Title:Rogue Come Home
Author:John Hsieh
Feedback:sjhsieh@hotmail.com
Notes: All comments welcome! This is my first attempt in a long time at fiction, so be gentle.
Buffy stared out the window of her room.
"All I want to know is why," she exclaimed "She's jealous of me? What do I have that she doesn't? A stuffy watcher? A demon boyfriend? A mom too busy to pay attention? Well, at least I have a mom."
"You've got a point there," said Willow, sitting on the bed looking concerned.
Buffy plopped down next to Willow in deep contemplation. "But to go to the mayor? I don't get it. I tried. Where did I go wrong? I guess I wasn't a good enough friend."
"It's not your fault Buffy. It's no one's fault. I mean, she was unstable. And she had a lot of stuff pent up. Unhealthy stuff. Probably bordering on psychotic stuff. You couldn't have known."
"I know Wil, I guess I just didn't make an effort to find out, you know, like, getting to know about her past."
"Her unhealthy and psychotic past."
"Wil," said Buffy rolling her eyes at the other girl.
"I know, I know… we need to help her… positive attitude… got it."
"Well, we're not going to solve anything here. Besides, Wesley wants to train today. And he wants to 'talk.' Looks like I'm going to have a fun Saturday."
"Oz has a gig in LA," exclaimed Willow as she grinned, "I'm going with him this time."
"What about the English project, Wil?"
"Oh, I finished it yesterday."
"Yesterday? Great. Not only do I have to save the world, I'm also behind in English, and now my study buddy is leaving town."
"Oh Buffy, I can stay."
"No," said Buffy pouting, "It's okay. I can manage. I'm a big girl. Besides, if I had an opportunity to get out of Sunnyhell, I'd take it in a heartbeat. You have fun."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. Come on, I'll walk you out. I need to go see Wesley anyway."
The two girls left Buffy's house, each going their separate ways. Heading towards the library, Buffy again started thinking about her recent friend turned enemy.
"How can I help her now?" she thought, "I'll bet she isn't at the motel anymore. Wil was right. It can't be all my fault. She has serious emotional baggage. But trying to rob Angel of his soul, and tricking all of us… maybe I should give up on her, but I can't… I shouldn't."
The sun was blazing overhead on this rather warm afternoon, but she hardly noticed the heat. What troubled her the most was that she had no idea that this was coming. "How did Faith suddenly do a one-eighty?" she thought to herself as she neared the school, "Did she really have that many problems? And why should I have to worry about her?"
Shaking her head in frustration, she opened the door to the school. " Why do I have all the responsibility? There are two of us now. She should have to worry about this stuff too. I have to be the good one. The responsible one. Jealous of me, is she? She gets all the freedom. She doesn't have to worry about anything. She does what she wants to do. It's not fair. I wish I could be like that," she thought as she entered the library.
"I can't believe that they played me," thought Faith as she pounded away at her punching bag. "She thinks she's better than me?" She could feel her anger building up as she continued to wail away at the bag. "Screw her!" she thought, "Screw her, and her watcher, and her friends! Who needs them!" She could feel the madness and the anguish filling her. The madness consumed her, and everything else vanished. The strength born of the madness flowed through her like water, and found its target.
Suddenly, the punching bag came off its support and flew across the room, slamming hard into the far wall of the apartment.
Faith broke down. Her tears came quickly, and she collapsed to the floor, sobbing. "It's not fair!" she thought, "Why does she have friends? Why does she get such a great life, and here I am, alone. And scared. What have I gotten myself into?"
She stood up and brushed angrily at her tears. "Toughen up, girl. You're not a wuss."
She went into the kitchen and poured a glass of water. "But still, I wonder what it is like to be a slayer and have friends and family. I wish I could be like that," she thought as she chugged down a big mouthful.
(Flash) Suddenly, Faith found herself standing in the doorway of library. She looked around, as surprised as she had ever been.
"Ah! Buffy!" came a voice in a thick and pompous British accent.
"What did you call me?" she said, wide-eyed and disoriented.
An awkward pause ensued. "Buffy, are you alright?" came the voice again as Wesley stepped into view.
She looked down at herself. Her hands… were not her hands. Her outfit… "What the hell am I wearing?" she thought to herself as she studied her pink top and cotton pants. She looked up to find Wesley staring at her inquisitively.
