CHAPTER ONE

"So, who's looking after your dog?"

Faith's dark eyes shifted to her paternal grandmother, "Our neighbour, Evelyn. Her own dog is Alexia's father."

"She also has Ajax, Alexia's brother," Kate said from her seat next to Faith.

They were sitting around an oval dining table in Faith's grandparents home in Boston. Seated to her left was her grandfather, Bradley, a seventy-ish dark-haired man of Sri Lankan descent. Though aging he had keen eyes and a healthy visage. Her grandmother, Danielle, a thin woman with lighter skin, sat next to him. She also looked younger than her age, though her greying hair gave her away.

It was a hot summer's day in Boston, which Faith and Kate had taken advantage of by touring the city. Faith had taken Kate to the place she'd grown up and where she went to school. They'd arrived in town earlier that day from their honeymoon retreat in the Cape Cod town of Provincetown. After settling into their hotel, which they'd be staying in for the next few days, Faith had called her grandparents to let them know they were in town and eager to meet them. Danielle immediately invited them to dinner that evening. When Faith hesitated, Danielle put her at ease by saying that they'd start off slowly with just the four of them there. Faith agreed and they'd set a time for later that day.

The initial meeting was awkward, but Faith's grandparents were easy-going people who immediately made them feel at home. Before Faith could say more than a shy and nervous hello, her grandmother wrapped her in an excited embrace. Faith returned it clumsily. She didn't have time to recover before she was wrapped in a second pair of arms. She noticed Kate received a more formal welcome.

A couple of months beforehand, she'd worked up the courage to phone her grandparents so she could tell them that she was getting married to Kate. After months of exchanging letters, both parties thought it was time to expand their communication. Staring down at the number, Faith slowly punched the numbers in. She now wished she'd taken Kate up on her offer to be by her side instead of letting her go out shopping.

"Hello, Danielle speaking," the voice of a mature woman answered on the other end.

With her heart beating twice as fast as normal, Faith replied, "Hi, this is Faith?your granddaughter.

"Faith, hello," Danielle said, her voice rising a few octaves. "It's so good to finally hear your voice. How are you?"

"Five by five," Faith said, then added, "I mean I'm good. And you?"

"We're all well," Danielle replied. "I'm glad you called."

"Yeah," Faith said, her mind going blank.

"Bradley is going to be sorry he missed you, he's gone off for the afternoon. Probably sharing a beer and talking about the baseball. Do you follow the game?"

"Yes, Kate and I took in a game not long ago," Faith said fondly remembering the night. She'd almost dropped the drink she held as Kate shot out of her seat and cheered one of the players home. She'd never seen her lover so vocal in public. "Kate's team won."

"Kate, that's the woman who helped you out when you first went to LA, the detective?"

"Yes," Faith answered, her mind starting to sort itself out. "But she's more than just a good friend, she's my best friend."

"It's good to know you have someone out there who you can count on," Danielle said. "To move to the other side of the country without knowing anybody is a brave thing to do."

"I needed to get away," Faith remarked, having earlier been coaxed by her grandmother to explain why she had not mentioned her mother. In a few short sentences she'd explained what had happened to her in Boston and with Kate's help had the courage to post the painful letter. Danielle had responded immediately, consoling her on her childhood and again wishing they'd met years earlier. The way the letter was worded, Faith knew in her heart, that had she known her paternal grandparents, they would have ensured her well-being during her childhood. Maybe even fought her mother for custody. But even though that was never to be, the fact that her grandparents were concerned with her situation gave her hope they would be able to look past her criminal record.

"I don't blame you," Danielle said sadly. "You are welcome to come back anytime, I hope you know that."

"I do," Faith said smiling, words flowing for her now. "That's the reason I'm calling."

"You're coming, that's great."

"Yes, but there's more to it than that," Faith said and again felt her heart beating fast. "I, um, I'm getting married."

"Congratulations," Danielle rejoiced. "When is the big day?"

"In six weeks," Faith said, now noticing that her palms were sweating. She swapped the phone into her left hand so she could wipe her right, then swapped it back. "I know you said that Bradley isn't up to travel, otherwise we would have invited you."

"What a pity," Danielle commiserated. "Bradley just can't stand to be on planes these days and driving is not a possibility."

"Well, the good news is that we're coming out that way for the honeymoon, so we can see you then. If that's okay?"

"Of course it is, we are all eager to meet you and your husband."

"Uh, er, I haven't told you everything yet."

"Is everything okay?"

Faith sighed and wondered if having some of Kate's whisky would help her through this. Knowing this was the defining moment of her relationship with her grandparents, Faith gathered all her courage. Either they accepted Kate or they were never to be part of her life. "You see, along with Kate being my best friend, she's also the person I'm exchanging vows with."

A short silence on the other end followed. Faith was about to speak again when Danielle's voice came through clearly, "I must admit I'm surprised, but after reading about Kate I really shouldn't be." She laughed lightly. "Now that I think about it, I know more about Kate than I thought."

"So, you're five by, I mean okay with it? Because if not we have a problem. I don't want to continue with our relationship if you can't accept Kate, it's a package deal."

"It's not something I've been confronted with before, Faith, I have to be honest. I mean I've known people who are gay, but I've never had a close friendship with anyone that was. Both of us have never had a problem with it and I hope none of my children or grandchildren do either. I abhor intolerance of all kinds be it religious, race or sexual orientation. You know I worked with a woman's support group. A couple of times I came across women who needed help because of discrimination against their sexuality." She chuckled again. "Frankly it doesn't surprise me. The De Silva's never choose the simple life and I wouldn't expect less from Brendan's daughter. I'm pleased you feel so strongly about this that you would sever our relationship for the sake of yours and Kate's. Your strength of conviction is admirable."

"There's no other option," Faith said, a hint of a smile appearing on her face.

"And for me there is no way we would condemn you or stop our contact because of it. I'm sure Bradley feels the same way. Getting to know you through your letters has been wonderful and I can't wait to meet you. You are always welcome here, Faith."

They'd talked for almost an hour, Faith happy to speak for as long as possible. Since then they'd had a couple more conversations, though much shorter. Now standing here in front of her grandparents, she let herself relax and take the day as it came. Kate's advice, of course. As Danielle served them drinks and hors d'oeuvres, they started with a few general icebreaker questions. Faith and Kate recounted what they had been up to earlier that day with Danielle and Bradley asking several questions about the parts of Boston Faith was familiar with. The De Silva's lived in a two-storey house in a middle-class suburb, which was in complete contrast to Faith's childhood neighbourhood. After drinks they moved into the dining room and started in on a finely prepared meal.

"Alexia sounds like a handful," Danielle chuckled after Kate explained Alexia's parentage.

"She's getting better," Faith smiled and looked over to the black Labrador curled up on a square mattress in the far corner. "Hopefully when she's that age she'll have slowed down."

They shared a laugh before Bradley trained his almost black eyes on the couple. "So, we haven't heard how you two met. Care to enlighten us?"

Kate and Faith looked at each other already knowing how they were going to play this. They'd do what they did with Marcus and Barbara Anderson: tell them as much of the truth as possible, with some creative editing to get around the demons and darker parts of their pasts.

Faith started, "She arrested me."

At the startled expressions on their faces, Kate stepped in. "Actually she came to confess. Two and a half years ago Faith was out of control, thinking she had a right to go around doing anything she wanted, but the night I met her she'd hit rock bottom. That's when she realised she needed to turn her life around and thought coming clean was the best way to do that."

"Best decision I ever made," Faith said watching the shock dissipate from her grandparents faces. "I went to jail and it kicked my ass into gear."

"Faith's life wasn't the easiest, with her upbringing, but to her credit she doesn't use that as an excuse anymore," Kate said leaning forward. "She made some mistakes as a teenager, but has taken responsibility for them and paid the price. She's changed her life around."

Danielle smiled briefly. "That's good to know."

"I know it's not what you want to hear," Faith said her eyes cast downwards. "But it's part of who I am and I wanted you to know the truth."

"Believe me, I would not be with Faith if I did not believe in her determination and commitment to keep her life on track. I'm not in the habit of being soft on criminals."

"Then you both deserve praise," Bradley said giving them a smile. "You're right, it's not what anyone wants to hear, but to take responsibility for your actions is commendable. I must say, from what you've told us of your childhood it doesn't completely surprise me that you turned to a life of crime. But many people never wake up to themselves. It takes a strong person to change their life around, even more to be honest and open about it with strangers."

"As I've said to Faith many times, I love the person she is now, not the person who thought she could flout the law."

"I'm lucky that Kate gave me a second chance. When I found myself alone after being released from jail, I turned to her and she helped me out," Faith said with a smile. Seeing the interest in her grandparent's faces, she explained how their friendship evolved from that point.

*******************************************************************

After visiting Kate at the precinct in desperation and finding her helpful in her quest to adjust to her life on the outside, Faith went back to thank the woman. She waited in the precinct parking garage at the end of a cool winter's Friday. Smiling as the tall cop exited the building, she called out to her.

Kate turned around, watching as the woman headed her way. Once in speaking range she asked sharply, "What are you doing down here?"

"Looking for a good time," Faith grinned. "Look, I don't feel comfortable being here, seeing I'm a criminal and all, but I wanted to thank you for what you did. You must have put in a good word for me 'cos Mr Anderson accepted my application." Faith smiled warmly. "You can't know what this means to me. I actually made my parole officer listen to me for a change."

Kate nodded, juggling her car keys. "I'm glad I could help."

Faith shot her a grin. "You doing anything tonight?" The cop stared at her for a few moments and Faith could see the indecision on her face. "I thought I could buy you dinner or something. I?uh?haven't made any friends since I've been out, well not ones that I could have a decent conversation with."

"Conversation?" Kate asked, knowing Faith's reputation for trying to bed anyone who took her fancy. Cordelia had sarcastically mentioned it when Kate ventured down to Angel Investigations not long after arresting Faith. The girl had also made references to it herself in her confession.

The brunette's smile widened. "Relax, Detective, seducing a cop is not my style. Besides, I'm not that smart, but I do know that I try something with you and I'll be lucky not to be charged with assault. Been there, done that, learned my lesson."

Kate nodded, satisfied with both the promise of not being Faith's next one-night stand and her obvious determination not to go back to her former life. "I was going to go down to the bar for a beer, but I bought some pasta yesterday to make my favourite meal. I hate to cook for one, so why don't you join me?"

"Now?" Faith asked as they started heading towards Kate's car.

"Yes. Do you have a car?"

"Not yet, I'm going shopping for one tomorrow."

"Then get in," Kate said unlocking the doors.

The brunette crossed her arms and looked at the blonde. "You really want to take a criminal home, one that you personally arrested and took a full confession from? Never mind the fact that I'm a Vampire Slayer, who are trained killers and wicked dangerous, as you know."

"Is that supposed to scare me or warn me?" Kate asked leaning against the driver's side doorframe. Faith shrugged. "Do you really think I would recommend you for a security position if I thought you were dangerous?"

Faith huskily returned, "I am dangerous."

"As much as I dislike Angel, I do trust his judgement about you. And I stand by my own judgement of you before you went to jail. Do you realise out of everyone I've ever arrested, you are one of the only ones who's not only felt deep remorse for your actions, but willingly confessed them in explicit detail without the threat of jail."

"You had a warrant out for me, arrested Angel."

"You didn't know that at the time you went to the precinct house. And give me some credit here, we both know you have the ability to not only avoid the cops, but everybody else. You should give yourself some credit too. You confessed because you felt a moral obligation to do so and I don't think someone like that is going to come into my home and harm me." Her eyes bored into Faith's, appraising the dark eyes looking back at her. "Climb in."

Slightly disturbed by her willingness to comply, Faith opened the door and settled in the passenger seat. To take her mind off her unusual nervousness, she asked, "You talking to Angel much these days?"

Kate shook her head. "It still hurts, you know."

Faith nodded, hiding her shock at the comment. While they had several personal conversations before she went inside, the months without any communication led her to believe Kate's use for her knowledge on all things demon had come to an end. Though, when she'd gone to the precinct the week before, she'd received a wary friendliness from the detective. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Did I tell you about Emily?"

"Uh?I don't think so."

"My first Watcher," Faith said softly, "mauled to death by the vamp that followed me to Sunnyhell."

Kate glanced over at the girl, only now remembering the girl's admission. "Yeah, you did, briefly."

"I don't blame you not wanting to talk with Angel, doesn't help that he won't even return phone calls these days."

"Can we," Kate paused as she executed a turn across an intersection, "can we not talk about otherworldly things tonight."

Hearing the pain in the blonde's voice Faith nodded. "Five by five. But I'm not sure if I'll make the most interesting dinner conversation, the last few months I've been living in a cell."

