Title: Purple Fishes
Author: Tara Ann Stridh (Foxy43100@aol.com)
Distribution: Ask first and I'll let you know
Feedback: You know it.
Rating: PG
Summary: Giles and Faith talk before he leaves
Disclaimer: Not mine, I'm just borrowing
Couples: none

*****

"What's with the packed bags?" said Faith, her lavender Skechers sneaker kicking gently at a dark brown suitcase.

Giles, stumbling backward with another bag in his hand, turned to her, "Faith-"

His luggage was set by the empty fountain in the courtyard of his apartment.

With her thumbs looped in the pockets of her black leather jacket Faith said, "Takin' a little down time, G?"

"Actually, Faith, I'm taking rather more than a little. I'm moving back to England."

Her lips were glossed with strawberry tint.

"Oh, moving, as in, like, permanently."

"Yes."

Her cheeks showed their dimples as she laughed for a second, "Um, hello, Watcher, remember? You watch girls, why'd you want to give that up?"

He looked at her for a moment.

"I no longer have, her, to watch."

Faith's eyebrows raised suddenly, then dropped just as quickly. She looked away from him, her silver ringed fingers pushing her long brunette waves behind her ear.

"Oh, right, Buffy. She's, um, gone."

"Dead. It's all right, Faith, you can say it."

"Right," she said, licking her lips once, "but, uh, well, what about me?"

The dark haired girl stared at him, her chocolate teardrop eyes big and relentless in their gaze.

"Faith, I am not your Watcher. You have D'Anna."

"Yeah, but you're Giles, you know, G, wicked cool librarian with all the books and stuff. As far as Watchers go you're five by five." She shrugged. "I guess it doesn't matter."

"It's something I must do, Faith."

"Yeah," she shrugged again. "Deal how you gotta deal. I get it. No big. Have a good trip and look out for scary monsters on the plane wing. Saw it on TV once, and being a Slayer and all it probably could happen."

Faith winked at him with a smile, pointing at him before she turned to leave.

"Faith, wait," Giles said.

She felt her heart freeze with a quick sting and sink; Faith turned, holding her breath beneath her snug purple tie-dye shirt. Giles pulled a record from his bag and gave it to Faith.

"I know you and Oz are no longer . . . together, but you and he do share a flat, so would you give this to him, please? Tell him it's the 'quite British' one."

She held the record in her arms, her dark plum nail polish starting to chip.

"You bet."

"And, Faith," said Giles, "keep yourself alive."

"Hey, I've survived a coma, jail, and a car crash," smiled Faith. "I'm not going anywhere. No one can take me."
Giles couldn't hide the smile that crept on to his face.

"Yes, of course, I wouldn't expect anything less from you. Um, don't you have class?"

"What - college - I ditched that. Said, 'Screw that.'"

"Indeed," he said. "Was something happening then? You were walking here for a reason, I assume."

"To talk monsters. Give you the heads up on evil thing happenings."

"Do you remember what you said when you and I were first introduced?" said Giles.

"I wanted to jump your bones," said Faith, her voice bright and cheery. "You ready to go, G?"

Her dark brown eyes glimmered at him.

"I must admit that if I was-"

"Still able to get it up?"

"Younger," Giles said, without a stammer, "much much younger."

"Oh," Faith nodded, "you mean back in the days."

"I would indeed take a fancy to you."

"Thanks, G," said Faith. "Just for the record, I still think you're kinda hot.

"And just for the record, no one but you can call me 'G' with respect, and your technique was never in the least sloppy."

She almost smiled, started to walk away, then turned again to him.

"You met Matt, right?" she said.

"Matt, yes, your new, your boyfriend."

"Yeah, something like that. What do you think of him?"

"Faith, is my approval that important?"

"Nah, I guess not. It's just that Buffy always had you, and I, well, I had The Mayor. You know, I wasn't screwin' him like so many people thought I was. That wasn't the deal at all. He wasn't like that."

"Faith, I never thought that once."

"Oh, okay," she said. "It was probably just Cordy."