Present.

"Fuck off Bitch!! Get outta my way." Faith tried to dodge around the small girl who was starting to really get on her nerves.

"Faith! Stop this! It's wrong! You can't act like this!" Buffy shouted at her, matching her step for step as the brunette tried to avoid her.

"Can't act like what B? Like I'm angry? Like I want revenge? 6 months in a coma, in this fucking room doesn't really make me want to stay here." She glared at the smaller girl who now had both arms up as her hands were on each side of the door frame.

"You can't leave here just like that. The hospital staff aren't gonna let you out, you have to leave with someone. I'm not taking you home so I guess you'll have to stay for a while longer." Buffy frowned at her. She saw her right hook in time and caught it, throwing her back into the room and she straddled her hips. They struggled for a few seconds and Faith spat into Buffy's face. The blonde stopped moving and let go of her hands and stood up, wiping the spit off her cheek.

"Fine Faith. Go. I don't give a shit if you fucking die of the fucking cold. I try to help you and this is how you fucking repay me?" She held out her hand, which was wet from Faith's saliva. "You're not welcome in my house anymore at all. I was gonna let you stay if you really didn't have a place to stay. But you don't fucking deserve it."

Faith felt bad. She really did. "Drop dead." She just wasn't any good at reconciling. She strode by her and out the door. Buffy glared after her. Feeling like she'd just been shot in the stomach.

Buffy stood in her empty room. After all what they'd been through in the last 6 months, after all the dreams, after the great times they shared it was going to end like this? Like they hated one another, with Faith always running away in the end. No, not like this. Not if Buffy was going to have a say in this decision. And she was.

Faith walked down the corridor and stepped outside. She swore as she saw snow fall from the sky. In California? In Sunnydale anything is possible. Maybe B was right. Maybe she was gonna die of the cold.

"Faith wait!" A familiar voice came from behind her.

"Look B, I don't deserve you, I really don't. Why don't you just go to your nice warm home and forget about me?" Faith hugged herself tighter, she was freezing.

"Because I can't." Buffy shouted, her voice breaking as she said 'can't.' The blonde stood in front of her, her eyes were red, like Faith's.

"What?" Faith asked softly, she couldn't feel her toes. She should have worn a coat or a jumper or something else when she was stabbed that night, there was still a deep maroon stain across her top.

"You've always been on my mind, I've never forgotten you. I don't think a day has gone by in these past 6 months when I haven't wondered if things could have different." Buffy felt tears stream down her face. "I didn't want things to end up like they did, you in a coma and all. I had to let Angel drink from me, that was when I visited you, in the... dream."

"He took too m-much?" She was stuttering from the cold.

"Yeah, he couldn't really help it." Buffy stared at the ground, her vision was blurred with a mixture of snow and tears.

"Do you remember the other dreams?" Faith whispered.

If it hadn't been for Buffy's Slayer hearing she would have missed that. She looked up suddenly and took into account that Faith was freezing, her lips were turning a frightening shade of blue and two people from the hospital were walking towards them.

"Excuse me? Faith Summers? You do not have permission to leave yet." A big butch of a woman stood in front of her, her lips pursed in an angry no-nonsense look. The years had been hard on her.

"Sorry, I'm Buffy Summers." Buffy said. "I'm Faith's sister."

The woman looked at her clipboard, which had all of Faith's details on. "Ah, yes I see. Buffy Summers?"

Buffy nodded.

"If you sign here you can take her home."

4 1/2 months prior

"No! No! No! And, oh yeah, no!" Buffy shouted at Giles.

"Please, I think you should. It'll help your healing process." He asked.

Buffy did a twirl and a false smile. "See look! No gaping wounds! All healed."

"I know you Buffy and trust me when I say that you should go visit her, see how she's doing."

"I don't wanna know how she's doing!" Buffy shouted angrily.

"You haven't recovered, you're still angry and unforgiving. Go see her, sit down beside her and hold her hand, whatever! Tell her you forgive her."

"But I don't!" She said exasperated, throwing her hands in an angry gesture.

"You need to." Giles simply said, and left.

Buffy was left staring at the library door. She sighed and spun around kicking the cage and making a noticeable dent in it. She stormed out of the room.

"270... 271... 272... aha! 273, here it is." Buffy spoke to herself, hearing her voice echo off the grey walls. This was no place for a Slayer to stay in, especially not Faith.