"I'm fine," she managed to muster. Her voice was all wrong too. She studied her hands again, as well as the rest of her body. She noticed that everything was about three inches taller, including Wesley. "Well then, spit spot! We have a long afternoon," piped Wesley. He turned into his office again.
She quickly ran over to the wooden table in the center of the library and glanced at the polished surface. The reflection was not very clear, but the image was undeniable. She was staring into Buffy's face! She staggered backwards, trying to think. Suddenly, it dawned on her. "Oh my!" was all she could think.
(Flash) She was choking on water. She quickly spit out a mouthful and was coughing profusely. She managed to stop after a few hacks, then looked around. She was standing in the kitchen of a very nice apartment. "What the hell?" she thought, "Where am I?"
Then she noticed that she was sweating, but something didn't feel right about the way she brought her hand up to wipe her sweat. She looked at her hand, and staggered backwards, bumping into the fridge. She stared at her hand for awhile, then looked down at the rest of herself. "Whoa!"
she exclaimed out loud.
Quickly, she searched her thoughts for an explanation, but found nothing. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of her hair…only it was too long and dark to be hers…
Realization flooded her, and she desperately looked around for a mirror. She charged into the open doorway of the bathroom and peered into the mirror. She was staring at Faith. She staggered backwards again, and tripped into the bathtub, bumping her head into the tiled wall, but she didn't feel it. Her eyes were wide with shock and disorientation.
Letting herself calm down a bit, she slowly got up and went back to the mirror. Sure enough, Faith was staring back at her. She tried to think. "This has got to be a dream," she said out loud, and pinched herself. She felt pain. "Okay, maybe not. I didn't mean it! I didn't mean it when I wished for that!" was all she said.
Suddenly, she heard a knock at the front door. She stood in front of the mirror, unable to take action, and listening to the knock for a couple of seconds. Then she gradually approached the door and cracked it open. "Ah! You're here. Good," said a tall, middle-aged man, "And how's my
girl this fine afternoon? I was hoping to catch you before decided to leave. Of course, I didn't think that you would be up this early," the man said with a chuckle.
He stepped past her and into the apartment. "Huh, and I see you've been working out," he said as he inspected the punching bag as well as the huge dent in the wall. "I'll see what I can do about getting this fixed. But you have to promise me something tonight."
All Buffy could do was stare at the mayor.
"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"
"What is it?" mustered Buffy. But it wasn't her voice.
"There is a shipment coming in tonight. For me, on the docks. I need you to go and retrieve it. And bring some backup with you. You might run into trouble."
"Yeah, sure," said Buffy, not really listening.
"Good!" said the mayor, "I'll see about fixing this. But in the meantime, be a good girl. Daddy's busy today. There is an auction for charity at the art gallery, and a reception afterwards which I have to give a speech.
But don't worry, we'll go bowling tomorrow. It'll be Sunday, free shoe rentals!" He flashed a broad smile. "Now you get yourself cleaned up. A clean slayer is a healthy slayer!"
With that, he turned and left. "Huh," thought Buffy, "So the mayor throws some money at Faith, and lures her into working for him. The creep! Preying on a confused and scared girl like that! I have to get through to Faith, convince her that she is being used. I have to go to Giles and
find out about… this," she thought as she looked down at her new body. "But wait, Faith might be me… and she might be at the library, in which case… no! I have a better idea."
Faith was amazed at the strength of her new body. She was definitely more nimble, and quicker than before. She felt a burst of strength as she rounded the corner of the last stretch in the obstacle course.
"And… Stop!" cried Wesley, looking down at a timer he held in his hands. "Huh… two seconds off your best time. Remember Buffy, preparation is the key!"
"Yeah, whatever," Faith responded.
"Buffy! I know that you don't like me, but remember that this rebellious attitude has gotten you in trouble before."
"Spare me the lecture, Pops. I really don't want to hear it."
"Buffy," exclaimed Wesley, pausing to put the most serious expression on that he could, "I'm not asking you to like me, but I am asking you to respect me as your watcher, and to respect the job that I perform. You have to trust that I know what is best for you."
"Oh yeah, and what is that?" said Faith, a little annoyed.
"Look, I know that I have made mistakes in the past. I admit that Faith was my responsibility, and that I should have kept a closer eye on her. Also, I know I made a mistake when I tried to send her back to England… but I know better now. I am trying, Buffy. This is not how I imagined it to be. I am only human, and I am hoping that you and Mr. Giles can see that."
Suddenly interested, Faith said, "It was a mistake?"
