Disclaimers: Joss owns them, not me. I make no claims to Buffy or Faith. No harm intended, at all.
Comments: Here we are, Slayers Do Christmas. It's set two months after the end of SDV at, you've guessed it, Christmas time!
Characters: I own all original characters in this fic, please do not 'half inch' them.
Title: It's Latin; it means to cause factions, or something like that.
Date Stamp: Miss K, aka Kitty wrote this 15.12.01
 
Tara's POV
 
Slayers Do Christmas - Factiosus
 
But if I get Willow that top then she won't have any pants to wear with it.
Should I get her some pants as well?
I could get tight ones, or a really short skirt.
Ok, I'm getting her that top!
Then we can go out to the Bronze and I can be all sneaky and catch some...
Faith?
Oh my God, FAITH!
 
I start walking over to where she is and then stop.
Oh... OH, no, no, no, what's she doing, and who's that?!
 
I need to call Willow!
 
Faith's POV
 
 
'You gonna help me with my stuff Dis, or just sit there whinging?'
 
How'd I get so much stuff?
And someone needs to explain to me why the Hell I bought a surfboard and kept it!
 
'I am helping. Just 'cause I'm not carrying doesn't mean I'm not being useful. I'll sit in the car and guard. Faith, why didn't you leave the surfboard at mine, that way when you come back you could use it. Or you planning on being all 'wicked cool' and putting it in your apartment to wow the girls?'
 
I punch her arm, grab another bag of stuff, and head off into my apartment.
 
'Shut up and help or... yeah, I don't really have any ammo to threaten you with, Dis. Just pick the surfboard up. It doesn't look cool with my leathers.'
 
'And it does with mine? I'm only caving 'cause no-one knows me here. Remember that, Faith!'
 
 
Tara's POV
 
'No, she's back! I just saw her. Um, no, no don't tell Buffy! No it's not that, just, she's with some girl. I don't know, she didn't see me! Yes, I know, honey. I don't know. I don't know that either. Willow, I'm not psychic! Look, I'm going to go and say... um, welcome back or, something. I'll call you later on. I love you too. Bye.'
 
Right, I need to go and say hi.
She's with someone though.
Is it rude if I just go in there and be all 'Hi, Faith!'
What if I start stuttering again?
 
This is stupid, she's my friend and she likes me, even if she only called once in two months.
Once!
Actually, I'm going in there to tell her off.
She was damn mean and I was worried and... ok, shush now, Tara, or you'll start getting sweaty hands.
 
I go back to Faith's apartment and walk up the stairs to her door.
I can hear her and that girl, who isn't Buffy, being all laughy and jokey.
Seems she did get her head sorted
Hmm, sorted out in some other girls lap I bet!
Well I'm going to stick up for heartbroken Buffy, and tell this girl to get lost, or... something a bit more polite.
Maybe 'please go away, Faith has a girl and you're interfering in the course of true love.'
 
I knock on the door and wait.
And wait.
I knock again and the door swings open, only it's not Faith, it's that, hussy!
 
Oh; she's; tall, and... leather, lots of tight, leather!
Ok, maybe I'll postpone the telling her to go away until reinforcements get here.
 
'Hi, is Faith there, p-please?'
 
No!
Don't start stuttering!
Practice what you have to say in your head, remember what the doctor told you.
Deep breaths and stay calm!
Do not be panicked, Tara, stay calm!
 
'Yeah sure, come in, she's getting changed.'
 
We walk in to the living room and stand there.
No stuttering!
Hi, I'm Tara.
Say it.
 
'Hi, I'm Tara.'
 
Yay me!
 
'Hey Tara, I'm Discord, Dis for short. Ahh, here's the woman that dreams are made of. You got a visitor, girlfriend.'
 
Girlfriend?
No!
Buffy's going to throw herself off a cliff!
 
 
Faith's POV
 
 
'Hey, Tara, I was gonna catch up with you later. Only just got back from LA about ten minutes ago. How you doing?!'
 
