A/N : Despite having inspiration for stories in other fandoms lately, the Buffyverse is still my comfort zone, the fandom I am still most confident to write for. Here's hoping you all like my latest offering of the Spuffy kind, although I warn you, the actual Spike and Buffy love might tale a while to get to in this one...

Title : Sweet Corruption

Rating : PG-13

Summary : AUFantasy/All Human. It is no surprise to anyone when Faith is thrown out by her mother for her bad behaviour. Her innocent little half-sister, Buffy, hates the situation, until she meets Faith's latest boyfriend and temporary room-mate, Spike.

Disclaimer : Any recognisable characters from Buffy and/or Angel belong to the mighty Joss Whedon for he rules over the kingdom of the Scoobies and the Fang Gang, and all other associated persons!

Chapter 1

"Faith, please, you can't just go like this!" sixteen year old Buffy Giles cried as she watched her older half-sister throw various items of clothing and other belongings into a large bag.

"I got no choice, kiddo" Faith shook her head, not stopping or even sparing a glance for the other girl. If she saw her tears she might let her own escape and she was not going to let that happen. Nobody had seen her cry in over ten years, she wasn't about to let a record like that go to hell just because her Mom was throwing her out.

"You do so have a choice" Buffy argued, "Just talk to Mom and Dad, I know they'll change their minds, if you just say you're sorry..."

"But that's just it, B" Faith told her, "I'm not sorry, and I ain't a liar so I'm not going to pretend"

"You don't want to" Buffy snapped, sadness turning to anger at her sister's apathetic attitude, "You don't care about staying here, or me, or anything except yourself" she said nastily, slamming out of the bedroom and into her own.

"Damn!" Faith cursed, throwing the shoe she had in her hand down onto the bed where it landed with a dull thud. She sat down beside it and put her face in her hands momentarily before running her fingers back through her hair.

She couldn't live like this anymore, and her mother and step-father had made it crystal clear they couldn't deal either. All she really regretted was hurting Buffy in all this. B was a sweet kid most of the time, a little bratty and spoilt but that wasn't her fault. She was Mommy's little angel, and Daddy's little princess. Faith herself was a nasty mistake and she knew it.

Joyce Summers had met Tom Lehane in High School. He'd transferred in Senior year and they'd fallen for each other on sight. They dated and he took her to the High school prom, the night just like something out of a fairytale as they danced and laughed and later cemented their relationship in the physical act of love making.

Though the night had been perfect and the following few weeks just as magical, there was no happily ever after for Joyce and Tom. The day she found out she was expecting his baby she'd been over-joyed but his own opinion on the matter was less good. They were only eighteen, and in Tom's opinion way too young to be thinking about settling down in a marriage with kids and jobs and a house with a white picket fence. Joyce had managed to persuade him they could be happy and eventually her boyfriend caved, agreeing they would make the best of an awkward situation and attempt to bring up their baby together. It was a big mistake.

Joyce ended up literally holding the baby all day and all night as Tom spent daylight hours working and the night going out to get drunk. His fiancé, since they never had quite made it down the aisle, was all too aware of the women that went with the nights of beer and laughter, but poor Joyce put up with Tom's behaviour, hoping he may in time change and wanting his help where Faith was concerned. Her parents had already practically disowned her when they found out she was pregnant by the boy they'd always considered unsuitable for their daughter.

It was when little Faith was four that Tom finally left after an argument that there was no going back from. Joyce had snapped and sent him on his way when he'd told her Faith was the biggest mistake he ever made and that 'the brat should have been destroyed when we had the chance'. To this day nobody knew the little girl had heard those words, or how they'd haunted her for years afterwards, even now.

Tom left town a few days later with no intention of ever coming back as Joyce cried, thinking her life was over now. She was barely twenty-one, alone in the world, and stuck with a small child she'd made with a man that had changed beyond recognition. Though she loved her baby and brought her up as best she could, things were never easy, at least not until Giles came along.

Faith laughed painfully to herself as she picked up the picture from her nightstand. She wouldn't have it out on display if it weren't for the fact Buffy had decorated it herself with shells from the beach from their last family vacation. It was years ago now, but there they were, all smiling and seemingly having a good time. There were days when Faith didn't mind her step-dad so much, and others when she resented him for not being her real Dad, the father she wished Tom Lehane could've been if he loved her like he ought to have done. Same thing applied to Buffy, who Faith could find a little love for most of the time, but never quite enough when Joyce and Giles doted on their baby girl and seemed to leave Faith out in the cold.

