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“What in the hell are you?” Faith asked running up to the couple still are the ground.

“Are we back to that again?” Buffy asked getting off of Spike. If they were going to fight again, she wanted to be on her feet. “I was as normal as anyone else in this fucked up world and then two years ago I suddenly got all strong without a single radioactive spider bite to show for it.”

“Try again, Spike’s head should still be hurting after that last kick but he didn’t get so much as a buzz from the chip. So that means you’re evil.” Faith told her crossing her arms over her chest.

“There is another option, the chip could have broken.” Riley said calmly. He saw Faith’s point but he couldn’t help but think she was looking for any reason to hate Angel’s, attractive new slayer.

“Hit me Spike and let’s get back to my point.” Faith ordered him.

Since he was tired of the bint constantly harping on Buffy he was more than willing to take a little pain on her behalf. He was more than a bit curious about the chip as well. If it was broken, he was happy and if Buffy was evil, well that just made her more perfect for him. So either way this turned out, it was a win/win situation he decided. “With pleasure,” he said smugly, seconds before driving his fist into Faith’s face. His head trembled from the lightning storm shooting through his brain but as painful as it was, it was worth it.

“See pain,” Faith said as if that should explain everything. “Now hit her and let’s see if we get some fireworks.”

“You are just a walking contradiction,” Buffy said with a light snort of distaste. “You fuck one vamp and then send him to hell and keep another on a leash and enjoy making him feel pain. All the while you claim to be a good little girl when I know a few john that would pay you are small fortune to let you indulge your obsession with pain on their more than willing bodies.”

“You’re just jealous because Angel didn’t want to buy anything other than your time.” Faith told her snidely, bristling at the mention of her ex.

“If Angel didn’t want to fuck me why in the hell do you think he told me about the curse?” Buffy shot back, pleased to see the girl blanche. She wasn’t usually amused at seeing others in pain but Faith had been riding her hard ever since she had shown up and she was finally fed up. “I get that you think you have suffered like no other, but it’s a little hard to feel sorry for you after the shit I just left in LA. I’ve seen people starve to death because they can’t afford to buy food and I’ve seen people die because it’s 100 fucking degrees outside and they don’t have any place they can go to escape the heat. Just yesterday I found a kid hiding behind a dumpster after a group of nazi demons slaughtered his parents in front of him, because they weren’t fans of his mixed heritage. So your emotional trauma doesn’t mean shit to me because from what I’ve see you’ve got it pretty good here. You’ve got sexy soldier boy here, a pack of friends and even your very own British guy and no offense but you don’t exactly look like your starving. I don’t want your ex or your destiny so back off already, because this is your last warning.”

“I can’t help but notice you didn’t protest about being called evil?” Faith told her wanting to knock her down a peg or two. Buffy seemed entirely too full of herself and it was time someone put her in her place.

“I told your ex I didn’t have a soul sugar, and since I’m certain I never had one to begin with, I’m not about to waste time trying to be whoever you expect me to be. I know exactly who I am, so why don’t you spend your time trying to figure out who in the hell you are and what you want instead of worrying about what I’m after. You want to know something about me, just ask. You’re going to get the truth instead of a pretty lie so you’d better decide if you can handle it before you open your big mouth.”

“You have a soul,” Tara said quietly, uncomfortable in the spotlight but more uncomfortable with their fighting. “I can read your aura but it’s unlike any I have ever seen in a living person before.”

“What do you mean?” Buffy asked gently, hoping not to send her scare the girl Tara looked like she would jump at her own shadow but for the first time someone in this place had finally done something interesting. “How do know I have a soul?”

“Everything has a aura and if you were soulless like Spike, your aura would have a shadow over it. The more evil a person is the darker the shadow. Yours doesn’t have a shadow but it’s not complete clear either. It’s like you’re completely neutral, in the gray area between good and evil but that’s nnn…no..not possible.” Tara stammered out quickly, not wanting to upset her.

“Tell that to Switzerland, because they didn’t get the memo.” Buffy said giving the girl a warm smile to put her at ease. It looks like not all of Faith’s friends were willing to hate her on sight, she thought.

“Everyone‘s aura is more one way or the other. Even people who are good have a few shadowed places. It’s like dark spots on an apple, those areas are bad or damaged but the rest of the apple is still good. The opposite is true as well. Even though Spike is evil, he has a few places in his aura that are clear.” Tara explained slowly, her voice taking on a soothing cadence.

“You said you’ve never seen an aura like mine in a living person before, so that means you seen something like it in a undead ones…right?” Buffy asked and even though she didn’t know a thing about mysticism, Tara had a knack for explaining so that anyone could understand. A skill she was grateful for at the moment, Buffy that giving her an encouraging smile.

“The only time I have ever seen an aura like yours was at my mother’s funeral. When we die, our auras start to fade and until tonight I didn’t know a living person could have an aura like that. You have to…well…”

Since she knew what Tara was trying to avoid saying, Buffy let her off the hook. “Be dead or atleast dead on the inside. I mentioned that to Angel to but he didn’t believe it either. So don’t worry you’re not telling me something I didn’t already know.”

“You sound awfully proud of being nothing more than a walking corpse.” Faith said not understanding how cruel it was to say.

