Chapter Text
Faith took another drag of her cigarette and blew it out into the night sky. “I don’t know, Malfoy,” she said. “I don’t think she’ll make an appearance before sunrise. Seemed pretty pent-up to me.”
“She will,” Spike said in a low voice, leaning on the opposite railing from her. “She’s not out jonesing for a slay right now, she’s…” he broke off, and didn’t finish.
“Yeah, well.” Faith kicked the toe of his boot with hers. “What makes you think she’ll come in the back way? If she’s trying to sneak in, the stairs are closer to the front door.”
“Because this is where she comes,” Spike said, still in a low voice, as if he wasn’t talking to her anymore. He probably wasn’t. He hadn’t even looked at her the entire time. Faith kept fingering the packet of cigarettes in her pocket, waiting for him to ask, but he was just leaning on the railing, looking out.
And then suddenly he stiffened, and stood up straight. He held his hand out to her, but still didn’t look her way. “D’ya mind?”
Faith raised an eyebrow. “What, now you want to light up?”
“Please, Faith, I’ll buy you another packet,” Spike said. Faith rolled her eyes, but slapped her packet in his hand, and he stuck a cigarette in his mouth and lit it just as Buffy pushed through the trees into her backyard. She looked at them in mild surprise, and then her look turned cold, and she marched towards them, staring down at the ground.
“B,” Faith said. “Look...you don’t have to go in there.”
“Well, I have to go somewhere,” Buffy replied in a clipped tone. “And there’s nowhere I can be alone anymore, not even the backyard, apparently, so…”
“Soulboy junior is only out here ‘cause he was waiting for you,” Faith said, ignoring the dirty look Spike threw her. Whether it was at the name or for throwing him under the bus, Faith couldn’t have said.
Buffy turned to look at Faith, and her features softened enough to look like she might want to smile, but she just pushed past them, and stepped up to the door.
But she didn’t go in, and Spike gave Faith a pleading look. She just mouthed the word “no” and smirked as she perched on top of the fence. Spike glared at her, and then turned to look at Buffy. “Slayer,” he said quietly. “Don’t...don’t torture yourself. Not over this.”
“And what should I be torturing myself over?” Buffy asked, whipping around on him. “Having your chip removed? Inviting Faith back into my home? Everytime I make a decision someone fights me on something, and tonight, Spike, tonight? I really, really should have listened.”
Spike shook his head. “You’re the general here, not them. This was your battle plan, and yeah, it went south, but you pick yourself back up, and you move on, pet.”
“Move on?” she snapped, her voice carrying a slight tremor. “What, like it was no big deal? Huh, guess that didn’t work, oh well, what’s next?”
“Yes!”
“No!” she cried emphatically. “Girls died tonight, Spike, others were injured, and Xander…” she stopped, and swallowed. “Xander…” she began wilting, and she walked quickly back over to the porch steps, and sank down on them.
Faith had been interested that Buffy was so chummy with a vampire, ensouled or no. She didn’t really know why this one had signed on, when he’d definitely been evil just a couple years ago. And tonight he’d been waiting for Buffy to come home, and knew that she’d come through the backyard. She was fascinated. She wanted to see what would unfold.
But it didn’t really click for her, until she saw Spike lower himself down next to Buffy, and wrap his arms around her. Buffy began sobbing, loudly, and unrestrained, which in itself was enough to startle Faith. She had no idea Buffy ever let her defenses down enough to do that. But what was even more startling was that she let herself fall into Spike’s embrace. She fell against his chest, she clutched his coat in her hands, and she cried and cried, while Spike just held her tightly. He laid his cheek on her head, and began slowly rubbing her back. “It’s all right, love,” he murmured. “It’s all right, hush now...”
Faith just stared, until she caught her mouth hanging open, and quickly shut it. She’d told herself she’d grown in the Big House, matured or whatever, and she didn’t have to be jealous of Buffy for petty reasons anymore.
But damn it, how did she always get the hot vampires to fall for her? Faith knew she herself had a friend in Angel for life, and even Spike seemed to enjoy her company enough to trade quips and share smokes with her, but she wasn’t Buffy. To either of them. And she never would be.
Faith listened until Buffy’s sobs grew quieter, and she moved her head to lean on Spike’s shoulder. She was still whimpering, and gulping on occasion, and Spike continued to lightly stroke her back as he held her, whispering soothingly into her hair.
Faith slipped off the fence, and quietly went back into the house. Well. Buffy had fallen pretty hard tonight. She was lucky to have someone to catch her.