DISCLAIMER AND AUTHOR'S NOTE: All Buffy The Vampire Slayer stuff belongs to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and Warner Brothers. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fiction. All other characters that appear belong to me. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies may be made for private use only and must include this copyright notice and disclaimer. There is some subtext in this story. If this kind of stuff is not legal where you live, if you're under 18 or if you don't like the notion of two women being in love, then you should find something else to read. Ghost roads and Otherworld are from Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder's The Gatekeeper Trilogy. Oh yeah, I always thought killing off Joyce sucked, so I'm not killing her off here.

Primal
By Kristjan Brezovnik

Faith was running. She had been running for about a year and a half now, but she didn't know that as time didn't matter to her anymore. She was in survival mode, trying to evade an enemy she couldn't, didn't want to, kill, the Watchers. Her ordeal had started when the Council kidnapped her after she had accidentally killed Finch. She had managed to escape, causing the plane in which they were transporting her to crash. She didn't know if the Watchers survived or not, but she didn't care, it didn't matter at the moment. Somehow the Council managed to track her anywhere she went and she couldn't stay anywhere for longer than a day, she had to keep moving. She had long lost all of her belongings, the only things she had were the clothes she wore, a stake and a dagger she had stolen somewhere. She didn't know where she was at the moment and it didn't really matter, because she had to move on.

She kept to the shadows, killing the occasional vampire or other demon she came across, but she didn't really do patrols, she couldn't afford to. Since she didn't have any money, she had been forced to steal. A part of her didn't like it, still remembering that it eventually led to Finch, but she didn't have a choice. Only now the Council seemed to be gaining up on her and she always felt like they were right behind her. She still stole when she could, but since her only concern was food, she hunted as well. She was a superior hunter, but she still went hungry for days because she didn't go out of her way to hunt and only killed what she came across.

She couldn't remember when was the last time she had washed beside a quick dip in a river with her clothes on nor could she remember when was the last time she had spoken to anyone. She had left civilization behind her, relying only on her instincts, which were now screaming at her to run. She didn't bother to turn and look, she could feel the Watchers closing in on her in their cars and she could feel the bullets flying toward her. She didn't understand and she didn't care that she didn't understand. She simply dodged the bullets and ran twice as fast as the Watchers thought possible.

Then she suddenly realized she had a problem. Behind her were Watchers and in front of her was a canyon. She knew she couldn't turn around. She could be the fastest being on Earth, but she couldn't evade all the bullets. Which meant going forward, to the canyon. She knew it was a dead end, but strangely, she didn't feel scared. In fact, her instincts told her that it was a way out. She didn't understand, but she had learned to trust her instincts. So she ran, faster and faster, trying to get as much distance between herself and the Watchers before she reached the canyon.

When she reached the edge, her mind briefly recognized the canyon as Grand Canyon, but that piece of information was quickly forgotten as her mind screamed warning to her that she would die if she continued. But she didn't care and her instincts told her to go on and jump. And she did. She closed her eyes and imagined she was flying.

When the Watchers saw her jump, they looked at one another, surprised. They stopped at the edge and got out. They looked down, but Faith was nowhere to be seen.

"There!" one of them suddenly noticed her and pointed.

Everyone looked and then gasped when they saw her fly.

"Bloody hell," one of them said.

"Get the helicopter," their leader ordered.

Faith felt the air rush past her, but she wasn't afraid, life and death didn't matter to her anymore. She was a Slayer, she had a duty, that was all that mattered. She imagined she was flying and after a while she imagined she was landing.

Her feet touched the ground and she opened her eyes, startled. She looked down and saw she was on the ground. Then she turned around and looked up, trying to see where she had jumped from. She quickly found the spot, her instincts telling her it was the right one. She was puzzled for a moment, but then decided it didn't matter and she didn't think about the impossibility of being able to fly. She turned around and ran.

Hours later, Faith could feel that the Watchers were near again. She didn't stop. A few minutes later, she could hear a helicopter and she knew it was the Watchers. She kept running. She could feel the helicopter gaining on her and she looked for cover. There was none as she was still at the bottom of Grand Canyon.

The helicopter quickly caught up with her and her alarms went off. She knew she had to get out of the canyon. She jumped and pretended she was flying. She was a bit startled when she realized that she was actually flying and she looked down. She had no idea how it worked, so she let her instincts guide her. She rose up into the air and she was half way up when she felt danger. She rolled and dived. Then she did a looping and faced the threat. She saw it was a missile and she easily avoided it. Her mind told her to lead it back to the helicopter, but her instincts told her not to. She may have accidentally killed a man, but there was no reason for her to kill more, even if they were trying to kill her. She noticed the helicopter fire another missile and she quickly veered off and dived.

The missile followed her and she quickly looked for an outcropping so she could get rid of it. But she forgot about the first missile. When she finally felt it, it was almost too late. She veered off and the missile hit the ground. It exploded and Faith put her hands in front of her. Her mind knew it was in vain, but her instincts told her it would save her life.

The blast from the explosion threw her upwards, but she was mostly unharmed. She felt dizzy as she fell toward the ground and she was exhausted, whatever trick that had saved her life taking a lot out of her. Then she suddenly felt the second missile. She couldn't turn to see where it was, but she felt it was closing in on her.

Her mind was preparing for the crash, but her instincts told her it would be okay. Just before she hit the ground, she waved her hand and reality parted before her. She fell through the hole and hit the ground. At least she believed it was ground, but she didn't have the time to wonder. She turned around and waved her hand again, closing the portal. A moment later, the second missile exploded where the portal had been.

Faith stared at the fire for a few moments, wondering how she could see it. Then, as the fire slowly started to die out, she looked around. It was surreal. There was no floor, yet she was sitting. Her instincts told her she was safe, but her mind wondered where she was. She had never been there, but there was something familiar about the place. She remembered Buffy telling her about it. Ghost roads, she suddenly remembered. Then her mind reminded her that she was wounded. She looked at her body and saw that there were burns and cuts, but nothing big. She wondered what she had done to protect herself. She couldn't think of anything, so she got up. She was relieved that the dizziness was gone. She looked around and wondered what to do next. Her mind was telling her to try and get out, but her instincts told her to move on. She decided to listen to her instincts.

