Redemption

Part 2

"So how come you came back?"

I shrugged; it suddenly didn't seem all that important anymore. "Police put up some roadblocks, I would have had to lay low here for a few days anyway. Besides, I had a couple of questions."

"Like what?"

"Like, what happened to Angel?"

Buffy gave me a look, like she didn't trust why I was asking, but I guess she decided to answer. "He's gone."

"Dead?" I kept my voice casual; truth was, I didn't give a rat's ass whether boy-toy was dead or not. But Buffy probably wouldn't like it if I were all excited at the prospect.

"No. I saved him. He drained me, almost to death, but the blood saved him."

"So, what--"

"He just...left. After Graduation. Told me beforehand that he was leaving. That he couldn't take it anymore."

I just smiled and shook my head. "He really is a piece of work. Takes a pair to leave a chick who just risked her life to save yours."

"Can we talk about something else?" Buffy asked. She looked like she was still pretty shaken up about the whole thing.

"Sure." I could've pressed her on it; hell, eight months ago I would have pressed her on it. But now it just didn't seem worth it.

"Do you need a place to stay?" Classic Buffy, all right, always wondering about my welfare.

"Nah, I got it covered." Classic Faith, never wanting any of it.

"The police are going to be watching your place." She was really worried now. It made me a little uncomfortable. "You can stay at my place tonight."

I was about to say no, but then I got this mental image of Buffy telling Red that I was going to be crashing at their place, and I couldn't resist. "Ok, I'm cool with that."

Of course, she probably didn't realize I could hear them through the door. Slayer hearing, can't get enough of it.

"Are you crazy?" This was from Red, of course. "You want her to stay in the same room with us? She's probably just waiting for us to go to sleep, and then..." I could just picture the little stabbing motions she was making right now. What a crack up.

"Look, Will, Faith and I have come to an understanding. I don't want this whole thing going on any longer, and she doesn't either. We've both made some serious mistakes. Trust has to begin somewhere." I shook my head. I couldn't believe Buffy was sticking up for me against her best friend.

"Could it begin somewhere a little less lethal? Like...trusting her not to cheat at miniature golf?" Yeah, as if I'd need to cheat to beat them.

"Will... Ok, if you're not comfortable with it, Faith and I can go stay somewhere else."

"No... Ok. But can we at least take turns keeping watch on her?... Is that a no?"

The door opened, and Buffy and Willow walked back in. Buffy smiled at me like nothing was wrong, but Willow kept shuffling sideways, like she didn't want to turn her back. I would have bet fifty bucks right then and there that she wasn't going to get any sleep.

"Oh yeah? Why was that?" Buffy asked me. B, Willow and I were kicked back in her dorm room watching a little TV. And by that, I mean a little TV, the thing probably only had a 9" screen.

"Because, all that planning and shit... That's no way to get away with murder. To get away with offing someone, ya just gotta go in there, and WHAM! get it done." I tried to ignore Red's wide-eyed look, but it was getting harder and harder. Keeping a straight face, I said, "It's even better when you can get 'em while they're asleep. That way, there's no noise and no witnesses."

Red made some kind of startled, strangled noise. I looked over at her, all cool and shit, and said, "You ok, Red?"

Buffy just sat there grinning. "Faith..." she said to me, in that "you've been a bad girl" tone of hers.

I figured it was time to let the poor girl off the hook. "It's ok, Red, I was just kiddin' ya."

"Um, yeah," she said, still looking at me like I held her head on a spike.

"So, who wants to go to sleep?" I said, stifling a yawn. "I'm exhausted." I curled up on the floor with the pillow and blanket Buffy gave me, and went right to sleep. Who says there's no rest for the wicked? 

Buffy just shook her head when Willow left. "I don't think she got much sleep last night, and you didn't help matters any," she said, poking me in the stomach.

"Yeah, well, not my fault she's skittish."

"When she gets over to Tara's, the first thing she's probably going to do is take a nap."

