Rating: R

Pairing: Buffy/Faith

Spoilers/Timeline: None; Post-Chosen AU

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, nor do I make any profit from writing about them.

Summary: Just a fluffy little Halloween one-shot.

A ghoulish event, come one, come all
To the Slayer Academy Halloween Ball

Cider and music and apples for bobbing
And for the adventurous, a little grave robbing

Don your scariest attire and come prepared
To have lots of fun and to get a bit scarred

Buffy read over the flyer in her hands and tilted her head to the side when she got to the end.

"Besides being a slayer training academy, aren't we also supposed to pride ourselves on being an educational facility as well?"

"Of course," Giles replied, standing tall. "We take the utmost pride in our academic curriculum and the fact that our students matriculate at a much younger age than most high school students."

Buffy fought the urge to laugh and handed Giles the flyer, grinning when he reached the end of it and winced.

"Oh bloody hell, a typo? That's the last time I put Andrew in charge of . . . well, anything really."

"Well if it makes you feel any better, it's only a small typo," Buffy said comfortingly. "Besides, I think it's safe to say that, with our history and all, something scary could happen that will scar them forever. If anyone complains after the fact, they can't blame it on false advertising. There it is in big bold letters: "...get a bit scarred."

Giles was silent for a moment as he stared at the flyer, then seemed to take a breath of relief as he relaxed his shoulders.

"This typo may very well have been a stroke of genius."

"It just might have been."

Buffy smiled and Giles put the flyer down so that he could help her finish hanging the orange and black streamers Andrew had put them in charge of.

Truth be told, the entire gym looked amazing from top to bottom. Andrew was a perpetual weenie, but he certainly knew how to do the holidays just right, especially when it came to making it special for more than one hundred slayers and staff. Large glow-in-the-dark stars dangled from the ceiling, along with a few rubber bats for effect. There were large, Halloween-themed murals painted on the walls and tables covered with orange and black tablecloths.

Everything looked great and damn near everyone was so anxious for the party to start in a couple of hours that they were already walking around in their costumes. Buffy smiled as a ninja and pirate passed by her, arguing over who would win in a fight. Shelley's Urdonda demon costume was impressing everyone, though no one could exactly figure out how she'd gotten all of the boiled spaghetti to stick to her outfit.

"Are you dressing up tonight, Giles?" Buffy asked absently as she looked over the gym and smiled.

"I don't think it's appropriate if I . . ." he trailed off when he saw Buffy's disapproving face, ". . .perhaps I can go as a librarian."

"Ooh, living on the edge."

They finished hanging the last of the streamers just as Willow and Xander and Andrew and Faith finished hanging their assigned decorations throughout the gym. Meeting in the middle of the gym, they all looked around with big smiles on their faces; even Faith, who had been hesitant to be Andrew's Deco-partner.

"This place looks amazing. The girls are gonna have such a good time," Willow said.

"I know, I can't wait to get dressed up and come back down to have some fun," Xander said excitedly. "My apple-bobbing skills will leave you in awe."

Willow nodded in agreement, "He bobs like I've never seen anyone bob before."

"Thanks, Wills."

Xander threw his arm over Willow's shoulder and held her close, squeezing her shoulder gently.

"So, we'll all meet down here at eight o'clock, dressed in our Halloween best and ready to have some fun," Andrew said. "I think you'll all be quite impressed with my costume."

"I'll be impressed if you can manage to get dressed without hurting yourself," Faith replied, earning a giggle from everyone in the group.

They all said their goodbyes except for Buffy who made her way over to a table across the room and had a seat on it, taking in everything around her. She smiled, happy that everyone had a night off to be young and fancy-free. She didn't notice that Faith had come back into the gym to fetch her water bottle until she felt the table shake when Faith hopped up next to her.

"So, you excited?"

"Actually, yes," Buffy replied with a smile. "I'm looking forward to unwinding and just having a nice time for a change."

"Sounds like a plan," Faith said, then looked down at her water bottle and started peeling the label nervously. "Did you think about my offer?"

Buffy's smile got just a bit sadder then and she looked down at her lap before looking over at Faith.

