Senior year began the year of being able to leave campus to eat lunch. 

On the steps, Willow, Oz and I were waiting for Xander and Cordelia so we could go meet up with Buffy.

Oz and I were calm.

Willow was swaying around, almost nervously, smiling. "I'm giddy. It's the freedom. As Seniors, we can go off-campus now for lunch. It's no longer cutting. It's legal. Heck, it's expected. Wow, it's, uh, also a big step forward, a Senior moment, one that has to be savored." Oz and I looked back to see Cordelia and Xander coming. "You can't just rush into this, you know?" Cordelia and Xander stood on the other side of Willow. Xander and Oz, on either side of Willow, grabbed each of her arms to pull her down the stairs and across the street, with Cordelia and I following them on either side. "Oh!" Willow started to resist, leaning back with all her weight. "No, I can't!" 

Xander and Oz just lifted her by the arms, pulling her harder.

Cordelia smiled.

"You can," I told her. 

 "See, you are," Xander told her.

"Oh, but, no!" Willow told us. "What if they changed the rule without telling? What if they're lying in wait to arrest me, a--and, and throw me in detention and mar my unblemished record?" 

 We reached the other side of the street.

Xander and Oz steadied Willow on the sidewalk.

"Breathe," I told her. "Breathe." 

 Willow took a breath, letting it out, calming herself. "Okay. Hmm..." Oz let go of Willow, taking my hand, leading me forward. I smiled, leaning my head on his shoulder. Xander let go of Willow, putting his arm around Cordelia. We walked into the small park in front of the school. Willow finally relaxed. "This is good. This is...Hey, we're Seniors." The next time she spoke, she spoke with attitude. "Hey, I'm walking here." 

Willow giggled. 

We saw Buffy just inside the park. She had laid out a blanket in the shade of a palm tree by a bench, and was setting out serving plates of food and bottles of drinks. 

 "Ah, Buffy and food," Xander said.

Willow looked from Cordelia and Xander to Oz and me on either side of her. "Maybe you guys shouldn't be too couple-y around Buffy."

"Oh, you mean 'cause of how the only guy that ever like her turned into a vicious killer and had to be put down like a dog?" Cordelia asked.

"Can she cram complex issues into a nutshell, or what?" Xander asked admiringly. 

We came up behind the tree just out of Buffy's view.

"All right, prepare to uncouple," Oz told us. We took a few more steps. "Uncouple."

Cordelia and Xander, Oz and I let go of each other as we came around the tree.

Cordelia and Willow crossed in front of Xander and Oz to stand next to me so Buffy saw us girls on the left, boys on the left. 

"Buff, banned from campus, but not from our hearts," I told her. "How are you and what's for lunch?" 

 Oz climbed onto the bench, sitting on the backrest.

The rest of us knelt on the blanket next to Buffy. 

"Oh, I just threw a few things together," Buffy told us.

"When did you become Martha Stewart?" Cordelia asked, impressed with the food. 

"First of all, Martha Stewart knows jack about hand cut prosciutto," Buffy told us, handing out the drinks.

"I don't believe she slays, either," I told them. 

 "Oh, I hear she can, but she doesn't like to," Oz told us.

I smiled. 

Buffy opened her bottle. "Second of all, way too much free time on my hands since I got kicked out of school."

Buffy took a drink.

"Oh, I know they'll let you back in," Willow told her, taking a drink.

"Don't you and your mom have a meeting with Principal Snyder?" Xander asked. 

"We're seeing Snyde-Man tomorrow," Buffy answered. 

I noticed a boy. "Ooh, Scott Hope at eleven o'clock." Buffy looked toward Scott. I looked at Buffy. "He likes you. He wanted to ask you out last year, but you weren't ready then."

"But I think you're ready now, or at least in the state of pre-readiness to make conversation, or--or to do that thing with your mouth that boys like," Willow told her. Buffy gave Willow a shocked look. Willow realized her slip up. "Oh. I didn't mean the bad thing with your mouth. I meant that little half-smile thing that you... I'm gonna stop talking now." 

Willow took a drink. 

 Scott had finished talking with his friends, walking toward us. 

Buffy watched him approach.

As Scott passed, he looked over at Buffy, smiling. "Hi, Buffy."

Buffy smiled. "Hi."

Scott continued to walk away.

Willow broke into a smile. "I think that went very well. Don't you think that went very well?" 

 "He didn't try to slit our throats or anything," Cordelia told us, nodding. "That's progress."

Willow looked at Buffy. "Hey, did you do that little half-smile thing?" 

 Buffy sighed. "Look, I'm not trying to snare Scott Hope. I just want to get my life back. You know, do normal stuff."

"Like date?" I asked.

 Buffy tried to hide a small smile. "Well..."