"Is she dead?" one of the Watchers on the helicopter asked.

"There is no way she could survive two missiles," another said.

"She shouldn't be able to fly either," the first one pointed out.

There was a brief pause as they thought about it.

"Let's land and see."

"I doubt there will be any remains, not after two missiles."

Faith wandered for hours. She had no idea if it was really only hours and she didn't care, but that was how it had felt. She finally stopped and looked around. She was in the middle of nowhere, literally. She stood still for a while, her mind blank. She finally waved her hand and a portal opened. She hesitated for a moment and then stepped through. But what she found on the other side wasn't Earth.

Years later, Faith finally managed to find her way back to the ghost roads. She knew that years must have passed yet her body still looked the same age. Her mind wondered about that, but she ignored it. Her clothes were in shambles and she was bleeding from numerous cuts, but she didn't care. The dagger and the original stake were long gone and in their stead was another wooden stake. At least Faith thought it was wood. It had burned and it was pliable, but the trees in that nightmarish dimension might not be wooden for all she knew. Not that it mattered. It was sharp and she could kill with it. And if it didn't work on vampires, she could always rip them apart with her hands.

She looked around the ghost roads and then started walking, knowing that the ghost roads would take her to her destination.

When she finally reached her destination, her mind told her to stop, but her instincts told her to go on. She listened to her instincts and waved her hand. A portal opened and she stepped through.

She found herself in Buffy's room and she looked around. It was still the way she had remembered it, with the exception that it didn't feel lived in. She listened for a few moments, but she couldn't hear anyone, the house was empty. She turned around and closed the portal. Then she thought about what to do. She noticed Mr Gordo and reached for it. She could smell Buffy's scent on it, but she still pressed it to her face and inhaled deeply. For a moment she felt like she belonged and it scared her. She was confused. She wondered what to do and finally decided to get some rest. She went to the other side of Buffy's bed and lay down on the floor, the bed hiding her from anyone who would come through the door. She hugged Mr Gordo tightly, cuddled up like a fetus and slowly fell asleep, tired.

When Joyce came home, she first did the laundry. Then she cooked launch for Dawn and then put the laundry in the drier. When it was dry, she folded it and took her clothes to her room, Dawn's to Dawn's room and Buffy's to Buffy's room. She was about to put Buffy's clothes away when she realized that there was someone in the room. She went around the bed and frowned when she saw Faith.

"Faith?" she asked, surprised.

Faith opened her eyes and they went wide. She waved her hand, rolled and disappeared. Joyce blinked, startled. For a few moments she wondered if she had hallucinated seeing Faith, but then she noticed the bloodstains on the floor and she realized that someone had been lying there. She looked around to see if there was anything missing and noticed that Mr Gordo was gone. She frowned, puzzled, and then decided to call Buffy.

On the ghost roads, Faith slowly got up. She wondered how she could have missed Joyce coming home. She shook her head. Then she noticed Mr Gordo. She stared at it for a few moments and then hugged it, thinking. She decided to confront Buffy while she was on patrol.

"What's up?" Willow asked when she came into their dorm room and saw that Buffy was obviously excited.

Buffy smiled.

"Mom thinks she saw Faith in my room."

Willow frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Buffy shook her head.

"I don't know, she's confused. She said she saw her lying on the floor, but then she disappeared. And she said that Mr Gordo was missing."

Willow's eyes went wide.

"Mr Gordo?"

Buffy nodded.

"Yes." She sighed. "I'm going home now. Don't tell anyone about this, okay?"

Willow nodded.

"I won't. Call me, okay?"

Buffy nodded.

"I will," she said and left.

"Mom?" Buffy said when she came home.

"Hi, honey," Joyce said with a smile.

"Has she come back?"

Joyce shook her head.

"No. Come," she said and led the way to Buffy's room. "I thought I was only hallucinating, but then I saw the blood," she said and pointed at the blood stains.

Buffy kneeled and dipped her fingers into one of the stains. Then she smelled the blood.

"It's Faith's," she said.

"How do you know?" Joyce said, surprised.

"It's a Slayer's blood and it's not mine."

"Oh." She thought for a moment. "What now?"

Buffy sighed as she got up, and shrugged.

"I don't know. I hope she'll try to contact me again." She looked at Joyce. "Don't tell anyone about it, okay? Not even Dawn."

Joyce nodded.

"I won't."

When Buffy went on patrol in the evening, she was so deep in thought about Faith that she almost didn't hear a group of vampires gang up on her. There were seven on them and she knew she was in trouble. She started to defend herself when Faith suddenly appeared out of nowhere and wreaked havoc among the vampires, staking them, or ripping their hearts out with her bare hands. Buffy staked the vamp that she was currently fighting and then just stared as Faith quickly dusted the remaining six.

"Faith?" she said when Faith was done.

Faith looked at her and Buffy could see the animal look in her eyes. She also realized that she should be afraid of Faith, but for some reason she wasn't. Then Faith moved and knocked her to the ground, straddling her. Buffy gasped and tried to break free, but she couldn't.

Faith lowered her head and opened her mouth to claim Buffy as her mate, but then she caught a strange scent on her. She frowned and sniffed.

"Faith?" Buffy asked, worried, but Faith ignored her.

Faith realized that the scent wasn't Angel's. She also realized that there were two scents actually, one very weak and another one, which was very strong. She growled as her animal instincts told her to go kill the trespasser, but her Slayer instincts told her that he was human. Then her mind joined in and she remembered that she actually had no right to claim Buffy as her own. She looked Buffy in the eyes for a few moments and then backed off. She crouched two meters from Buffy and stared at her.

Buffy sat up when Faith backed off. She stared at her, wondering what the hell just happened. Then she noticed Faith's condition, the torn clothes, the numerous cuts, which were already healing, and the dirt. She looked into her eyes and saw that Faith had changed profoundly since the last time she had seen her a year and a half ago.