The older girl didn't exactly help herself much. Her wild behaviour encouraged her parents to think badly of her and treat her the way they did. She knew she deserved to be grounded as a teen when she got caught smoking or playing hooky from school, but it didn't make the experience any more fun.

Buffy was such a princess, and so perfect. She worked hard in school, had earned herself a place on the cheerleading squad, and was adored by everyone, almost the exact opposite of her half-sister. The only attention she got was from teachers who wanted to yell at her, girls who wanted to fight with her, and guys who wanted to sleep with her. She found a certain amount of fun in all three types of situation, the last one most of all.

Faith's cell rang into life on the bed beside her and she scooped it up, grinning suddenly when she caught sight of the name.

"Hey, hot stuff" she said as she got back on her feet and continued to pack, holding the phone between her chin and her shoulder.

"Hello, luv" her boyfriend replied, holding his own cellphone to his ear and driving one handed towards Revello Drive, "Just got your message five minutes ago. What's going on?" he asked. The message she'd left on his voicemail was mostly curse words followed by a demand that he get to her house as soon as possible, as yet he didn't know why though.

"I'll explain when you get here" she said cryptically, "I just need a favour is all"

"Yeah, well, you know the deal, luv" Spike smirked as he rounded another corner jut making to through the traffic lights before they turned red, "I do you a favour, might need somethin' back from you" he told her, making Faith laugh.

"You name it, baby, you know I'll play" she smiled, "but right now I gotta go. Got somethin' I need to do before you get here"

"Don't take too long, luv" Spike told her, "Barely a few streets away from your place"

She said okay, and they both hung up making it easier for Faith to finish packing. She pushed her cell into her pocket, swung her bag over her shoulder and headed out the bedroom door, and across the landing to Buffy's own.

"Yo, B" she yelled, as she banged on the wood, "You come say goodbye now or not at all. I'm gone either way" she warned, waiting a few seconds before the door swung open.

"Please, Faith" she tried again to plead with her sister, "Please try to talk things out with Mom, she doesn't really want you to go"
"There's nothin' left to say, B" Faith told her gently, "Me and the parents, we had a deal. I lose one more job, I get my butt out of here"

It was true, the deal had been made and now the consequences must be faced. Faith had dropped out of High School aged seventeen, convincing her mother there was no point in her attending anymore, she just wasn't academically minded. Instead, she swore she would get a job and earn money to pay her way. Though Joyce and Giles finally agreed, things didn't go according to plan. Faith had three jobs in the first month after leaving Sunnydale High and she got herself fired from every single one. A large portion of her time was spent unemployed, crashed out in front of the TV eating junk all day then playing the night away with various unsavoury young men over the time. Up until yesterday she'd always been given the benefit of the doubt for months that turned into years, but now it was over. It had been too much for Joyce to take when she'd received a call from her daughter via the police station, after her girl got arrested for assault.

"But it's not your fault!" Buffy protested, making Faith laugh.

"I kicked a guy in the face and knocked him out cold, B" she reminded her sister, "You can't just say 'Oops I slipped' and hope it'll be okay"

"I know you had a reason" the blonde shook her head, tears falling from her eyes, "I don't know what it is and I don't care but you wouldn't just do that, I know it" she told her, "If you just tell Mom what happened..."

"She doesn't care enough to listen, sweetie" Faith told her sitter sadly, "It ain't her fault, y'know?" she shrugged as a car horn blasted from the driveway, "That's my guy" the dark-haired girl smirked as she leaned in to hug her half-sister briefly with one arm, "See ya, kiddo" she said too softly as she bounced down the stairs. Joyce and Giles got to their feet as the girl passed them by, not even sparing them a glance as she slammed out of the front door. They thought she was being thoughtless and nasty, she was just trying not to show how bad she felt.

"Alright, pet?" Spike checked as he got out of the car and came over to Faith.

"Five by five" she assured him with a smile that didn't quite meet her eyes, "I just need a place to crash for a while is all" she admitted as he eyed her large bag with suspicion.

"Mum and evil Step-Dad chuck you out did they?" he checked, head tilted as he looked at her, wondering what had happened this time. He'd been dating Faith on and off for a little more than three months. It surprised them both how they hadn't got bored of each other yet, since most of their previous 'relationships' hadn't made it beyond the first fortnight. Still they had something between them that kept them coming back for more and it wasn't just the great sex they had together, though it helped.

