Cleveland? What song and dance did he give you to get you to agree to that?" said Spike who had wandered inside and was leaning against a wall.

Of course Spike had been eavesdropping. He'd had a habit of doing that as far back as Sunnydale. "Believe me it's not like I want to go back. Me and Buffy have always been a spark away from killing each other. But it looks like things might start to get bad again soon on the Hellmouth," Faith filled Spike in on everything Giles had told her on the other side of the conversation.

Spike looked pensive. Eventually he moved over to the bed in her room and sat heavily next to her. "Well, I suppose hiding that I'm alive going on three years now was getting to be just a touch more cowardly than I'd like to admit. Plus it sounds like they might actually need our help," the vampire said thoughtfully.

Faith gave him a curious look. "If anyone was going to have a problem with this I thought it would be you Fang. Did you miss the part where I said you were gonna still be part of my crew? Thought you'd want to go back to being as close to Buffy as possible. I know you're still in love with her and all that."

Spike shook his head slowly, "Aye, I'm still in love with her. Still would give up my life for her. Unfortunately this was one of the few times in his entire bloody existence that broody jerkoff Angel got it right. Nothing good can come of it in the end, with me being a vampire and she human and all," said Spike with a hint of melancholy.

Spike got up and headed to the balcony. He reached in his coat and pulled out another cigarette. "Don't you worry lass. I've grown quite fond of working with you these past couple of years, I've even gotten used to all the crap that comes out of that smart mouth of yours. I'd rather stick to ass kicking with our little band of miscreants than go be a hanger on to Buffy and her little group again."

Faith felt a genuine smile tugging at her lips. "William the fucking Bloody, are you saying you'll take my side when me and Buffy eventually clash over something? I never would have dreamed I'd see the day."

Spike gave her a flat unamused look, "Do I look like a retard to you? When you two start arguing I'm staying well clear of that mess. All I'm saying is that when it comes to the monster fighting business, I'm your man," he then gave her a cocky grin, "you've got more style and a finer appreciation for violence than Buffy ever did. Think of it as job satisfaction when fighting the forces of evil."

Faith was touched and more relieved than she'd thought she would be. She'd gotten to know Spike well and she could see what he both was and wasn't saying. I love Buffy but you and I are close mate. I'm planning on sticking by you and not ditching you for the Summers girl.

"Come on," she said, getting up gingerly, "let's go find the others and see about getting us as shit-faced as possible. Since this just might be our final big Colombian blowout party, drinks are on me," she said with a big dimpled grin.

Spike got the message in guy speak. Thanks a lot man. I really appreciate it.

The souled vampire nodded. "Right. Well if you're paying, then I'm getting me the good stuff tonight."

000B&FvS000

A/N:

Next chapter Faith and her team head to Cleveland. Buffy and Faith confront each other after two and a half years. We also find out what actually happened after the finale of Angel.

Please Review!

SixPerfections