"Here, Buffy is this the guy?" Willow held out the book to Buffy.  They had been looking through more books as the afternoon wore on. And that was good, that they were all researching, because the tension in the room was painful. When both Slayers had come back in, they were avoiding eye contact, and not speaking. Willow wasn't sure what was going on between them, but there was something, and it wasn't this new threat.

"Yupe, that's him. More droopy in the chin but that's the Lego guy." Buffy said, handing the book back to Willow.

"Lego?" Xander asked.

"Actually his name is Langoustino." Willow read aloud.

"What!" Faith exclaimed moving forward. All eyes looked at her, even Anya who seemed the most uninterested of the group.

"Langoustino." Willow repeated.

"Have you heard of him Faith?" Buffy asked, but Faith was covering her mouth as her eyes widened. Buffy was suddenly more worried, that was clear by the look on her face. "Faith?"

"Faith have you heard of Langoustino?" Willow asked moving forward as well. But a deep laugh burst from behind Faith's hand. She was cracking up; laughing so hard her face was red. Willow couldn't recall ever seeing the dark Slayer laugh so strongly.

"Langa – Langa-" She was laughing and could not get the name off of her tongue. She gripped her stomach she was laughing so hard.

"This is so not funny! The end of the world is not funny!" Buffy pouted.

Faith gulped air. "Sorry, sorry. But Langoustino! The guys is named after a Shrimp! Fuckin A. This will be a walk in the park, named after a shrimp." She groaned, tears accompanying her laughter.

"Shrimp?" Willow looked at the text again. "No shrimp." She felt her forehead crinkle, and picked up another book, skimming it.

"Do you guys ever eat anything besides pizza?" Faith snorted.

"There is something other than Pizza?" Xander asked.

"Doublemeat!" Buffy said, and then dropped her head. "That is really the name for shrimp?"

"Actually a prawn." Willow said looking up from the encyclopedia she had opened. "Native to the North Atlantic.

"Whatever. Long suckers, with long pinches. Cook up real nice on the grill." All eyes spun to the Dark Slayer. "What? I'm from Boston. We eat seafood!! Jesus." She stood stretching. "So Red, what's the what on the Shrimp?"

"Well." She swallowed. "It appears that he is young, not even as old as Angel. He first appeared in 1920 in New York City." She skimmed the entry in the Watcher's Diary. "Nothing much about his activities. He seems to have been a lackey. Nothing in here about prophesies or attempts at ending the world."

"Then why is he here?" Buffy wondered aloud.

"He didn't mention anything?" Faith asked.

"No. If he did, don't you think I would have said something?" Buffy snapped.

The kitchen door opened and Giles and the new Watcher Strand entered. Both had their sleeves rolled up, and looked a little dirty and tired. They had been in the basement, moving things around to create a training space for Buffy, and Willow presumed Faith, but no one had mentioned her staying yet. She hoped that Faith would stay.

"Have you found something?" Giles asked.

"Got his name, and a weak bio." Buffy said, standing and walking to the refrigerator. Strand came to stand beside Willow and looked over her shoulder. He "hmmed" under his breath.

"Well this tells us nothing." He stood straighter. "Faith, tonight you will go out and gather information on this new group. From what Giles explained, this vampire is not working alone. Someone must have noticed an influx of new vampires in the area."

"Right." Faith mumbled, and looked sheepishly at Buffy.

"Thank you, all of you for taking the time to assist Faith." Strand looked at the group. "Mr. Giles has explained to me the dynamic that has been here for some time, and that it seems to work and be very beneficial. I am unclear if the Council will be willing to compensate you all for your efforts but-"

"We do it to help the Buffster." Xander interrupted.

"Yes, well, as Buffy is no longer the Slayer-" Strand began.

"What!" Willow exclaimed, shocked. She looked over everyone, seeing Faith looking down at the table.

"I know, Will. They have some crazy notion that Faith is taking over my duty as the Slayer." Buffy growled.