"I did, and it's really sweet, but Mike is still my date for the night."

"Okay, that's cool," Faith said with a shrug, trying to play like it wasn't a big deal.

She'd asked Buffy to be her date to the dance seeing as that Mike had a nasty habit of breaking her heart, but Buffy always seemed to run back to him time and time again. He was Buffy's first boyfriend since her short-lived relationship with Satsu, another slayer, and it seemed as if she was trying her best to prove that she was as straight and wholesome as can be.

The only problem was that everyone knew that she wasn't and that Mike was just a way to perpetuate an illusion.

"I just think the guy's a creep, B," Faith said. She expected Buffy to react badly to that but it didn't seem to faze the girl at all. "Don't like seeing you jerked around the way he does ya. Besides, I think we'd have a good time together."

"I know," Buffy said, meeting her gaze and giving her a soft smile. "But I'm a big girl and I can handle myself."

"Alright, B. I'll give ya that much," Faith said after a short silence, hopping down from the table and turning to face Buffy. "But if dude starts acting like an asshat tonight, I'm gonna teach him a thing or two."

Buffy's smile grew even bigger and she reached her hand out and took Faith's, shaking it gently.

"It's a deal. If he gets into one of his moods, or, I don't know, flirts with other girls in front of me, you have full permission to do what you need to do."

"Deal it is. Hey, I never asked what you're dressing up as tonight," Faith said as she walked backwards away from Buffy.

"You know, the usual; hot chick with superpowers," Buffy said with a coy smile. "You?"

"Homicidal maniac," Faith said with a grin, her hands pointing to her body. "Lucky for me I used to be one so the costume was free."

Buffy chuckled and shook her head, leaning back on her hands. "Later, Faith."

She watched as Faith saluted her and then turned around, walking toward and eventually out one of the side doors. She couldn't help but smile; Faith seemed to have turned a new leaf, and wooing Buffy seemed to be written on this side of it. It was a little bit odd at first, Buffy had to admit that much, but it had become oddly flattering. Faith didn't show interest in much of anyone these days, but she always took the time to flirt with Buffy just a little more than usual. It made Buffy feel strangely good, though she'd never admit that to anyone but herself.

Hopping down from the table, Buffy walked to the nearest door and headed up to her room. It was time to start getting ready for the party; she only hoped that Mike didn't live up to his reputation tonight.

It was just about two hours later when Faith descended the stairs from the dormitories and headed over to the gym. She was dressed in an outfit that Faith from six years ago would have worn and she was wearing a nametag that said, "Hi, my name is CRAZY FAITH." It didn't get points for originality but it did get a few giggles from slayers that had heard the stories.

She could see Buffy standing in the gym before she'd even entered and started laughing when she realized that she was wearing a Wonder Woman costume, complete with a long, dark wig.

"Hot chick with superpowers?" She said as she approached and Buffy turned around, smiling as the blonde looked down at herself.

"Can't say that Wonder Woman isn't," Buffy replied, then looked over Faith's outfit. "Wow, time warp."

"I know, right?" Faith said. "Was feeling nostalgic. Besides, Crazy Faith can be pretty scary; figured it'd work pretty good if I gotta put some fear in your man. Speaking of which, where the hell is he?"

"Who knows," Buffy said, annoyed. "He went to get me something to drink ten minutes ago and disappeared. Not only that, but he was supposed to come dressed as Superman so we matched, but he's a stupid ghost instead. He cut holes in the sheets I bought him to make his stupid costume!"

"What a douche." Faith shook her head in anger as she looked around the gym to see if she could spot the loser. When it was clear that he wasn't in there, Faith turned to Buffy and offered a comforting smile. "How bout this: you stay here and keep lookin' all kinds of hot and I'm gonna go and get you some punch."

"Faith, you don't have to do that . . ."

"Not a problem. Sit tight, B, I'll be right back."

Without waiting for Buffy to respond, Faith walked off across the gym to where the refreshments were. There was a big bowl of punch and several plastic cups off to the side so she grabbed one and quickly filled it up with the fruity red goodness. She took a sniff of it and, having passed the scent test, she quickly stole a little sip from it.

