DVD Caps
Icons Consequences 
Story Line
Faith is in the pre-credit opening here. Buffy's dreaming that she is drowning and Alan Finch is pulling her down. As she breaks the surface, Faith is there, pushing 
her back under. A not-so-nice dream sequence of Buffy's life at the moment. Buffy wakes and sees that her mom is watching the news about Alan's death. She tells Buffy she thinks it's terrible. Buffy agrees, but doesn't say any more.
Next Buffy and Faith are in the library listening to Wesley and Giles argue if the Deputy Mayor's death is worth looking into. Giles (the lone voice of reason) doesn't believe it is. Wesley disagrees and orders the two Slayers to investigate the death. Faith doesn't mind, but Buffy has problems. Not wanting to hear what Buffy has to say, Wesley has said his piece.
Faith is understandably annoyed that Buffy was all to willing to cover for Angel, but won't extend her the same courtesy. She goes a step further too, telling Buffy that if she tells, she'll tell the police that Buffy was right there too. She then leaves Buffy alone with those thoughts. When next we see Faith, she and Buffy are in Finch's office 'investigating'. Faith goes through the motions, but noting a photo, again feels genuine remorse saying: "Man, he came out of nowhere." Buffy tells her it wasn't her fault, that she didn't see him either, but Faith, so adept at saying only what she wants to say, has let her mask slip ever so slightly. Covering her 'slip' she dismisses Buffy with "I'm not looking to learn and grow. I'm just saying, it happened quick." and glosses it over. Meanwhile, Buffy is intrigued at the total lack of a paper trail. Faith, still preoccupied, takes a second to figure that this is actually a good thing. The two Slayers almost cross paths with the Mayor and Mr. Trick. They hide and then sneak out unaware that they've been caught by the security cameras. Once outside, the two Slayers talk about how 'dirty' Finch must've been, but Buffy doesn't believe it counts. She can only see that a human is dead and that's not what they're about.
This is where Faith makes one of her finest stands, and also, an accurate stance that is ignored by Buffy. Faith tells Buffy that between the two of them, they've saved countless lives. She points out that Buffy even stopped the world from ending! Also, she's sorry about Finch, but at the end of the day "no one is going to care about some guy who got caught in the crossfire." Buffy counters that she'd care. Seeing that Buffy can't be reasoned with, Faith leaves her, telling her that if things get too heavy, she's going to stow away on a freighter. "It ain't fancy, but it gets you gone."
Possibly one of the most crucial elements in the whole episode is the fact that a detective is investigating Finch's murder, as is a stealthy Angel. The detective gets both Slayers alone and attempts to get them to tell him what they know. It's noteworthy that Faith seems far calmer than Buffy, but in actuality, it's vice versa. While Buffy goes to a now-understanding Willow, Faith sprints to Giles, (probably convinced that Buffy can't take the heat). Willow has given Buffy the advice she needed to hear, and tells her to go to Giles. Buffy is horrified when Faith steps out of Giles' office, telling her "It's alright, Buffy. He knows...what you did."
Buffy tries to explain, and if Faith paid close attention and wasn't so stressed herself, she'd hear Giles tell Buffy that he doesn't want "to hear any more lies." It's something Buffy doesn't even pick up on. Faith can't look Buffy in the eye. Giles dismisses her by telling her he'll speak to her in the morning. Seemingly convinced that her plan has worked (although there's really no way she could honestly believe Giles would believe her over Buffy) Faith leaves. This is step two of her 'denial'. Step one was getting to the point where she thought that blaming Buffy would actually 
work! Once inside Giles office, a tearful Buffy tries to tell him the truth. But Giles knows his Slayer. Concerned, he tells Buffy he knows it was Faith, but had to play along until he talked to her. He allays Buffy's fears by telling her the exact same thing that Faith had. That, while it's tragic, innocent people have been killed before. Her panic aside, both Giles and Buffy concentrate on Faith and what to do. Buffy finally figures that "She's freaking", while Giles points out that she's in complete denial. What neither former Watcher or Slayer realize, is that a very peeved 'left out of the loop' Wesley is listening outside. He decides to go by 'proper Council procedure' leaving Giles and Buffy out of his loop.
The next day sees Buffy, Giles, Willow and Xander discussing what to do about Faith. Xander is convinced that he can talk to her. While Buffy and Giles dismiss it, Willow picks up on the fact that Xander and Faith have been intimate, which ultimately dawns on Buffy and Giles also. Despite the fact that Willow is dating Oz, she's devastated.
