Title: We Can See The Light
Author: Tweyelite
Email: llmf81@yahoo.com

The bus plodded on, a small child in front of her was humming the tune “the wheels on the bus” and Faith just smiled. In the past she would have been thrown into memories of her childhood and how even at that age when all the other children were singing she alone stay silent. Now though, Faith just smiled, she smiled simply because that one child was alive and happy. It had taken a while but Faith finally understood that the world wasn’t made just for her to play in. She had grown up, but the past had its way of catching up with you. So here she was, sitting on a greyhound waiting to see the sign that said, “Welcome to Sunnydale”.

Buffy Summers, The Chosen one, Protector of the key was fighting with her sister.

“But Buffy!” Dawn whined.

“No Dawn, I told you. Your curfew is twelve o’clock, no later.”

Dawn stormed off in a huff. Buffy shook her head softly and went back to doing the dishes. It’s so weird having to be ‘mom’. She just had to think to herself, what would my mom do in this situation? Buffy sighed, wishing she had someone. Sure she had her friends, but it wasn’t the same. Buffy wanted love. She thought back to Riley. She was fooling herself there. She thought she could have at least a semi-normal relationship, so much for that. Besides she always went for the bad boys. What’s with the whole “Oh I’m so tortured!” guys? Buffy shrugged. There really wasn’t any point thinking about it now, but she was definitely going to be dating someone with a pulse next time, if there was a next time. She pictured herself as an old lady with eighty-seven cats and chuckled aloud.

What am I going to say to her? Faith thought. Will she hate me? She had every right to. Should I just go back home? As soon as the thought crossed her mind she smiled. Home. She didn’t really have a home to go back to. The only home she might have had had slipped through her fingers in a dark alley one night.. Faith sighed as she bit her lip nervously. She grabbed her suitcase and headed to the nearby motel.

Buffy sat on the couch in the living room watching soaps. It was driving her crazy. She had nothing to do today. Dawn was at school. Xander was at work. Buffy was bored. She decided to take a run. She had felt agitated all day and had no idea why. Buffy ran to her room and donned her sweats. She leaped down the stairs and opened the door.

Faith was outside Buffy’s house. She was rehearsing what she was going to say, or if maybe she should have called first when suddenly the door flew open. And there was Buffy in all her glory, ok in sweatpants, but whatever, Faith smiled to herself.

As Buffy stared she blinked a few times. Faith was standing on her stoop, outside her door, looking good. Buffy opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. Buffy immediately crouched into a fighting position.

Faith sighed inwardly. She knew this wasn’t going to be easy. “Hey B. I just got out of jail and I know the last time we saw each other you said that’s where I should be. You were right, I should have been punished, I should still be punished, but they won’t take me back in and let me stay any longer.” Faith said softly.

After the initial shock Buffy composed herself slightly. “So you’re the reason I was so agitated today.”

Faith grinned slightly, “You sure its not PMS B?”

She asked with her head down.

Buffy felt herself wanting to smile but she suppressed the urge. “Why are you here Faith?” Buffy asked, the old anger resurfacing.

“I came to be punished and to say I’m sorry, and if you still want to beat me up or kill me then so be it.” Faith simply replied. What Faith didn’t say was that she was there because she had no where else to go and that she needed Buffy’s forgiveness. Buffy was the only person who ever tried to be her friend and she hadn’t blown it big time.

Buffy gritted her teeth. She had wanted Faith dead. But now what? It had been so long since she’d seen Faith. She didn’t hate her anymore. And by looking into Faith’s eyes she could see the same look there that angel always had, a tortured soul.

“I’m not going to punish you Faith, I think you’re doing that well enough yourself.” Buffy said.

“You don’t know how right you are B.” Faith said as she wrapped her arms around herself.

“That it?” Buffy asked trying to keep any emotion from showing.

“No. I wanted to thank you B, you were the only one that ever tried to be my friend or saw any good in me.” Faith said as a single tear streamed from her eye, “I’ll leave you alone now.” And began walking away.

“You want to come in?” Buffy called to Faith. Faith turned around with a confused look on her face but let Buffy usher her into the living room. “Have a seat. You thirsty? We have pink lemonade?" Buffy asked trying not to show how odd she felt about this meeting.

“Pink lemonade?” Faith smirked, “Your mom make that?”

Faith watched as Buffy’s smile faded and her forehead furrowed. “I guess you haven’t heard. My mom died last year.” Buffy explained quietly.