"Oh, you wanna date," Xander told her. "I saw that half-smile, you little slut."  He chuckled. Buffy punched him on the arm. Xander smiled, chuckling. "Ow." 

Xander winced, holding his arm.

"All right, yes, date and shop and hang out and go to school and save the world from unspeakable demons," Buffy told us. "You know, I wanna do girlie stuff!"  

~~~

At school, we walked into the library.

Buffy was back! 

The library seemed to be empty of people

Willow looked at Buffy. "It's so great that you're a school girl again."

"Giles say what he wanted?" Buffy asked. "Do you think he's mad?"

We stopped at the counter. There were bowls and jars of various dried herbs arrayed on it. 

"No, I don't think so," I answered. "I think he just needed to see you." I smiled. "You'd know when he's mad, even when he's too English to say anything, because he makes that weird cluck-cluck sound with his tongue." Giles suddenly rose up from behind the counter, looking at the things he had laid out on the counter. I smiled awkwardly. "Hi, Giles. Been there long?" 

Giles was preoccupied. "Buffy, good timing." He looked around behind the counter. "I could use your help. I trust you remember the demon Acathla?"

"Giles, contain yourself," Buffy told him. "Yes, I'm back in school, but you know how it embarrasses me when you gush so." Giles looked up from his searching. "Let's just skip all that and get straight to work."

Giles slowly stood straight. "Oh, ah, well, I, um... Well, of course. It's wonderful to have you back. It goes without saying." Buffy raised her eyebrows, smiling. "But..." Giles noticed her look. "You enjoy making me say it, don't you?"

Giles set his glasses on his nose, continuing to look around.

I played with a bowl on the counter. "Okay, Acathla, huh? What are you doing, making him some demon pizza?" 

I picked up a bundle of sage, sniffing it, wincing at the horrible smell. I held it toward Buffy to smell, who frowned. Buffy held it toward Willow to smell, who smiled. 

"We need to make sure that he remains dormant and that the dimensional vortex is sealed tight," Giles told us. "So I'm working on a binding spell."

Willow perked up. "Oh, a spell? Can I help?" 

"Possibly, with the research," Giles answered. "It's very sensitive, and..."

Willow looked hurt. "Oh. Who's more sensitive than me?" 

"...and difficult spell," Giles told her. Willow frowned. "It involves creating a--a protective circle around... Well, I don't want to bore you with the details, but, uh, well, there's a litany that one has to recite in Aramaic, and it's very specific." Giles looked at Buffy. "So, I need to get a few details about your experience of defeating Acathla and Angel."

Giles started ingredient hunting again. 

Buffy considered for a moment. "Fire away."

"I've put the time at about, um..." Giles trailed off, checking his notes. "6:17, around, about half an hour after Xander rescued me."

Giles came back to the counter. 

"Less," Buffy told him. "More like ten minutes."

"Oh, was the vortex already open?" Giles asked.

"Barely," Buffy answered. 

"I see," Giles said. "And Angel?" 

"A big fight, Angel got the pointy end of the sword, Acathla sucked him into Hell inside of the world," Buffy answered. "That's about it."

Giles wrote a few notes. "Yes, well, that, um... should be very helpful."

Buffy checked her watch. "Oh, no, I have to go take an English makeup exam." She got her pile of books from the counter. "They give you credit just for speaking it, right?" Giles, Willow and I gave her a look. "Oh..."

Buffy walked out the door to go take her exam.

Willow picked up the bundle of sage, sniffing it. "Mm, sage. I love that smell." She reached into a jar. "And marnox root. You know, a smidge of this mixed with a virgin's saliva..." Giles gave her a look. "Does something I know nothing about."

 I smiled. 

"These forces are not something that one plays around with, Willow," Giles told her. "What have you been conjuring?"

"Nothing... much." Willow told us. "Well, you know, I tried this spell to cure Angel, and I guess that was a bust. But since then, you know, small stuff. Floating a feather, fire out of ice, which next time, I won't do on the bedspread." Giles looked down. "Are you mad at me?"

Giles looked up. "No, of course not, no." He gave me a significant look. "If I were, I would be making a strange clucking sound with my tongue."

 Busted, I gave him a cute smile. 

~~~

Later that night, we went to the Bronze, listening to the band Darling Violetta playing their song "Cure."

On the dance floor, most of the couples were dancing normally, but there was one couple that was more energetic about it, sticking out.

Lyrics: "I've given you every part of me / Tried everything I could to make you see."

Another couple left the dance floor. 

 Lyrics: "But you don't love yourself." 

 Oz and I were kissing on a love seat. 

Buffy and Willow walked closer, sitting in a chairs across from us.

"Don't let us interrupt," Willow told us. 

  I looked up with a cute smile. 

Buffy smiled, handing Oz one of the drinks. 