"Faith?" she asked, but Faith just stared back. Buffy hesitated for a moment and then crawled closer to Faith, who immediately backed off. Buffy sighed and stopped. "Faith, are you alright?" she asked, but Faith didn't respond. "Faith, I want to help you. If you'll let me. Please," she said and reached out with her hand.

Faith quietly stared at her. She was confused. A part of her was still angry at the fact that Buffy had a boyfriend and she still wasn't sure she could trust her, especially not after Buffy had lied about Angel and after the way she had treated her after she had killed Finch. Still, another part understood. She and Buffy were never more than friends, sometimes she wondered if they were even that, and Buffy had a right to date anyone she wanted. And she understood why Buffy had lied about Angel, after all, she herself had lied about Kakistos. And she knew that Buffy was scared after the accident. Sure, she had treated her like a criminal, but she had wanted to help her, she knew that. Still, she found herself reluctant to trust Buffy, even though their Slayer bond was telling her to trust her. She hesitated for a moment and then decided to trust her instincts. She slowly approached Buffy, reached out and then took Buffy's hand.

Buffy smiled and got up. Faith followed suit. Buffy then took a good look at Faith and noticed that what she thought was dirt was actually some sort of camouflage. Then she noticed a nipple peeking out of Faith's torn tank top.

"Em, Faith…" she said, blushing, and nodded at the nipple.

Faith looked at her body and frowned, wondering what was wrong.

"The, em, nipple," Buffy said when she saw that Faith was confused.

Faith noticed that her right nipple was visible. She was confused for a moment as to why it would be important, but then she remembered that she was back in civilization. She moved the shirt and hid the nipple. Then she looked at Buffy, deciding to let her take the lead for now.

"How about we go home now," Buffy said.

Home. Faith stared at her for a few moments. In a way, Buffy's home was the closest thing she had to a real home, even though she and Buffy weren't together. She nodded and Buffy smiled.

Buffy started to lead, but then Faith remembered Mr Gordo, which she had dropped after coming to Buffy's rescue, and stopped. Buffy looked at her, confused, and Faith pointed at Mr Gordo.

"Mr Gordo!" Buffy said, recognizing the stuffed pig.

They went to it and Buffy picked it up. She let go of Faith and cleaned it up. Then she thought for a moment and offered it to Faith.

Faith frowned, surprised, and just stared at the pig.

"Take it," Buffy said. "I want you to have it."

Faith thought about it. On one hand, she wanted to have something that belonged to Buffy, but on the other, she didn't. Then again, she was back in civilization and she knew that the Watcher's weren't a threat anymore, she had learned to hide well. She took the pig and hugged it.

Buffy smiled.

"Let's go home now," she said and took Faith's hand again.

"Mom!" Buffy called when they got home.

Faith flinched nervously. She remembered Joyce seeing her sleep on the floor and she wondered what Joyce would think.

"Buffy…" Joyce started when she came from the living room. "Faith. You found her."

"Yes," Buffy said and looked at Faith. "I think you need a shower."

Faith looked at herself and realized that she could indeed use a shower.

"Or maybe a bath," Buffy realized.

Faith looked at her and nodded.

"I'll…"

"Faith!" Dawn said excitedly when she saw the dark Slayer.

Faith looked at her and was immediately ready to fight. She frowned, puzzled. She remembered Dawn and she didn't. And not only that, Dawn seemed to flicker in and out of existence and there was a strange green light inside her.

"Faith, it's okay, it's Dawn."

Faith shook her head.

"Buffy?" Dawn asked, worried.

"Faith?" Buffy asked, also puzzled.

Faith slowly reached out toward Dawn and touched her. She frowned. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, concentrating. Then she opened her eyes again and looked into Dawn's eyes.

"Faith?" Dawn asked, slightly freaked out.

Buffy suddenly realized that Faith could see that Dawn wasn't real.

"Does it look like she's flickering in and out of existence?" she asked.

Faith nodded without taking her eyes off of Dawn.

"That's okay," Buffy said. "She's actually the Key, some mystical energy, and some monks turned her into a human being and changed reality so that she's my sister," she explained.

Faith looked at Dawn's chest for a moment and then backed off.

"Are you hungry?" Joyce asked, breaking the tension.

Faith looked at her. A part of her was telling her not to trust Joyce, but then her mind took over and reassured her that Joyce wouldn't harm her unless she was endangering Buffy's or Dawn's life. She nodded and Joyce smiled.

"I'll make something while you're bathing."

"Come," Buffy said and led the way.

"Mom?" Dawn asked, confused.

"I don't know, honey," Joyce said, staring after the two Slayers.

In the bathroom, Buffy quickly prepared a bath for Faith.

"Okay, you undress and leave the clothes in a pile, I'll throw them away later. Turn off the water when you think there's enough of it. I'll bring you something to wear for the night.

Faith nodded and Buffy left. Faith then looked at the bath and quickly got rid of her clothes.

A few minutes later, the water was still running when Buffy returned. She knocked, but there was no response, so she entered. She stopped, surprised, when she saw Faith staring at her, butt naked.

"Em, you're… you're… naked," she pointed out.

Faith looked at her body, momentarily puzzled, and then remembered the decency rules of civilization. She turned around.

Buffy couldn't help but stare at Faith's body, she could feel the power emanating from her. Wherever Faith had been and whatever she had been doing, she was definitely the superior Slayer now. Then she realized she was staring and she quickly looked away.

"I'll, em, put the stuff over there."

She put down the clothes and quickly left.

Faith looked at the clothes and stared at them for a few moments. They were Buffy's clothes, she could smell it, in spite of the fact that they had been washed. She looked at the tub and decided that there was enough water. She turned off the tap and got in. The water was hot, but it didn't bother her. She leaned back and tried to relax and enjoy the feeling.

An hour later, there was a knock on the door and Faith sat up, startled.

"Faith, you okay?"

The door slowly opened and Faith looked.

"You okay?" Buffy asked again.

Faith nodded. Then she noticed that the water was getting cold and she realized she had lost track of time.