“Oh Jesus B! I’m so sorry! I’m here less than five minutes and I’m already bringing up bad memories.” Faith said berating herself for her stupidity.

“It’s not your fault.” Buffy replied smiling, trying to reassure her. Buffy didn’t know how to feel towards this girl sitting in her living room. She wasn’t the ‘take, want, have’ Faith she used to be and she also wasn’t psychotic slayer Faith. Should she be angry or happy to see her? She just didn’t know.

Buffy could see that Faith was on the verge of tears again and she felt a great sense of compassion for Faith, her old friend and enemy. Buffy sat beside Faith and hugged her, trying to ease some of the hurt.

Faith tried to hold herself together but Buffy was holding her, that fact alone was enough to crack the walls around her heart, she began to cry quietly. The tears slid down her cheeks as she held on to Buffy with as much strength as she could muster.

After Faith had calmed Buffy pulled away a little and turned Faiths head up to look at her face. Faith’s cheeks were tearstained and her nose was a little read from the crying but her eyes, her eyes are what captured Buffy’s attention. Faith’s brown eye’s pleaded with Buffy to understand. She wanted so much for Buffy to understand her. Buffy wiped the tears from Faiths cheeks with the back of her hand and smiled.

“No more tears ok? We’ve all had more than our share of pain.” Buffy said as she hugged Faith again. Faith pulled away from Buffy. “So you don’t hate me?” Faith asked quietly. “No Faith, hate is not something I want in my life anymore. I did hate you for what you did to me, taking my body.. But I always just wanted to be your friend. I know I didn’t do a very good job of it back then, I was too self involved to be a good friend to you. But I’ve thought about it over the years and I can see where I went wrong too. I never asked you to hang out with the gand med me. I just assumed that if you wanted to come you would. I didn’t realize then that you’re whole attitude was just a mask you used to push people away and I’m sorry I wasn’t the friend you needed.” Buffy replied. “I’m happy that you’re better.” Buffy added smiling.

“So are we ok?” Faith asked dubiously.

“On one condition.”

“What’s that?” Faith asked, knowing she would do anything Buffy told her to.

“Stay here and be my friend, prove you’re the kind of person I always knew you could be?” Buffy asked grinning.

That was it? Faith thought. How could one person be so forgiving? Faith wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth, whatever that meant.

“Ok.” Faith said smiling the first genuine smile she had in ages.

Faith had asked Buffy to stay at her place. With only her and Dawn there the place seemed empty and she wanted to do it right this time, not just leave her in a seedy motel room like she had before. Faith took Willow and Tara’s old room. For the rest of the afternoon the two slayers explained what had happened to them in the time they hadn’t seen each other. They both got so involved in the stories that they didn’t hear the door open.

“So Xander says..” Dawn hears Buffy say. She walks into the living room to see Buffy talking to some girl. All of a sudden she realizes its Faith. The two slayers stop talking; suddenly realizing Dawn was home from school.

“Hey Dawnie.” Faith says, remembering the childhood nickname.

“Hey Faith.” Dawn replied, deciding then and there that she really didn’t want to know what was going on. Whatever reason Buffy was talking to Faith was not her concern. She was too worried about the biology test she had on Wednesday. Dawn dropped her bag and headed for the kitchen.

“Nothing seems to surprise that kid anymore.” Faith commented. Buffy laughed, “She’s seen it all.”

Dawn had been too young to really know Faith and what was going on during all the badness of the old days but Faith had always been nice to her and if Buffy was talking to her she must be better. So when Buffy had explained to Dawn that Faith was going to be staying with them for a while Dawn didn’t mind, actually she thought it was kind of cool, that meant she had two slayers to teach her how to, well you know, slay.

Xander was another story. When he came by after work, like he normally did, to have dinner with Buffy and Dawn the house seemed quiet.

“Buffy? Dawn?” Xander yelled.

“Up here doing homework, Buffy’s out back.” Dawn yelled from her room upstairs.

Xander meandered through the kitchen to the backdoor and looked out the window. What he saw almost made his heart stop. Buffy and Faith were in the backyard fighting! He ran out the door with a wild look of fear in his eyes. Buffy and Faith were rolling on the ground now, trying to pin one another. Xander was looking for something heavy to hit Faith with when he heard giggling. He looked over and saw that now Buffy had pinned Faith and was tickling her senseless. Faith was laughing!

As Faith laughed she tried to go on the assault herself by tickling Buffy back but Buffy wasn’t responding. Apparently Buffy wasn’t ticklish. So Faith resorted to begging. “B please! Please stop B!” Faith gasped out while still laughing. But Buffy’s smile just got wider.