"Kind of" Faith shrugged, "Long story, and it's all pretty boring" she sighed as she dumped her bag at her feet and reached to put her arms around his neck, "I just need some gorgeous guy to offer to take me home with him is all. What do you say, Spikey?" she smiled suggestively, kissing his face, "You got room for little old me at your place for a while?"

"Well, see, that all depends" Spike told her, smirking as he pulled her body close to his and whispered in her ear, "You gonna make it worth my while?"

Faith laughed at that before whispering her answer to him, knowing exactly what would make him most happy. In seconds he had her and her bag in the car and was driving like a bat out of hell towards his home, that would be hers too for a while. Buffy heard the screech of the tyres on the road but by the time she made it to the window all she saw was the very back of the black DeSoto speeding around the corner, taking her sister with it. The blonde cried partly because she was upset but mostly because she was just so damn angry. She wished her Mom and Faith could get along better, and that they'd both try harder. She wished her Dad was a little less British and snappy sometimes, especially with her sister. Most of all Buffy Giles wished that she didn't love Faith so damn much. They were only half-sisters and they fought constantly but underneath it all they always cared a great deal about each other. They had their petty jealousies and their typical sibling fights, but Buffy never wanted Faith to leave, not like this.

One day of course everybody had to grow up and move out, Buffy knew one day she would too, but when the family split into seperate homes she wanted it to be because of love, and marriage, and good things like that, not because it had become impossible for her family to get along anymore.

The picture on her dresser taunted Buffy as she glanced at it. Her happy little family. That was a joke. She was torn between bursting into tears and screaming from pure frustration when her cell phone started to ring from it's spot in the middle of her bed.

"Hey Will" she sniffed as she answered it, knowing from the specific ring tone it was her best girl-friend.

"You okay, Buffy?" Willow checked, frowning slightly at her friends tone, it sounded as if she were crying or perhaps trying not to.

"Faith's gone" she explained, "After yesterday, I kinda guessed there'd be another fight with her and Mom and Dad but... I never thought she'd really go Will"

"Oh" was all Willow could find to say She felt desperately sorry for her friend obviously, but at the same time she couldn't say she was really anything but glad to hear Faith no longer lived at 1630 Revello Drive. Willow and Buffy had been friends since they were little kids and from Day One Faith had always disliked the shy little red-head and teased her mercilessly. Though it was different now and they were older the two young women did not get along at all and Willow would not be sorry that her friends sister would not be around if she visited or stayed over at the Giles' house anymore.

"I was gonna ask if you wanted to come to the Bronze tonight with me and Xander" she said eventually, "But I guess you're not really in the mood"

"Not so much" Buffy agreed, "but you should still go, have fun" she sniffed again and Willow sighed.

"No, I couldn't" she told her, "We couldn't have any fun at all knowing you're all teary and alone. How 'bout we come over to your house instead and bring ice-cream?" the red-head suggested, "You think you're Mom would mind?"

"I don't know" Buffy shook her head, "I doubt it'd be a big deal, and I'd like the distraction" she considered, "Yeah, tell Xander I'd love for you to both come over, I'll run it past Mom and Dad but I'm almost certain it'll be fine"

"Okay, sweetie" Willow smiled, glad she had come up with a helpful suggestion, "We'll be over around seven"

"Sounds great" Buffy nodded to herself, "I'll see you then"

The two friends hung up and the blonde glanced again at the family photo on her dresser. She sadly shook her head as she picked it up, opened the drawer and shut the framed picture inside where she could no longer see it. She didn't need Faith, not if she didn't even care enough about her to stay and try and work things out with Mom and Dad. If she wanted to leave then it's good that she did. Buffy could get along just fine without her sister, she was her own woman now. Sixteen years old was old enough to make it through life without your twenty two year old sister looking out for her all the time, she told herself, not that Faith ever did much watching of Buffy's back anyway.

"I don't need her" she said aloud, wiping the tears from her cheeks and getting up from her bed.

Within the next five minutes she'd have her parents mind off her half-sister too, she smiled as she bounded down the stairs. She was their little girl, the one who was a part of both of them. They loved their little princess and Buffy didn't mind the attention at all. Her two best friends would come over tonight and make a big deal out of cheering her up too.

"Who needs a sister?" she muttered to herself on the easy through to the kitchen where she could hear her parents talking now, "I don't"

To Be Continued...