"We can always fall back on the weather, movies and sport," the cop deadpanned.

Faith laughed, a full-blooded noise coming from deep within her. "Cop has a funny bone. I like it."

They shared a brief smile. Kate, pleased with her progress, asked, "Christmas is coming up soon. Have you made any plans?"

"Since I don't have any friends, I don't think so. Of course, if I could go out of the state and had the money, I'd go back to Boston. Have a buddy there who puts on a bash every year. It's a blast."

"You didn't spend it with family?"

"What family?" Faith shrugged. "Believe me, I'd rather spend it with Razorblade and his friends than my so-called relatives."

"You had a friend called Razorblade? Let me guess, he has an arrest record longer than yours," Kate said with a hint of amusement.

"Not friend, fuck buddy. But you're right about the criminal part. Still want to take me home?"

"That's in your past Faith."

"Still could be my future. If this job doesn't work out." Again she shrugged.

Kate turned her head sharply. "What are you talking about? I thought Marcus Anderson was giving you a chance."

"He is," Faith said apathetically, "but I've never held down a job before. This normal life thing is not my style."

"You'd rather be on the streets and breaking the law again?" Kate scoffed.

"It's what I do best."

Kate shook her head, struggling over her instinct to play preacher to the girl. Remembering the brunette's distrust of authority figures, she chose to try her hand at being a friend. "I don't believe that and neither should you. You've come this far and that must have taken a lot of guts. I don't want to have to arrest you again. I know this may sound corny and cliched, but I'd rather you came to me if you were in trouble."

"And what are you going to do, baby-sit me?"

"Yes, Kate, that did sound corny and terribly cliched," Kate spoke to herself. "Thank you for responding with a deserved comeback."

Again Faith laughed. "So, about this Christmas thing. Maybe if your cooking is of a higher standard than prison food I might come around, if that's what you were trying to ask before."

Kate opened her mouth to reply that it hadn't been, but found herself saying, "That would be great."

*******************************************************************

"From that point on we forged a friendship," Faith explained to her listening grandparents. "I remember going out New Year's Eve and wishing that Kate was with me at midnight. I think even then I was falling in love with her."

"And what about you, Kate?" Bradley asked.

"I can't remember what I was thinking, maybe avoiding being kissed by one of the police officers I was in the company of." The group laughed. "I probably did think about Faith, but to be honest I was in some denial about how attractive she is. It wasn't until I learned of her feelings for me that I started allowing myself to question my own."

"Did you get each other presents?" Danielle asked smiling at the couple affectionately.

"I think I bought you a basket of assorted chocolates and candy, since she'd been having prison food for so long," Kate said looking at the Slayer for confirmation.

Faith nodded. "And I got you that black jacket that I knew would look wicked cool on you." "Well, I can see why you love her, granddaughter, if she was willing to give you a second chance. And if a detective can give you a second chance, we can follow suit. You'll have to give us some time to digest it."

"Of course," Faith said gratefully. "I half expected to get thrown out as soon as I told you, but I had to take that chance. Anything that goes beyond that is wicked cool."

"You remind me so much of Brendan," Danielle said, her lips curling softly. "You speak your mind and take hold of life."

"When I found out who my father was and what he had done, it made me so proud to be his daughter," Faith remarked quietly. "I only hope I can do as much good as he did."

Nodding at the sentiment, Danielle reached over and covered Faith's hand. "Thank you. When you told us you changed your name, we were overjoyed that you felt you were part of this family."

"Though I never knew him, I feel closer to him in so many ways than my mother. The stories you tell me about him," Faith stopped and chuckled, "I can relate. My mother used to call me a firecracker. I had so much energy, sounds like I inherited that from him."

"Oh yes." Danielle nodding enthusiastically. "Brendan could never sit still for long."

"Except if he was engrossed in a book," Bradley said wistfully.

"I was never one for reading," the younger woman shrugged.

"Faith is still full of energy. Almost every day she'll exercise, mostly by taking our dog for a run or training," Kate said looking fondly at her lover.

"I'm into martial arts as well as just keeping in shape. Sometimes Kate will spar with me, to keep up her police training," Faith said returning the affectionate look. "Did I mention Kate has several commendations and awards?"

"No," Danielle said turning an interested eye on Kate.

"Kate's one of the best detectives on the force."

"I don't know about that," the blonde said with a shy smile.

"She is," Faith said grinning. "She's caught several high profile killers."

"Faith, I don't think they want to hear this at the dinner table."

"It's okay," Danielle assured.

"There was a serial killer few months back that was front page news in LA, I don't know about here, but that was Kate's case."

"And my partner's, Robbie," Kate said resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "A case isn't successful because of one person. We work as a team."

"Anyways, Kate is a damn fine officer," Faith said proudly. "And I'll tell you more later when she's not so embarrassed."

"I'm not embarrassed," the blonde complained.

Bradley laughed, "I'm looking forward to it." He turned to Faith, "I suppose keeping fit is needed for your job as well?"

Faith nodded. "Though we try to use words over muscle, things can get out of control. You should see my boss, he could pass for a body builder."

"You mentioned that Kate helped you find your job. How did that happen?" Danielle asked.

"Kate knew my boss Marcus from when she was in uniform," Faith said again glancing at her lover with a smile. "She set up an appointment for me to meet him, something I still can't believe she did for me."

END PART ONE

________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

Message: 2    Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 23:27:5 +1000    From: "Eos" <eoss@softhome.net> Subject: Fic: Eternal Embrace 2/8

PART TWO *******************************************************************

CHAPTER TWO

Faith smiled nervously at the secretary typing away on the keyboard. She smoothed her black jeans and for the twentieth time wondered whether she should just leave. Before she had a chance to make up her mind, a tall, well built man with light brown skin strode into the foyer of the fledgling security company.

"Hello, I'm Marcus Anderson," his deep voice said with a smile. He shook her hand firmly. "Come in."

Faith followed the big man into a sparsely furnished office and awkwardly took a seat across from him. His dark eyes studied her for a few moments before he leaned back in his chair and interlaced his fingers.

"Nervous?" he asked.

"Yes," Faith answered.

"Relax, I'm not one for formality and frankly I hate job interviews. All I'm looking for is honesty and commitment to the job, as well as, obviously, the ability to do it well. Kate Lockley has told me a little about you. If she thinks highly of you, then I'm willing to give you a chance. However, I don't tolerate my staff taking part in any unlawful activity, on or off-duty."

"Understood, sir," Faith said nodding.

Marcus offered her a small smile. "So tell me about yourself."

Swallowing heavily she answered, "You wanted honesty, right? Well, I've recently been released from jail. But while in there I put my time to good use, saw a shrink and I can now control my violence. I'm not a danger to society any more. At first, I agreed to come here because I badly need a job and I'm not good at much except being tough. But over the last few days I've thought about it and I know security guards help people, right?" Marcus nodded. "That's what I want to do, help people. I read your brochure and it says you provide private security, I know I would be wicked good at that."

The man gave her another smile. "You are trained?"

"In some martial arts, but I grew up in a poor neighbourhood and that's where I learned to fight." Faith looked up at the man to find him silently chuckling. "Something funny?"

Marcus grinned. "The story sounds familiar. Which part of LA do you come from?"

"Oh, I'm from Boston," Faith said letting out a breath and relaxing.

"Long way from here," Marcus commented. "You do know that fighting is not normally required and certainly not in the form you are used to."

"I understand, I'm not looking to start fights any more, but I know I'm capable of stopping 'em and keeping people safe." Faith smiled at him tentatively. "I like Detective Lockley and would not ruin her good rep by doing anything stupid. She said you are friends?"

"I met her a few years ago when she was still in uniform. The place I worked had an accident, some guy was trapped under a car. I watched her as she took charge of the situation and eventually managed to save the guy's life. I was the only worker on the scene that had first aid experience, so I stepped in to help her. I think we both recognised a strength of character in each other. We didn't stay in touch, but we bumped into each other a few times, especially since the place I was working at had its share of problems. When I started this place, Katie was the first person I thought about. So, yes, I'm pleased to say she is a friend."

"At least you practice what you preach, with the honesty thing you have going on there," Faith grinned, her opinion of the man increasing. Anyone looked beyond the blonde detective's cool demeanour was worthy in her book. "She's a good person."

"Yes she is." Marcus nodded and their eyes met in mutual agreement. "There's a couple of things you have to do before I can take you on, but if you do that then I'll hire you for a trial period, of say, a month. After that I'll re-evaluate your wage and maybe give you the choice of the area you want to work in."

"Thank you." Faith's face lit up. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

The big man laughed. "You can give my secretary, Tasha, all the relevant information needed and she'll tell you how to get certified."

"Of course," Faith agreed quickly. "I promise you, Mr Anderson, I won't let you down. Besides, I was getting desperate for a job, my parole officer was on my back about it and I'd run out of ideas."

"I know that feeling. I can't tell you how many jobs I was turned down for after I was released." Marcus drew his chair up to the desk and leaned his arms on the wooden surface. "I'd like to believe you're sincere about keeping this job, but I'm not that gullible. Your job performance will be monitored and I expect you to comply with orders. Just because you were recommended by Kate doesn't mean you're going to get a free ride."

"I don't expect it, sir," Faith said. "All I want is a chance to prove myself and maybe some credit where credit is due."

"You'll get both," Marcus answered.

"Thank you again, Mr Anderson."

He stood up. "Call me Marcus, as I said I'm not one for formality. However when dealing with clients they do expect it, especially the ones paying premium rates. That reminds me, make an appointment with Tasha when you're ready to start so we can go over what the job requires."

"Okay?Marcus." Faith stood and walked to the door. Shaking his hand, she graced him with a friendly smile, though not seductive as it would have been in the past.

"Tell Kate hello for me," he said as he opened the door and ushered her out.

"I will."

*******************************************************************

"As soon as I left, I ran to the nearest phone box and called Kate," Faith recalled with a grin at her grandparents. "She was just as happy as I was. Now Marcus, his wife Barbara and their five-year-old son are like family to me. They have a seven-month-old daughter who is our goddaughter. Remember telling them about our engagement?"

"Yeah," Kate said, also grinning. "We hadn't even been engaged 24 hours. When Faith proposed she hadn't had time to get a ring, but neither of us could wait to share the news with our closest friends."

*******************************************************************

Faith reached up to ring the doorbell, taking Kate's hand at the same time.

"Faith, calm down, you're making me jumpy just watching you."

"Can't help it," she replied bouncing on her feet.

The door opened and Josh ran out announcing to the rest of the house that Faith and Katie were here. He flew into Faith's arms, making her lose contact with the cop.

"Hey, JD," she greeted lifting him into the air for a robust hug. Sharing a giggle, Faith put him back down. "What you been doing?"

"Making a tree house with Daddy," he said beaming and tugged at her hand. "Wanna see?"

"A tree house, huh?" she shared his excitement. "How about we see your parents first, then I'll see it."

"Okay," he replied disappointed. Turning to Kate, he greeted her with a hug.

"Come to help with the building?" Marcus asked as he came around from the backyard. Dressed in an old shirt and torn jeans and holding a hammer, he looked the part.

Faith grinned at her boss. "Nah, I think I'll let you have all the fun."

"Come in," Barbara said appearing in the doorway, holding Hayley on her hip.

They settled in the living room, Barbara serving them drinks and chocolate cake. Josh wormed his way onto Faith's lap helping her eat her piece of cake. Not wanting to lose contact with Kate, she took the blonde's hand in hers and pulled her closer.

"So, why does Faith look like she's going to explode with excitement?" Barbara asked leaning back in her chair.

Faith and Kate locked eyes before turning to their friends. "I asked Kate to marry me last night," she dramatically paused, then looked back to her fiancee, "and she said yes!"

"That's great," Barbara said, her hands flying to her chin in happiness.

"Congratulations," the big man said getting to his feet and embracing them, dislodging Josh from Faith's lap in the process. It didn't take long for Barbara to do the same.

Josh tugged on Faith's sleeve. "What's going on?"

"Kate and I are getting married."

"Like Cousin Jack did a few months ago," Barbara explained. Josh nodded and tugged again at Faith, who pulled him back onto her lap.

"Wow," Barbara breathed out looking over at the couple. "I want details."

Laughing Kate said, "We haven't got a clue ourselves, but we couldn't wait to tell someone and you are the first on our list."

"Thank you for thinking of us."

"There's no one else as far as we are concerned," Kate replied. "You have always supported and been there for us."

"Especially me," Faith cut in. "While we may not know what we're doing yet, you are definitely invited."

"At least tell us how you proposed," Barbara complained. "And I don't see any engagement ring either."

Kate patted her lover's thigh. "That doesn't matter to me. But you will be pleased to know she dropped to one knee."