"This is great, Buffy. You can focus on school again," Willow began, seeing that this would be exactly what Buffy wanted, what she complained and wished for. But why did she seem upset.

"Are you serious?" Buffy stepped into the room. "She can't do this? Look at her! She is a psycho! She will never be the Slayer!"

Faith pushed her chair back, and turned facing Buffy.

Oh, no.  Willow could see the fire in both of the girls as they stared at each other.

"You don't get it B. This is not your call!" Faith exclaimed. Everyone fell silent, just staring at them. "This is what they want."

"You cannot come back here, after everything you have done and expect me to just say, ‘Gee thanks Faith, sure you be the Slayer'. Not going to happen. Do you hear me? You will never be good enough." Buffy stepped closer.

"Always with the superiority complex. If you are so much better, how come I haven't died yet?" Faith snapped.

"Because you were in jail." Buffy yelled. "Where you belonged."

"Really, Buffy, Faith, this is not-" Stand began.

"Shut up." Both Slayers said in unison.

"B, I don't want you to go, I don't want you to not Slay. I know it is what we are, what we BOTH are. No one is telling you that you can't." Faith said glaring at Strand.

"But you get all the glory?"

"I doubt that." Faith grumbled.

"Fuck you Faith. I won't play you game. You can just-" Faith grabbed Buffy's arm in her hand.

"Outside. Now." She pulled Buffy behind her, and Willow was shocked that Buffy didn't seem to protest at all.

"I want something to be very clear – you hate me, I hate you." Faith said to Buffy as the stood in the back yard.

She was fuming. Faith would never replace her. But hate? Did Buffy hate Faith? Inside, deep inside, Buffy knew this wasn't Faith's fault. She was mad, but unsure if she hated the brunette in front of her. Buffy realized that they were no longer talking about what happened in the kitchen. This conversation had nothing to do with the Watchers Council.

"But." She squeaked.

"What but B? You made your feelings for me wickedly clear." Faith sneered.

"I don't think I did," she whispered.

"Knife in the gut, B. how much clearer do you think I needed?" Her tone was filled with hurt, and Buffy flinched.

"I, I - it wasn't about- it was about Angel."

"So you like to think. You knew the cure was our blood - OUR blood- that in the end you gave him. You didn't need to kill me, or try -that was your bonus.

"I didn't want that!"

"When have you ever not gotten what you wanted?" Faith was right, and Buffy knew it. She went to the apartment that night with the intent of hurting Faith. She could have cured Angel all on her own. She had gone out of anger. "The game has changed B, either accept & adapt or go extinct."

"That a threat?"

"Not from me. We are tools. Get comfy with being used."

"I am no tool." Buffy snapped.

"When are you gonna learn girlfriend? Of course we are tools. Why else would we be chosen to do this? To risk our lives like we do? To be built like this? It is to be used." Faith's tone was cold, but the words were honest.

"I am done being used."

"And that's just it, B. You are done. So be done. You are free. GOD!" She threw her hands into the air, clearly exasperated. "Why can't you be happy about this? You were just handed the key out of this life. Now you can be a normal girl. Isn't that what you always wanted?"

"How can I not do this? You just said it, F. I was built for this."

"Well it isn't your responsibility, you are free."

"No, Faith. I was free. Remember? My gift was death, and I was free, and then they pulled me back here, so I must not be done." Buffy snapped, feeling it inside. If she had been done, truly released from this duty, then she would not have been brought back.

 "I know you think you were in heaven-"

"I was in heaven." Buffy glared.

"Nope." Faith crossed her arms.

"And what makes you think you are so fucking smart?" Buffy could feel the rage bubbling inside of her, what did Faith know? She wasn't here then.

"Red."

"Huh?"