"Thanks," Oz told her. 

 Lyrics: "You can't love me or anyone else." 

I noticed Buffy's cheery mood, smiling as Oz accepted another drink from her, passing one to me. "Are you..." I looked at Oz. "Is she all glowy?" 

Buffy rolled her eyes up to the right, giving us an innocent look.

"Yeah, I suspect happiness," Oz told me. 

Buffy smiled. "I passed my English makeup exam, hanging with my friends. Hello, my life, how I've missed you." 

Scott approached us.

"Hi, Scott," Willow told him. "What are you doing here?" 

"You told me if I came after 8:00, I could run into Buffy," Scott told her. 

Buffy gave Willow a look.

Willow was embarrassed, hiding behind her drink, taking a big sip.

Scott looked at Buffy, smiling. "Uh, I'm sorry, I'm a bad liar. It's not good for the soul." He gestured to his face. "Or the skin, actually. It makes me blotch."

"Hi, Scott," Buffy told him, smiling. 

"Hi," Scott told her. Things were a bit awkward now. Scott looked around for something to comment on. "Don't you love this song?" 

"Uh, yeah," Buffy answered. "Actually, I do." 

"Well, would you like to..." Scott trailed off, gesturing to the dance floor. 

"Dance?" Buffy asked. "Um..." I smiled at her encouragingly. "I don't know." Willow frowned. I gave Buffy a look. "I'm bad with... well..." Buffy fidgeted. "Thank you for asking, it's just that there..."

"Okay, you know what?" Scott asked. "I'm just gonna go stand by the dance floor. If you change your mind, you can mosey on over, and then if not, then you don't mosey. No harm, no foul, right?"

"Right," Buffy said halfheartedly.

Scott walked off to find a place to wait.

Buffy rolled her eyes, leaning her head back, mentally kicking herself for the way she handled that.

"Come on, Buffy," I told her. "I mean, the guy is charm, and normal, which is what you wanted to get back to."

"Plus, bonus points for use of the word 'mosey'," Oz told her.

"I just don't think I'm ready," Buffy told us. 

 "What's stopping you?" I asked. 

 Cordelia and Xander walked up.

"Check out Slut-O-Rama and her Disco Dave," Cordelia told us, pointing and looking onto the dance floor and she and Xander sat on a low table against a wall. We followed her gaze to the energetically dancing couple. Although the brunette haired girl's style was more contemporary, the guy was dancing way too fast for the music, with an unmistakable '70s disco influence. "What was the last thing that guy danced to, K.C. and the Sunshine Band?" 

 Oz and I tilted our heads to look toward the couple. 

The couple contiued to dance, getting close and touching each other at one point, then separating again.

Lyrics: "You said I was the best thing in your life." 

Buffy and I exchanged a look, really beginning to wonder about them. We both looked back at the couple. 

The couple got close again. The girl pointed at the door. The guy took the hint, leading her out with his arm around her.

We watched them go, suspicious. 

The guy said bye to his buddy, heading out of the door with the girl. 

"I don't think that guy thrives on sunshine," Buffy told us.

"There's something off about the girl, too," I told her.

"Double team?" Buffy asked.

"Double team," I answered. 

"Go get 'em," Xander told us. 

Buffy and I stood, walking toward the door. 

Scott saw Buffy, stepping over to intercept her. "Hi."

Buffy stopped short, startled. "Hi. Oh." She frowned. "No. I..." She pointed at the door. "I--I have to..."

"Buffy, come on, if I don't get back before curfew, my mom's gonna kill me," I told her to get her out of there.

Scott looked back at me. "Oh." Buffy gave me a thankful look. "Uh, sorry." Scott looked at Buffy. "My bad."

"No, it's mine," Buffy told him, apologetic. "Really, it's mine, but I..." She glanced back at the others. "I have to go."

Buffy and I hurried outside, looking around. 

"Where'd they go?" I asked. 

We took a few steps down the alley to the left to check things out.

Cordelia, Xander, Willow and Oz followed us out. 

 "I bet it's nothing," Cordelia told us. "They're probably just making out."

Buffy and I started to turn back.

We heard a girl call out in a complaining tone. "Hey!" 

 We heard a loud noise, as if something had just broken.

I pulled out a stake from my jacket, heading in the direction of the noise.  

"You got another one of those?" Buffy asked.

I pulled out another stake from my other sleeve, handing it to her. 

"That's not what making out sounds like, not that I would know," Willow told us. 

They followed us. 

We rounded around the corner, seeing the couple from the dance floor.

The guy had the girl up against a section of temporary chain link fencing that was leaning against the building. "Stop struggling. This won't hurt."

The guy vamped out, moving in to bite the girl.