"What? Faith? You told me it was a mistake. I can see your point, now. I had no idea that she would turn evil. The council was not particularly pleased with me on that issue. And I admit, that I probably handled the situation rather hastily."
Faith looked at the ground.
"Anyhow, Faith is our top priority now. A rogue slayer is dangerous. Since you and Mr. Giles feel that killing her is out of the question, then we must help her. Though I feel that, if necessary, she
may have to be… terminated."
"Really?" Faith thought to herself. "Buffy had a chance to kill me… but didn't because she couldn't. Not because she wouldn't, right?"
"Let's go inside now and prepare for tonight's patrol," said Wesley, "Mr. Giles has prepared new weapons for you to try."
Deep in thought, Faith could not speak. She followed Wesley back into the library where Giles was fumbling around in the weapons cabinet.
"Buffy," Giles acknowledged briefly as he busily continued. Faith looked at him hesitantly, thinking that Giles could see through her, but he wasn't even looking in her direction.
"We have a new crossbow. It's smaller, able to be concealed," Giles said, handing it to her, "See if it has enough power to drive a stake through a vampire."
Faith glanced at it, but wasn't really interested in it.
"Also, if you run into Faith," said Giles lowering his voice, watching Wesley as he walked in into the office, "Avoid fighting her. You know that sparking a confrontation will only make it more difficult to bring her back."
Faith stared blankly at Giles.
"Understood?"
"Yeah, whatever," said Faith absently.
"Buffy, are you alright?" asked Giles inquisitively.
"Yeah," she said absently again, "Yeah," she said, forcing herself to pay attention, "No problem."
"Just keep in mind that she is not evil, just confused and scared. Provoking a confrontation will only serve to back her against the wall. Any hope of bringing her back will diminish with every fight."
"Alright. I'll keep that in mind," said Faith. She thought, "They actually care? Huh."
"Now off you go. The sun's almost gone. And be careful."
"Yeah," said Faith, and she went out to face the setting sun.
Waiting for the sun to set, Angel paced back and forth anxiously. He had to get to Buffy to tell her the news. Suddenly, a soft shuffle came from behind. He turned around quickly.
"Angel?"
"What do you want?" said Angel suspiciously, looking at the new visitor.
"Angel, I need your help."
"Don't you think that's a little old? You got guts coming here."
"No, Angel, it's not what you think… it's not me. I mean it's not me me…" she babbled. Frustration was setting in. "Ok. Let's start over. I'm not Faith. I'm Buffy."
Angel stared, looking puzzled.
"I know what you're thinking, but just hear me out. Please." Angel crossed his arms and waited.
"Somehow, I ended up in her body. I made this wish, and all of a sudden, poof! I was in her body. I dunno how it happened, or what's going on…" Angel still looked suspicious. "Look, I don't expect you to believe me. Not yet at least," said Buffy, fighting off frustration. "How can I believe you after the stunt that you tried to pull?"
"Look, I'm just trying to figure this out," said a defeated Buffy, looking at the floor, "I'm not sure if we switched bodies, or if it's just me… but if we did switch, watch out for her, I mean me, RGHH!!" said Buffy, now totally flustered.
"I think you'd better leave now," said Angel.
"Yeah," said Buffy softly. She turned to leave, and looked back briefly. Angel just stared after her.
"Giles," said Angel as he entered the library, approaching the librarian sitting at the large table.
"Is something wrong?" asked the librarian, seeing a concerned look on the vampire's face.
"It's Buffy… somehow, she and Faith…" He paused to think. "What do you know about trans-possession?"
"Excuse me?" asked Giles, rather confused.
"I think something has happened. Faith came to see me, claiming that she was Buffy. I know that she doesn't exactly have an honest track record, but something about her behavior… told me it was worth investigating."
"You think that Buffy and Faith are somehow… trans-possessed?" asked Giles inquisitively.
"It's possible… if Faith was pretending again, I don't think she would have given up so easily."
"Come to think of it, Buffy was behaving rather oddly as well. I'll see what I can dig up. Meanwhile, why don't you try to find them and maybe confirm our little… theory."
"Good idea… where did Buffy go?"
"She went out on patrol… she's been gone less than an hour. And be cautious… if Buffy is indeed Faith, and vice versa… the real Faith will have no hesitation putting a stake through you."
"I know," said Angel, "Oh, and I almost forgot, there is something coming in at the docks tonight. Word has it that it's some sort of mystical artifact. It probably has something to do with the mayor's ascension. We should try to keep it from him."