I throw my arms round her and give her a big hug, keeping the Slayer strength back, so I don't break her ribs.
Never piss a powerful Wicca off.
You only do it once; it's a hard lesson, but you never forget.
 
I let her go, ruffle her hair and get a poke in the ribs.
 
'What you got in the bags, Tar?'
 
'Bags?'
 
Am I missing something here?
 
'Tara, the bags you're holding, like, all ten of them? You ok?'
 
'Willow presents and I'm fine, Faith. I'm fine.'
 
Silence.
Dis walks off to get a drink or, something like that, and it's just me and Tara.
 
'Why you so quiet? Shit, is it Dis? She's a pussy cat, really. Don't judge a book by its cover.'
 
'New people, Faith. Not so good with long sentences around new people, that's all. I missed you. You've been gone forever!'
 
I start scuffing my feet round on the floor.
Two months, yeah, and I counted every single fuckin' day.
 
'I know, I had stuff to, you know, sort out. How's... um, Red doin'?'
 
Ask about her!
Two months I can feel her name stick in my throat.
Still makes me feel like someone's got a handful of my insides and's ripping them out.'
 
'She's great; studying, spells, stuff, you know.'
 
'And... Xander and Anya? They still doin' what ever they do? Shit, what do they do, apart from the obvious?'
 
Just ask!
 
'They're still the same. Don't you care about Buffy? You don't even like Anya and you've asked about her! Faith, you're; just plain nasty! I hope you and Dis are real happy together; without actually being happy! I'm going to go and see Buffy, poor heartbroken Buffy who never comes out anymore and has been all sad and lonely since you went! Wow, I never stuttered once. Sorry, that was meant to stay in my head. I'm going. Good-bye!'
 
'Wait, Tara. I... hey, wait up!'
 
I run down the stairs after her, and grab her shoulder, spinning her round.
 
'Faith, don't run down stairs. You could kill yourself!'
 
'You'd break my fall, Tar, I'd probably kill you. What you said about B, I mean... she said she didn't care! She said it! She had my number, she didn't call once. Not fuckin' once! What am I meant to do, wait forever? Shit, I go to LA to get away from everything and as soon as I get back it all starts to screw up again.'
 
I sit down on the stairs and I feel Tara's arm round my shoulders.
 
'You seemed to have moved on well with Dis, though, Faith.'
 
Ok, that's gotta get a whole lot of laughing.
Me and Dis?
Yeah, match made in the law courts!
 
'Dis is my cousin, Tar! Family resemblance? Lots of leather? Stupid name? Come on, you didn't think I was screwing...? Shit, sorry!'
 
I rest on the wall 'cause I can't stop laughing!
Me and Dis?!
 
'Oh, I thought. Cousin? Oh! I'm s-sorry, I t-thought... Nevermind. You didn't get all girl happy in LA then?'
 
'Girl happy? I spent half the time being so moody I almost stole Angel's title of the Broodmeister. Even ragging on Cordy wasn't any fun, well it sort of was, but, you know, I wasn't focused enough to really enjoy it.'
 
'Buffy's still single. She is. She hasn't been to the Bronze once, not once! Oh, should I be saying all this? No, I shouldn't. Buffy's fine, she's very happy and has been studying lots. Mainly 'cause she hasn't been out, but I didn't tell you that, ok?'
 
'Thanks Tar, you gonna come back up and tell me more stuff that you're not meant to say?'
 
I get up and pull her to her feet.
 
'I can show you all the Willow stuff I bought as well!'
 
Don't pull that face, Faith, be happy you're back.
 
'Come on then, fill me in on SunnyHell gossip.'
 
We walk back up to the apartment.
She's not with someone.
That's good, right?
 
Yeah, it is good, because now I have a clear path to get Buffy Summers back.
And that's just what I'm gonna do.
 
And this time nothing's gonna stop me.