"When Tara died, Red called to Osiris asking him to heal Tara, bring her back to life. He told Red that he couldn't because a human killed Tara, in a human way. Hence a natural death. Then Red bitched, saying you were brought back, and the big guy told her that you were not a natural death, you were touched by mystical energy." Faith's tone had changed, she wasn't slinging her words, just telling it like it was, to her. But Buffy wouldn't believe it.

"So? I was still dead."

"You can't bring someone back from the dead, Buffy. That's just it." Faith pinched the bridge of her nose, in a completely un-Faith like manner.  She sighed, and then continued. "When Dawn tried with Mrs. S, she was a zombie. You, as fucked up as you are, you are no zombie. You weren't dead. You were sent to another dimension. It felt like heaven to you, but it could have been a hell too. You came back with all of this darkness, all of these cravings. Can you honestly say, before this whole Glory thing, that you would ever have slept with Spike? No. You know why? In the dimension you were in, all of your inhibitions were gone. It was just you and what made you feel good, feel happy. No more Rules. No more control. Just Buffy-Fucking-Summers and all the wants and needs burning inside of you. And now you are back, and you are trying to be the way you were, the, "this is wrong" B. But it ain't working. You have itches to scratch, and it takes allot more to get them scratched here than it did there."

SLAP. Buffy didn't realize she was moving until her palm connected with Faith's cheek.

"It hurts, cause it is the truth." Faith whispered.

"Fuck you Faith! You are just trying to, trying to…" What was Faith trying to do? What was she playing at this time?

"I can help you."

"Right, with what?" Buffy laughed.

"I know what you are doing, B. Going out, taking on too many vamps at once, hurting inside, going out after a fuck buddy." Faith was talking quietly, her eyes shifted to the back of the house.

"What do you know?" Buffy growled, not caring what the others might hear.

"I've seen you." Faith looked at the ground, almost, was she embarrassed? Then it crashed onto Buffy what Faith must have seen.

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh." Faith took a tentative step closer. "It's all rage, B. You just need to control it."

"Maybe I like it." She snapped. But she was scared. Everything Faith was saying seemed true, felt true. NO! She is playing me, trying to get me to just let her have her way! Not this time! She is nothing. The rage boiled again, pushing away everything else.

"I doubt that. It makes you into me."

"I got it!" Dawn exclaimed rushing up to the two Slayers, oblivious to the looks that they were exchanging. She stepped into the middle of the tension, not caring and hugging Faith tightly. Buffy watched Faith's face soften over her sister's shoulder, as she looked down.

"What?" Faith asked.

"The job. You were so right! I just went in there, and told them they had to hire me and they did." Dawn exclaimed.

"Good for you, Kiddo." Buffy watched Faith smile at HER SISTER.

"You got a job?" She asked, and Dawn turned to her.

"Yeah. Faith is the greatest, she found this place in the mall that was hiring and told me about it."

"You got the job yourself, Kiddo." Faith was beaming at Dawn.

Buffy was seeing red, literally. The slap to Faith had just lit the fire of her rage, and she wanted to reach through her sister and slip her fingers around Faith's throat. Instead, she turned and stormed out into the evening.

"What was that?" Dawn asked, watching walk away.

"That was your sister having some problems coming to terms with some changes." Okay, I knew that was an understatement, but it was all the Kiddo was going to get from me.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Listen I need to get going," I needed to get out of here, clear my head. Maybe I would get lucky and find some demon that I could really wail on.

"Patrol?" She asked.

"Yeah."

"Can I come?" Chalk board whine. Oh, and the pouting lip. But she still had years of practice to develop the trademarked Buffy Summers; Faith will do anything for it, pout.

"Sorry, Kiddo, no can do."

"But Buffy-"

"I am not Buffy." I said softly, and walked away in the opposite direction of B.

I hadn't meant to dump all of that shit on her. But I had looked through some of the books that Tara and Red had, and came up with some theories of why B was acting so weird. She had the death wish for a while there, and clearly it was back, but more than that, she seemed to be out searching for something, like there was this hole in her gut that she kept trying to fill.