Why am I being nice to her? She deserves worse.

The place smelt like a hospital, hell, the place technically was a hospital. Buffy hated hospitals. She stood outside Faith's door and took in a deep breath, breathing out slowly. Placing her hand on the handle she slowly stepped inside the room and quietly closed it behind her. She was shocked when she saw her for the first time in two months, her heart broke and tears began to well up in her eyes, she shook her head.

No it's not meant to be like this! I'm not supposed to pity her, I'm supposed to hate her!

Her face was devoid of any make up, making her look her real age, 17, she was so young and so innocent. Her lips were so strikingly pale, her eyes were closed and her arms were simply by her side. Buffy slowly walked over to her bed, she sat down on the chair and stared at her, not knowing what to do. I don't wanna be here, I wanna go, I wanna leave and never return I never wanna see her face ever again-

Buffy reached up and took her hand, then all went black.

"Wakey wakey sleepy head, God anyone would think that you were in a coma or something."

Buffy's eyes flickered open and she sat up. "W-where am I?"

"In my world B, whaddya think? Snazzy huh?"

Buffy looked around, she was on a park bench, Faith was standing beside her, she was wearing tight leather pants and a black tank top, she had all her make up on. There was a picnic laid out on the ground in front of the bench, Willow and Xander were there at the top of the cloth holding the picnic and they were kissing.

"What-?"

"I dunno, it's my fucked up head, you'll always find some part in my dream which is fucked up. I came across a black cat with two tails, weird huh?" She laughed. "But it's getting better, you shoulda seen my head when I was first... here. It was real dark and-" she shuddered. "-weird."

"What's the deal with the picnic?"

"I like picnics, so sue me." They sat down and Faith picked up a slice of chocolate cake. "So, why'd you come and visit me?"

"Giles said I would 'heal' if I came." Buffy looked up and saw that Willow's image had turned to Cordelia. Lucky Xander. She grabbed a sandwich.

"Tut, tut, always thinking of your health." Faith took the sandwich from her hands and replaced it with a huge chocolate muffin.

"I have to Slay-"

"Not in my world. I make the rules here- well most of them anyway." She muttered referring to the image in front of them.

Buffy picked up an apple and threw it at the image, it flickered away.

"Thank you, I was getting nauseous."

"Why am I here." Buffy tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear.

"Beats the hell outta me, but I don't mind you being here."

"That's good, cause I-"

"Miss, Miss, sorry, excuse me, Miss, pardon me, MISS!!" The nurse yelled into Buffy's ear making her bolt upright on the bed.

"Sorry I must have fallen-"

"Visiting time is over, you've been here three hours."

Buffy stared at her in disbelief, three hours?! She stood up and headed home.

Present.

"Faith Summers?" Faith whispered into Buffy's ear as they walked back into the building.

"I had to put you down as my relative in some way or they wouldn't have let me visit you." Buffy whispered back.

"Excuse me, sign here please." The nurse gestured to the clipboard and Buffy scribbled her signature.

"Can we go now?" Faith asked impatiently.

"Yes." She replied curtly.

They walked out of the building and Buffy put her arm around her shoulder.

"And to think that woman gave me bed baths."

They laughed and continued home.

4 1/2 months prior.

"So how'd it go with Faith?" Giles asked.

"Fine, it was OK, yeah."

"Well you stayed three hours, so it must have been enthralling." Xander said.

"Yeah, I mean what were you doing? It wasn't like you were having a conversation or anything." Cordelia paused, realising who she was talking to. "Was it?"

"No, I guess I just, the time just flew that's all." Buffy answered, pissed off with all their questions. "I'm going to bed." She stormed out of Giles and headed over to UC Sunnydale.

Present

"Well, here we are." Buffy exclaimed as they walked into the house. She turned to Faith, who was standing outside, not knowing whether or not to go in.

"What's wrong?"

"I-I-I'm not welcome here, I know... I shouldn't come in. Your Mom..." Faith trailed off.

"My Mom is away, I say your welcome. No one else matters any more Faith, you can forget everyone's opinions. I know who you really are, I know the real you." Buffy whispered to her as she walked in the door.

"Those dreams were really something, weren't they?" Faith whispered back, rubbing her own arms up and down.

"Yeah... I wonder if- nothing. We'll talk about them later. But one thing, I was surprised when you visited me in my own home, I thought it would only work when I was at the hospital and had some physical contact with you." Buffy guided her into the front room. "Sit there. I'll make something hot to drink."