Buffy telling Xander that Faith treats guys as a 'joke' could not be further from the truth. Frankly, I don't know of anyone (even total Buffy fans) who bought that line. Xander doesn't really buy it either, as he makes his way to Faith, who is lying on her bed, watching TV. She reluctantly lets him in, informing him that "The clock is ticking." and he only has a minute to get to the point. Xander proceeds to tell Faith that he's seen her 'post battle' and knows about how hyped she is. He tells her he'd defend her. Faith's response is: "Why are you telling me? Tell Buffy, she's the one that did it." Clueless, Xander tells Faith that he's "heard that version".
Alarm bells go off in Faith's head, and furious, she can only come up with "Version??". She then moves to telling Xander that he'd love telling all his friends how they did it, and what a hero he'd be, in a mocking way. Faith makes advances on Xander, eventually throwing him on the bed and climbing on top of him. While lifting his shirt, she kisses and caresses him, moving her hands to his throat where she begins to strangle him, while still kissing him. It's a very dark scene that might have worked with a bit more development of the 'Faith has lost it' line.
The only thing that stops Xander dying at the hands of Faith, is Angel whacking her across the side of her head and face with a baseball bat. Faith wakens in Angel's mansion, chained to the wall. Wading through her false bravado, Angel determines that she has a taste for taking a life and tries to work with her on that basis. He's progressing too, when he's interrupted by Wesley and his 
cohorts who drop Angel with crosses, lead piping and a net. As Wesley unchains Faith, she believes he's there to rescue her, and is stunned when Wesley replaces the chains with handcuffs. He informs her that she's being taken to England to face a 'disciplinary board'. Next, as the group travel along in a van, we have Wesley apologizing for her treatment, but saying it's necessary. She's chained to a wooden bench. Deftly, she pulls out a bolt, knocks a goon to the ground and keeps her foot well and truly anchored at his neck. Threatening the goon's death, she tells Wesley to unlock her. He does, she knocks Wesley out of the way and jumps out of the moving van.
Meanwhile, back at the library, a disgusted Angel and Buffy, along with Giles, Willow and a very bruised Xander, all discuss how to rescue Faith from the council. The only protestor to this plan is Willow. She calmly admits she's not the most objective when it comes to Faith, but does ask if they should rescue Faith after her blaming Buffy for Finch's death, and nearly killing Xander. Buffy, still believing in Faith (only way too late) insists that they should. Enter a bruised Wesley, who informs them all that she's escaped. Angel congratulates him on terrorizing her and putting her back on the streets. A fight nearly breaks out, but Buffy and Giles focus. Buffy splits everyone up to her haunts, but she has a fairly good idea where she is. Wesley asks if he can help, to which Buffy coldly asks him, as she brushes by, if he still has his "ticket back to the mother country".
Walking alongside a freighter ship at the docks, Buffy hears Faith state that Buffy 'never gives up'. Buffy turns to sees Faith emerge from the freighter. Buffy replies: "Not on my friends, no." Faith disputes the fact that they're friends, 
pointing out sarcastically, that they're "solid buds". Buffy tells her that they could be. Faith doubts it majorly, saying it'd never happen because everyone wants her to be a clone of Buffy. She goes further, saying that in fact, Buffy's more like she is than everyone thinks. Buffy refutes that, saying Faith's "sick". To prove her point, Faith asks Buffy to deny that she doesn't love the power that comes with Slaying. Buffy denies it. Faith taunts her and Buffy hits her. Faith smiles, saying: "There's my girl."
Buffy's far from pleased that she buckled. Things are about to get a little more intense between the two Slayers, when vamps come from nowhere. This is a last ditch attempt by Trick to kill both of them (on Mayoral orders after viewing of the security camera footage). Faith goes great, but Buffy's in real trouble, about to be bitten by Trick himself, when all of a sudden, he turns to dust. Faith has saved Buffy's life.
Cut back to the library, and Giles is pouring Buffy some tea. He's happy to hear that Faith came back with Buffy and Buffy believes Faith will be okay. She tells Giles she's not about to give up on her. Giles believes "Faith has a chance"in that case. Cut to Mayor Wilkens, who opens the door to come out of his office, only to see Faith standing before him. Faith says: "You sent your boy to kill me." which Wilkens freely admits he did. Faith tells him: "He's dust." Wilkens replies: "I figured he must be, what with you standing there." Another cliff hanging ending. Faith replies: "I guess that means you have a job opening." She enters the mayor's office. Indeed, he stands aside for her, and follows her in. The door closes. Fade to black.