"Em, dinner's ready," Buffy said, blushing.

Faith nodded and Buffy left. Faith looked at the water and then got up.

When Faith got downstairs, she noticed Dawn. She stared at her for a few moments, remembering the fake memories, remembering that she liked Dawn. Then she proceeded to the kitchen.

"Hey," Buffy said with a smile when Faith entered.

Faith stared at her for a moment and then looked at the table. There was plenty of food there and she suddenly felt very hungry. She went to the table and sat down. She was about to start eating with her hands when she remembered that she should use the utensils. She looked at them and picked up the fork and the knife. Then she started eating.

The food was gone in no time and Buffy and Joyce could only stare at the speed with which Faith devoured it.

"Still hungry?" Joyce asked.

Faith looked at her and then at the table. She knew she could eat more, but she had just eaten a lot of food and she remembered that it wouldn't be very polite if she wanted more. She looked at Joyce and shook her head.

Joyce smiled.

"Okay."

"I'm gonna go take a shower, Mom," Buffy said.

"Okay," Joyce said.

Buffy looked at Faith.

"Are you going to be okay?"

Faith nodded.

"I'll see you later."

Buffy quickly left and Faith was left alone with Joyce. Joyce started to clean up and Faith stared at her for a few moments. Then she left. Outside the kitchen, Faith thought where to go and then decided to go to the living room and wait for Buffy there, since she didn't know where she would sleep.

When Dawn noticed Faith, she stared at her, warily. She knew something had happened to Faith, but she didn't know what. And Faith could see that she was not real, and that freaked her out.

"Em, you dropped Mr Gordo," she said and offered the toy to Faith.

Faith stared at it for a few moments and then took it. Then she sat on the other end of the sofa and stared at the TV. It was boring, so she looked around. Then she noticed the calendar and she realized she had no idea what date it was. After checking the day, she checked the month and after that they year. She frowned, puzzled. She was certain that she had been running around the States for over a year, and she was also certain that she had spent several years in that nightmarish dimension. She didn't understand and after thinking about it for a few moments, she decided that it didn't really matter.

"Faith?" Dawn asked, noticing Faith's fascination with the calendar.

Faith looked at her and Dawn felt very uncomfortable under her gaze.

"You… Em… You could see that I was not real?" Dawn then asked.

Faith stared at her for a few moments and then nodded.

Dawn found the whole silent treatment scary.

"So, em, you okay?" she asked.

Faith stared at her for a few moments, realizing that Dawn was scared of her. She also realized she didn't want Dawn to be scared at her. She smiled a little and nodded.

Dawn smiled back, relieved.

"Are you staying?"

Faith thought for a moment and then nodded.

"Here?"

Faith shrugged, not having a clue.

"I'll go ask Mom," Dawn said and left.

Faith stared after her, remembering the past. She was not afraid anymore, but some of the memories still hurt. She looked back at the TV. It was some sitcom and she found the thing stupid. But since she had nothing to do, she watched it.

"You can stay," Dawn said as she came from the kitchen.

Faith looked at her.

"Mom said we'll get the spare room ready tomorrow," Dawn continued. "I think you'll sleep with Buffy tonight."

Faith stared at her for a few moments and then nodded. She was confused about how she felt about sleeping with Buffy, but she realized that the decision wasn't in her hands.

Dawn sat beside her and then started chatting away about how stupid the people on the sitcom were. Faith quietly listened, realizing she had missed Dawn, even thought she wasn't real and she had never met her before.

"Ready to go to bed?" Buffy asked when she came downstairs.

Faith looked at her and nodded. She got up and approached Buffy.

"I threw your clothes away, you'll have to wear my clothes tomorrow."

Faith nodded, not caring anymore what kind of clothes she wore.

"Buffy, Mom said Faith can stay with us," Dawn said.

Buffy looked at her.

"Really?" she said, excited.

Dawn nodded.

"Yes. We'll clean out the spare room tomorrow."

"Cool," Buffy said and looked at Faith, smiling. "But you're staying in my room tonight."

Faith nodded.

"Oh, your stake's in my room," Buffy remembered.

Faith nodded and they went upstairs.

Buffy climbed into her bed and Faith hesitated, considering whether she should sleep on the floor.

"Come," Buffy said and patted the place beside her.

Faith looked at her and then got in.

Buffy covered them.

"Night, Faith," she said, but Faith was already half way to sleep, hugging Mr Gordo.

At night, Buffy woke because of a nightmare. It was surreal, but she didn't have time to think about it when she noticed that Faith was also having a nightmare. She pulled her close to her and Faith cuddled up to her, the nightmare apparently over. She decided not to wake her up.

Buffy was the first to wake up in the morning. She smiled when she saw Faith cuddled up to her, hugging Mr Gordo. She looked so innocent, so different from both the tough girl she had known two years ago and the silent predator she knew now. She reached up and caressed her.

In that moment, Faith woke up. Her eyes went wide when she saw she was cuddled up to Buffy. She quickly backed off and fell off the bed, but was quickly on her feet. Buffy couldn't help but smile.

"It's okay," she said. "You were having a nightmare and being close to me seemed to ease it."

Faith took a deep breath and looked at the clock.

Buffy looked as well.

"Oh, still got time." She looked at Faith. "I have classes this morning, Mom has work and Dawn has school," she said and Faith looked at her. "Will you be okay by yourself?"

Faith nodded.

"Are you sure?"

Faith nodded again and Buffy smiled.

"Then let's get dressed."

Buffy got up and went to the closet. She opened it and looked at Faith.

"Want to pick something to wear or do you want me to do it?"

Faith nodded.

"You want me to do it?"

Faith nodded again.

"Okay."

Buffy rummaged through her closet, occasionally glancing at Faith, trying to decide what would look good on Faith. She realized it was a tough choice since everything would look good on Faith. She finally decided on a pair of jeans and a white tank top.

"You like?" she asked and showed them to Faith.

Faith nodded.

"Okay," Buffy said and threw the clothes on the bed. "Just let me get you some underwear." She went to the drawer chest and pulled out a pair of panties and a bra. "You need the bra?" she asked.