The girl grabbed him by the neck, pushing him away and bit, elbowing him in the face, making him stumble back. He regained his balance. She jumped onto a crate, doing a jumping roundhouse kick to his face, making him fall to the pavement, landing on the ground. 

The girl noticed us, approaching us, smiling. "It's okay, I got it." She looked at Buffy. "You're, uh, Buffy, right?" 

We were shocked.

The vampire came up behind the girl, grabbing her by the shoulders. She headbutted him in the face, grabbing onto his arm.

"I'm Faith," the girl told us. 

She twisted the vampire around, shoving him into the section of chain link fence.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb and say there's a new Slayer in town," I told them. 

Faith kneed the vampire in the gut from behind. The vampire turned around, trying to backhand punch her, but she easily ducked it. Faith punched him in the gut, and then the face.

Everyone just watched.

Xander followed her moves with jerks of his head.

Faith did a high-side kick to the vampire's jaw, grabbing onto his shirt and neck, throwing him to the ground. The vampire did a no-hand front roll to control his fall. 

Faith took the stake from my hand. "Can I borrow that?" 

The vampire used the momentum of his roll to get back to his feet, running at Faith, throwing a punch as he came. Faith ducked it, hooking her hand on his shoulder, turning him around, pushing him back into the fence. She staked him cleanly, taking the stake out. The vampire instantly crumbled into ashes.

We just watched her in confused amazement.

Faith faced us again, handing me my stake back. "Thank, guys. Couldn't have done it without you."

Faith just continued to walk past us all.

We turned to watch her go, unsure how to react. 

~~~

We went back to the Bronze.

Faith was telling us one of her stories. "The whole summer it was, like, the worst heat wave. So it's about a hundred and eighteen degrees, and I'm sleeping without a stitch on." A waitress set a tray on a table, leaving. "And all of a sudden, I hear this screaming from outside. So, I go tearing out, stark nude." Xander looked down at her body, licking his lips. "And this church bus has broke down, and there's these three vamps feasting on half the Baptists in South Boston. So I waste the vamps, and the preacher comes up, and he's hugging me like there's no tomorrow, when all of a sudden, the cops pull up and they arrested us both."

 Faith reached for a muffin.

Xander stared blankly ahead, trying to picture the scene. "Wow. They should film that story and show it every Christmas."

 Cordelia, sitting next to him with her arms and legs crossed, turned her head to Xander, giving him a look.

Faith tore into the muffin. "God, I could eat a horse. Isn't it crazy how slaying just always makes you hungry and horny?" 

 The others all turned their heads to look at Buffy and me. 

I looked at Buffy uncomfortably.

"Well..." Buffy trailed off. "Sometimes, I--I crave a nonfat yogurt afterwards. How about you, Zo?" 

"Uh, none of the above?" I asked what sounded like a statement. 

Faith looked at me weirdly. "You're not a Slayer, but you slay?" 

"It's a long story," I told her. 

"She was once a ninja, and with some training from my Watcher, now she fight like a ninja," Buffy told her.

"Apparently not that long, when you put it that way," I told them. I looked from Buffy to Faith in realization. "I get it. The two Slayer thing. There was one, and then Buffy died, for, like, two minutes, so then Kendra was called, and then when she died, Faith was called." 

Faith nodded.

"But why were you called here?" Willow asked.

"Well, I wasn't," Faith told us. "My Watcher went off to some retreat thing in England, and so I skipped out. I figured this was my chance to meet the infamous Buffy and compare notes." Buffy smiled a small smile. "So, B, did you really use a rocket launcher one time?"

"Uh, yeah," Buffy answered, leaning forward. "Actually, it's a funny story. There was--"

Xander cut her off, looking at Faith. "So what was the, uh, story about that alligator? You, uh, said something... before."

"Oh, there's this Big Daddy Vampire out of Missouri who used to keep them as pets," Faith told us with a lot of hand gesturing. "So, he's got me rassling one of them, okay? The thing must have been twelve feet long, and I'm--"

"So was this, um, ahem, also naked?" Xander asked.

"Well, the alligator was," Faith told us, laughing. 

Xander smiled, laughing.

"Xander?" Cordelia asked. Xander looked at her. Cordelia glared at him. "Find a new theme." 

Faith shook her head. "I tell you, I never had more trouble than that damn vamp." She looked at Buffy. "So what about you? What was your toughest kill?" 

Buffy looked down, as if she was remembering something. She shook her head. "Um, well, you now." She smiled weakly. "They're all difficult, I guess." Faith waited for a story, taking a drink. "Uh... Oh, do you guys remember the Three?" We all looked back inquistively. "That's right, you never met the Three. Well, there was three--"

"Something occurring," Oz told us. "Uh, now you all kill vamps, and who could blame you?" He looked at Faith. "But I'm wondering about your position on werewolves."

I put a hand on his shoulder. "Oz is a werewolf. He got bit." 

Faith considered briefly. "Hey, as long as you don't go scratching at me or humping my leg, we're five-by-five, you know?" 

"Fair enough," Oz told her.

"The vamps, though, they better get their asses to defcon one," Faith told us. She looked at Buffy. "'Cause you and I are gonna have fun, you know, Watcherless and fancy-free." She looked at me. "How good are you at killing vamps?" 

"Oh, I'm good," I answered.

"Good?" Willow repeated. She looked at Faith. "She's being modest. She's excellent."

Faith smiled. "Awesome." 

"Wait, back up," Buffy told us. "Watcherless?" 

Faith looked around at everyone. "Didn't yours go to England, too?" 