Faith lowered herself down onto the sofa, she was still freezing cold, her teeth were chattering and she guessed that mascara was probably running down her cheeks too. Buffy re-entered the room a few minutes later carrying two mugs with steam pouring out the top.

When she saw Faith she frowned. "Oh look at you, you're still cold. Go up to my room and I'll find you something to wear."

They walked up the stairs and headed into Buffy's room.

"It hasn't changed." Faith remarked, sitting down on Buffy's bed.

"Yeah, I'm not really into changing décor. It's not my scene." She rummaged around in the wardrobe and threw out a pair of sweats a string top and jumper. "There. Fashionable."

"Yeah, for the dead." Faith said, stripping off her top.

"Who's gonna see you?" Buffy laughed and turned around.

When Faith was dressed they headed downstairs. Faith sat down on the sofa. "I can't feel my fingers or toes." Faith laughed, Buffy reached over and put some logs in the fire along with newspaper and she set it alight. It took a few times to get it right but when she did it shot up, Faith could feel the heat on her toes almost right away. "Wanna up date me on what's been happenin' around ol' Sunnyhell?"

Buffy smiled. "We'll be here a while."

"Time is something I have plenty of."

"Good. Well at the moment I don't wanna go into too much detail so I'll give you the outline." Buffy handed the brunette her mug of cocoa and sat down beside her, making sure her side was against her. Sharing her warmth. "After the first joint dream we had I knew from what you said how I could defeat him. So..." Buffy grimaced. "I kept your knife, y'know. Giles still has it." She paused and then continued. "I coaxed the big ass ugly shit face of a demon into the school, using your knife. I ran through and Giles exploded the building when I was out."

"Wow, so school's out forever for Sunnydale High." Faith mumbled sipping on her mug.

"Yeah, you could say that." Buffy laughed.

"So, what's it like on the Angel front?" Faith asked carefully.

Buffy paused looking down into her own mug. She sighed deeply, feeling her body relax. "Well, he decided it would be best for both of us it'd be easier if he moved to L.A. and started a new life there. So after Sunnydale blew up, he left."

"How's Red doing?" Faith asked, deciding to change the subject to a happier one. Well for Buffy anyway.

Buffy smiled slightly at hearing Willow's familiar nickname. "She decided to go to UC Sunnydale with me. Even though she could have gone to some of the best colleges in America and a few in Europe too."

Faith raised an eyebrow. "OK, sorry to ask but, why?"

Buffy sipped her drink and turned to Faith. "Y'know, it was that time with you when she got kidnapped and you and her had some sort of riff. I'm not exactly too sure what happened, she babbles, anyway she decided this was what she wanted to do; fight crime."

"Good for her."

"Yeah, are you feeling OK, are you still cold?" Buffy put her hand on Faith's cheek and pressed on it, pulling her to look at her.

"I'm still cold." Faith muttered, holding herself tighter.

"I'll go get a blanket." Buffy said, jumping off the sofa and leaving the room. She returned a couple of seconds later with a large blanket in her hand. "Here."

"Thanks B, this means a lot. You know?" Faith whispered as Buffy laid the blanket over her.

"I know." Buffy whispered back as she wrapped the blanket around Faith's slim body. She looked up into her eyes and saw the familiar look of desire in them, which she saw so many times in the dreams and which was mirrored in her own.

4 months prior

"So this world is your brain, this is your personality. This is who you are." Buffy stated as they walked along in the midst of a dense forest.

"Yeah, places and things I remember and stuff which I don't." Faith said, skipping to the side of Buffy, she was twirling a leaf in her hand, occasionally ripping bits off of it.

"That's pretty cool."

"Yeah, the people who are here are in clothes which I remember them the best in. Which whenever I think of them I imagine them in those clothes."

For the first time Buffy looked down at her clothing. She was wearing leather pants, black leather bikini top and a knee-length black leather coat. Wow, lots of leather. She looked up a Faith with a questioning look. "I can't remember wearing this when we were hanging together." There was an awkward pause. "Actually I can't ever remember wearing this."

Faith grinned, blushing slightly. "Yeah, well... clothes I would like to see people in as well."

"That's cool. So how are you keeping?" Buffy asked.