"Huh," contemplated Giles, "Yes, well… get to Buffy first. She's out there, no matter whose body she is in. She will be willing to help."
"Right," said Angel as he turned and ventured into the night.
"What?" piped a very puzzled Wesley, stepping out of the office, "What's going on? What was he doing here? Why am I always in the dark?"
Giles gave him a sideways look, hiding a grin.
Faith studied the little crossbow in her hands. She slipped it into her sleeve and admired the inconspicuous properties of the weapon. "I could really use something like this," she thought to herself. "God, patrolling alone is so boring. I kinda miss B's company. Maybe I should go back my apartment… but no… the mayor might be there, and this is the perfect disguise from him. If I'm in B's body, I wonder if she's in mine."
She weaved in and out of the head stones in the cemetery, not really knowing what to do. Suddenly, a vampire reared its ugly head from behind a tree. Faith set into action, swiftly kicking it twice in the head, then shoved it to the ground. It struggled a little when Faith shot a stake through the heart with the crossbow, but it exploded into dust before she could think twice. She gasped. "That's how I got in trouble the other time," she thought, "Not thinking before I kill. I got lucky this time."
A voice came from behind her. "Buffy?" She whipped around quickly to see a figure in the shadows, but the voice was undeniable.
"Angel?" asked Faith, "Is that you?" She still could not believe her voice was so high compared to what it normally would be.
"Hey," he said, stepping out of the shadows. He gave her a concerned look but sad look. "How are you?"
"Good," was all Faith could muster. She could not help but admire his good looks.
And awkward silence elapsed. Then Faith saw her opportunity.
"So, aren't you happy to see me?" she asked seductively.
"Of course I am," responded Angel. He managed a half-smile. They approached each other and kissed. After about thirty seconds, he muttered, "Out killing vampires by yourself again? Actually, I think you're needed elsewhere. There is something going down at the docks tonight. There is a shipment coming in and it's making big news in the underground. Money has it that the mayor will want to get his hands on it."
"Well then, I guess we'd better stop him, huh," said Faith, still enamored with Angel.
"Yeah, you do that… I'm busy. I have to find Faith. She came to see me again, asking for help. I'm trying to find out what she wants, and if its another attempt like last time. In the meantime, you be careful." Concern suddenly flooded Faith, and it showed on her face. "Came to see you?" thought Faith, "If it wasn't me, then who? And if it was Buffy, why didn't she tell him that it wasn't really her?" She didn't notice that she was spacing out.
"Buffy?" said Angel, "Are you okay?"
She looked up, seeing Angel staring at her. "Yeah, I'm fine. Go ahead, yeah, find Faith, see what she wants. I'll go to the docks."
"Be careful."
"Sure," she said absentmindedly as she walked off. Angel watched her go, then smiled.
"Well, I'll be damned," he said aloud.
Buffy walked among the sea of wooden crates stacked on the docks. She shook her head. There is no way I'm going to find this thing," she thought, "It would help immensely if I knew what I was looking for! God, I'm so mentally challenged! What did I expect? Flashing lights saying 'Hi, find me! I'm evil!' Maybe I should have asked the mayor more… but I didn't want him to get suspicious."
Suddenly, a voice came from behind her. "Well, well, why am I not surprised to find you here?"
Buffy turned around and found herself staring at her body… but… "So, I guess this was a mutual thing, huh," said Buffy, trying to hide her surprise.
"Wow, B, you're looking better than ever. I have to admit, though, that it's pretty fun being you, besides the cutsie little outfits" said Faith with her usual snide tone, "People telling you to 'be careful' and 'watch your back' and stuff. I have to say it's been a blast. And Angel, he was very… uhhhh! Your life is just wine and roses, isn't it? Gee, I haven't even been to your house yet! Does your mom cook for you? Does she tuck you in every night? Does she say 'Sweet dreams, honey' and all of that shit? I'll bet she even reads you bedtime stories, and God forbid, even kisses you goodnight!"
Buffy could see tears of rage welling up in Faith's eyes. She had to be careful. "Faith, I know about the apartment. And I know about the mayor. Faith, he's manipulating you. None of it's genuine. He will turn on you in a heartbeat."
"Wrong B, he is the only one who gives a crap about me. It's very simple. I do what he asks, and he gives me a roof over my head and food on the table."