Barbara smiled at the girl. "So, have you set a date yet?"

"Summer," Faith said.

"We have a lot of things to work out and neither of us are sure what a same-sex ceremony consists of," the cop said looking at Faith.

"I was thinking about a beach wedding," her lover remarked, "at sunset."

"Ooh, that would be beautiful," Barbara gushed. "If you want any help with organising, I'd be delighted to help."

"That would be wicked cool," Faith agreed. "Since you've done it all."

"Well, Marcus and I had a church wedding, mainly because of my parents."

"Huge it was," he said.

"Believe me, honey, you think that's huge, you should have seen when my second cousin married a Greek man. Now that was huge," Barbara said, her eyes wide. "We had about a hundred."

"I doubt ours will even be a quarter of that," Kate laughed. "Though we haven't talked about it, we only want those who are close to us."

"Absolutely," Faith agreed. "I don't want to invite people for the sake of it. Like our neighbour, Evelyn. She's the person that gave us Alexia, but we're not really friends."

"We'd love your help, Barb," Kate reiterated.

They started planning some of the smaller details, until Josh impatiently tugged on Faith's hand. He led her out into the yard where a load of timber sat. Up in a tall tree were the makings of a tree house, the floorboards already in place. A rough plan was stuck to the tree.

"Wow, it's going to be wicked big," Faith said. As the others came out, she turned to them. "You're building it from your own plans?"

"It's more fun that way," Marcus said looking fondly at his son.

"I'm allowed to hammer nails," the boy said beaming.

"Only when they're halfway in," Marcus clarified. "Maybe later he can handle it by himself."

"Wicked cool," Faith said and gave him a high five.

"And I get to paint the inside any colour I like," he said, his dark eyes widening with glee.

"So, which one are you going to pick?"

"Red, and maybe some blue?yellow," Josh said tapping his finger on his chin.

"Dear God," Barbara whispered under her breath. "We're going to have the brightest tree house on the block."

Kate chuckled and nudged her. "Think of the hours of peace you'll have after it's finished."

"I'm already dreaming about it," the mother joked. "Still haven't changed your mind about children?"

The blonde shook her head. "Not on the cards and I don't think it ever will be."

"If it's about the trouble of conceiving one, well, there are other options available for you. I'm sure any child would be lucky to call you and Faith mother."

"God, for a second there I thought you were going to offer Marcus up as a sperm donor." Barbara's eyes widened, turning to her husband then back to Kate. "And I wouldn't have had a clue how to turn you down politely."

"What's wrong with my husband's genetic material?" Barbara joked, swatting Kate lightly on the arm.

"Absolutely nothing," Kate said indicating with her head to Josh, who now stood up on the tree house floor with Faith, showing her the view. "But I think that's going above and beyond the call of friendship. I like our friendship the way it is and Marcus would want to be more involved than he could be."

"Hmmm," Barbara agreed, "he is a very involved father."

"But I doubt we'll ever be in the situation where we'll have to think about those things. Besides our dangerous jobs, we both have other issues. Both of us grew up predominantly with one parent, if you can call Faith's mother that. I don't think either of us would want our child to lose a parent, not after we know what that's like. And though Faith is good with Josh, she isn't the mother type, I don't think I am either. Maybe if we were, we'd have more motivation to work through the problems. Alexia's enough for us. Since we are both in agreement on the children issue, I don't see it happening."

"You know you are always welcome around here," the mother said placing a hand on Kate's shoulder.

The blonde smiled, "Of course. We'll be making sure Hayley has the best damn godparents in the world. And Josh, well what can you say about him. He brings Faith so much joy just being friends with her. I think they're stuck together for life."

"I can see Faith with him when he's a teenager, teaching him how to sneak out at night," Barbara laughed.

"You joke now, but wait another ten years and you'll be wishing Josh had befriended a mild-mannered conservative girl. Faith's always going to have that rebel streak in her."

"Hey, stop talking about us," Faith said wrapping an arm around her lover's waist.

"Yeah," Josh chimed in.

"It's looking good, Josh," Kate said gesturing to the half-built structure.

"You can come up when it's done, but Faith is coming up first," he remarked.

"Thank you, I'll take you up on that," the blonde replied hiding a smile.

"Looks like I'm number one, ain't that right JD?" Faith said smugly and shared a high five with him.

"Numero uno," he remarked with a grin.

"You betcha." She looked to her boss. "Think we'll leave you to it."

"No, don't go yet," Josh begged.

His pleas went unheeded as the visitors slowly made their way to the car, promising to be in touch about the wedding. Josh gave Faith a last hug before she climbed into the car.

"Congratulations again," Barbara said as they backed out of the drive.

The newly engaged couple waved before disappearing down the street.

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CHAPTER THREE

Staring past the low candlelight, Faith swallowed nervously as she watched Kate sip her wine. They were seated on a balcony of a seaside restaurant a couple of weeks after Faith proposed. Even though she told herself she shouldn't be on edge, the mere thought of things not going to plan tonight had her jittery.

"I agree," Kate said continuing their conversation, "I don't want Cordelia there either and considering your past with Wesley I think it's a given he's not invited."

"It's a shame, really, from what I hear from Angel he's changed. Any change from being the Council's yes-man has to be a good thing. I might even like him now." Faith stared into the candlelight for a moment and shook her head. "I still have nightmares about that night, what I did to him."

"I know," Kate said reaching across and placing her hand on Faith's. "But I don't want to talk about that now."

"No," Faith smiled. "When did Barbara want the list of guests?"

"By the end of the month, so she can work out the catering. I can't believe how much she's willing to do. Do you think we're taking advantage of her?"

"Nah, she's enjoying it," Faith chuckled. "Is it working out the way you want?"

"Yes," the blonde answered with a loving smile. "I still can't believe we're doing this, I mean organising a wedding."

"I know. I thought simple ceremony, a few friends, we're five by five here. But everything needs planning. Something I'm not that good at."

"You're getting better."

"I believe I am," the brunette grinned, a touch of nervousness returning. "But some mother of two keeps reminding me I have not got my act together yet."

"Ah, the ring," Kate nodded and smiled. "It doesn't bother me."

"Well it should." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a ring box. "I know it's not the most romantic way to give it to you."

"I don't know?candlelit dinner, nice restaurant, intimate conversation. Good enough for me." Kate took the offered box and slowly opened it. Inside a gold diamond engagement ring sat. A single diamond was set in an 18-carat yellow and white gold twist band. "It's perfect."

"It is?" Faith asked shifting awkwardly in her seat. Relief flooded through her upon seeing the appreciation in Kate's eyes.

"Yes. Come and put it on me," Kate said handing the ring to Faith. The Slayer scooted next to her lover and carefully took hold of Kate's hand. She slid off the commitment ring she'd given Kate the year before and slipped on the engagement ring.

"How is it?" she asked still lightly holding the hand.

"Perfect," Kate said wiggling her fingers. She tested the fit by sliding the ring for herself. Seeing as Faith already knew her ring size, the ring fit as expected. "I never thought about this, but do you want one?"

Her lover shook her head. "Nah, big diamonds not really my style."

"It doesn't have to be a traditional setting."

Faith shook her head and removed her own commitment ring from her wedding ring finger. "I'd like to keep these though, maybe use 'em as wedding rings."

"That's a great idea, I don't see why we should get new rings just because. Besides, this ceremony is like the icing on the cake. That night you gave me my ring and promised to be faithful to me, I thought that was as close as we were going to get to a ceremony. I still remember the words you said to me, still remember the way your eyes looked as you gave me the ring. It's like that was the proposal but neither of us knew it at the time. It was only after I talked to my cousin that it dawned on me that if I were in a straight relationship, we may be considered engaged. Your second proposal and this ceremony is a way of formalising it, not just for ourselves but for our friends."

"See, now that's a romantic way of putting it," Faith grinned. She gave her ring back to Kate. "Keep that until the big day, but don't worry, just because it's not there doesn't mean I consider myself unattached."

"I trust you," Kate said and in return placed her own commitment ring in Faith's hand. "Keep it safe."

"No way I'm losing this, baby," Faith said putting it in her leather pants pocket and sitting back in her seat. "Now, I can relax and enjoy the rest of the evening."

"I don't know why you get so nervous, it's only me. Surely, you know by now that I love all your efforts. You could have given me the cheapest ring you could find and I would have been happy. As long as it didn't stain my finger," she joked.

"I did have it checked out, just to make sure, it's the real deal," Faith said. "Marcus told me what to do."

"And you say you're not a good planner," Kate said chuckling. "Speaking about planning, we've yet to talk about the honeymoon."

Faith leered at her lover. "I'm wicked sure I know what that consists of."

Returning the leer with a perusal of her own, the blonde countered, "Yes, but where are we going to be making love night after night?"

"Don't forget the daytime as well," Faith grinned and felt a foot nudge her in the leg. "Come on, you're not going to hold out on me on our honeymoon, are you?"

"I do need recovery time, you know. Unfortunately I don't have the staying power you do."

Faith just grinned while allowing her own foot to do a little exploring under the table. She looked out at the water then back again with a pensive expression. "Boston."

"Are you sure?" Kate asked, her soft voice floating over the table.

Faith nodded. "Got to meet the fam sometime and we've already discussed this. My grandmother is all for me going over there. The last letter gave out their phone number. I guess I should call."

"Not until you're ready to."

"But I may never be ready. Just the thought scares the shit outta me." She shook her head. "Before we go there, not only do I have to tell them I'm getting married, but I'm marrying a woman. And what about my criminal record? Do I come clean? Do I lie to 'em? I don't know, Kate."

Seeing the look of despair on her lover's face, Kate again leaned over and took her hand. "Now's not the time to get into this, but no matter what, honey, I'll support you. If you want to tell them, that's okay. The fact that it's been nearly a year and a half shows that you've changed. They seem like understanding, compassionate people. I don't suggest you give them a full confession, though."

"Why not? It's what I've done." Faith lowered her voice. "I'm a murderer, Kate. Pure and simple. The fact that every day you choose to overlook that and love me anyway is a miracle. I know I won't get so lucky with my grandparents, but don't they deserve to know who their granddaughter is?"

"Was." Kate sighed and picked up her glass. Taking a full gulp, she placed it down again. "It looks like we can't avoid this now. Faith, yes you are a murderer. And yes I do overlook that sometimes, maybe I've repressed it, I don't know." She shrugged. "You can't undo what you've done. You've been punished, maybe you didn't do as much time as you really deserved, but you can't go back and revise that either. All you can do is go on. And you had a choice in how you did that. You chose to live each day helping people and doing your duty as a Slayer. I don't think anyone could ask anymore of you than that, other than do what Angel does and deny yourself any happiness. But you're human, Angel isn't."

"I had a choice, Angelus didn't."

"And you wouldn't have murdered if you hadn't been under the influence of a demon."

"How can you be so sure?" Faith challenged.

"Because I know you, Faith. Know what's in your heart and while you love violence, you love being loved more. The mayor and you got along for all the wrong reasons. He preyed on your need for acceptance. I know it would have been a different story if you'd had the support from those who were supposed to be there for you. Your worst crimes were done under his command. I know you are not evil, you saved both Buffy and Wesley's lives during that time, but the mayor brought out the worst in you. But you are right, you did have a choice. Maybe if you weren't a Slayer I wouldn't be so accepting of your freedom. But the fact is you do more good out here than inside. And yes, I'm biased, but I love you. I've said this before, I love the you who has grown into a warm, loving but still audacious woman. If you had gone in the other direction and started up a life of crime again after being released, then I would have been hot on your tail for another reason altogether. I hate repeat offenders, especially if I've arrested the bastards." Kate took a breath and continued, "You know you've changed and that should be enough, it is for me. What you tell your grandparents is for you to decide, but one of the things I love about you is your resolve. Confessing and going to jail is a big part of your life."

"What do you think I should do, then? Have you told your cousin I've been to jail?" Faith waved away the approaching waiter, giving him a signal of five minutes.

"No, it's not any of her business. As to what you should do, I can't make that decision for you. But I will not fabricate a web of lies for you. God knows it's hard enough keeping Marcus and Barbara in the dark about your night-time activities and I don't know how we are going to explain Buffy's presence at the wedding."

"We haven't told B, yet. She may not want to come."

"Of course she will, which means we have to find a way to make it work. It's not like we can say we know two Buffy's."

"No," Faith shook her head. "Damn, I hadn't thought about that. Maybe we could have Red and Tara do a spell or something for the day."

A frowned creased Kate's face. "You know I don't like that sort of thing."

"I know, but like you said, it's hard enough keeping my slaying secret. There's no way we're going to pull off another set of lies on the day we should be focussed on each other."