It would be better with some rum in it, but Giles would kill her if she spiked the bowl.

Chuckling and shaking her head, she was just about to head back to Buffy when her slayer hearing picked up a sound through the music. It was a soft moaning sound, and it was coming from the supply room just behind the table.

Now, Faith was all about finding the fun, but if Giles found a couple of young slayers finding the fun together, they'd never be able to have a function like this again. That would make Buffy sad, and Faith just couldn't have that.

She walked around the table and gave the door a quick knock before peeking her head in. Needless to say, she was a bit more than surprised to see Mike in there with one of the slayers, his sheet pulled back so he could more easily make out with her.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me!" Faith yelled.

The couple quickly jumped apart, clearly surprised by the interruption. Faith looked behind her and then walked into the room, quickly closing the door. She walked right up to Mike and got in his face, ignoring the young slayer for the most part.

"Marissa?" she said, her eyes never leaving Mike's.

"Y-yes?" Marissa answered.

"You owe me five runs through the obstacle course tomorrow. Now get the hell outta here."

"Okay, Faith. Sorry Faith."

Marissa looked over at Mike, then quickly ran out of the room, leaving only Faith and a smug looking Mike.

"You really know how to fuck up a good thing, dont'cha?" Faith said, her voice low.

"Hey, are you telling me that you could honestly fight off a hot piece of ass like Marissa if she was throwing herself at you like she was me?"

Faith's eyes narrowed even further and she took a step impossibly closer.

"For Buffy? Yeah, I could do that."

"Then you're crazy."

And suddenly Faith was smiling, that crazy, cold smile that made everyone just a little bit scared of her years ago. She pointed down at her nametag and laughed.

"That's right. I'm Crazy Faith. And yunno what, Mike? You look just about my size."

She eyed him up and down and before he knew what was happening, Faith delivered a punch to his head that sent him stumbling backwards until he landed on a pile of gym mats, unconscious. Faith waited for a few seconds before approaching him and crouching down at his side.

"Sorry dude, but ya totally deserved that," she said, making sure that he was still breathing.

Grinning ever so slightly, she grabbed the white sheet and started tugging until it was balled up in her hands. Maybe it wasn't the evening Buffy had been hoping for but Faith was going to make sure that it was fun for her nonetheless. She stripped off her leather jacket and put the sheet on over her shirt, hoping that Buffy would never know the difference.

Buffy looked around the gym, wondering exactly where Faith had run off to. First her boyfriend, and now her Faith. Erm, her friend. Just as she was about to go and get her own damn drink, she saw a 1000-count Egyptian cotton sheet 'floating' toward her with a plastic cup in its grip.

"Where did you disappear to?" she asked as she took the cup with a scowl on her face.

The ghost just shrugged, which made Buffy even more mad.

"Mike, if you don't want to be here, just leave. I'm used to spending time alone anyhow. God forbid I ask you to have a little bit of fun with me . . ."

She moved to walk away but a sheet-covered hand grabbed her forearm and stopped her. When she turned back to look at him, the ghost just tilted his head toward the middle of the dance floor.

"What, you actually want to dance with me?"

The ghost nodded its head, then took Buffy's hand and led her toward the dance floor. They snuck in-between the dancing slayers and started dancing as well, Buffy unsure at first but eventually getting more into it.

For hours she was spun and dipped and treated to one of the funnest nights she'd had in ages. She couldn't keep the smile from her face and wondered exactly what had gotten into Mike to make him so cooperative and fun. Usually she'd have to con him into dancing by using the pout or the stomp or the cold shoulder; sometimes a combo of all three. Bottom line was, this wasn't typical Mike-like behavior, but as much as she wanted to question it, she didn't want to ruin the good evening they were having.

She thought about Faith often, wondering where the girl had gone off to and if she was upset seeing her have fun with someone else. Faith was not a fan of Mike's by any means, and the fact that she'd actually had the guts to ask Buffy to the dance after all of the months of flirting and innuendos showed just how interested she really was.

