*6 months later*…

Staring up at the dankness of the prison walls, Buffy Summers wished herself a thousand miles away. It wasn't like she hadn't been prepared for the brutal reality of the place, but still…it was a shock. She dealt with ugly things from day to day. Evil things. But really, nothing compared to the loneliness of this building. It reeked with despair.

Glancing through the glass partition, she wondered what was taking so long. And then suddenly, she appeared, sitting down across from her, a tentative smile on her familiar face.

Buffy picked up the phone with careful fingers, spoke lightly. “Hi.”

Faith grinned, and touched the glass. “Hey, B. This is a surprise.”

“Surpriso-girl,” Buffy quipped, 'that's me. I wanted to come…and see how you were doing.”

Faith blinked and rubbed one of her eyes. A faint purple bruise shadowed her cheekbone, but her gaze was steady and strong. No uncertainty or weakness stained her features. “It all heals,” she responded with deliberate obliqueness. “I wanna hear how you're doing. Angel never tells me…he says I have to find out for myself.”

Buffy laughed. “Typical guy. How does he expect you to find out?”

“I don't know…he's just being cryptic…” Faith grinned and they felt a rush of shared memories, of feeling. That old camaraderie was back…smidges of it, reminding them of their halcyon days when they had been twin fighters.

“Well…I'm doing good, shockingly,” Buffy replied quietly, as if she had just realized it. “School's a struggle, but hey, what isn't? And with the gang so happy…yeah life's a good right now.”

Faith seemed touched and a hint of a smile curved her full mouth. She sat back and stared at the blonde Slayer with something akin to tenderness in her dark as pitch eyes.

“So what's with the visit?” she asked, and Buffy blushed ever so slightly.

“I guess…I wanted to see if you were all right.” She paused and then informed her hurriedly, “I'm not excusing what you did. Stealing my body was…” she struggled for words and came up with none that could describe the feeling of that time.

Faith closed her eyes with remembered pain, and touched the glass with shaky fingers. “It feels like an insult to even say sorry for that,” she answered helplessly and Buffy laughed.

“Don't.” She swallowed and crossed her legs, looking up at Faith hesitantly. This was the girl who had been her closest friend for a short time. She had even replaced Willow…she had been everything. Someone who knew…what fighting was…what dying was. Someone who could bleed with her, a girl who was strong just like her. Of course now she knew the truth. That Faith had never been that strong, just troubled…a lost soul, as Giles would say.

“Look, Faith…just get better ok? If it's even possible in here.”

“It is…” the dark haired girl shrugged, looking at her surroundings with weary detachment. “If you try and forget where you are. It's good…for thinking. Lot of time for thinking. But some things help. I have time, ya know? For reflection and shit. And Angel's been helping. He knows this stuff.”

Buffy's mouth tightened, and Faith noticed the small movement.

“Look, B, I want you to know…nothing ever happened with Angel and I. I swear it.”

Buffy glanced up, sighing, and their eyes met. “I know…I do know that. It's none of my business anyway.”

“What? You two doing the forbidden love thing? Still not talking?”

Buffy smiled, lost in her own thoughts for a split second. “No…we talk. Sometimes. It's too hard though. So…not much talkage.”

“How's…” Faith paused and searched for the elusive name. “Commando boy? Riley?”

“No more Buffy and Riley,” the Slayer responded, and held up a hand when Faith made a sound of sympathy. “Nah…don't be sorry. Nothing to do with the…um…sex fest you two had. Just other stuff. Life stuff. He couldn't deal. So he split. No big.”

Beyond the flippant words there was real pain. Both knew it, but Faith chose not to comment. She spoke clearly, surprising them both. “Look, B, you were always the strong one. You gotta pull through. Good things will happen…they've gotta. You know, to balance out all the crap that's happened.”

A tear slipped into the blonde' eye and she didn't blink it away, let it fall down her cheek and grinned at her once friend, once enemy. “Touching,” she observed and both girls laughed, enjoying the light moment that was sweet, charged with an emotion neither could identify.

A guard came over, signalling that the visiting was over. Faith smiled once more at the Slayer, whispering, “Gotta go. Warden's a bitch…so don't want to piss her off.”

“Want me to kick her ass?” Buffy asked jokingly and Faith raised her eyebrows as if considering the idea. Buffy laughed.

“I was just joking!” she cried into the phone and the other girl stood up, grinning ever so slightly.

“See ya B,” she said softly into the phone. “And…thanks.”

Buffy felt her throat close over and touched the glass once more, staring at Faith. “See ya,” she murmured, and saw the other Slayer hang up, wave once, before being handcuffed and escorted back through the door from which she had come.

Buffy got up, gathered her bag on her way out, and stepped into the smoggy, hot June day. Lifting her hair off her sweating neck, she took a calming breath and began to walk.

She felt better having seen her. Things had been unresolved between them…unfinished. And she had needed that talk, that laugh…that sweet moment with the girl who had been her best friend…her sister , so long ago that she could barely remember.

She stepped up onto the curb and jogged along the sidewalk, dodging people roller blading, couples with dogs, businessmen with briefcases, until she reached the ocean. Watching the crashing surf kiss the shore with its creamy brilliance, she let a tear fall for Faith.

For the girl she had been. Not for the girl she was now. The woman she had just met was…changed. She was strong. She finally knew how to fight.

So many people had come and gone in her life, Buffy reflected, blinking as the sun shone on her un- shaded face. Her father, Riley, Jenny Calendar, Cordy, Oz, Angel…closing her eyes, Buffy Summers lifted her face to the sky and smiled. She didn't regret anything that she had done in her life…but she knew. It was only the beginning.

With one last look at the ocean, she turned and walked away.

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