"We'll see," Kate said as the waiter returned and took their orders for dessert. "Now back to the honeymoon. I'm all for going to Boston, but only if it is what you really want to do."

"It is," she answered with a nod. "Maybe we can stay in Cape Cod for a few days before we go meet the fam. I remember there's a town there that's a gay haven."

"I think you'd be happy with a place where we never have to step outside," Kate grinned and again nudged her foot against Faith's.

"Hey, if a honeymoon doesn't have at least one sex marathon then there's something wicked wrong with the marriage."

Kate chuckled and finished off her glass of wine as the waiter returned with their dessert.

******************************************************************* END PART TWO

________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

Message: 3    Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 23:32:50 +1000    From: "Eos" <eoss@softhome.net> Subject: Fic: Eternal Embrace 3/8

PART THREE

*******************************************************************

Seated around the Anderson's kitchen table were Barbara, Kate and Faith. Laid out between them were sheets upon sheets of paper. Each piece had different information about planning a wedding or commitment ceremony.

"Let's start over again," Kate said burying her head in her hands. "This is getting ridiculous. We want something simple."

Faith swept some of the paper aside and picked up the pad Barbara had been writing on. "And not expensive. Which is one of the reasons we chose the beach."

"Okay," Barbara sighed, feeling frustrated herself. "Start from the top."

"I have a better idea," Faith said grabbing the pen out of Barbara's hand. "We don't need five hundred different types of flowers?" She struck off flowers from the list.

"Hey," Kate and Barbara protested.

"Let me finish," Faith said also crossing off chairs and platform. "Why the hell do we need all this?"

"Because people have to sit," Barbara said shaking her head.

"There's like maybe 15 guests, like they can't stand for thirty minutes. Besides do we really want to pay someone to haul the chairs there and back?"

"Faith," Kate sighed.

"What?" The brunette spread her hands. "You wanted simple, this is simple."

"Put flowers back on the list," Kate said, raising her chin in a challenge.

"Do you know how much flowers are?"

"Write down flowers," Kate said pointing to the paper and leaned over to watch Faith do it. "Okay, then put for laying out on the sand. I think it might be nice for us to wear one, maybe in our hair or on our dresses. It's something the guests can do too. I'm not doing that bouquet thing and I doubt Faith wants to either. I went to a wedding a few years ago where a women actually broke her wrist diving for it."

Faith grinned and dutifully did as she was told. Deferring opinion to her she asked, "What else?"

"We want this simple, right? We have a sunset beach wedding with minimal decoration or formality, but we do need chairs. The beach isn't too sandy that they will sink. Okay?" Kate turned to Barbara.

"Okay," she said. "Now we need to book a celebrant and photographer, right?"

"Yep," Faith offered without elaborating. Barbara shifted her eyes to Kate and waited.

"I've been on the Internet for both. There are a few celebrants that do commitment ceremonies and I'm rather partial to one who's married to a woman herself. I'll ring around next week to find someone and book them. We'll have to make an appointment with them to go over things. I'll also ring around for photographers that do gay weddings. There's some impressive websites, but I want to see their portfolio in person."

"I didn't know you'd thought about this already," Faith said softly.

Kate smiled shyly. "I've been thinking about it since the night you proposed." Faith leaned across and placed a kiss on her cheek. Kate smiled at her then turned to Barbara. "How are you going with the reception?"

Barbara had graciously offered to host the event. "Great. You just have to pick out a wedding cake and I can order that. We'll wait until we finalise the guest list before we order the meat for the barbecue."

"I love the barbecue idea," Faith said.

"That's because it's cheap," Kate teased swatting her arm. "You're lucky I'm not offended by all these cost cutting measures."

"No, I mean it. It's like a party more than a reception. Not that I've ever been to one, but they do look wicked stuffy." Faith grinned mischievously. "Besides, I get to play DJ."

"About that," Barbara said peering at Faith suspiciously. "Marcus mentioned something about hiring equipment. I'll tell you what I told him, we are not going to blast our neighbours away. We are on good terms with them and that's the way I'd like it to stay."

"Okay," Faith said her face falling.

"Something else," Barbara said grabbing her pad back. "Are you sure you don't want a wedding party?"

"We are having a party," Faith said confused.

"She means a best man, maid of honour, bridesmaids, those who participate," Kate said, an amused smile playing upon her lips. "And the answer is no. We think it would have more meaning if it were just us up there. Anyway having a wedding party would take up half the guest list."

"I see your point," Barbara smiled. "And no wedding presents?"

"We don't see the need. Having you there to share this with us is the gift," Kate said and smiled as Barbara looked warmly at them both.

"That's beautiful."

"Apart from the professional photographer, my partner Robbie dabbles in video photography, so he'll be taping as well. You are welcome to bring along a camera too."

"Marcus will definitely have one," Barbara smiled. She scribbled on her pad. "We seem to be getting somewhere now."

"There's too much information to digest," Kate commented. "Where did you get all this from anyway?"

"Here and there," Barbara said as she consulted another loose piece of paper. "Next on the list is transportation. Do you want to arrive in style?"

"You mean a limo?" Faith asked perking up. "Wicked cool."

"I guess that's a yes," Kate laughed.

"Hold on a minute, you are not travelling there together," Barbara said frowning.

"Why not?" Faith asked.

"Because I'm not letting you. Come on you two, you have to keep some traditions," Barbara complained.

"You want us to separate?" Faith asked pouting.

"Just for a few hours," Barbara said knowing she wasn't going to persuade them to spend the night before apart. Looking at each other, Faith and Kate silently asked and answered the question before they both nodded, Faith still pouting. Barbara rubbed her hands together. "Yes!"

"I still want a limo," the younger woman demanded.

"Fine," the mother replied smiling. "I'll get Marcus to sort that out. He knows a few people in the hire car business. Now," she paused as she checked her list. "Last thing to discuss then I'll let you go for now. Clothes."

"We're having a nude wedding, didn't Kate tell you," Faith said quickly ducking out of the way as Barbara glared at her.

"Have you decided yet?" Barbara asked Kate, ignoring Faith's sniggers.

"Yes."

"And?"

"That's something we're doing by ourselves."

"Don't tell me you're going to see what each other is wearing before the ceremony," Barbara said running her hands through her hair. "You two are driving me crazy."

"You can have a look before the big day," Kate reassured, "but we've decided to go for our own choices. I've already been looking in shops and know what style I want."

"But this is a big decision," Barbara exclaimed.

"We're not going for the wicked big dress, Barb," Faith said grinning. "And no veil. That's some," she looked to Kate, "what's the word?"

"Patriarchal."

"Yeah, patriarchal view of a woman being married. Virginal and innocent crap, plus don't get me started on the whole woman being given away like she's some freaking object of trade." She looked fondly at Barbara. "No offence to you, I think it's wicked hard not to do the traditional thing when you're het. Anyways, Kate wants a casual summer look."

"Long and flowing down, but no train," Kate commented.

"And I'm tossing up between a bikini and white leather."

Barbara looked at her for a moment, not sure if she was joking. Taking a gamble she snorted, "You are not."

Faith laughed loudly. "Had you going for a minute, though. For real now, I'm not sure. I'd be more comfortable in pants and maybe a stylish halter top, but Kate wants me in a dress."

"Go with the dress," Barbara urged.

"Yeah, I think that's what I'll be wearing," Faith said her eyes on Kate. "As long as it makes me look the sex goddess I am."

The older women looked to each other and shook their heads.

"Okay," Barbara scribbled some more notes then finally started clearing up the mess.

"Thanks for doing this," Kate said softly as they helped her put the papers and booklets in a pile. "You know you don't have to do as much as you're doing."

"I want to, okay. It's giving me something different to do."

"Is everything alright?" Kate asked sensing the woman had something on her mind.

"Of course," Barbara laughed. "You've got nothing to worry about."

"If you are sure?" Kate asked and Barbara nodded. "But you know we're both here to help you in any way."

"I know," the mother smiled. "Thank you for your concern."

*******************************************************************

"Barbara managed to pull the whole thing off without a hitch," Faith explained as she started in on a rich cheesecake Danielle had just handed her.

Kate nodded. "She basically organised everything apart from our part in the ceremony. After the reception ended, you should have seen the smile on her face. Everyone was proud of her efforts."

"Especially Marcus," Faith said with a grin. "You should have seen the speech he made thanking her on everyone's behalf."

"They're beautiful people," Kate declared. "Life-long friends."

"We know a couple like that. Met them twenty years ago and we speak at least once a week," Danielle remarked.

"We wanted to incorporate a Buddhist tradition into the ceremony," Kate said.

Faith cut in, "Because of you and my father."

"Wow, that's thoughtful," Danielle said, her eyes watering a little.

"But apart from a blessing, there isn't really a set tradition, since marriage is a civil union more than a religious one," Kate said. "We felt a little awkward going into a temple, so instead we talked about some of the Buddha's teachings. I don't know much about Buddhism so it's been a learning experience for both of us."

"I like the fact that they have no beef with everyone else's beliefs. It's all about finding your own path. There's none of that fire and brimstone guilt tripping."

"The Buddha taught that marriage is something that should happen between those who respect each other and think of each other as equals," Kate said. "It's a nice change from the religions I've been exposed to. We also learned that although there are laws banning male homosexuality in Sri Lanka they were only introduced after it was colonised by the British. We're not mistaken that you are practicing Buddhists, are we?"

Bradley nodded, "We try to live up to the Buddha's teachings."

"Was my father?" Faith asked softly not wanting to overstep the bounds.

Danielle nodded. "He wasn't as studious as we would have liked, but once he went to Sri Lanka he lived as the Buddha taught." She stared out at a painting behind Faith, lost in memory. When her eyes shifted back to Faith, she said, "But enough about that for now. Back to this wedding of yours. Who else did you invite?"

"A couple that we play pool with down at the local bar, Sala and Larissa," Faith said. "They helped out with the invitations."

"The wording," Kate elaborated. "We had no clue what words to use."

"We finally settled on," Faith turned to Kate, looking straight into her eyes, "Faith and Kate invite you to join them as they exchange vows and celebrate their love."

"These women are married themselves?" Danielle asked.

Faith shook her head. "No, but they'd been to a couple of ceremonies before ours. They've been together for five years, but are happy the way they are."

"And do you have any other gay friends?"

"Sala and Larissa are our closest," Kate said, "We don't really mix with the gay community. Sometimes we'll go out to a club, but it's not like we're down there every week."

"There was only one other gay couple there," Faith said. "Willow and Tara."

*******************************************************************

CHAPTER FOUR

"We're getting married!" Faith exclaimed looking, not at their audience, but at the person she was going to wed. Kate squeezed her hand tight as they awaited the reaction.

"Married!"

"Pardon?"

"But you're, you're women!"

"Good for you."

"Bloody hell!"

"Murderers shouldn't be allowed to marry, there should be a law against it."

"Ah, Anya it won't be legal anyway," Faith said staring at the woman. She turned to Buffy who hadn't said a word. They were all in the Summers living room on a sunny Saturday in May. The other Slayer was seated next to Willow who had been the one to congratulate her. On the other side of the redhead was Tara. Giles stood to the side wiping his glasses. Xander was seated next to Dawn with Spike on her other side and Anya stood on the other side of the room. "B?"

All eyes turned to the blonde. She smiled, "Uh, that's great Faith."

"You're invited, of course," Faith said encouraged. She felt another soft squeeze of her hand.

"What makes you think we'd be interested? Oh, I know, you couldn't find anyone to go that you haven't assaulted or slept with!" Xander commented.

"Not you, Seven Minutes of Stamina," Faith said frowning at the attack. She turned back to Buffy. "You supported our relationship from the beginning and I would love you to be there, B. I know we don't talk much these days, but just the fact you forgave me and gave me a second chance, well, I want you there."

The Slayers locked eyes and Buffy could see the underlying need for approval in the dark orbs. She gave her counterpart a broader smile. "I'd love to be there. I'm really happy for you."

Faith's grin couldn't be any wider. "Thanks, that means a lot to me." Her eyes landed on the two women next to Buffy. "You're both invited too. You don't have to say yes now, we do have formal invitations coming your way, but it'd be wicked cool to have you there. You won't be the only other same-sex couple there either. Plus, there's something we'd like you to do for us."

"What?" Willow asked warily.

"Well, my boss and his family think Buffy's dead," Faith winced. "But there's no way I want either B or these people not to be there. I was hoping, um, that you could, um?"

"Do something about the situation," Kate finished. "I know you owe us nothing, and it's not like we can pay you, but otherwise we're going to have to lie and Marcus and Barbara are our closest friends."

Willow looked over to Tara. The shy Wiccan nodded. Turning back to the engaged couple she said, "I know how much you struggled with what happened last year and anything to help avoid thinking about that time is worth the effort. We'll find a spell that helps."