Buffy laughed as she thought about it, not even thinking about Mike as she picked some lint off the white sheet as they slow-danced. When he had disappeared and Faith had wandered off to get her a drink, Buffy had convinced herself that she was done with Mike and finally willing to give Faith a shot. She wasn't sure it would work out, but with the way that Faith always found a way to look out for her and treat her so sweetly without realizing it, she knew that it deserved a shot.

"You're actually pretty lucky you came back when you did," Buffy said idly, teasingly. "I thought I was going to have to end it again, Mike. Like for real this time. Real real. Faith went off to find you and get me a drink, so it's probably pretty fortunate she didn't get to you first."

She felt the ghost chuckle under her arms but he still didn't say anything.

"Thank you for letting me have a fun night though. It was exactly what I needed. I wasn't sure you'd ever figure that out on your own."

The ghost shrugged and Buffy chuckled a little. Typical Mike.

"I know you don't like Faith," Buffy continued. "But I already told you, as long as I'm with you, I'd never give into her advances. You just have to stop doing stupid things that get me double-thinking that though."

She gave the ghost a little swat on his arm and the ghost seemed to tense up a little. Buffy noticed it, but then she noticed something else. She patted the ghosts' arm again, then squeezed it gently.

"Damn, have you been working out?"

Just like all night long, she received no reply. Suddenly they weren't dancing any more and she was staring into the ghosts eye-holes, waiting expectantly.

"Mike?"

As if on cue, the supply room door flew open and Mike came stumbling out, trying his best to keep his balance. He crashed into one of the refreshment tables and toppled over with it, covering himself in punch and crumbly vanilla cookies. All eyes were on him as he stood up and tried to clean himself off, his big black and blue eye apparent even in the dimly lit gym.

"What the hell kinda parties do you chicks throw here?" He yelled to no one in particular. Suddenly he spotted Buffy with the ghost across the room and his eyes widened. He pointed at the ghost and started stumbling backwards. "And you keep that bitch away from me, she's fucking crazy!"

He made a hasty escape from the gym and then all eyes were on the ghost who was now standing there awkwardly, itching its ghostly arm.

"Umm, trick or treat?" came a muffled voice from under the sheet.

Suddenly Buffy's hands were under the sheet and lifting it back easily to reveal a slightly sweaty but still very sexy looking Faith. Faith smiled as innocently as possibly and avoided looking anywhere but at Buffy's confused face.

"Listen, I'm sorry, B," she began, grabbing Buffy's hand and leading her off to the side so they wouldn't be the very center of attention. "You were really excited about the party, and then that douche left you alone so he could cop a feel of Marissa's ass in the supply room and I just didn't want to see you sad. I hate seeing you sad. So I put on this sheet and I did everything I could to make you have fun. And I know it was wrong, but I mmph . . ."

Her little babble-fest was cut short by a soft pair of lips on hers. Buffy kissed her softly and sweetly while she intertwined their fingers together, not pulling away until she felt Faith respond.

"So Faith, I find myself suddenly single and I was wondering if you might want to go out with me some time."

Faith's smile was huge as she nodded and gave Buffy a quick little kiss on her lips in response.

"Hell yeah. Any time, B. You just name the time and place."

Buffy ran her fingers over the soft cotton sheet that was still draped over Faith's shoulder. It looked like she was concentrating hard, her gaze completely focused on it.

"Well, it seems like such a waste to me that these sheets are going to just be thrown out now because of the holes. Maybe . . ." she paused, trying to fight the smile that was creeping up on her lips, ". . . maybe we should go and put them to proper use."

She finally looked up and met Faith's gaze, a devilish little grin on her face.

"Wait, are you talkin' about like, making a bed or something?" Faith asked skeptically.

"No, I'm talking about putting them on the bed, and then doing naughty, dirty things underneath them with you."

Faith's knees nearly buckled when she saw the usually well-hidden lust behind Buffy's eyes. She wanted to say something typically cool and Faith-like, but all she could manage was,

"Umm, yes please."

Buffy smiled and turned around then stole a quick, flirty glance over her shoulder at Faith. She tugged the soft cotton sheets and pulled Faith along with her toward the exit and up the stairs. She knew the minute they'd started dancing earlier that something was different; that there was something special under the sheets. Now they were off to prove that once and for all.