Tara knew and she didn’t care for it one bit. She wanted Willow‘s best friend to like her but she couldn‘t let her make things any harder for Buffy. Knowing how much suffering and pain it would have taken to fade her aura so much, nearly broke her own heart. “She doesn’t understand what it is like to have to let go of yourself one piece at a time until there is nothing left but your will to survive. You must be incredibly strong to have handled that alone for so very long. Most people wouldn‘t have.”

“That’s what I’m good at…surviving.” Buffy said easily, liking Tara for not offering sympathy or treating her like a victim. Tara obviously had a kind heart and even though she wasn’t looking to make friends, she felt better knowing that people like her weren’t a myth after all. “But since that answers the big is she evil or not debate, I’m going to call it a night.”

“Do you have a place to stay?” Tara offered, unable to just let her go. As far as she was concerned she had been alone long enough.

“You’re a peach but I’m better at saving others than being saved.” Buffy said after a few seconds. “I got a room at the motel near the highway but I will meet back up with you at Giles’s place about dusk.”

“What will you do the rest of the day?” Tara asked unwilling to give up on her like everyone else in her life.

“I’m used to working nights, so I’m planning on spending the day in bed.” Buffy said wanting to remind Tara that she wasn’t dealing with some innocent kid she had found on her doorsteps but an woman chock full of sinful deeds and acts.

“You want some company, pet?” Spike asked before he could stop himself.

“I told you lover, I don’t play entrée.” Buffy said simply and since Giles seemed to be very close to having a heart attack as it was, she decided she was due a break from the streets as well. “I’m not looking to get paid while I’m in town, so that means sex is out as well.”

“That is probably for the best.” Giles said instantly relieved. “If you like we can go back to the house and I can give you a ride to your hotel.”

“Thanks, but I gotta rental around here somewhere and since this is hardly the big city, I sure I can find it. See you tomorrow slayer and company.” She gave them an airy wave and blew Spike a quick kiss for his offer, before making her way back to where she was sure her car was waiting.

The second she was out of earshot, Faith whirled on Tara. “How could you offer to let her stay with you!”

“How could you be so mean to her!” Tara shot back angrily surprising everyone, even herself. “Do you have any idea what it must be like for her? Her life must have been a living hell if she had to make herself empty inside just to survive. She won’t let herself feel anything even love or happiness because the second she does she knows the pain will overwhelm her. She has every reason to use that as an excuse to hurt others and if she was a lesser person she would have. But she didn’t’.”

“How do know she hasn’t.” Faith told her coldly. “Angel only found her a couple of days ago and before that she could have been killing people or beating people up left and right! I know you think she‘s neutral but there is every chance that you made some sort of mistake or read her wrong.”

“If that was true she wouldn’t be here right now. We have given her every reason to leave but she is still willing to help us because of whatever promise she made to Angel.” Tara calmed herself down by taking several deep breaths and gave Faith a measuring look. “If we don’t let her help, she will go after Adam alone and probably get herself killed. Do you really want that to happen just because you don’t like the fact she is friends with your ex boyfriend?”

“You don’t know anything about what happened between me and Angel. So what makes you think that, has anything to do with this? You may buy the hooker with a heart of gold act, but I don‘t.”

“Willow told me what a nice person you are and the first time we I knew she was right. And when she told you about my abilities you were more than eager to let me help you out any way I could. But ever since you heard that Angel sent her, you’ve gone out of your way to be mean to her. She has beat you and Spike both in a fair fight and still you don’t want her help. So if it isn’t because of Angel then that means you aren’t the person Willow has told me about or the person I thought you were.”

“She’s right Faith, it isn‘t like you to be mean.” Willow said stepping forward to stand beside Tara. “I’m not saying that we should swear her in as an official Scooby, but it couldn’t hurt to get to know her before we decide we can‘t trust her. I mean you weren‘t a big fan of Kendra at first either so maybe you can like this new one as well.”

“I gotta side with the wiccas on this one Faith,” Xander said casting his vote in Buffy’s favor. “She’s a little rough around the edges but we let Spike help so why not give her a chance as well? I mean for one thing she‘s actually alive and not a blood thirsty killer and for another she is another slayer when we have a big bad just waiting to be slain.”

“What do you think Giles?” Faith asked knowing that he was the one who had the final say in the matter. If he sided with her, then Buffy would be packing her bags and heading back to LA tonight or she would get to stay her. Which would give me one more reason to take out Adam as quickly as possible, Faith thought glumly.

“I think she came at a time when we could use her help. The Powers named her as a Champion which means she deserves the benefit of the doubt.” Knowing how hard this must be for his slayer, he laid a hand on her shoulder. “I believe we could do this without her, because you have proved yourself several times already Faith. She doesn’t have your level of experience because she has never faced something like this before. But I would hate for someone to get hurt simply because we have a personal aversion to what she does for a living.”

“Fine, she can stay. But if she turns evil, you all are in for a great big I told you so.” Faith said giving in, knowing that the majority had spoken.

Less than an hour later, Buffy was lying on her big but not so comfy bed flipping through channels when she heard a knock at the door. Getting up she walked over to the door and looked through the peephole. Opening it, she leaned against the door jam. “I think you got your slayers confused, just in case you forgot, yours is the bitchy brunette. So what brings you to my door Riley?”





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