"But be careful," Kate remarked.

"Kate's not real comfortable with the magic," Faith said, squeezing their hands. "All that needs to be done is for them to forget B's name. Or to change the name, but not to Anne, because we've already used that option."

"Who else knows about Buffy's, uh," Willow trailed off.

"Just Marcus and Barbara. Oh and Jacinta."

"Who's Jacinta?" Buffy asked a look of confusion crossing her face.

"My Watcher. You'll get to meet her hopefully. But she knows about the resurrection as well."

"You have a Watcher?" Xander asked. "And she's still alive."

Faith leapt forward and almost had him in her grasp before Buffy intervened. "You motherfucker!" She allowed herself to be restrained. "You have no idea. No fucking idea. And if you ever speak of any Watcher of mine again, you won't be so lucky." She relaxed her body, but Buffy still held on. Her eyes turned to Buffy's, then moved around the room. In a soft voice she said, "Jacinta is my first Watcher's sister, and I will do everything to prevent what happened to Emily from happening to her."

"It's okay," Buffy reassured finally letting her go. "I think we got the message." She turned to Xander. "If you can't stay quiet, I suggest you leave." The room fell into silence as Xander received several looks that confirmed the others agreement with Buffy's statement. He shook his head and headed out the front door. Everyone turned their attention back to the conversation.

Kate retook Faith's hand as she returned to her side. "Giles, Jacinta has expressed her wish to meet you, at the wedding if you like, but I can give you her phone number now."

"Yes, I would like that," the Englishman said perking up. "I didn't know Ms Milton was related to Faith's first Watcher. I thought it best I stayed out of your business, considering the Council's treatment of me in the past. When I learned you weren't to report to me any more, I wasn't even allowed to make contact with your new Watcher."

"Thanks for all you did, Giles," Faith said. "Jacinta was just following orders, but she's always had respect for you."

"It's nice to know it's working out."

"It is," Faith nodded. "I know I didn't speak that much about Emily, but she meant a lot to me and I never meant for her to get killed," Faith swore. "Never."

After another small period of silence Kate said, "We're keeping the wedding small, so we can't invite all of you. We're only inviting those who mean something to us and well, we hardly know the rest of you."

"I know Faith well," Dawn said.

"Yeah, but kid, somehow the monk's spell didn't work as well on me. My memories are mixed."

"Really?" Giles said sitting forward. "How so?"

"Sometimes I can remember things that happened here in Sunnydale that don't include the kid. Other memories are probably like yours," Faith shrugged. "B's theory was that messing with my memories may have undone my conversion back to the good side and Kate and I agree with her."

"Since many of Faith's problems seemed to stem from her playing second fiddle to Buffy, maybe Buffy not being an only child would have changed her opinion," Kate said. "It's just a theory, but obviously the monks couldn't work it without Faith's behaviour changing dramatically. There is something that happened in the old timeline to do with Faith that can't be interfered with."

"After we swapped bodies," Faith said turning to Buffy, "I don't remember anything of Dawn's presence. It was during that time that your mother said a few things to me, things to this day I treasure. She didn't think I was evil, just?well?psychotic, but a psychotic that could turn things around. Even though I'd held her hostage, she still hoped I got some help. It was just this moment that made me think twice about what I was doing and maybe the start of me wanting to change. Maybe if Dawn had been there I wouldn't have had that moment," Faith shrugged again. "I don't know why the monks just didn't send Dawn away or something for the time I was around here."

"You may be right. Her very presence may have upset the dynamic between Faith and Buffy. It was at times like a sibling rivalry," Giles commented.

"Whatever, I don't have a strong recollection of the kid. Like I know she should be there, but she's not."

"Would you stop calling me kid," Dawn huffed.

Faith chuckled. "I've always called you that. I do remember some things." She looked over to an unusually quiet Spike. "I like you William, but please don't come to the wedding. I don't need you and Angel having a brawl."

"Angel's going?" Buffy asked looking over to Spike.

"I hope, that's why we're having the ceremony at sunset. Just before the sun goes completely. At that time of night there's no direct sunlight."

"That's so romantic," Tara said wistfully.

"How is Angel anyway?" Willow asked with a smile.

"Good, I think. He's having problems with his son."

"Oh that's right, he had a son with his back-from-the-dead sire. Which means he had sex," Anya explained to the already knowledgable group.

"And absolutely hated it," Faith said looking at Buffy. She shifted in her seat under the dark Slayer's scrutiny.

"Anyway," Kate smiled, "He's the only one from Angel Investigations to get an invite. And since the reception is being held in a private home, he won't be attending."

"Which makes it easier for you," Faith said to Buffy. The blonde relaxed. "I thought while I was up here, I could go slaying with you?"

Buffy smiled. "Sure, I'd love that."

"Wicked cool. Chosen Two back together." Faith grinned. Her eyes swept over Giles, Willow and Tara. "You don't mind keeping Kate company do you?"

"Not at all," Willow said with an evil grin. "I'm sure she has some stories to share."

"You should ask her about how she's managed to turn Faith into a ball of mush," Buffy joked.

"Hey!"

Kate laughed at the loud protest. "She even gives me flowers."

"That's a sign she's cheating," Spike cut in.

"I trust her. Besides, she doesn't think I know but she has a pattern. I've come to the conclusion she works at a place near a florist every second Thursday."

"Damn," Faith whistled. "I tell you, this woman, she's the best damn cop I've ever met. I can't get away with much."

"Sounds like a perfect match," Willow said getting into the spirit of teasing.

"So, Red, when are you getting hitched? How long have you two been together? Three years?" Faith gave the woman an evil grin of her own.

"That's none of your business."

"Oh, don't be like that," Faith said. "I admire you, three years is a long time."

"Quick someone grab a tape recorder," Buffy chuckled. "I do believe Faith just confessed to admiring Willow."

"Hey," Faith again complained.

"You're right Buffy." The redhead nudged her best friend. "She's been reduced to mush."

"I don't think that's what the demons of LA are saying. Word's been out for a while now that there's a Slayer in town and they've wised up that it's not you. I've built up a good network of contacts and informants. It's so accurate I even hear about Angel's activities through it." Faith turned to Spike. "LA's my town now, so you better not come down and make trouble."

"Not me, pet."

"Does the Council know you're getting married?" Willow asked.

"Not yet, but I'm going to tell Jacinta to pass the information along. From what I understand they're wicked happy to leave the situation alone. Even with their small brains they can tell Kate is a positive influence on me." She glanced at Giles. "No offence, Giles."

"I think it's an accurate description, actually," he said wryly.

"So, you're okay with your Watcher?" Tara asked.

The dark Slayer nodded. "She's great. She's a bit like Emily, and maybe even Giles. She's not a Council spy, like Wes seemed to be, she looks after me first, Council second. She's five by five, all the way. I trust her."

"I'm looking forward to meeting her, then," Buffy said. "We all know you don't trust easily."

"You'll like her, B."

The blonde nodded and the conversation hit a dead spot. With darkness approaching Buffy suggested they have a meal before the Slayers went out patrolling. While eating, Giles, Spike and Buffy filled the visitors in on the demon situation of recent times. There was nothing much to report other than the occasional vampire rising or half-baked demon plot to harm the town.

Later Faith and Buffy were strolling around one of Sunnydale's many cemeteries. Stake at the ready, they moved down a row noticing a freshly dug grave.

"What do you think?" Faith asked pointing to the headstone. "73 years old. Damn, I didn't think anybody in this town got to be that age."

"Not naturally anyway," Buffy quipped, studying the headstone. "Doubt she was turned, if I remember correctly that's the woman who owned a second-hand book store, hardly ever went out."

They both straightened and continued on.

"So, now that we're alone, Slayer to Slayer, tell me what you really think about my engagement." Faith glanced over at the other woman, marvelling again at the very fact she was patrolling Sunnydale with Buffy.

"Slayer to Slayer?" Buffy chuckled. "You enjoy this don't you?"

"Being with you? Yeah. I mean, I, l love you, B." Faith quickened her pace with her head down.

"Love me?" Buffy asked confused.

"I told your grave that once," she said her eyes still cast to the ground, inadvertently taking in the passing graves. "I missed you so much. I knew the moment you died, I felt it. Don't you feel this connection between us?"

"Sometimes, yeah, though I used to ignore it," Buffy said quietly. "I think part of me knew you were waking up from your coma because of the dreams."

"The power of denial can be wicked strong."

"But love me, Faith? After everything that we've been through."

"I was in love with you once," Faith said lifting her eyes to the other Slayer. "God, I had it bad."

"But-"

"But you were with Angel. Angel and Buffy. Buffy and Angel. No room for anyone else," Faith said in a soft, sad voice. "It's okay, I understand how that can happen. With Kate, I'm almost oblivious to anyone else's feelings towards me."

"I always thought you were flirting with me because that's what you do," Buffy responded. "I never thought?"

"Well, I did. But even though I would probably call it love, it's so not the way I feel about Kate. I think if we weren't connected as Slayers, then my feelings wouldn't have been as strong. I don't know, maybe it's the shared dreams, the connection we have that made me feel something for you. Whatever it was, it went a long time ago. I love you, but I don't want to get horizontal with you anymore."

"Does Kate know that you felt this way?" Buffy asked as they reached the road. They stopped in the shadows.

"She knows I was attracted to you, that I would have leapt at the chance to sleep with you, but she doesn't know how deeply I felt." Faith looked into the other Slayer's eyes. "It doesn't matter now, anyways. Even if I had a choice, Kate doesn't have any competition. I wouldn't be marrying her if I thought there was someone else out there for me. Kate's the one, B."

The blonde smiled. "It shows. You know I never thought about you that way."

"I know and it's totally five by five. But don't you remember that dance we shared at the Bronze? You can't tell me that didn't get you juiced," Faith teased.

Laughing, Buffy answered, "Okay, I admit that was hot."

"Thing is, I've always liked you, B, but I was wicked insecure and immature about the whole thing. When Emily told me about you, all I wanted to do was meet you. The great Buffy, who killed the Master. And when I finally got my chance I screwed it up."

"You're not the only one. I must have been the worst welcome wagon in history. But it's the past and we can't change it." Buffy smiled gently, "I can't say I love you, but I do care for you and I am honestly happy for you and Kate."

"Good, because she's going to be around for a long time." Faith sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. "I have a favour to ask you."

"I'm not being your maid of honour."

Faith laughed. "We're not having one, so you're off the hook." She stared deeply at the other Slayer. "If anything happens to me, which in our line of work could be tomorrow, I'd like you to make sure Kate's okay. You know, make sure she's taking care of herself, not thinking about following me to the grave, that kind of thing."

"Of course," Buffy said softly, taking hold of Faith's forearm. "Of course I'll help her out."

"And if I'm killed by vamps, you know what you have to do," Faith said grimly. "And I don't want anyone trying to bring me back to life, either."

Buffy nodded. "Believe me, I doubt that will be a problem."

"Kate means everything to me, other than doing my duty as a Slayer and she deserves that recognition. She's not some bit on the side that I'm keeping, she's the most intelligent, caring, understanding, honourable and loving person I know." Faith looked up to the night sky for a moment. "I know we probably won't get the opportunity to grow old together, but it doesn't matter to her. I hope you find someone like that, B, someone who respects you not just as a Slayer, but a human."

Buffy shook her head and with a soft smile said, "I don't know about that."

"And sometimes I wish our situations were reversed, that you had found that someone and I was still suffering alone."

"Don't, Faith. Everyone agrees that Kate has been the best thing that's ever happened to you. You're a better person, a better Slayer and you've made her an extremely happy person. There's nothing I would change about your situation."

The brunette broke into a full grin. Taking Buffy by surprise, she wrapped her in a full-blooded hug. Buffy pulled out suddenly, Faith protesting quietly. Whipping her stake out in front of her, Buffy explained, "Vampire."

Without any preamble they worked together to dispatch the creature in quick fashion. Faith lashed out with a disabling kick and before he recovered Buffy thrust her stake in. They watched the dust fall and came together with a joyous high five and matching smiles.

"What a rush!"

"I could get used to this," Buffy replied.

They shared another high five and continued on with their patrol.

******************************************************************* END PART THREE

________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

Message: 4    Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 23:39:20 +1000    From: "Eos" <eoss@softhome.net> Subject: Fic: Eternal Embrace 4/8

PART FOUR *******************************************************************

Willow, Tara and Kate sat around the Summers lounge, having settled there after dinner. The others drifted off in different directions, leaving Kate sitting across from these virtual strangers.

"I hear you have a dog." Tara said easing into the conversation.

"Yes," Kate said with an exaggerated nod, grateful for something to talk about. "Alexia, a Golden Retriever. She's almost a year and a half old now."

