“Buffy you have to realize that when the Powers generally ask you to do something you do it no questions asked. They know what’s to happen, when and why. And well they did something to Faith without her knowledge and she only found out about it a few weeks ago. Something that almost got her son killed”, he said staring in her eyes. He figured the harder he looked the more she would understand. “They had a reason, even though the answers aren’t clear now they will be. Please just listen to her and let her explain. You owe her that much. Give her a chance cause she did what…”

“I don’t owe her anything Angel”, she said glaring at him.

“You will”, he whispered.

“What”, she asked barely hearing him.

“Buffy she has proven herself working with me and the Powers for six years. She has done a lot of good. She changed along time ago. She raced to your side to help with the First without a seconds’ thought. “, he said the frustration seeping through his words at how stubborn the blonde could be.

“I trusted her Angel and then she turned around and betrayed us. She almost got Willow killed again”, Buffy said getting equally as angry.

“Buffy that’s my point she didn’t betray you, yeah she lied and it seems like she did but she had no choice”, he said noticing the change in Buffy’s face, hoping that she finally got it. He let out a deep breath and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Why didn’t she tell me I would have understood”, she asked looking up at him.

“That’s a question you’d have to ask her. Now I’m going to go find Giles and give him an update and explain what’s going on”, he said giving her a hug. She gave him a small smile and nodded. He bent down to give her a kiss.

“I can’t”, Buffy said pulling out of his arms.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that”, he said apologizing.

“It’s not that it’s just”, she began.

“I know I understand”, he said smiling.

“Thanks”, she said before grabbing him into another big hug. She waited for him to walk away before walking back to the room. All her anger seemed to have just disappeared. As she walked back into the room she saw Faith standing in the exact same place she had been when they left. What am I gonna say. I had no idea. Why couldn’t she have just told me? Doesn’t she know I would have done anything for her…god? She took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.

“Hey”, Buffy said softly as she put a gentle hand on Faith’s shoulder.

“Hey”, the brunette replied her voice a little shaky. She whipped her tears away with the back of her hand before she turned around and came face to face with Buffy.

“I’m sorry about yelling at you before”, the blonde said her own tears forming in her eyes at seeing her fellow slayer so hurt. She had never seen her cry.

“Don’t, you had every right to. You didn’t know. I would have done the same thing”.

“Why didn’t you tell me? I could have helped. I would have understood, you didn’t have”, the smaller slayer began.

“Yeah I did Buffy. You don’t get it”, she yelled getting frustrated.

“You called me Buffy”, she said looking surprised.

“It is your name”, the brunette responded.

“I know but you never call me Buffy. They only time you called me Buffy was…was when you kissed me then went all evil again. At least that’s what we thought”, she said the words rushed out in a jumble. Faith turned away letting the memories of that night play over in her head.

“Faith please just tell me. I need to know…please”, Buffy pleaded turning Faith around so that she was facing her again. “Please”.

“Buffy I can’t”, she said as a few tears escaped.

“Why…why not”, the blonde asked confused as to why she wouldn’t tell.

“Because if I tell you then it makes everything that happened real”, she said as the tears flowed from her eyes.

“What are you talking about and I want to know…now”, Buffy yelled sensing there was more to why Faith wouldn’t tell her.

“Buffy”, Faith said begging her not to make her say.

“You lied to me Faith I have a right to know why”, Buffy started.

“You wanna know…you wanna know why because you would have died Buffy”, Faith yelled out. “Are you happy now?”

“So that’s your excuse”, Buffy asked.

“What”, Faith asked back even more angry and shocked by Buffy’s’ response.

“It’s not like I haven’t died before”, Buffy said shaking her head.

“That’s just it Buffy you would have died and you wouldn’t have come back. And if I would have told you….you would have wanted to help and…and I couldn’t have lived with that”, she said, the tears were pouring out of her eyes as she stood there shaking. Buffy stood there frozen. She had expected something bad but it was never this. Faith turned around and started to walk away.

“Faith please wait”, Buffy yelled out but still unable to move from the shock.

“What do you want? I told you, so what else do you want”, Faith asked stopping but not looking back.

“You”, Buffy said surprised at her own words, before realizing anything else she grabbed Faith turning her around.

“What”, Faith asked needing to know what she had just heard was right. She searched Buffy’s eyes looking for the answer, but before she could………