Faith shook her head.

"Okay," Buffy said, threw the panties on the bed and put the bra back in.

When she turned around, Faith was already naked, so she quickly turned away, blushing. She waited for a few moments and then turned around again. She was relieved that Faith was already dressed.

"Oh, the socks and the shoes," she remembered and quickly got the needed items. "Here."

Faith put them on and stood up.

"You look good," Buffy said.

Faith looked at her and Buffy blushed a bit.

"Tell Mom I'll be right down," Buffy said.

Faith nodded and left.

Buffy took a deep breath and then started to change.

"Hello, Faith," Joyce said with a smile when Faith came to the kitchen.

Faith nodded.

"Are you hungry?"

Faith thought for a moment and then shrugged.

Joyce stared at her for a few moments, trying to figure out why Faith didn't speak.

"Is Buffy up yet?" she then asked.

Faith nodded.

"Why don't you have a seat, breakfast will be in a few minutes."

"Are you gonna be okay by yourself?" Buffy asked before she left for college.

Faith nodded.

"Are you sure? I can stay at home."

Faith shook her head.

"Well, if something's wrong, Mom's number is by the phone. So is Giles'."

Faith nodded.

Buffy smiled.

"I'll come right after my classes are over."

Faith nodded and Buffy left.

"Hey," Buffy greeted Willow when she met her.

"Hey," Willow said with a smile. "Any news on Faith?"

Buffy thought for a moment whether to tell her or not.

"She's back," she then said with a smile.

"Really?" Willow said excitedly. "How is she?" she then asked, worried.

Buffy sighed.

"I don't know, she hasn't said a word."

Willow frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"What I said. She only nods or shakes her head."

"Oh."

"She was… her clothes were all torn."

"Was she okay?"

"She was full of cuts, like she just got out of a fight, but they healed by the time she stopped bathing."

"Oh."

"And she could see Dawn wasn't real."

Willow frowned.

"You mean she could see she was the Key?"

Buffy shrugged.

"I don't know, but she could see that she wasn't real."

"Oh. Is she staying with you?"

Buffy nodded.

"Yes. I want you guys to come over to my house in the afternoon, okay?"

Willow nodded.

"What about Riley?"

Buffy thought about it.

"I don't want him to know about Faith yet."

"Okay."

"Faith, I told the gang to come over in two hours. Is that okay with you?" Buffy asked when she came home.

Faith thought for a moment and then nodded, deciding to get over it as soon as possible.

Buffy thought for a moment.

"Giles will want to know what happened to you, where you've been."

Faith shook her head.

"Okay," Buffy said with a smile. "When you're ready. Come, let's go make your room ready."

"Hi, guys," Buffy greeted her friends when they came over.

"What's all the hush about?" Xander asked.

"Come in," Buffy said and stepped aside.

Everyone got in and Buffy closed the door.

"Buffy?" Giles asked.

"Come," Buffy said and led the way to the living room.

"Faith!" Xander said when he saw the dark Slayer sitting on the sofa.

Faith quietly looked at him and then at Tara, whom she didn't know. Tara smiled at her, then frowned as she saw her aura.

"Faith," Giles said. "When did you come back?"

Faith looked at Buffy, who answered.

"Yesterday," she said.

"Really?" He looked back at Faith. "Are you okay?"

Faith nodded.

"She doesn't talk," Buffy said.

"Why not?"

Buffy shrugged.

"I don't know."

Everyone sat down.

"Where did you find her?" Giles asked.

"Well, Mom said she was sleeping in my room today and that she disappeared as soon as she saw her."

"Disappeared?" Giles asked, curious.

Buffy nodded.

"Yes. And in the park, when I was fighting a group of vamps, she appeared out of nowhere and… slaughtered them."

"Slaughtered?"

"Yes. She… She's much better than I am."

"Really?"

Buffy nodded.

"Yes." She thought for a moment. "After she killed the vamps, she… she attacked me."

"She did?" Giles asked, worried, and glanced at Faith, who was staring at Buffy.

"Yes. But not in a bad way. I mean…" She groaned, frustrated that she didn't know how to say it. "I mean, I know she didn't want to hurt me, but she did want to, uh, bite me."

"Bite you?" Xander asked.

"As a vampire?" Giles asked, worried.

Buffy shook her head.

"No. In my… breast," she said, blushing.

"Oh," Giles said, slightly flustered.

"Of course she did," Anya said.

Everyone looked at her.

"Anya?" Xander asked.

"She wanted to claim her as her mate," Anya explained. "But then she probably smelled Riley." She looked at Faith. "Did you kill him?" she asked excitedly, always a fan of bloody massacres.

Faith glared at her.

"What are you talking about, Anya?" Giles asked.

Anya looked at him.

"She's gone primal," she said, and Giles gasped.

"Are you sure?" he asked her.

"Guys?" Buffy said. "Primal?"

Giles looked at her.

"Eh, well, there are rumors of Slayers, back before the Council came into existence, who were nothing more than killing machines, untamed. They were the supreme predators."

"They could fly," Anya said.

Buffy looked at Faith.

"She's not an animal," she said, and Faith looked at her. "She's in control." She thought for a moment. "But she's way better than me."

"She could see I'm not real," Dawn said.

"Really?" Giles said, surprised.

"Yes."

"She is strong," Tara said and everyone looked at her, making her blush nervously.

"Strong?" Willow asked.

Tara nodded.

"I can see it in her aura. She's powerful."

"I'll ask the Council what they know about Faith," Giles said, and Faith looked at him. "Don't worry, I won't tell them you're here."

Faith nodded.

"Will you go on patrol with me tonight?" Buffy asked.

Faith looked at her and nodded.

"Okay. Giles, we'll come to you tomorrow after my classes end," Buffy told Giles, who nodded.

"Where is she staying?" Willow asked.

"Here. We got the spare room ready."

When they went on patrol in the evening, Buffy quietly observed Faith. She was right about Faith being a predator, she could see how Faith could detect vampires much sooner than she herself could. And she could move. Sometimes Buffy had trouble keeping track of Faith if she looked away for a moment, it was like Faith suddenly ceased to exist.