"Who chose her name?"

"Faith did, the puppy was a gift to her from our neighbour, Evelyn. Alexia's father is hers."

"According to Buffy, you make a great little family unit," Willow teased.

"It surprises you, doesn't it, that Faith can be so warm and loving?"

Willow thought about the question for a moment. "If I hadn't seen her with that young boy she brought up here with her one time or that night I found her at Buffy's grave, then I'd be shocked."

"Whatever you talked about that night, it helped her tremendously." Kate offered the redhead a grateful smile. "Faith came home relieved of a burden she'd been carrying."

"There was something different about her. It was the first time I'd ever seen her without the attitude and even though I didn't want to, I understood what she was feeling."

"She has a lot of respect for you and Tara."

"Oh," Willow exclaimed with a raised eyebrow.

"With the way you handled Buffy's absence and also for the help you give Buffy with her slaying. I know you two never got along, but Faith does appreciate the fact that you even talk to her."

"I hate to say it, but she's turned into a likeable person."

Kate grinned, "I'll have to tell her that."

"So, tell us about Alexia," Tara asked shyly.

"Where do I start?" Kate laughed. "She's so full of energy. Faith takes her for a run almost every day and even then Alexia will want to play for hours. Her favourite naughty habit is pinching Faith's stakes." The couple laughed loudly. "I've given up warning Faith about leaving them around. She even managed to chew a few crossbow bolts once."

"Ouch," Willow winced.

"Thankfully she was only interested in chewing them in half. We came home to find them in pieces on the living room floor." Kate smiled at the memory. "But she's got a great temperament. She's never once growled or bitten us in anger and she can be trusted when we leave her alone during the day."

"She doesn't destroy the furniture?"

The cop shook her head. "We've been lucky. She loves company and during the evening will follow us from room to room until we go to bed. We don't usually let her sleep in our bedroom, but if one of us is working late she'll find her way in there."

"Buffy said you taken about a million photos of her," Tara smiled.

"Buffy told you about that?" Kate laughed. "We took Alexia away with us at Christmas, up in the mountains and she loved it. We've got photos of that too."

Willow shook her head, "I don't believe we are talking about the same person. From murderer to dog walker."

"Faith's changed so much since I first met her but it hasn't been easy for her. Nor should it have been," she clarified after seeing Willow frown. "The darkness still lurks inside, but she's learnt to control herself and matured into a responsible person."

"I'm guessing that you had a lot to do with it."

Kate shrugged. "Maybe, but Faith did the hard work to get to where she is. She had many a chance to run away or break the law again and she hasn't. She even exerted control over herself when we ran into an ex of mine. Colin turned up drunk one night after he found out I was with a woman and she didn't resort to violence. But he kept pestering me and finally she thought she had no choice but to threaten him. At the time, I was pissed off at him and probably against my better judgement I let her handle it. But she made her point and left him still standing. Colin phoned a few times after that, but I guess he either realised that he couldn't win me back or Faith's threats got through to him. Whatever, he moved on."

"You sure he's not walking with a limp?" Willow asked.

"I saw him very much alive and well a couple of months ago down at the courthouse, where he works. He never did strike me as a stalker, but his male pride was definitely obliterated by me being with a woman. He acted out, but he seems to have let it go. I'm proud of Faith for not going ballistic, despite the situation." Kate looked over at the couple. "If you're looking for a reason for her change, it came from several things. Angel's refusal to give up on her, when everyone else had, had a dramatic impact as did her time in jail. She got her act together in there and came out focussed on turning her life around. Buffy's forgiveness and my wanting to help came at the right time. Since then she's taken what she's been given and made the most of it. She's a good person, Willow, though half the time she doesn't know it. If I thought for one moment she took her crimes lightly, I wouldn't be with her. And it's not like her life is all roses. She still struggles, still has nightmares, still doubts her worthiness."

Hearing the impassioned speech, Willow smiled, "It's so obvious you love her and she loves you. I hope you are both happy for the rest of your lives."

"Thank you. Maybe after this trip up here, there'll be more communication between us. I know Faith would drop everything to come up here and help you guys out. Not that I think you need her help to be successful."

"Two Slayers is always an advantage," Willow said reassuringly. "We'll keep the offer in mind."

"Great," Kate breathed out deeply and relaxed further in her chair. "So, I would love to hear how you two got together."

Willow and Tara glanced at each other before Willow started from their first meeting with Tara occasionally interrupting with her side of the story. By the time they'd finished, Faith and Buffy had slipped in and sat quietly listening. Not long after Willow finished the tale, Kate announced it was time to go. They left with promises of keeping in touch more often. To everyone's surprise, Faith gave Buffy, Willow and Tara all a brief hug before she exited the house.

*******************************************************************

CHAPTER FIVE

Faith fiddled with her fingers, again missing the ring that had been there for months. She'd had a habit of twisting her ring in times of boredom. Taking the offered glass held out in front of her, she drank the cool liquid down quickly.

"Thanks," she said placing the empty vessel on the table.

Jacinta laughed. "It never ceases to amaze me how much sugar you put in that body of yours."

"I work out, you know," Faith quipped.

"So, tell me how your slaying worked out tonight?"

She waited for Jacinta to click open her pen before starting. "I finally caught up with Encyclo. Turns out I'm not the only one he's been selling info to. So I had him write down all those he's supplied." Faith pulled out a piece of yellowed paper. "It's all there. Thankfully the SOB hasn't been squealing on me."

"How can you be sure?"

"Oh, I'm sure," Faith smiled dangerously. "I'm not an idiot, I don't go around telling everyone my business. Encyclo is a good source, but if he oversteps the line again I will have to waste the little weasel. As you know I don't mind getting rid of a troublesome informant."

"No," Jacinta said, not wanting to discuss the unsavoury practice. "Just be careful. You are a walking target for any demon bold enough."

"I know, J," Faith said seriously. "I'm careful and ever since Kalinda I regularly check for tails on my way home. There's no way I'd lead one straight to Kate."

"A wise course of action," Jacinta agreed. "Let's go through the rest of the week quickly."

Faith ticked off the details of each night, comfortable in the routine. During the last couple of months she'd found herself turning more and more to her Watcher and now spoke to her on a weekly basis, sometimes more frequently than that. The increased visits allowed her to feel highly confident with her nightly patrols and work with an efficiency she hadn't had since she slayed in Boston.

Jacinta filled her in on the research Faith had asked her to do a few days earlier and they swapped ideas back and forth about how to deal with the latest demon problem. At the end of the lengthy session, Jacinta laid down her pen, closed her Watcher diary then leaned back in her chair.

"I had a call from Rupert Giles the other day."

Faith smiled, "Yeah, we gave him your number when we were up there the other week. How did it go?"

"Wonderful," she said, her accent thickening. "What an intelligent man."

"Yeah, he's single too," Faith said with a leer.

"Faith," the Watcher complained bashfully, "he's also more than ten years older than me."

"Hey, the age gap thing has worked for me and Kate."

"Get that idea out of your head young lady," Jacinta said shaking her finger. Her face softened into a smile. "We spoke for at least an hour and I think there will be many more conversations. I'm regretting not speaking to him earlier."

"Giles is okay, but I don't need you talking about me behind my back."

"I wouldn't break any confidences, Faith," Jacinta said leaning forward. "Our conversation mainly consisted of talking about the Council. We both share the same opinions on some Council policies. It's also nice to have another Watcher to talk to, especially one as experienced and successful as Rupert."

"First name basis already?" Faith flashed her a mischievous grin.

"I hope you're not going to be like this at the wedding."

Faith screwed up her nose. "Damn, I'm sorry I haven't mentioned that again." Faith had commented on it in passing not long after she'd proposed.

"I would have liked to find out from you that I was invited," Jacinta said gently.

"I know," she winced. "But honestly, Jacinta, I've been avoiding it."

"Why?"

"I don't think the Council wants Slayers to marry, not that they have a say in what I do. Kate wants to know where the Council stands on the issue and if I had my way I'd tell 'em to go to hell."

Jacinta chuckled. "I won't take that personally."

"You're not part of the upper hierarchy." Faith studied her. "I need to know that Kate won't suffer."

"The Council is not interested in Kate. As you can probably guess we've done an extensive investigation on her and came up with the opinion that she is no threat to you or the Council."

"No threat to me!" Faith bounced out of the chair. "What the fuck."

"Calm down, that's not my opinion. I could tell the moment you spoke of her that that wasn't the case." Jacinta waited until the Slayer reluctantly sat back down. "You don't think we'd let anyone get close to a Slayer without some background checks, Faith. Even your boss and his family haven't escaped our notice. And your whole apartment building has also been checked out."

"Too bad I didn't know you when my last landlord lived there," Faith grinned. "Okay, I get that you have to be careful."

"Council policy on Kate is simple and I shouldn't be telling you some of this, so keep it between you and Kate."

"Okay."

"While you and Kate are together, nothing will be done. It is up to me to assess the status of your relationship with her and advise if any change takes place. Were you to split up, we'd again pick up the investigation to make sure she wasn't sharing secrets," Jacinta paused to allow Faith to take in the information. "Were you to die, we'd also keep an eye on her, but more discreetly. Since your marriage won't be legal and therefore on any type of registry, we won't be doing anything to stop the event."

"Actually it will."

"I beg your pardon," Jacinta said frowning.

"California has this new law that allows us to register as domestic partners. Gives us some rights like hospital visitation and sick leave entitlements plus being able to make decisions if something happens to one of us. We're going to register at the same time we make out living wills. That means we'll be better protected if one of us gets sick. Kate wanted a lawyer to look over them, but I think we'll be doing it in the next couple of weeks."

"And this registry is open to the public?"

"Think so, yeah," Faith nodded.

Jacinta frowned again. "Marriage licences are a good way of tracking down someone, also a spouse can be a target. The same can happen here."

"You're going to the Council on this, aren't you?" Her head went down.

"I have to, Faith," Jacinta said regretfully.

"You can't stop us doing this, this registration is important to Kate and if it's important to her, it's important to me." Faith stared her down for a moment, until she saw the concession in the other woman's eyes. Now it would be up to the Council back in England to try to stop the registration and she didn't think Jacinta would actively help the bastards. "But this has nothing to do with the wedding, domestic partners don't have to have a ceremony."

Jacinta nodded. "I hope you are not advertising this ceremony to anyone but those you trust. Two Slayers in the same place for a social event is a security nightmare."

"I'm being careful."

"I accept your invitation, but only on the condition that there is security, human at that, around. That shouldn't be a problem, should it?"

"Kate's going to hate that."

"And both Giles and I hate the idea of both Slayers being targets for any demon who gets wind of this situation. Provide security."

"Okay," Faith sighed.

"You aren't a normal person, Faith, and you can't possibly ignore that fact." Jacinta gave her a warm smile. "I assume my invitation is in the mail?"

"To be hand delivered, can't be too careful about security," Faith answered. "Thanks for understanding."

"Oh, I understand the desire to marry."

"You've thought about it?"

"In my late teens I was engaged, but we both realised we were too young. He went to work in Europe a few months later."

"Do you regret it?"

"Sometimes, but then I think about how miserable we probably would have been."

Faith stood up. "I'll find these guys Encyclo was sharing info with and report in later this week, then?"

"Yes. And I'll talk to the council about the registration. Don't worry, Faith, I'm on your side here."

She watched as the Slayer waved and made her own way out.

*******************************************************************

"Hey Slayer, long time no see," Frankie smiled through the pane of glass separating her from Faith and the outside world.

"I bring happy news this time," Faith grinned. "I'm getting hitched."

"To that woman you've been seeing?"

"Yeah, Kate."

"That's great, kid, congratulations. Too bad though, I was hoping you'd still be single when I got out of here."

Faith rolled her eyes. Frankie had a life sentence. "Sorry, Frankie, couldn't wait that long."

The grey eyes peered into hers, "You treat her good, you hear me. None of that violent shit you've pulled in the past."

"Swear to you Frankie, I'd never hit her. Never have, never will."

Seeing the sincerity, Frankie leaned back. "Looks like I taught you well."

"Wicked good," Faith nodded.

"Yeah, maybe now you have her, you don't need me anymore," the inmate said with a hint of sadness.

"I've come a long way," Faith agreed. "But what you taught me, all that focus and control, I needed that. And if I ever slip off the rails again, which I don't think is going to happen, I may need you again. You'll be here, right?"

"For you, yes," she nodded soberly. "You've done well, Faith. I'm proud of you."

Faith gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks, I know I was a pain in the ass but I treasure everything you taught me. What you did for me helped me get to where I am today and I won't forget it."

"Stop getting so fucking weepy on me, Slayer," Frankie growled. "But you're welcome."