"Not bad, I'm recovering. I can tell that. I'm getting bored though. You're the only exciting thing happening at the moment." Faith mumbled, and led them over to a bench in the middle of the forest.

"OK, this isn't weird or anything." Buffy gestured to the bench. "It just appeared."

"I wanted it to be there, that OK with you?"

"Why can't you be in my world? I'd do things my way there." Buffy pouted her bottom lip and purposely tried to look like a three year old.

Faith laughed. "How is everyone? Still hating me?"

Buffy frowned. "Hate is such a strong word, so I'd say yes." She looked up at the brunette who's face had fallen. "I'm sorry."

"S'OK, I don't blame them." Faith paused. Buffy realised that the scenery had totally changed. They were now in a room, it was dark outside and there was a log fire. They were sitting on a sofa. Buffy had a shocked and confused look on her face. Faith turned to her. She seemed to be totally unaware of what had happened. "You don't hate me... do you?" She looked so pitiful.

Buffy was still struggling to adjust with the idea that everything had just totally changed. "Eh, no. No of course I don't."

"You don't sound to sure."

"Sorry, it's just... DID YOU NOTICE ANY OF WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!?!" Buffy shouted, clearly distressed.

Faith looked up with a surprised expression. It changed to confused and then to realisation. "Oh," she stated. "You mean the room?"

"Well, there's nothing else I can think of which totally and utterly changed way out of proportion. Of course I'm talking about the room!"

Faith laughed. "Jeez, calm down! I did that. My mood changed and I did it unintentionally. This is my uncle's log cabin. He took my up here when I was a little girl. It's sentimental. It was refuge." She added, glancing around the room with a peaceful smile on her face. "It was the one time I was away from my family and he seemed to understand that." She laughed. "He spoilt me rotten."

Buffy smiled. "Sweet."

"Yeah, then I had to come back to my dad." Faith's expression took on a pained look.

"So..." Buffy exclaimed, trying to break the air. "You were saying about me hating you?"

"Do you? I can't blame you if you do. You have every right..."

She was silenced by Buffy's finger to her lips, their eyes caught one another and hey stared for eternity, drinking in one another. "Shush, we're even F."

Buffy bolted upright in the chair beside Faith's bed. A nurse walked into the room and saw Buffy sitting on the chair looking pretty dazed.

"Oh, hello." She said, a little startled.

"Eh, hi."

"I haven't see you before, Faith doesn't usually get visitors." She went over to the machines and bent down looking at them.

"Yeah, this is only my second visit." Buffy was feeling kinda uncomfortable.

"You a relative?"

"No."

"Friend?" She pressed some buttons on a monitor.

"Kind of." Buffy mumbled, looking down at the floor.

"Oh." The nurse said, straightening up. "I see." She winked at a confused Buffy. See what? "You're a good looking couple." She left the room.

"No! I didn't mean..." Buffy felt her cheeks redden. She stood up and left the hospital.

Present.

"I missed seeing the real you, all I had was picture perfect you in my head. Not that that wasn't nice or anything. I guess I just missed reality." Faith whispered, sighing as Buffy rubbed her arms up and down, creating warmth.

"Mmm, I missed having you around. Slaying's a bore without your 'Hungry and Horny' comments." Buffy laughed and for no reason cupped Faith's face.

They sat there for minutes, just looking at one another.

"You're so beautiful." Faith whispered.

"Even better in the flesh as they say." Buffy laughed again and sat down on Faith's lap.

"Be serious!" Faith mumbled as she studied Buffy's lips.

"You, Faith, are so beautiful it hurts. Not a day went by after the first dream when I didn't think of you and the next time I would see you." Buffy leant back against Faith, who wrapped her arms around the smaller girl.

"I love you, B." Faith whispered into her ear, flicking it, oh, so gently with her tongue.

Buffy flinched slightly and moaned. "I love you too, Faith."

3 1/2 months prior

"How's Xander?" Faith decided ask.

"He's got a new girlfriend, her name's Anya and he really likes her. I think." Buffy turned and looked at Faith, they were walking along the school corridor. It was dark outside and lights lit up the hallway.

"That's cool." Faith shrugged.

"Yeah, but I'm not really sure if it's a two way thing. Anya used to be some sort of man hating demon and she did all kinds of mean shit to them. But I think she considers Xander to be her - these are her words - 'Orgasm Tool.'"