Then Faith suddenly stopped and sniffed the air.

"Faith?" Buffy asked when Faith growled. "What is it?" she asked and looked around. "Faith…" She trailed off when she saw that Faith was gone. "Faith?" she asked and looked around.

"Buffy! Hi."

Buffy turned.

"Riley. Hi," she said and looked around again, wondering where Faith was.

"Patrolling?" Riley asked.

Buffy looked back at him.

"Yes."

Up in the trees, Faith quietly listened to the conversation below. She had smelled Riley and immediately jumped up into the tree to avoid meeting him. The animal part of her wanted to kill him and claim Buffy as her mate, but her mind told her she had no right to. She was torn. She suddenly realized just how badly she wanted to be with Buffy. She thought back to when they'd first met. Back then she was pretending to be tough and she wanted Buffy to think she was cool. But those days were behind her. Back then, she was full of innuendoes and she was jealous of Angel. Now, she was jealous of Riley. But she decided to stay out of the way. If Buffy was happy with Riley, then so be it. She frowned when she came to that decision. But then she realized that she didn't want to be with Buffy just because she herself wanted to be happy, no, she wanted to be with her because she wanted Buffy to be happy. And Buffy obviously was happy with Riley, which meant that they would be never more than just friends. But that was okay with Faith. For the first time in her life number one was somebody else, not herself. She found that strange, but then decided that it didn't matter. She would protect Buffy at all cost and if Buffy was happy with Riley, then she would protect Riley as well.

She soundlessly followed Buffy and Riley, flying from tree to tree, watching over them and listening to their conversation. She noticed that Buffy didn't tell Riley about her. She briefly wondered why and then decided that it didn't matter. She also decided to avoid Riley until Buffy told him about her.

When Riley finally left, Faith got off the tree and waited for Buffy to find her.

"Faith!" Buffy said when she saw her. "Where've you been?"

Faith just stared at her for a few moments before looking away.

"Why won't you talk?" Buffy asked, frustrated, but Faith didn't respond. She sighed. "That was Riley, by the way. He's my boyfriend."

Faith nodded, and Buffy suddenly realized that Faith had known who he was before she had even seen him. Then she remembered what Anya had said about Faith wanting to claim her as her mate and wondering if Faith had killed Riley.

"You're not gonna kill Riley, are you?"

Faith looked at her abruptly, obviously upset that Buffy would even think about it. She shook her head and looked away.

"I'm sorry," Buffy quickly said, feeling bad. "It's just that I don't know where you've been and what happened to you. I mean, for all I know the Council could have brainwashed you or something."

Faith didn't respond for a few moments. Then she looked at her and nodded.

Buffy smiled, relieved.

At night, Buffy had another nightmare. She was being hunted and she could feel the hunters. But she wasn't afraid, not of the hunters, not of dying. She knew she was capable of killing the hunters, but for some reason she didn't do it. So she ran. She finally reached the edge of a canyon, but she didn't feel trapped. She continued to run and then she jumped.

Buffy woke up with a gasp. For a moment she wanted to press Faith to herself, but then she remembered that Faith was sleeping in another room. She wondered if Faith had the same nightmare.

After Buffy's classes ended the next day, she went home and then she and Faith went to the Magic Box.

"Giles," Buffy said.

"Ah, Buffy, Faith."

"Anything new from the Council?"

"Indeed," Giles said and took off his glasses to clean them. "The Council believe Faith to be dead, but they are puzzled that a new Slayer hasn't been called."

"Why would they think she was dead then?"

Giles hesitated for a moment, glancing at Faith.

"I, uh, asked one of my contacts and she told me that the Council had been hunting Faith for almost a year and a half. They finally caught up with her at Grand Canyon, where she apparently jumped off the edge."

"She jumped?" Buffy asked, her eyes wide.

Giles nodded.

"Faith?" Buffy asked and looked at Faith, who only nodded, not looking at her.

"My contact said that Faith could apparently fly," Giles continued.

"Really?" Buffy said, amazed.

"Told you she went primal," Anya piped in.

"Yes," Giles said. He hesitated for a moment. "Uh, she said that they fired two missiles at her and that they both apparently hit her. They tried to find her body, but they couldn't and they couldn't locate her either."

"So that's why they believe she's dead?"

Giles nodded.

"Yes," he said and put his glasses back on.

"But where was she the rest of the time?" Buffy asked. She looked at Faith. "Faith?"

Faith didn't respond, apparently not liking to think about it.

"You didn't tell them Faith was alive, did you?" Buffy then asked Giles.

"Of course not," Giles said.

"Are they still looking for her?"

"My contact doesn't think so. Apparently they are trying to locate the next Slayer."

"Which they'll never find because Faith is not dead."

Giles nodded.

"Exactly."

"But what it they come here?" Buffy suddenly realized.

"The Council?" Giles asked, seeing the problem.

"Yes."

Faith gently touched Buffy's shoulder, and Buffy looked at her. Faith then shook her head.

"They can't hurt you?" Buffy asked.

Faith nodded.

"You sure?"

Faith nodded again, and Buffy breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good." She thought for a moment. "Feel like practicing?"

Faith nodded.

"Come," Buffy said and led the way to the training room, Giles following them.

When they entered, Faith looked around, curious. The equipment was good, but she knew it wasn't good enough for her. But she wasn't here to test the equipment, she was here to spar with Buffy, just about the only person in the world somewhere close to her skills.

"Don't you need to stretch?" Buffy asked as she started stretching.

Faith shook her head.

"Oh."

Faith quietly observed her, admiring her beauty and grace. She sighed, wishing that things were different.

After a few minutes, Buffy was ready.

"Okay, ready?" she asked.

Faith nodded and raised her hands.

Buffy attacked and Faith easily sidestepped. Buffy kept her attack going, and Faith remained on the defensive, easily evading. Then she suddenly moved in a burst of speed and gently laid Buffy on the mat.