~~~

In the library, Giles stood at the end of the table with his hands in his pockets. "There's a Watchers' retreat every year in the Cotsworlds." He walked to the other end of the table. "It's a lovely spot. It's very serene. There's horse riding and hiking and punting." He smiled. "And lectures and discussions." I rolled my eyes. "It's...it's a great honor to be  invited." Giles turned a tad bitter. "Or so I'm told."

"Oh, it's boring," Faith told him. "Way too stuffy for a guy like you."

"Um, maybe we should introduce you again," I told her. "Faith, this is Giles."

Buffy smirked.

"I see him," Faith told us. "If I'd've known they came that young and cute, I would've requested a transfer."

Giles took off his glasses.

"Raise your hand if 'ew'," I said, grossed out, raising my hand.

Buffy raised her hand. 

Xander raised his hand, but hid it by scratching his cheek. 

 Giles chuckled. "Well, um, uh, leaving aside for a moment, my, uh, youth and beauty." He walked to the copier. "I'd say it was, um..." He grabbed the newspaper. "Fortuitous that Faith arrived when she did."

Giles walked back to us with the newspaper. 

Willow pointed toward the ceiling. "Aha!" Everyone looked at her. She lowered her finger. "Sorry. i just meant..." She pointed at the ceiling again. "Aha! There's big evil brewing."

"You'll never be bored here, Faith," I told her. Faith grinned. "'Cause this is Sunnydale, home of the big brewing evil."

"Yes, well, I don't know how big an evil it is, but, uh, two people have disappeared from the Sunset Ridge District," Giles told us, handing Buffy the newspaper.

Buffy and I looked at the article.

"Well, I'm good for patrolling," Buffy told us. "Late-ish, though. I promised Mom I'd be home for dinner." She handed me the paper. "You good to come patrolling, Zo?" 

"What do you think?" I asked. 

Buffy smiled. "Of course, you'll have to wait after dinner with my mom." Willow looked at Buffy, nodding to Faith. Buffy looked at Faith, getting the hint. "Um, to which you're also invited, of course, dinner with us."

"Dying to meet the fam," Faith told her. "I'm in."

"Great," Buffy said. "Great, then we can patrol." She was less than thrilled. "Also together." 

"Hey, don't you have that health science makeup?" Willow asked.

"Oh, yeah," Buffy answered. "Actually, I could use a little coaching."

Willow hopped off the table, smiling.

Xander grabbed his things behind him.

Willow looked at Faith. "You know, you can hang out with us while she's testing. You wanna?" 

"Say yes, and, uh, bring your stories," Xander told her, smiling, walking past Faith. 

Buffy walked toward the table. "You guys go. It's fine. Fine. I'll just..." She sat down. "Sit."

"Okay," Faith told her. "Hey, later." She looked at Giles. "We will talk weapons." 