“Seriously Buffy stop! You’re going to make me piss!” Faith screamed. Buffy stopped.

In less than a second Buffy found herself flipped on her back with her hands pressed to the ground and Faith on top of her.

Faith smiled evilly, “That line always works.” She said as she winked at Buffy.

“Cheater.” Buffy pouted; just then both of the girls noticed Xander standing a few feet away looking like his eyes were going to fall out of his head. Faith stood and offered a hand up to Buffy who took it willingly.

“Hey.” Buffy smiled apologetically.

“Hey Xander.” Faith coughed nervously.

Xander calmed down after a glass of water was thrown in his face to snap him out of it. So while Buffy explained the situation to Xander, Dawn and Faith were in the kitchen. Dawn was busy preparing to make supper. Faith just stood there, not really knowing what she should do.

“Want some help?” Faith asked.

“..Xander, she’s better.” Buffy explained pleading with her eyes for him to understand.

“But she killed a guy!” Xander erupted.

“So did Willow, but you still love her right?” Buffy compared. Xander nodded his head down. “Could you please just try to be nice, for me?” Buffy wheedled.

Xander sighed, “Ok fine.”

“And by the way she’ll be staying here for a few days, k?” Buffy said and exited quickly to the kitchen.

“Buffy!” Xander called exasperated.

“Dawn.” Faith said.

“Yeah?” Dawn replied turning to face her.

“Come here for a sec, you have something on your face.” Faith said staring intently at Dawn.

Dawn walked over to Faith. “Where?” she asked her eyes rolling around as if she were trying to see it herself.

“Right.. There!” Faith said as she smudged some spaghetti sauce on her cheek.

“Oh I don’t think so!” Dawn said and grabbed some mustard from the counter.

Upon entering the kitchen Buffy stopped dead in her tracks. Faith and Dawn heard Buffy enter just then and stopped what they were doing immediately and looked at Buffy like two guilty children. The kitchen was a mess. There were red smears of spaghetti sauce and yellow splashes of mustard everywhere! Dawn had spaghetti sauce all over her clothes, face and hair and Faith, well Faith had done slightly better but only slightly. Most of the mustard seemed to be in her hair and on her pants.

“Shit.” Dawn swore. Dawn looked at Faith and Faith looked at her and they both started laughing. Buffy didn’t know what to say. She was so trying to be angry with them but the looks on their faces when she had caught them and the fact that Faith was laughing and looking so carefree she just couldn’t stay mad. Buffy walked to the kitchen sink as the two messy comrades watched, still giggling.

Faith really didn’t think this was going to get so out of hand, it was just supposed to be a bit of fun. She didn’t realize what Buffy was up to until it was too late. Buffy pulled the spray nozzle from the sink and turned the cold water on full blast spraying Faith from head to toe.

Dawn took that time to bolt for the upstairs bathroom. Faith threw her hands up trying to ward of the water. She jumped in front of Buffy and they wrestled for the hose both getting sprayed in the process. Faith decided it wasn’t really fair that Buffy was only covered in water so she ran her hand through her hair getting a fairly large glob of mustard and splayed it across Buffy’s face and neck. Buffy’s mouth flew open as she looked down at herself. Faith closed her mouth tightly trying not to laugh but when she saw the predatory look in Buffy’s eyes she said, “Uh oh.” and ran.

“Not so fast Missy!” Buffy exclaimed chasing Faith around the kitchen table. Just as Buffy seized Faith’s arm Faith slipped on the now very slick floor and fell taking Buffy down with her. Buffy ended up directly on top of Faith and they both collapsed into giggles. After a few minutes Buffy raised her head to look into Faith’s eyes and time seem to slow and only they two in the world existed.

“Uh..” Xander said as he walked into the kitchen.

Buffy and Faith broke the gaze and the moment was lost. Both women stood up looking bashfully to Xander.

“Listen I’m going to head home.” Xander said slowly, taking in every detail of the messy kitchen and condiment covered girls.

“Xander, if it’s ‘cause of me don’t go. I can go upstairs.” Faith offered. There was a long pause and then Xander replied. “Nah I’m just not sticking around so I don’t have to help clean up thplodploded kitchen.” Xander smiled as he headed for the door.

Buffy smiled knowing Xander was trying to be sweet.

“Thanks Xander.” Buffy called after him making it sound sarcastic but both of them knowing she actually meant it.




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