I laughed. "Oh yeah, like those two get much sleep when they're together."

"What do you mean?" Buffy actually looked confused.

"Oh, come on B, don't tell me you don't see it." I kept looking at her, but she kept staring at me like she didn't know what the hell I was talking about.

"What are you talking about?"

Oh, this was too much. "You mean they're not..." I figured a visual aid was in order at this point, so I tried a hand gesture.

"Ok, I can do without seeing that," Buffy said. "As far as I know, no. I...I never thought about Will...are you sure?"

I shrugged. "Pretty sure. I mean, you haven't seen the way they look at each other?"

"Haven't really had the opportunity. Not that it's a big deal, though. I mean, it would be great if Will found someone. It was hard on her when Oz left."

"Oh yeah, hey I'm certainly not one to pass judgement..." Just then, someone knocked on the dorm room door. Buffy waved me behind the door, checking to make sure I was out of sight before she opened it.

"Oh, Riley, hi! What are you doing here?" She stood in front of the doorway, blocking Beefstick from coming in.

"Hi. Um, you...or, well, Faith, actually, um, left this at my place the other night." He handed her something black, looked like the tank top I...Buffy...whoever was wearing a couple of nights ago. "Um, can I come in?"

"Come in?" Buffy squeaked. Yes, squeaked. "Why?"

"Well, I'd kinda like to talk to you about...things."

"We can talk right here. Yes, talk would be good here. Or maybe in the lounge."

"Yeah, well, neither of those places are really private, you know?"

"Um, ok...just give me a minute to get decent..." Buffy closed the door in his face, probably surprising the hell out of him. She motioned me over to the closet, and I just rolled my eyes, gave her my best disgusted look. But I hid all the same; I didn't want to miss this convo.

"Ok, come in," I heard her say.

"Are you ok? I mean, you seem really, I don't know, distracted." Ah, that Beefstick, can't put anything over on him.

"No, I'm fine. What did you want to talk about?"

"I just wanted to see if you were ok. I mean, you seemed really distant last night."

"Yeah. I'm fine. Finer than fine. I'm the finest. Look, I got some stuff to do right now, but we'll talk more later, ok?"

"Um, ok..." The door closed, followed moments later by the closet door opening. I just stood there, arms folded across my chest, giving B my best amused look.

"What?"

"Trouble in paradise?"

Buffy flushed, though whether it was because she was embarrassed or mad, I couldn't tell. "You should know, you caused it."

"Oh, no, some things you can pin on me, B, and some you can't. Granted, I slept with Beefstick--"

"Riley!"

"...and it was the totally wrong thing to do, I'll admit that. I'll even go one step further, and say I'm sorry." I always hated apologizing. Made me feel guilty, and I hate feeling guilty. But in this case, it was true. "But why are you blaming him? I mean, he thought it was you. Everything he did and said was for you. So why the 'tude?"

Buffy chewed her bottom lip like she always did when she was thinking about something really hard. "I don't know. Things have been really weird the past few days, and I guess I'm still processing all of it."

"So, um," it was my turn to be uncomfortable now, "are we, you know, five by five?"

Buffy looked at me and smiled. God, I'd give anything to see another one of those. Pathetic, huh? "Thank you for saying you were sorry. It really means a lot to me."

I shrugged, like it was no big, and tried to blow it off as always. "Yeah, well, you know, it wasn't--"

Buffy silenced me by putting a finger over my lips. "Yeah, it was. And I appreciate it. We are five by five."

I couldn't stop grinning. I must've looked like an idiot.

"So, since it's Saturday, and I don't have classes, what say you and I go over to Giles'?"

I gave her a doubtful look. "I don't think he's going to want to see me."

"Well, he'd better get used to you. They'd all better get used to you. Because I hope you're sticking around for a long time." She threw her arm across my shoulders like we were best buds or something. I gotta admit, when B decides to do something, she does it all the way.

"I'll be here as long as you want me, B."