"Wow," Buffy said, surprised. She looked at Giles. "Giles, did you see that?"

"Indeed," Giles said, impressed.

"You were holding back, weren't you?" Buffy then asked Faith.

Faith nodded.

"And yesterday, when we were on patrol, you were also holding back."

Faith nodded again.

Buffy got up.

"Good thing we're on the same side," she said.

Faith didn't respond.

"Can you try to be on the offensive a bit more?" Buffy asked.

Faith nodded.

"Okay, let's do it."

Buffy attacked Faith again, and Faith defended herself. Then she moved on the offensive, but she made sure she only gently touched Buffy instead of hitting her for real.

"Wow, you're good," Buffy said as she backed off after a few minutes.

Faith simply stared at her.

"Impressive," Giles said.

"Does that mean we can stop sparing?" Buffy asked Giles.

"Yes, I suppose."

"Good," Buffy said and looked at Faith. "Come, let me show you around Sunnydale."

A few days later, when Buffy came home from patrol, Faith felt that something was not right. She quietly stared at Buffy, who was rummaging around the fridge, hoping that Buffy would talk to her.

Buffy had noticed Faith staring, but she didn't feel like talking. Of course, she finally couldn't stand Faith's silent staring anymore and she gave in. She closed the fridge without taking anything out, and looked at Faith.

"Riley left," she said quietly and sighed.

Faith frowned and then growled when she guessed that Riley didn't just go somewhere but that he had left Buffy.

"No, it's okay," Buffy said, guessing that Faith was apparently upset about it. She sighed. "I think it was for the best."

Faith frowned, puzzled.

"Don't get me wrong, I love him, but not… I don't know. I think I was with him just so I'd feel normal, you know," Buffy explained. "And I think he knew that." She sighed. "But I'm not normal." She thought for a moment. "I think he did us both a favor."

Faith stared at Buffy, confused. She was surprised that with her superior senses she didn't notice that Buffy didn't love Riley. She finally approached her and put her hand on Buffy's shoulder. Buffy looked at her and she smiled at her, gently squeezing her shoulder. Buffy smiled back.

"Thanks," she said.

Faith nodded and slowly left. Buffy stared after her for a few moments and then decided to go shower.

A week later, when Buffy woke up from another nightmare, she suddenly realized that they weren't just nightmares, they were memories, Faith's memories. She lay back and thought about it, shocked.

When Buffy heard Faith get up and go to the bathroom, she waited until Faith got back and then went to her. She knocked on the door, waited for a few moments and then entered. Faith stared at he as she approached her.

"I know what happened to you," Buffy said.

Faith raised an eyebrow.

"The nightmares, they're not just nightmares, they're your memories. And for some reason we share them."

Faith tensed and looked away.

"Faith," Buffy said, and Faith slowly looked at her again. "It's okay." She paused for a moment. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you."

Faith nodded, understanding.

Buffy then sat, and Faith did the same. Buffy thought for a few moments.

"I understand now why your powers improved, but I still don't understand why you tried to, em, claim me as your mate," she then said, blushing.

Faith looked away, thinking. Buffy and Riley weren't together anymore, but did she want Buffy to know how she felt? As far as she knew, Buffy was straight, so it didn't really matter if she told her. On the other hand, she was still hoping that just maybe Buffy wasn't as straight as she thought. She decided to find out. She looked at Buffy.

"Because I love you," she said quietly just as Buffy was about to change the subject.

Buffy gasped.

"What?"

Faith hesitated for a moment, not quite sure what Buffy's reaction meant.

"Because I love you," she repeated, looking into Buffy's eyes.

Buffy stared at her for a few moments, surprised by Faith's declaration and by the fact that Faith spoke. Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times before she realized what she was doing and closed it. She thought for a moment.

"The innuendoes," she then realized. "It was your way of saying you love me."

Faith nodded.

"I feel so dumb."

Faith considered for a moment whether she should contradict Buffy or not. She decided to contradict her.

"You had a lot on your mind," she said.

Buffy stared at her for a few moments, thinking. Then she nodded.

"Yeah, I guess." She frowned. "How come you talk now?"

"Because this is important."

"Oh." Buffy thought for a moment. "So you didn't… claim me because I was with Riley?"

Faith nodded.

"And after he left? You didn't say anything."

"You were not ready."

"Oh." Buffy frowned. "And I am now?"

"I don't know."

Buffy stared at Faith, confused.

"Then why did you tell me?"

Faith hesitated for a moment.

"You asked."

"Oh," Buffy said, still confused.

They were both quiet for a few moments, Buffy thinking, Faith quietly waiting.

"I'm a damn idiot," Buffy finally muttered. She looked at Faith, who was quietly waiting for an explanation, and sighed. "There was always something between us," she said. "First there was the whole Kendra and Angel business. Then there was that Post bitch, then Finch, the Council and finally Riley." She sighed, thinking. "You may have held the stake, but I'm just as responsible for Finch's death," she admitted.

Faith nodded.

"I'm sorry I freaked out on you back then, but I was scared. I had already been accused of killing someone and I was just so… scared."

Faith nodded again, understanding, and Buffy sighed.

"After Angel left," Buffy continued, "I felt pretty bad. You were gone and I wanted to have someone normal." She paused for a moment. "There was this guy, Parker. I thought he was a nice guy, but he used me." She sighed. "Then there was Riley. I was more careful with him, but I guess I wasn't good enough for him. I mean, he was normal, kind of like Scott Hope. You remember him?"

Faith nodded.

"Well, it turned out he wasn't as normal as I thought. I mean, he was human and all, but he worked for this secret military organization which studied demons." She frowned. "Now that I think about it, maybe he felt that I didn't really love him."

There was a brief pause.

"Why not?" Faith then asked, causing Buffy to sigh again.

"I don't know. I mean, I liked the fact that he was a more or less normal human being and the fact that he was a soldier trained to fight demons was definitely a plus. I mean, he gave me the feeling that I was just a normal girl, but…" She shook her head. "I don't know." She frowned. "I think I knew I didn't really love him, but I desperately wanted to." She paused. "I guess he did me a favor when he left."

