A/N: Whilst staying with my grandparents over Christmas where there was no internet access I kind of got inspired, and so after such a long wait that I'm sure no-one will read it, I present to any lone soul who may happen to see this CHAPTER 2.

CHAPTER 2

The flight back to America was… long. Long and boring, and it left far too much time for Buffy to think - something she wasn't at all in the right mood for. By the time she arrived at her destination she was tired from lack of sleep (too wired to nap on the plane) and feeling down from over thinking. The plane had been packed with people flying home for Christmas, cheery smiles on their faces even though she'd booked a flight that had left at four thirty in the morning (the only one still available on such late notice). She exited the airport as swiftly as possible, her only luggage the knapsack slung over her shoulder, and then spent at least an hour trying to flag down a taxi out the front. By the time she arrived at her cheap hotel she was exhausted, but just as evil didn't take a break for Christmas neither would it wait around for Buffy to take a nap. She ditched the things she didn't need in the dingy hotel room, slipped the key in her pocket and went down to the 7/11 on the corner to buy some kind of caffeinated, sugar filled energy drink before she headed out.

As per usual Giles' vague instructions were little help. 'The dodgy part of LA' was, unsurprisingly, quite large. She had some knowledge of some of it, from back so many years ago when she'd run away for a stint, but she hadn't exactly been social or in the mood for exploring the city at the time – more caught up in her head and just trying to get by. Giles had said that this predicted big bad would be drawn to warmth and crowds of people, which on Christmas Eve in the dodgy parts of LA were bars and nightclubs.

She stumbled across a bar with a cheerful sign hanging over the door way, its brightness and wholesome Christmas message in dramatic contrast to the rest of the scenery. Groaning she tightened her grip on the strap of her bag, took a deep breath and entered the fourth bar she'd been in so far that night. She was greeted with the now familiar smell of stale beer and cigarettes that wafted slowly through the room, dancing in swirls around the lone woman swaying before the juke box. Buffy scanned the room for any signs of danger, but just as the last four found only lonely drunks trying to drink away the sorrows of being alone on Christmas. Part of her wanted to join them. Part of her liked how dank and decrepit these places were, felt at home in the shadows that swam in corners and threatened to swallow the rooms whole as the dim lights flickered meekly. She didn't though. Now more than ever she knew the importance of her role, how much she needed to remain a strong leader and positive role model for the army of girls (just girls, no matter how strong physically they might be) whom followed her.

With a low yawn (the energy drink starting to wear off and the fatigue setting in again) she walked around past the end of the last booth and into the back – towards where a sign above her head told her the toilets would be. Flicking back the blonde hair that fell around her face she kept her head down but her eyes open and her hand resting on the stake tucked up her sleeve. There was a silhouette further down the hall, just past the women's toilets, leaning up against the wall. Buffy kept an eye on them as she moved down, deciding to investigate this person first and then do a quick sweep of both bathrooms before moving on. The dark figure lent back their head and let out a long mouth full of smoke that trailed up to the ceiling. The fact that they were smoking led her to believe they were most likely human, but her gut told her to investigate further, and after seven years of her instincts most being right she thought it best to follow them.

As she reached where they stood in the hall and came level with them she was able to see their face in the dim light that had been hidden from her pervious angle. Her heart stopped in her chest.

"Faith?" she stuttered. Her dark opposite looked up, confused, as though she'd been in such a daze she was only now realizing she had company in the dark back hall. Her eyes went wide and smoke escaped her mouth as it fell open, momentarily blocking out her features in a twirling haze, and then it dissipated into the air again and she was still staring blankly back at Buffy.

"B? What the hell are you doin' here?" she finally asked, dropping her cigarette onto the dirty floor and standing up a little straighter, "Long time no see." Buffy stamped the cigarette out, feeling flustered just being in the other girl's presence and they'd barely even spoken more than two sentences to each other.

"A big bad thing. Giles sent me down to check it out," she answered softly, stepping back so she was up against the opposite wall with the width of the small hall between them.

"On Christmas Eve?" Faith asked, "Geez, there should be something in the Slayer contract about at least getting Major holidays off." She replied. Buffy smiled, possibly for the first time in over 48 hours. It cheered her up a little.

"I'll have to have a word with Giles about that when I see him next," she replied tiredly, trying to hold in the yawn that threatened to take over. Faith watched her quietly for a moment, head cocked to the side, with none of the anger she'd had when they were younger. Things would never be perfect between them, Buffy was sure. She'd never fully be able to trust the other slayer, would always be haunted by the painful memories of things she'd done. And Faith would never really be able to forgive Buffy for having the life she felt she deserved. But they'd do their best now. They'd try to get past all that, they'd be civil and they'd work together in next adventure they were faced with. There was always a part of Buffy that wondered though, if Faith had gone bad... what would have happened between them. She pushed the thought away.

"You wanna help me? I gotta do the rounds of I don't know how many more bars and I'm seriously jet lagged. An extra slayer would definitely be useful," she asked, leaning forward into the stream of light coming through a window at the end of the hall and batting her eyelashes. Faith laughed.

"Sure. I've got nothing better to do," she replied, shrugging, and pushed of the wall offering Buffy her hand. The blonde took it, letting Faith pull her back onto the flats of her feet, and almost forgot to let go as they headed back down the hall.