Faith, Willow, Xander and I walked out of the library. 

~~~

We walked out into the hall, giving Faith the tour of the school.

Willow pointed at the lunch room door. "And over here, we have the cafeteria, where we were mauled by snakes." 

I pointed down the hall. "And this is the spot where Angel tried to kill Willow." 

Xander pointed to the student lounge. "Oh, and over there in the lounge is where Spike and his gang nearly massacred us all on Parent-Teacher night." 

I pointed down the hall. "That is where Spike and Angel used me as a blood bag before they started to fight." I looked at Faith. "Pre-Halloween before I turned into the assassin." Faith was finding this all pretty incredibly, smiling. We reached the stairs. I pointed up to the landing. "Oh, and up those stairs, I was sucked into a muddy grave." 

 We stopped walking.

"And they say young people don't learn anything in hight school nowadays, but, um, I've learned to be afraid," Xander told us, smiling. 

Willow nodded in agreement. 

 Faith grinned, laughing. "You guys are a hoot and a half. If I'd had friends like you in high school, I... probably still would've dropped out. But I might've been sad about it, you know?" We nodded, exchanging a smile. Faith crossed her arms over her chest. "Hey, so what's up with B.? She seems wound kinda tight. Needs to find the fun a little? Like you three." 

"Well, um, she..." Willow trailed off.

Faith saw the drinking fountain, pointing at it. "Oh. Water." 

Faith walked toward it.

Cordelia walked toward us. 

"Oh, and then the alligator story," Xander told her. He looked at Willow and me. "She's got something, doesn't she?" 

"Wha is it with you and Slayers?" Cordelia asked. Xander turned around to face her. "Maybe I should dress up as one and put a stake to your throat." 

"Please, God, don't let that be sarcasm," Xander told her, taking her arm, smiling. 

Faith finished her drink. 

Scott came out of the cafeteria, nearly bumping into her. 

Faith took a step back.

"Oh," Scott said. "Excuse me." 

"Sorry," Faith told him. She looked at him curiously. "I know you from somewhere."

"The Bronze," Scott told her. "You're friends with Buffy, right?" 

"Yeah," Faith answered. "I'm Faith." 

Scott shook her hand. "I'm Scott. Nice to meet you." 

"Nice to meet you," Faith told him.

Buffy came skipping down the stairs, standing next to Xander, Cordelia, Willow and me. "Well, I'm two for two with makeup tests. Proud, yes, but also humble in this time of..." She noticed we weren't paying attention. "We're looking at what?" 

Buffy followed our gaze to see Scott talking and laughing with Faith.

"Does anyone believe that is her actual hair color?" Cordelia asked, rolling her eyes in disbelief, walking away. 

"I haven't seen him laugh like that," Willow told us. "Hey, maybe Faith and Scott could hit it off." Buffy looked at her. "I mean, if you're done with him." Willow realized she was doing it again. "Not that you used him." 

Willow frowned, sighing, shutting up while she still could.

Buffy looked back at Scott and Faith talking. "Well, I... hadn't definitely one hundred percent said no for all time. It's just, you know... You don't enter into these things lightly, you know. There's repercussions to consider and..." Willow, Xander and I exchanged a look. Buffy noticed. "Why am I seeing a look?"

Willow looked at Buffy. "You really do need to find the fun, B." Buffy looked at Willow in surprise. "Uffy."

Buffy sighed, walking over to Faith and Scott, smiling. "Hey!"

"Hey, Buffy," Scott told her. "Uh, Faith has been telling me tall tales." 

Buffy smiled. "She's funny." She grabbed Faith's arm. "And she's leaving. We have to go."

Scott was disappointed. "Oh." 

"Bye," Faith told her. Buffy pulled Faith toward us. Faith gestured back. "He's a cutie. Is he seeing anybody?" 

 Buffy just ignored her and continued toward us. "So, Zo, we still on for tonight for patrolling?" 

"You can count on it," I answered. 

Faith held her fist toward me. "See you then." 

I touched my fist to hers. 

Buffy and Faith walked away.

I smiled at Xander and Willow. 

They smiled. 

~~~

After dark, Buffy, Faith and I were patrolling through an alley, lookin at the construction equipment lying around. 

"Didn't we, um, do this street already?" Faith asked. 

"Funny thing about vamps," Buffy told her. "They'll hit a street even after you've been there. It's like they have no manners."

Faith shrugged. "Mm. You've been doing this the longest." 

 "I have," Buffy agreed.

"Yeah," Faith said. "Maybe a little too long."

"Uh-oh," I said, stepping away from them. 

Buffy turned to Faith. "Excuse me? What's that supposed to mean?" 

 "Nothing," Faith told her.

"You got a problem?" Buffy asked.

Faith raised her arms in a shrug. "I'm five-by-five, B, living entirely large, actually wondering about your problem."

"Well, I may not sleep in the nude and rassle alligators..." Buffy trailed off.

"Maybe it's time you started, 'cause obviously something in your bottle needs uncorking," Faith told her. I turned to face them in annoyance. "What is it, the--the Angel thing?" 

 "What do you know about Angel?" Buffy asked.

"Just what your friends tell me," Faith told her. Buffy looked at me. I gave her an innocent smile. "Big love, big loss. You oughta deal and move on, but you're not." 

 Buffy stepped closer to Faith. "I got an idea. How about from now on, we don't hear from you on Angel or anything else in my life. Which, by the way, is my life." 

"What are you getting so strung out for, B?" Faith asked.

"Why are your lips still moving, F?" Buffy replied. 

"Did I just hear a threat?" Faith asked.

"Would you like to?" Buffy asked. 

"Wow," Faith said. "Think you can take me?" 

"Yeah," Buffy answered.

I looked behind them. "I just hope they can't." 

Buffy and Faith looked at me in confusion.

I pushed them aside as Vamp one attacked, making them fall to the ground. I punched the vampire in the gut, making him fall onto his back. A second vampire punched toward me. I ducked. He tried to punch me two more times, and I blocked with both of my arms each time, punching him in the face and the gut, taking his head in both hands, twisting, making him fall to the ground.