The Slayer laughed loudly. "You're a hoot and a half, Frankie. I have to go, but I'll be by sometime."

"You do that, Slayer, but next time bring me something. I like receiving presents," she stated with a cheery smile.

"I'll do that," Faith winked. "See you 'round."

"You too, oh and Slayer? Send me a postcard from your honeymoon."

Faith burst out laughing unable to respond for some moments. "You just want the juicy details. Go read an erotic novel, you bitch."

Frankie raised her eyebrows a couple of times and licked her lips seductively. "Been there, Slayer."

"Yeah well you can go there again, because you ain't reading about what goes on in my marital bed." She gave her mentor a wink and said another goodbye. She watched as Frankie was led back into the main part of the prison and sighed. Giving the once-over to everyone in the room, she walked out, proud she'd managed to stay this side of the glass for the last year and a half.

*******************************************************************

"Can I help you?" A green, horned, red eyed demon called out to Faith and Kate as they entered the Hyperion lobby.

"Yeah," Faith said unfazed by the creature in front of her. By his colourful suit and easy stance she guessed he wasn't a threat. She could feel Kate tense behind her and put a reassuring hand on her arm. "I'm looking for Angel."

"He's busy right now, sweetcakes, but I'd be happy to help."

Faith raised an eyebrow at the endearment. "Thanks, but I'm an old friend of Angel's and need to speak to him."

"An old friend, why didn't you say," the demon said with a smile. "Come in and make yourselves at home while I go fetch him for you. Who do I say is calling?"

"Faith and Kate."

"Be back in a few," he said and made his way up the stairs humming a tune.

Taking Kate's hand, Faith led them to the round couch in the middle of the lobby and sat down.

"Where are the others?" Kate whispered.

"It is wicked quiet, isn't it?" Faith whispered back. They cast their eyes around the hotel, taking in the gloomy room.

"Hi," a tall thin brunette said coming from the direction of the office. "Oh, you're the Vampire Slayer. Nice to meet you again."

"Fred, right?" Kate asked.

"Yes," she said with a laugh. "Have you come to help Angel? Or maybe engage our services?"

"Neither," Faith said giving her a smile, the woman's enthusiasm catching. "Some green demon has gone to find Angel for us."

"Oh, you mean Lorne."

"He works here now?"

"Well, we inadvertently destroyed his place of business a few months back, so he moved in here. He's a sweetheart, isn't he?"

"Seems like it," Kate commented. "Where are Cordelia and Wesley."

"Oh, Wesley, we don't mention his name around here anymore," Fred said in a hushed voice.

"So it is true," Faith said under her breath. Turning to Kate she explained, "I heard he split with Angel."

"Why?" the blonde asked.

"Don't say anything to Angel, but Wesley thought he was going to kill Connor and so he did something that has changed the course of history."

"Angel would never kill his son," Faith protested. "Wes should have known that."

"But see there was this prophecy, oh it's all a great big mess," Fred said flinging her arms around. "Now Wesley is not here, I've been trying to do the research, but it's not enough. I don't know what the difference between a Quaplog and Quaplag is, and I'm guessing it's critical."

"And Queen C?" At Fred's confusion she clarified, "Cordelia?"

"She and Charles are out at the moment."

"Charles, another new one?"

"Oh no, you've met him. Charles Gunn."

"Right, Gunn. The one with the wicked cool name," Faith said. "So, is Angel's son okay?"

Hearing footsteps, Faith looked up to see the vampire descending the stairs, followed by the Lorne.

Seeing her, he acknowledged, "Faith."

"Angel."

"Kate."

"Angel."

"It's good to see you again, big guy. Fred's been filling us in on what's been happening and I wish I could help out in some way."

"There's nothing you can do," Angel said moving over to where the group was congregated.

"Angel, I owe you big time and you know you can call on me anytime," Faith said wanting nothing more than to reach out and give him a hug. He looked tired and more sullen than usual.

"I've been hearing good things about you, Faith," he said with a vague smile, "and I'd rather keep you out of my troubles."

"You know I'd go to hell and back for you, Angel," Faith said looking into the haunted dark eyes. "Literally. Don't forget that if you ever need me."

"I won't."

"We actually came here to share some good news, but seeing you guys, I'm not so sure we should tell you." Faith looked around at the group.

"A dose of good news is always welcome," Lorne said to the women.

Faith took out an envelope and handed it to Angel. He looked at it before opening it and pulling out the invitation inside. Reading through it, he looked up at the engaged couple.

"Congratulations."

"Ooh, is that a wedding invitation?" Lorne asked whipping the envelope out of Angel's hand. "Which one of you beautiful gals is tying the knot?"

"Both of us, to each other," Faith said glaring at him in case he had something negative to say.

"Wow, ain't that something special," he said wrapping an arm around both of them. "And you want Mr Doom and Gloom to attend?"

"Considering he's one of the reasons we met, it wouldn't be the same without him," Faith said turning a hopeful expression on the vampire.

"Well, in that case you have to go, Angel. You can't let these gals down."

"We'd love to have you," Kate said hoping to bolster their case.

"Ooh," Lorne exclaimed taking hold of Kate's hand to study the engagement ring. He whistled. "What a masterpiece."

"You think?" Faith asked proudly smiling. "Set me back a lot of dough, but she's worth it."

"Of course she is, honey," Lorne said still looking at the diamond, missing the shared look of love between the couple. "What do you think, Fred?"

"Exquisite," she gushed.

Faith turned to Angel and said, "Before you make up your mind, I need to talk to you about a couple of things if now is a good time?" She indicated the offices behind him.

"Sure," Angel said and they quickly moved into the messy office and closed the door. He stood there awkwardly, arms crossed and waited for the Slayer to speak.

"If I had known what was going on, Angel, I would have come sooner."

He held up his hand. "Don't. You have your own job to do."

"Yeah, but Angel, we're talking about your son. I know you would come through for me if I needed help in saving Kate." Faith shook her head. "I've kept up with what you've been doing, but the grapevine never clued me in on this. I know Wolfram & Hart have been on your tail again, I even had a run-in with Lilah Morgan a few months ago. And Wes-"

"I'm sure that's not why you came to talk," Angel said harshly. "And stay away from Wolfram & Hart."

"Believe me I am. About this commitment ceremony?you don't have to come."

"I'll be there if I can," he interrupted.

"Let me finish, big guy. B will be there."

Angel looked away. "Oh."

"Yeah. When I asked her to come, I mentioned you may be there and she seemed five by five with it. You won't have to talk and she's not bringing a date. I don't even think she's dating at the moment," Faith said quickly. "Okay, shouldn't have gone there. But you only have to stay for the ceremony and then you can do your disappearing act. But I want you there Angel."

"How is she?"

"She's good. There's something different about her since she was resurrected, but she's dealing," Faith shrugged. "At least we can have a conversation these days. I was surprised, but she's wicked happy for me and Kate."

Angel nodded. "Kate's good for you."

"And against all odds, I'm good for her. Hard to believe I'm the one out of all of us getting married."

"It's not a lifestyle that encourages marriage."

Faith nodded. "I know and a part of me still thinks I should get out before Kate gets hurt. But this is what Kate wants and how can I refuse her. We both know that we're not going to be celebrating our fiftieth wedding anniversary, but who knows? Ever known a Slayer to retire?"

Angel shook his head. "It doesn't work that way."

"Yeah," she agreed sadly, "I know. Besides, I've got a duty and a lot to make up for. That's just as important as Kate."

"Still keeping in touch with your new Watcher?"

"Jacinta, yes. She's become a vital part of my slaying," Faith smiled. "The Council has no complaints. They're letting me get on with the job and leaving me alone. I'm not on their hit list anymore. She even talked them into letting Kate and I register as domestic partners, even though it will be out there in the public. Apparently, they think keeping me happy is worth the Slayer's address being out there. I suppose they could have cast some kind of spell on it that I'll never know about."

"What's their policy on me?" Angel asked uncrossing and recrossing his arms.

"They expect me to stay away from you, but Jacinta's pretty cool, she would understand if I worked with you. You're not on the hit list either. Jacinta knows you are a champion for the powers that be and as long as it stays that way the policy won't change. However, I'm betting if Angelus ever showed his face around here, I'd be ordered to hunt him down." She let out a breath. "Of course I'd stake you as a last resort."

"I appreciate that."

"But that doesn't mean I wouldn't have the guts."

"I believe you."

"So, take your time, you've still got a few weeks to decide if you want to come. If we were having a best man, you'd be it, Angel. I've never forgotten what you did, not just that night in LA, but how you tried to help me in Sunnydale as well. You alone believed in me and you went against all your friends to do it, even B."

"It's what I do, Faith and I'd been where you were. I knew that I could get through to you. No one else could have understood that."

"Well, you were right." Faith sighed. "A few months ago I made friends with this woman, not fully human though, and I wanted to get through to her the way you did me. I failed big time. Didn't even make a dent. She skipped town and hasn't been heard from since. Guess I still have a lot to learn."

"I failed the first time with you, it doesn't always work out the way you want," Angel said softly, his face heavy with regret. "People make their own choices, have their own agendas."

"We're not talking about me anymore, are we?" Faith asked looking down at the desk beside her. Remnants of research were scattered around, suspiciously looking like Wesley's. Angel didn't deny the statement. "I know he can walk around like he has something stuck up his ass, but-"

"Leave it alone, Faith. You can't make the situation any better and I don't want you trying."

Faith held her hands up in surrender. "Five by five. But if you could give me a second chance after I poisoned you, amongst other things, what did he do that was so bad you can't give him one?"

"He kidnapped my son," Angel hissed.

"Holy shit! I'm sorry Angel."

"Connor grew up in a hell dimension because of him and now he's out there in the city," he said anguished. "We're getting closer to bringing him home."

"That's great. Look, the details are on the invitation and I'll leave it up to you if you want to come. I'll miss you if you're not there," Faith said with a smile. "Stay safe, big guy."

"You too," he said uncrossing his arms. They entered the lobby finding Lorne and Fred still talking to Kate.

The engaged couple left after another round of congratulations and headed out into the warm spring day.

"What did you talk about?" Faith asked as they climbed into the car.

"Did you know Fred was trapped in Lorne's native dimension for a few years? It's fascinating. Humans are considered like cows there."

"Fascinating?" Faith exclaimed. "You, Miss Can't Mention The Word Demon, finds it fascinating."

"After two and a half years I'm getting used to it. Lorne seems like a nice guy for what he is. Plus he has a voice that could raise the roof," Kate said enthusiastically. "I can look past the green skin and the horns these days."

"That's five by five, baby."

"So?" Kate asked gently.

"Wes betrayed them, that's what's going on. He told me to stay out of it and I will. Other than that, he'll come to the wedding if he can, but they're going through some rough times."

"Seems like there's no avoiding it in this line of work."

Faith sighed. "No." Then she smiled. "But I have you to get me through them."

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END PART FOUR

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Message: 5    Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 23:45:39 +1000    From: "Eos" <eoss@softhome.net> Subject: Fic: Eternal Embrace 5/8

PART FIVE

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CHAPTER SIX

Faith's grandparents suggested they settle in the living room for coffee after their dinner. Faith and Kate took to the comfortable sofa while Bradley and Danielle settled in their armchairs. Feeling confident of acceptance, the brunette left little space between her and her partner. Neither of her grandparents seemed to care about the show of affection.

"So the weekend before the wedding we went over to Barbara's to finalise the arrangements," Kate said crossing her legs and cradling her mug.

"Amazingly everything was on track, thanks to Barb. We'd met with the photographer and celebrant and were sure they would both do a wicked cool job," Faith said picking up from where Kate left off. "The guests had all made arrangements to get there and all we had to do was pray for good weather."

"There was that one hitch."

"Oh yeah," Faith said shaking her head. "At the rehearsal the sun had set before we finished, so we missed the whole 'saying vows with sunset in the background' effect. Luckily we fixed that."

"But not without some stress. That's one part of the ceremony you can't control, so we carefully timed the sunset every night that week," Kate chuckled.

"I wish we could have been there," Danielle sighed. "It sounds beautiful."

"We were wicked lucky with the way everything turned out."

Kate nodded at Faith's assessment. "I suppose it helped that not too much could go wrong. It was a fairly simple event considering what some weddings are like. And we didn't have any family pressures or expectations."

"No, I think that would have made it easier for you," Bradley said. "Our own wedding and maybe those of our children were filled with meetings about who wanted this and who wanted that. I remember my mother nitpicking over the flowers." He laughed and shook his head. "I don't even remember what flowers we had. Do you, dear?"

Danielle smiled at her husband, "No, but I'm sure they added to the atmosphere on the day."

"You had a big wedding?" Kate asked.