"Can't you see that he's being deceptive? Bowling? A Playstation? Come on Faith, he's using you! Open your eyes for just one second! He's giving you exactly what you want! He doesn't really need you. He wants you to keep me off of his back until his ascension. After that, he won't give a damn whether you're dead or alive."
"See, that's where you're wrong, B. What do you know about what I want, huh? You have no idea what I want."
"No, that's where you're wrong, Faith. I do know what you want. I know all too well." Buffy paused and watched Faith's reaction. Faith said nothing, only looked at the ground. She continued, "I know exactly what you want because I've been there. I know how lonely it is, how scary it can be. But I was lucky, Faith. I had friends and family to help me pick up the pieces, but you have nothing. And so you're running. Running from your problems." Faith bit her lip. "And I'm telling you right now that running is not the answer. Believe me, I know. It only makes things
worse." Buffy paused to let that sink in. "I'm not giving up on you, Faith. You can push me away all you want, but I will always be right there in front of you. I had friends there for me, and now it's my turn. Let me help you. My life isn't all peaches and fruit either. But like you said before, we're the chosen two. That makes us honorary sisters. And I'm not going to just sit by and let my sister go down this path, because it pains me to watch, and it bothers me to see that I could easily have done the same if the circumstances were different. But it's not too late, Faith. Please…. let me help."
Faith shuffled uncomfortably, refusing to meet Buffy's gaze.
Suddenly, out leapt six vampires from behind a huge crate. They grabbed Faith's now small frame and pinned her to the ground.
"Wait!" yelled Buffy, trying to create authority in her voice. "Let me handle her."
"Wrong, pretty girl!" said the obvious leader of the pack, "The mayor wants to have a word with you. Meanwhile, our orders are to kill this one," said the vampire, eyeing the blonde pressed down against the ground.
She had to think quickly. "She knows where it is," she piped. She crossed her fingers.
"We can find it," replied the vampire, still gazing hungrily.
"That could take hours. She beat me hear and found it. I'm guessing she couldn't move it, so she came out for help. I caught her." She was really stretching it now.
The vampire thought for a second. Then he roughly pulled the blonde to her feet and forced her towards some large crates. "Lead the way!"
Faith looked back at Buffy, hoping that she had a plan.
Faith wondered in and out of the crates, with Buffy and the vampire convoy following, eyeing her suspiciously. "Does she really care? Maybe she's trying to trick me," thought Faith, "I want to trust her… I need to trust her."
Suddenly a pain came down on her head. She turned around, trying to shake it off. "Quit stalling!" said the lead vampire.
"Okay, okay!" she replied. She turned around again, and a strange feeling overcame her. A force
seemed to be pulling her in one direction. She followed this feeling, unsure of what it was, but she was extremely curious. She finally came upon a large crate, standing alone. She could feel that this was what they were looking for, what the mayor wanted. There was a strange light emanating from the cracks of the crate. She cautiously approached it. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Buffy approaching it as well. The vampires stood, gazing after the two slayers as they ripped the top off of it. The sides fell with a thud, revealing a large stone statue of an animal-like figure. The eyes were glowing bright red, seeming to hypnotize the two slayers as they both reached out and touched the statue.
(Flash) Buffy blinked, and suddenly found herself on the other side of the statue. Shaking off the dizziness, she looked down at her hands and body. She was back! Back in her body! She noticed that the eyes of the statue had stopped glowing. Faith stood across from her, looking extremely confused and disoriented.
"Foolish girl! Now we have no more use for you!" said the lead vampire. All of a sudden, Buffy found herself slammed against floor. She fought to her feet quickly, ready to defend herself, welcoming the familiar feel of her own body. However, five vampires quickly surrounded her. There was only a brief pause before the first fist came flying at her head. She moved swiftly, ducking under the punch before delivering two swift blows. The vampire was knocked to the floor, but before she could move again, she was hit from behind and knocked to the floor.
Then something grabbed her from behind, and picked her up off the ground, pinning her arms behind her. Then two vampires approached her. She kicked out with her feet in vain, trying to break free from the hold. The approaching vampires showed their fangs, ready to drain her.
(Flash) Faith regained her wits, and noticed that she was suddenly on the other side of the statue. She had her body back! She reached up and felt the long, dark curls that fell on the side of her face.
"Foolish girl! Now we have no more use for you!" was all she heard before she saw Buffy being hit to the ground. Five vampires converged on her, while the lead vampire signaled to a large truck parked not one hundred yards away. The truck came up rumbling up with the cargo door open. Two vampires hopped out of the back and loaded the statue into the back.