Buffy and Faith stood. 

Faith looked at Buffy. "Will wasn't kidding when she said Z was being humble." 

Buffy grabbed a nearby trashcan.

A third vampire ran in, punching Faith in the face, circling around her, tripping her with an outstretched leg, making her fall to the ground. 

Behind him, Buffy smashed his head with the trashcan, blinding him. She took hold of the can, pushing him into a sheet of drywall. The board broke, falling on top of him as he fell over. 

Vamp One ran toward Buffy. Buffy rolled out of the way, onto her feet, spinning around once, kicking him in the stomach, making him back away. The vampire hit his head hard into a low pipe behind him. 

Vamp Two stood behind me, throwing me into a stack of plywood, making me hit the wall behind it, falling to the ground. I quickly stood back up. He jumped onto the stack of plywood. I kicked up into his stomach, making him flip back, landing on a dumpster hard on his back, rolling off and falling to the ground.

Vamp Three punched Faith in the face. She wasn't fazed, blocking two punches with her forearms, backhand punching him in the face. 

"My dead mother hits harder than that!" Faith told him, grabbing him by the sweater, throwing him onto a couple of sheets of drywall laid across two sawhorses, breaking them instantly under his weight.

Faith ran up to him, grabbing his sweater, punching him in the face.

Buffy flipped her vampire in an awkward open front layout, making him land hard on a large duct pipe, making the pipe crush under him. 

I looked at Faith.

Faith was whaling away on her vampire with contiuous punches to the face. 

"Faith!" I told her. "Stake him already and give me a hand!" 

Another vampire grabbed me by my jacket, throwing me to the ground, making me land on my stomach near a piece of wood lying there. 

Buffy's attacker grabbed Buffy from behind, holding her in a chokehold. 

My attacker grabbed me, pushing me to the ground, keeping me pinned against the wall behind me. 

Faith kept whaling on her victim. "This is me--" She punched him. "You un--" She punched him. "Dead--" She punched him. "Bastard!" 

I reached for the piece of two-by-four in front of me. 

"For Kakistos we live," my attacker vampire told me. "For Kakistos you'll die!" 

The vampire tried to bite me.

I glanced at him, reaching for the hunk of wood.

Buffy's vampire had her pinned to the wall, gripping her throat with both hands, making her drop her stake. 

"Faith!" Buffy choked, looking toward me.

Faith didn't answer, just punching her vampire to a pulp. 

~~~

Buffy could barely breath.

Faith kept punching her vampire.

I finally managed to grab the board, swinging it up to hit my attacker's face, standing, turning to the one holding Buffy, staking him in the heart from behind, killing him. He crumbled into ash. 

 Buffy gasped for breath. "Faith!" 

My attacked made a grab at me from behind. I instinctively turned, driving the makeshift stake into his chest, killing him. He crumbled into ash. 

Buffy saw her stake, picking it up, walking toward Faith. 

Faith was still whaling on the vampire, long after he was too dazed to fight back. "You--" She punched him. "Can't--" She punched him. "Touch--" She punched him. "Me!" 

Faith shook the vampire a bit, going back to punching him.

Buffy came up behind her, grabbing her by the waist, pulling her off of him, staking the vampire in the heart, killing him, making him crumble to dust. She turned to confront Faith. "What is wrong with you?" 

"What are you talking about?" Faith asked. 

"I'm talking about you 'living large' on that vampire," Buffy told her. 

"Gee, if doing violence to vampires upsets you, I think you're in the line of work," Faith told her.

"Yeah, or maybe you like it a little too much," I told her. 

"I was getting the job done," Faith told us.

"The job is to slay demons," Buffy told her. "Not beat them to a bloody pulp while their friends corner your friends." 

"Zoey looked to be doing a pretty damn good job herself," Faith told her. "Maybe you should be more like her than the other way around."

Faith walked away.

Buffy looked at him, sighing an exasperated sigh.

I shook my head, looking away. 

~~~

At school, in the halls the next day, Buffy, Giles and I walked out of the cafeteria, walking toward the library.

"What you must realize is that Faith has a very different temperament," Giles told us, taking a sip of his coffee. 

 "Yeah, and it's not a sane one," I told him. Giles chuckled. "The girl's not playing with a full deck, Giles. She has almost no deck. She has three." 

"You said yourself that she killed one," Giles told us. "She's just a plucky fighter who got a little carried away. Which is natural. She's focused on the slaying. She doesn't have a whole other life here."

"She doesn't need a life," Buffy told him. "She has mine." 

 "What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Come on, Zo," Buffy told me. "You know it as well as I do that she's more interesting than I am and that she's getting more attention and friends and--"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," I told her in amusement. "Are you seriously--"

"Yes, I am seriously," Buffy answered. "But she nearly got us all killed. The girl needs help." 