Faith burst into fits of laughter, it echoed off the walls. "Sorry!" she managed to get out between trying to stifle her laughs. "I gotta meet this chick!"

"Sure just don't tell her you had sex with Xander, she's very possessive." Faith gave Buffy a funny look. "What?"

"I never told you that." Faith frowned.

"Xander told Willow...who also didn't take it very well... and Willow told me in-between her crying and sobbing." Buffy saw a poster up on one of the notice boards. It was promoting a summer dance. "Why's that here?"

Faith glanced over to where Buffy was looking. "I like dancing."

"I never knew that." Buffy smiled.

"You do now." Buffy continued to smile at her. "What? Don't look at me like that, it's really irritating."

"Teach me." Buffy stood in front of her and held out her arms.

"No."

"Why not?"

"No."

"Oh come on!"

"No."

"I'll hit you."

"Not unless you want me to hit you back." Faith mumbled and tried to step by her but couldn't.

"One dance... please." Buffy pleaded with her. She stepped right up to her. "I won't tell anyone." She whispered.

Faith sighed and took Buffy's arms. "Follow my feet. Let me move your body and I'll guide you." Music sounded all around them suddenly. Buffy grinned.

"I would never have pictured me dancing with you, ever." Faith began to guide her around the hall.

"Just shut up and dance B." Faith hissed as they seemed to glide around the hall. At one point Faith twirled Buffy around in a full circle and then pulled her back to her body, feeling her warmth against her own. She shot her a grin. As the dance ended Faith pulled Buffy closer to her body and looked down at her, lust filling her eyes.

"Wow," Buffy gasped.

"Yeah... wow," Faith whispered. She bent her head down and captured her lips in a passionate kiss. Their mouths opened and Faith sighed as Buffy's tongue slipped into her mouth briefly and then out again. Buffy wrapped her arms around Faith neck and Faith buried her hands into the blonde's hair.

"Whu-?" Buffy's body jolted and she sat up beside Faith's bed, her hand fell away from Faith's.

"Buffy. I knew I'd find you here. How are you?" It was Willow.

"Yeah, I'm OK." Buffy looked back down at Faith's sleeping form.

"You get inside her head, don't you?"

"How-"

"You do?"

"Yeah."

Willow smiled triumphantly. "I knew it!"

"Giles!" Willow bounded into the library.

He walked out his office, slightly taken aback as Willow ran over to him.

"Yes?" He asked.

"I was right!" Willow grinned. She wasn't often right, but this time she'd been bang on.

"About what?"

"Yesterday, when I said that Buffy could be inside her head and stuff like that. And you said; Nonsense!" Willow put on an English accent which failed miserably and made her sound Australian.

"Actually I said 'nonsense.' Not what you just said. Whatever it was. That was really bad, Willow. I don't think I've heard a worst English- Oh my God! Buffy has been connecting with Faith through her mind?!" Giles burst out. Which was very unlike Giles.

Willow raised an eyebrow. "Yeah." She said slowly.

"That's so dangerous! She's putting both of their lives in danger by doing that!!" Giles spun around and went back into his office. He picked up a book. "Yeah. She could get trapped and never come out. She would then be in a coma like state and would never wake up. Faith could die while Buffy is in her mind because it uses up a lot of her energy to transport someone from reality to dream world. Even if it is only Buffy's sub consciousness."

"OK, so it's a big no no?"

"Huge no no." Giles mumbled. "Find Buffy and tell her I want to talk to her."

Willow came back 10 minutes later with an angry Buffy. "What is it Giles?! It's not like I have a social life or anything."

"That's good. You've been talking to Faith I hear."

"Yeah. So?"

"You can't." There was a pause. "Not anymore, anyway."

"Why not?!" She looked at him, angry and depressed.

"Your Slayer bond is stronger then I anticipated. You can't visit because it uses up a lot of her energy to do this, if you use too much she will die and you will die along with her. Or you could get trapped inside her head and you'll go into a coma. I'm sorry Buffy." Giles took off his glasses.

"You were the one who wanted me to visit her! You wanted me to heal!" Buffy shouted at him.

"I know. I didn't realise this would happen. I'm so sorry." Giles looked as though he was waiting for her to hit him.

"Goddamn this..." Buffy trailed off and as she was walking out she kicked the cage which they kept Oz in, leaving a noticeable dent. She slammed the door behind her.

"At least she didn't hit me." Giles mumbled and turned around and walked into the office.