"About 150. Cousins and other relatives came over from Sri Lanka."

"I'd love to go there one day," Faith said the thought just coming to her.

"I'm sure you'll love it," Bradley said. "It's been nearly nine years since we last went."

"So, did you have any family that attended?" Danielle asked.

"My cousin Natalie was there. She's actually the person who first mentioned a ceremony."

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"Hey Kate."

Kate's eyes turned from the airport gate she was intently watching to her cousin. "Natalie, where did you come from?"

The tall, ash blonde woman flashed her a warm smile and pointed to the gate. "You must have missed me." She put down her luggage and wrapped her arms around her cousin in a lively hug. "It's good to see you. You look great."

Kate laughed as they disengaged. "Thanks. It's good to see you too."

Though Faith and Kate had planned to go up to San Francisco at Easter, their plans fell through when a demon infestation kept Faith busy fighting for several days. The Slayer had urged Kate to go by herself, but Kate chose to stay in case anything happened to her lover. She didn't regret her choice, but she had missed her cousin.

"So, let me have a look at the ring," Natalie gushed picking up her bag. Kate held out her hand for her cousin to examine. "It's gorgeous."

"I see you're alone, I told you, you were welcome to bring a date," Kate said as they started making their way through the airport.

"Don't rub it in," she laughed. "I'm unattached at the moment."

"What happened to the landscape gardener?"

"It got boring," Natalie shrugged.

"Do you even give your relationships a chance?" Kate teased as they collected the rest of Natalie's luggage and headed to the car.

"Hey, just because you've found yourself a partner for life, doesn't mean you can give me expert advice. How long were you in your last relationship before Faith?"

"Six weeks," Kate chuckled.

"Ricky lasted seven months. Enough to know he wasn't long-term material, though we did have a lot of fun," she grinned knowingly.

"I'll bet."

"So, when do I meet this gorgeous, talented woman of yours?"

Kate blushed, "Don't tell her I told you how good she is."

"Why not?" Natalie grinned impishly. During one of their long phone conversations, a frequent occurrence in the past few months, Kate found herself confiding about her sex life and its quality since she'd been with Faith. When Natalie begged for details, Kate surprised herself with her candidness. "I want to congratulate her."

"You'll do no such thing," the cop warned, though her lips curled in a small grin. "She doesn't need her ego boosted in that area, believe me."

Kate managed to steer the conversation onto other topics, mainly asking about Natalie's parents and sister. Natalie was staying at a nearby hotel, and on the way back checked her bags in. Arriving at the apartment, they had caught each other up on the latest news.

"I like it," she observed as they pulled up to the apartment. "Nice neighbours?"

"Mostly, yeah. The last landlord was a monster, but thankfully she decided to move on. The new one, Ben, is a sweet guy."

"Ooh, sounds like I should introduce myself."

"And gay," Kate chuckled locking the car. "This way."

"Will she be home?" Natalie asked excited.

"She is, that's her bike that I parked next to."

"You never told me that," she swatted her cousin's arm. "You're marrying a dyke."

"Hey," Kate said annoyed. "Enough with the stereotypes."

"Sorry," Natalie said wrapping an arm around her taller cousin. "I mean from the photos you e-mailed me, I know she's not built like a truck and has a crew cut. It took me by surprise that's all. You know I have no problems with gays. I live in San Francisco, Kate."

"Well she does wear a lot of leather," Kate conceded. "Sorry, I guess I'm a little nervous. In three days I'm getting married and you're the only family that is going to be there. I just want you to like her."

"Of course I'm going to like her," Natalie reassured. "Anyone who looks after you the way you say she does is someone I know I'm going to like. Come on."

Kate nervously led the way to the apartment and opened the door. Alexia immediately started jumping up at her and wagging her tail. When she spotted the stranger, she sniffed her out and finding her okay jumped up at her too.

"Alexia, down," Kate commanded and looked to her cousin. "Sorry."

"Ooh, she's adorable," Natalie cooed and squatted down to the squirming dog. "Hello, girl." Alexia lapped up the attention, leaning into the gentle hands and creeping as close as she could get. Natalie laughed and glanced at her cousin. "I bet she gets spoiled rotten."

"She deserves it." Faith's voice came from behind Kate.

Natalie stood and the two women briefly sized each other up. Kate stepped back and took Faith's hand.

"Natalie, this is my partner Faith. Faith, Natalie."

"Hey," Faith said reaching out awkwardly and shaking her hand.

"Pleased to meet you," Natalie said with a wide smile. "I've heard a lot about you. A lot," she added with a sly glance at Kate.

"Natalie," the cop complained.

"Oh yeah," Faith grinned watching the cousins interplay and relaxing. "What kinds of things?"

"Very good things," Natalie responded.

"Just what have you been talking about?" Faith grinned at Kate who ignored her and suggested they sit down to eat. She disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Faith and Natalie in the living room.

"This is the part where I'm supposed to warn you to treat her well," Natalie said taking a seat on the couch.

"But you really have no business doing that," Faith replied staring at the woman.

"No I don't. Besides, Kate can take care of herself."

"Yes, she can." Faith looked into the woman's dark blue eyes. "But just to let you know, I would give my life for her. Not just in the whole jump in front of a bullet for her, but give her my kidney to save her. It's that deep." Natalie studied her for a moment, astonished by the grave admission. "Chill, I'm not planning on having to do that anytime soon."

"Right," Natalie said still watching her warily.

"Look, I'm not wicked big on small talk with the family," Faith said crossing her arms and sitting on the edge of the chair arm. "So how about you help me out here, tell me about yourself."

Relieved, Natalie started telling her about her job at an animal shelter and describing the part of San Francisco she came from.

"No bachelor party, then?" Natalie asked during the middle of dinner.

"Are you kidding? Kate would call off the wedding if I was seen anywhere near a stripper," Faith said with half a smile. "My boss is throwing me a party down at our offices."

Kate nodded. "And I've told him if there's a stripper in sight, he's in big trouble."

"She's threatened to tell his wife," Faith commented grinning. "Barbara would make life hell for him if it happened."

"What about us, Kate? Do we get a strip-o-gram?" Natalie aimed a raised eyebrow across the table.

"Male or female?" Faith answered before Kate could do so.

"How about it Kate?"

Shaking her head, Kate said, "Neither and that's the final word."

"Maybe that's because you get all the great sex you need."

"Natalie!"

Faith shifted her eyes between the two, watching as a blush spread across Kate's face. "Great sex? That's it. Not excellent? Fantastic? Mind-blowing? Out of this world? Just great?"

"See, I told you," Kate said shaking her finger at her cousin.

"I can't recall the exact words, but everything you said describes what I've been told."

"Will you two stop it," the cop complained.

"Kate can give as good as she gets," Faith said not daring to look at her lover.

"It's good to know it runs in the family," Natalie replied, her eyes squarely on Faith.

"Okay, that's it," Kate declared. "Surely there are other things to talk about than sex."

"But not as good," her lover retorted.

"I'm with her," Natalie said to her cousin. "But I don't want to make trouble for the happy couple just days before the wedding, so I'll refrain for the rest of dinner at least."

"Thank you." Kate turned to Faith expectantly.

"Only for you," Faith said rolling her eyes. She received a gentle nudge on her leg and a loving smile in return. They stared at each other, Kate increasing the caress on her calf.

"Hello, third wheel here," Natalie said after the two showed no signs of continuing the conversation. "Geez, if I had known you were like this I would have brought someone of my own to drool over."

"Nat was interested in meeting Ben until I pointed out the type he likes," Kate teased.

"Speaking of, he had this gorgeous specimen hanging off his arm the other night," Faith remarked. "Apparently it's been going on for a couple of months. I mentioned our nuptials and he congratulated us."

"What about the rest of your apartment block?" Natalie asked reverting to a more serious tone.

"We're not close to any of them. Upstairs are Evelyn and Jackson, but what was once a friendship has petered out," the cop explained. "Unfortunately, I don't think they're entirely comfortable with the nature of our relationship."

"They're not calling for our blood or anything," Faith cut in, "but they squirm when we're both in their presence. If I'm by myself, Evelyn is five by five with things."

"I've noticed that too." Kate nodded. "To their credit, they did try and they haven't ever been malicious about it. They're just uncomfortable."

"That's too bad for them," Natalie said, "if they can't overcome their social indoctrination."

"Other than that everyone else is friendly, but we wouldn't call them friends. Every once in a while someone hosts a block party and everyone who knows about us is cool with it."

"And Ben, they know about him?"

Faith shook her head. "No, he isn't a closet case, but he keeps it private. If anyone is suspicious then that's the way they're gonna stay."

Natalie put down her fork, "That was delicious, Kate."

"Thanks," Kate said smiling proudly. "This one certainly enjoys my efforts."

"Best cooking I've ever tasted," Faith said already on to her second helping.

"Way to your heart was through your stomach, huh?" Natalie chuckled.

Faith laughed with her, completely at ease with the woman now. "Among other things, but eating is one of my favourite activities, so I had to find someone who could keep up with the demand."

Kate shook her head. "Hey, you make me sound like a freaking housewife."

"Not that there's anything wrong with that," Faith grinned. "Seriously, Barbara, my boss's wife is a great cook too, but nothing beats Kate's."

"You have to say that, though, don't you?" Natalie asked.

"Yeah, but it's the truth."

"Aunt Susan can make a great meal," Kate said smiling softly at Natalie before glancing at Faith. "She's Natalie's mother."

"Except fish," her cousin responded. "Do you remember that time she tried this new recipe and it ended up tasting like?ewww I don't even want to think about how it tasted."

"Is it true she once made you eat some disaster you'd cooked because you used up all the eggs?"

Natalie glared at her. "You know it is, Kate, stop trying to one up me."

"Keep going, baby," Faith encouraged.

"If she does that, I'll be telling you about her first crush, first kiss, first-"

"Okay," Kate sighed. "Truce."

"Don't give up so easily, baby," Faith said giving her lover's thigh a pat. "I already know that Anthony Mueller was your first crush, way back when you were six."

"I bet she hasn't told you what happened on her fourteenth birthday," Natalie teased.

"Don't you dare." Kate again shook her finger at her.

"Later, then," Faith said gently caressing Kate's thigh as she winked at her cousin.

"I bet Kate has some stories about you that I haven't heard," Natalie said turning her attention on the brunette.

"Yeah, but we're not allowed to talk about sex," Faith said smiling slyly at Natalie while squeezing Kate's thigh.

"Don't you have to go out to see Jacinta?" Kate asked as they started to get up from the table.

"Jacinta?" Faith asked, knowing she'd planned to patrol later that night. "Yeah. A few last minute things to get sorted."

"Jacinta?" Natalie asked.

"A friend, she'll be at the wedding," Faith answered and with a look to Kate, silently thanked her for the excuse and departed.

Settling down in the living room after cleaning up, Natalie curled up on one end of the couch, cradling her third glass of wine.

"So?" Kate asked taking the other end with Alexia flopping down at her side.

"She obviously loves you, as you do her," Natalie smiled gently. "In a wine induced bout of honesty I would say I'm envious."

Kate shook her head. "You envious of me? Get outta here."

"Kate, do you realise how lucky you are? If someone looked at me that way, I'd grab them and never let go. In the past I've thought I've had that, but I've never managed to make it last. I'd love to know your secret."

"Honestly, I have no idea. I guess it's like you say, I've fought hard to hang onto what we have. Don't think for one moment it's been all sunshine and roses."

"I know you've told me you've had your ups and downs, I think that's one of the reasons why I'm jealous. I've been in positions where I've had to fight and so far I've never made it work out."

"It takes two people to fight. We've both had our doubts, but we've also kept fighting even when the odds seemed stacked against us." Kate shrugged. "Maybe that is something to be envious about."

"It's easy to see that Faith loves you. She told me she'd give you a kidney, if you ever needed one."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Faith can be intense at times and brutally honest. Sometimes she doesn't know how to censor herself. It's part of her charm when it's appropriate."

"And when it's not?"

"We can clash. Not physically," Kate amended having told Natalie she'd met Faith as a violent and rebellious teenager in need of a friend, "but we're both stubborn, independent and individualistic. Luckily we're pretty big on compromise."

"You'd have to be. I don't know why you need my blessing, Kate-"

"I don't need it," the cop protested.

"But you want it, nevertheless." Natalie leaned forward. "She's not who I expected you to pick and I'm not talking about the female aspect. She's brash, bold, completely open in her sexuality, but maybe it's because of these things that she's so good for you. You complement each other. She brings you out of your cynicism and rigid cop way of looking at the world," she paused as they shared a chuckle over Natalie's often repeated teasing comment, "and you give her security and belief in your love. From what you've told me about her childhood, she need