 "All right," Giles told us. "I'll see if I can reach her Watcher at the retreat. They're..." He checked his watch. "Eight hours ahead now. I guess they're probably sitting down to a nightcap." Buffy and I continued toward the library. Giles stood there, staring off into space. "I wonder if they still kayak. I used to love a good kayak." Buffy and I turned back. "You see, they don't even consider..." Giles saw our bored looks. "Sorry. I digress." We all walked toward the library. "The, um, vampires that attacked you, can you furnish me with some details that might help me trace their lineage? I mean, ancient or modern dress. Amulets, cultish tattoos..."

Giles took a drink of coffee.

"Uh, no tats," I told him. "Crappy dressers. And, uh... Oh, the one that nearly bit me mentioned something about kissing toast." A spark of recognition appeared on Giles' face. "He lived for kissing toast."

"You mean, 'Kakistos'?" Giles asked. 

 I tried to remember. "Maybe it was taquitos. Maybe he lived for taquitos." I looked at him. "What?" 

"Kakistos," Giles told us, walking into the library.

I frowned. "Is that bad?" 

Buffy and I exchanged a look, walking into the library.

Giles quickly paced in, setting his things on the counter. "Kakistos is Greek. It means the worst of the worst." He walked behind the counter. "It's also the name of a vampire so old that his hands and feet are cloven." 

Giles walked into his office, walking out with a book, setting it on the counter, leafing through it. 

 "Now this guy shows up two days ago, right?" Buffy asked. "Right around the same time my bestest new little sister makes the scene." 

 "You think he and Faith are connected?" I asked.

"Zoey, there are two things that I don't believe in," Buffy told me. "Coincidence and leprechauns." 

"Well, Buffy, it's entirely possible that they both arrived her by chance simultaneously," Giles told her.

 "Okay, but I was right about the leprechauns, right?" Buffy asked.

Giles thought for a moment. "As far as I know, yes." 

"Good," Buffy said. "Okay, you get England on the phone. I'm gonna talk to Faith, see if 'khaki trousers' rings..." 

 "Kakistos," Giles corrected.

"Kakistos rings a bell," Buffy told us. "Or an alarm." 

"Right," I said. 

"Right," Buffy said, walking out. 

I started to follow.

"Uh, Zoey, I'd rather you didn't," Giles told me. I turned to him. "Kakistos isn't any vampire, different than any one you've faced. Stronger. More dangerous. I think you'd be best to sit this one out."

"So that's a 'no' to helping out, huh?" I asked. "Suddenly, it's a 'Slayer Only' group now?" Giles gave me a look. I helped my hands in resignment. "All right, I'm gone." 

I walked out of the library, going home. 

~~~

The next day, in the library, Buffy had told us that Kakistos and company had attacked her and Faith last night, and some of them had gotten away, but Faith had killed Kakistos. Buffy and Willow were sitting in chairs at the table. I was sitting on the table. 

Giles stood from his desk, walking out into the main room to stand next to us at the table. "The Council has approved our request. Faith is to stay here indefinitely." He walked around the table. "I'm to look after you both until a new Watcher is assigned." 

Giles picked up some papers. 

"Good," Buffy told him. "She really came through in the end." She stood. "She had a lot to deal with, but she did it. She got it behind her."

 "I'm glad to hear it," Giles told her, looking over the papers. 

Buffy looked down at the table sadly, quietly for a long moment. "Angel was cured."

Giles looked up. "I'm sorry?" 

 "When I killed him, Angel was cured," Buffy told us. She looked at Willow. "Your spell worked at the last minute, Will." Willow and I exchanged a look, taking it all in. "I was about to take him out, and um... something went through him... and he was Angel again. He--he didn't remember anything that he'd done. He just held me. Um, but it was... it was too late, and I--I had to. So, I--I told him that I loved him... and I kissed him... and I killed him." She looked down at the table again for another long moment. We stayed silent. "I don't know if that helps with your spell or not, Giles." 

 "Uh, yes, I--I believe it will," Giles told her.

"I'm sorry," I told her sympathetically. 

"It's okay," Buffy told us, smiling a small, weak smile. "I've been holding on to that for so long. Felt good to get it out." She hesitated, smiling thinly. "I'll see you guys later." 

Buffy walked out of the library, looking down at the floor.

I watched her, thinking about what it must have felt for her to have to do that. 

Giles started to go back to his office, walking past me and Willow. 

Willow stood. "Giles, I know you don't like me playing with mystical forces, but I can really help with this binding spell." 

"There is no spell," Giles told us, walking into the office.

I began to realize he'd made the whole spell up to get Buffy to talk about what happened, to get her to release her inner sorrow. 

Oh, my God.