There was a long silence as Faith thought about it.

"What about Angel?" she then asked.

Buffy took a deep breath.

"He… He'll always be special to me. I mean, it hurt when he left, but he did the right thing." She looked at Faith. "I just wish you were here then."

"Why?" Faith asked, her heart beating faster.

Buffy hesitated for a few moment, blushing.

"Because I… I think I love you," she then said and gulped.

Faith quietly stared at her, her heart doing overtime. She had wanted to hear Buffy say that for so long and she desperately wanted to believe her, but a part of her mind reminded her that Buffy had just broken up with Riley not so long ago.

"Don't," she said quietly, surprising herself.

Buffy frowned.

"What?"

"Don't do this."

"Do what?" Buffy asked, puzzled.

"Don't say you love me if you're not one hundred percent sure."

"I…"

"You just broke up with Riley. You've never even thought about being together with another girl. You don't know me," Faith listed the reasons.

Buffy stared at her, surprised. The Faith of old would have grabbed the opportunity at once. She thought about the reasons Faith gave her and realized that Faith had a point.

"I know," she said, "but there's something about you…" She thought for a moment. "I've never felt like this when I was with Angel or with Riley. It's almost like… like a craving. And it's not even sexual, at least not completely." She blushed. "I mean, you're right, I've never thought about being with a girl, but only because I wanted to be normal. Well, I'm not normal. And it's not like I'm desperate to get into your panties," she said and blushed. "I mean, sure, someday, when I get used to the idea of having sex with another girl, but I just want to be with you, you know? Hold hands, hug, kiss," she said and blushed deeper. "As far as Angel is concerned, we're friends, good friends. And Riley, if he came back, I wouldn't want us to be together again. Friends yes, lovers no." She thought for a moment. "And I would like to get to know you better."

Faith stared at her for a few moments, not sure what to say.

"We'll see," she then said and Buffy smiled a bit. "You want to know me better?" she then asked.

Buffy nodded.

"Yes."

Faith hesitated for a moment, not quite sure if she wanted to show Buffy everything.

"Tonight, in my dreams," she said.

"Great," Buffy said, excited. Then she frowned. "Can you control them?"

"I think so."

"You think so? So you haven't been controlling them before?"

Faith shook her head.

"Oh," Buffy said. "Okay," she said with a smile, and got up. "I'll, em, see you at breakfast."

Faith nodded and Buffy left. She stared at the door for a few moments, wondering if perhaps she and Buffy would end up together. Then her instincts cut in and she decided not to think about it or hope. She got up and dressed.

In the evening, Buffy came to Faith's room.

"I thought it might be easier if we slept together," she said, blushing a bit, when Faith stared at her curiously.

Faith thought for a moment and then nodded. She removed the blanket and let Buffy lie next to her. Then she covered them again. They stared at one another for a few moments.

"Good night," Faith then said.

Buffy smiled.

"Good night, Faith."

When Buffy suddenly found herself in a smelly room, she immediately knew that she was seeing Faith's life through Faith's eyes. The life moved fast and she experienced every emotion Faith felt as she experienced the various events and she couldn't do anything about it. It was mostly fear and loathing, there were not many happy memories, except with her first Watcher and when she was with Buffy. Buffy suddenly realized just how deep Faith's love for her was.

Then they reached the end and they woke up.

"Wow," Buffy said, breathing hard. She smiled. "Thank you. Now let me show you mine."

"You don't have to," Faith said.

"I want to," Buffy said. "It's the least I can do. And besides, it's the only way to show you how I feel about you and to show you just who you want to claim."

Faith thought for a moment and then nodded.

As Faith experienced Buffy's life, she realized that Buffy's life wasn't exactly easy either, at least not after she had been called. Before, she was a brainless bimbo, but that had changed after she was called. And as they got to the part when they first met, Faith realized that under the initial jealousy there was love, but it was always in the background. Buffy may not have shown any signs that she was in love with her, but Faith knew now that love was always there, even though it took a backseat to Buffy's current problems. And she finally saw that Buffy was ready to break up with Riley after she had returned.

"Do you believe me now?" Buffy asked after they woke up.

Faith nodded.

"Do you still want to claim me?" Buffy asked after a few moments, nervous.

"Yes," Faith said. She hesitated for a few moments. "Do you still love me?"

Buffy smiled.

"Yes," she said. "And I want to claim you as my mate," she said and uncovered them.

Then she lifted Faith's t-shirt and leaned in for the bite, but Faith stopped her. Buffy looked at her, surprised.

"Are you absolutely sure?" Faith asked. "Because if you do this, there is no turning back. You won't be able to walk away if things won't work. This is stronger than marriage."

Buffy stared at her for a few moments, thinking, and then leaned closer and bit Faith in the left breast, drawing just a little of her blood. Then she leaned back and raised her own t-shirt. Faith stared at her for a few moments and then leaned closer and bit Buffy in her left breast, drawing just a little blood. They stared at one another for a few moments and then Faith leaned in for a kiss. Buffy smiled and leaned closer as well.

The kiss was only lips to lips at first, but then it deepened and their tongues started to caress one another.

"I could get used to that," Buffy said with a smile when they stopped kissing.

Faith smiled as well. She hesitated for a moment and then caressed Buffy, whose smile widened.

"You've changed so much," Buffy said, capturing Faith's hand and pressing it to her cheek. "Sometimes I miss the carefree Faith."

"I wasn't carefree," Faith said, "I just had nothing to lose."

Buffy nodded.

"I know. Still, at least you smiled and laughed."

Faith studied her for a moment.

"Do you regret it?"

Buffy shook her head.

"Never," she said and kissed Faith's palm before letting go of her hand.

Faith stared at her for a few moments and then smiled.

"Much better," Buffy said and smiled as well. She took a deep breath. "Let's go back to sleep, okay? And tomorrow we'll talk about your future."

Faith nodded and after a moment of hesitation cuddled up against Buffy, who pressed her to herself.

"I love you, Faith."

"I love you too, Buffy."

The End