"The mayor wants to see you!" one of the vampires said to Faith, who was still watching Buffy struggle against the other vampires.
"Yeah," she said, waving the vampire off.
The lead vampire climbed into the truck with the other two and sped off, but Faith didn't even notice. Buffy was losing. One of the vampires had her arms pinned behind her. They were going to bite her.
"Faith!" screamed Buffy. Buffy kicked hard at the approaching vampires, but it didn't stop them. Faith looked on. She saw the horror on the other slayer's face. She saw the desperation as the fangs from the vampires closed in on her neck. "She's just as scared as I am, isn't she?" she thought, "She's also alone… Like me." She stood there and watched the other slayer struggling against her attackers. Time seemed to freeze as two vampires approached Buffy, ready for the feed.
"This is how it's suppose to be," thought Faith, "We're slayers. We fight alone. We die alone. Then a new slayer is called. Nothing changes that. But no! She's not alone! And neither am I! She promised she'd be there for me! She's my sister, and I am not going to let her die!"
Faith lashed out. Vampires went flying in every direction. Buffy saw the created distraction, and took advantage. She back-flipped over the vampire that had her arms, landing behind it. She sent it flying with a sidekick.
Buffy paused to look around. Then she noticed something up her sleeve. A crossbow! She dusted two vampires before they knew what hit them.
Faith threw a vampire into a wall of crates, and they came crashing down, burying the vampire and splintering many crates. She reached for a newly splintered stake, whipped around and plunged it into another attacking vampire.
The buried vampire fought his way out and was on his feet, growling at Faith. Rage and madness flooded her, as well as her slayer strength. She charged the vampire and they ended up on the floor with Faith on top of the vampire, pounding it.
Buffy fired the crossbow at the remaining vampire, but nothing happened. "Damn it! Empty! This always happens," she thought as she swiftly ducked under a punch. Another quick sidekick sent the vampire sprawling. It fought to its feet again and looked around. Seeing its comrades nowhere to be found, it took off running. Buffy still heard commotion. She looked around and saw Faith sitting on top of a vampire, clobbering it repeatedly with both hands. She looked around the splintered crates and found a good-sized stake. Then she slowly walked towards Faith.
"Faith," she said gently. The hitting continued. "Faith, please" she implored, "Release your anger. Let it out."
Tears flooded Faith. "You demon bastards! You bastards!" She broke down.
Buffy felt her own eyes welling up also. "I didn't know you had so much rage," she said softly. She gently reached down and pried off the sobbing Faith. The vampire was out cold, with no iscernable facial features left. She plunged the stake, and the vampire exploded into dust.
Buffy looked at Faith, now a sobbing heap on the ground. Buffy knelt down next to her and put her arms around her. Faith just cried.
"So it turns out," said Giles, sitting at the head of the table in the library, "That the statue was an ancient Mayan artifact, used in spiritual sacrifices. Its supernatural properties were never cataloged, but it is believed that it has the power to transfer spirits among bodies. It also has a history of far reaching effects. Although it works best when in direct contact with it, it is also capable of emitting spiritual energy that can effect things at great distances."
"So, Faith and I switching had to do with the statue thingy?" said the blonde slayer inquisitively.
"Yes."
"And it switched us back when we touched it?" asked the dark slayer, giving the blonde slayer a sideways glance.
"Yes, as far as I can discern. Its proximity to the hellmouth probably triggered the energy release. Why it affected the two of you, well, I'll have to say was coincidence."
"I can't believe I missed this," piped Xander, looking hurt. "I wonder what it would be like to be a watcher for a day. Or, hey, maybe even a slayer!" Everybody turned and stared. Awkward silence ensued. "Okay! I say we celebrate Faith coming back to the home team. Anyone second?"
"Second," responded Oz.
"Yes, this is cause for celebration," added Willow, giving Faith a happy but hesitant smile.
"Wow… you know I'm always up for a party," said Faith, " Thanks guys. Too bad we couldn't get that statue thing, though. Sorry," she said to Giles.
"No, no… we… gained… something far more valuable from this experience," said the librarian with a small smile, "Welcome back, Faith."
"Yeah, welcome back," said Buffy, returning the sideways glance to Faith. The two slayers smiled at each other.
"There is something between those two that we'll just never get," observed Xander, which elicited laughter from the slayers.
