A personal triumph.

[warren_is_gone]

As soon as I was back at the castle, my compound, I felt a rush of the sexiest vertigo I'd ever felt in my life. I felt the same way I'd felt so many years ago when I'd first looked down at Katrina's dead body crumpled underneath me on the steps of my basement. She'd been running and swearing, and so alive, and then...she'd just been dead. Her body

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[warren_is_gone]

"You really don't know?"

"I have an idea, but I can't be sure with you. Please enlighten me."

"You just...you just drop this fucking bomb on me, Warren. You're gonna bring B back? What the hell's up with that? You just don't get it do you? Is she gonna be your little sidekick now? Am I out of a job? Should I pack my bags?"

I almost laughed. "Faith, is that it? Oh God, I would have that you'd know better. No one is going to replace you, Faith, in my regime or as my friend. For God's sake."

"Or are you just tryin' to prove how fucking badass you are? Bring her back so you can smack her around and prove just who wears the big boy britches around here."

"Well, I won't lie to you. That is an added perk that I happen to enjoy a lot. I can't say it's not something of a power trip for me. After all, Buffy caused me no end of grief a while back. It was because of her that my plans were delayed for two years."

"Are you expecting me to fight her? Cause I gotta tell you there's a lot of shit you just don't understand."

"Faith, I'd never ask you to do that. I understand your connection with her. I really thought you had a better opinion of me by now. I guess I still have to prove myself to you." I smiled patiently at her, understanding now. Faith, as tough and secure in herself as she was, really wasn't. She'd always wanted to be number one, just like me.

And yet, at the same time, she never had been able to bring herself to kill Buffy. There was something too powerful there for her to ever completely hate her, and I understood that. But it struck me as adorable that she was jealous. She wanted to be number one, my number one, and didn't feel like sharing the right-hand-woman spot with Buffy. I got it.

"Faith, you're one of the best friends I've ever had. Over the two years you've been working with me, you've never once let me down. You've shown me complete loyalty and I appreciate that more than you could understand. But even more than that--I like you, Faith. You're quite possibly the only woman in the world that I can honestly say I respect. One might even go as far as to say I love you. And let me assure you now, no one will ever take your place, Buffy or otherwise."

That said, I rose from my seat and approached her, reaching out to take both her hands into my own and pull her into a standing position so I could pull her tightly against my chest for a hug.

"I suppose I have been neglecting you lately. I've been very busy." I said quietly against her hair. "How about this--you and I will go dancing. Not at a club, but dancing dancing. I'll rent us a private ballroom and a pianist, and I'll teach you how to waltz. And then, I'll take you out for a dinner of ungodly expense, and come back here to play needlessly violent video games until we crash. Just you and me, how's that sound?"

[wickedslayer]

I watched him intently for a few minutes, the frown deepening on my face. Suddenly I felt sorta guilty for doubting him. Why would he want B, when he had me around? I mean, he'd frozen her or whatever for a reason, right? He busted me out of prison for a reason. Sure, at first I was sure it was just cause I was a slayer and he needed some serious muscle. But then it became something more. Sugar Daddy never let me down. Everything I ever wanted, needed....I had on a silver fucking platter since comin' to work for him.

What was more then that? I finally felt like I had a reason. Sure, I was supposed to be a slayer. Demon hunter, stoppin' vamps and a buncha other big nasties from snackin' on any human they wanted until I kicked the bucket. Short, brutal life. But that was how I liked it. Everything was short and brutal. Just like fucking, fast and hard. That was how I'd always lived my life. But before Warren? There'd been the Mayor. Only two people who ever gave a damn about what happened to Faith. About what I needed. They didn't love her, it was me.

When he took my hands in his I thought about pulling away even as he pulled me against his chest and whispered into my hair. But I didn't, because it was what I wanted. I wanted to feel special. To be someone. Anyone. And now I was.

A slow lazy grin covered my mouth as he told me I was the only woman he'd ever respected. Well, that much was true. I remembered the way things were when I first came here, and how different they were now. Warren was not a big fan of women. Except me, he loved me. I was special.

Putting my hands against his chest I pulled back slowly and finally let him see the grin that had washed over my face.

He was gonna teach me how to waltz? That was a trip and a half. Course, after hours upon hours of mini-golfing and Disney movies with the Mayor, I'd grown a tolerance for expanding my horizons or what the fuck ever. As long as he was paying attention to me, it was all five by five.

"Okay." I agreed after a minute. That did sound like a blast. I mean, minus the waltzing part. Not that I didn't think that'd be fun, but dinner and video games appealed to me way more.

"I don't have to dress up, do I?"

[warren_is_gone]

Faith was smiling--which was nice to see. As much as I loved her vicious, bloodthirsty side, as much satisfaction there was in nuturing her violence and watching it grow into something glorious--the girl didn't smile nearly enough. I liked seeing her smile, much to my own surprise. I wasn't going to deny the fact that my original reason for taking Faith on as my right hand was for her to be my extra bit of muscle when I needed it, my bodyguard, my contract killer.

But now that I'd spent time with her, gotten to know her, and become her friend, I found that it was hard not to like her. She was funny and wild, loud and violent and passionate and full of everything angry and bright. She reminded me powerfully of myself sometimes. We even had the same short temperment, the only difference was the over the years I had learned to control it, to use it to my advantage. Faith still exploded like a supernova of bitterness occasionally. But we were working on that.

"Okay."

"Good." I said, releasing her from my grip so that I could smile down at her. Our holds were both strong and confident, the way we didn't shy away from staring right into each other's eyes, the way we didn't flinch at each other's bluntness. We weren't so different, Faith and I.

"I don't have to dress up, do I?"

And then I couldn't help it, and I laughed. "You wear whatever you want. To be honest, I hate having to make you dress up for events. You never look comfortable, you never look like you belong in those pretty dresses and delicate high heels. That's not to say you don't look lovely, but it doesn't look like you."

The only times Faith ever had to wear anything like that these days was when we were going to political parties, events or ceremonies. When she was posing as my devoted girlfriend, my lover for the cameras. She'd always been good at it, not going overboard and looking simpering or submissive. She acted the perfect part of a woman I might date.

"You know, I think I might lay off the suits for that night myself. Why not be comfortable while we're supposed to be having fun?"

Of course, there were plans to be made. I'd have to call the resturant I wanted and make sure accomodations would be made for us, rent out the ballroom, and have Andrew pick out some of my most bloody, violent video games from our collection. But it would be worth it, really. I was feeling so good, so high tonight, and I wanted everyone I loved to feel that way too.

"Hold on, I'm going to call Andrew and Amanda in. I promised them I'd let them know how everything went."

I leaned over slightly and pressed the same comm button I had to reach my people earlier.

"Send in Andrew and Amanda, please. We're ready for them now. Thank you."

(open to Andrew and Amanda now!)