I knew that that felt like. I had been a walking block of Swiss cheese, and then I had gone to the Mayor. B needed help, before she went looking to the wrong side to fill her. That was what G-man was afraid of, and what I was too. As much as I wanted to still hate her, and not have anything to do with her, B didn't deserve to be ignored.

Sure the plan had been, help Red and Xander, and then leave. But everything had changed. She would never admit it, so I needed to. Buffy Summers needed me, and I would not let her down.

Who did she think she was, talking to me like that? Thinking she had all the fucking answers. She was a nothing. She didn't know where I was, how could she. She was in jail the whole time. She was a lying, murdering, whore.

Buffy stopped running, setting her hands on her knees breathing deeply.

Then what does that make me?

Giles watched Dawn walk through the kitchen, obviously sulking. He nodded to Holburn that he would handle this.

"Dawn? What is wrong?" He asked.

"Them." She grumbled.

"Pardon?"

"Buffy and Faith." She sat down heavily. "Why are they always fighting?"

"There is quite a bit of unresolved-"

"Sexual tension I get it."

"Excuse me?" Holburn spat his tea.

"Come on. It's all in the subtext. Right there, if you paid attention you would see it." Dawn snapped.

"I believe I have heard enough." Strand stood, moving to the counter to retrieve a tea towel to wipe his face.

"Dawn, there has been a lot of mistrust between them both. It will take time." Giles smiled down at her, again realizing that children view the world in an entirely different light. They see so very much more than they are given credit for.

"I am just afraid one of them will snap first."

Red looked up from her book as I walked in the front door of the apartment.

I had patrolled, kicked the shit out of one pathetic vamp down by the docks. But I needed to see if there was anything else I should be doing. I was fantasizing about a bottle of JD, but there was this nagging in the back of my head. Do your duty. Be a good little tool. So I came over here, to harass the brains of the operation. Plus, something else was worrying me, after what Strand had told the group.

"Anything else?" I asked.

"About the Shrimp? Not yet. Educated guess. He wants to open the Hellmouth." Red said, pushing away the book.

"Don't they all." I grumbled. "Any way to see what would be needed to open it up? Maybe he needs some stuff, and we can get to it first?"

"Wow."

"Um, what?" I narrowed my eyes at her.

"You, leadership role. Again with the wow." She grinned.

"It feels weird." I sighed. "She is really pissed."

"Naw, she will see that this is a good thing."

"What about you, Red? Will you go away now too? Forget all about the darkness here, and the Scoobies." I asked. I was terrified to hear the answer. I had read the Slayer handbook many moons ago, and I knew that was what made Buffy stand out from all the other Slayers in history. She had the support system behind her. They had kept her alive, many times. Literally. From Xander and his CPR, to Willow pulling her out of another dimension.

"Are you asking me to stay and help you, Faith?" She asked, trying to catch my eye.

"Maybe. Depends on your answer. I've had a rough day, and don't feel like more rejection." Honest answer. Man what has happened to me?

"I want to stay and help you fight the fight, Faith. And I think Buffy will too."

Buffy needed something. Her insides were begging for something. She didn't know if it was an action, a thing. But there was something missing inside of her, and usually she could shove the gnawing away, she couldn't now.

Looking around she saw the alley, and her eyes became predatory, searching out Jane. The thoughts swam through her mind, what she would do to the girl, all the while thinking about that bitch Faith.

She didn't see Jane, and maybe that was good. She was thinking about harming her, actually hurting her. And that was not good. Fucking her numb was one thing, actually hurting her, that was another.

Buffy felt the hairs on the back of her neck raise, and looked up. She could see Faith's old apartment. The lights were all on. And she could see two shadows. One was clearly Faith, and that made the other Willow. Her Willow. Her best friend who was now spending time with Faith. She saw the shadows embrace.

Inside her chest the tension snapped.

She took her job

She took her sister

She took her peace of mind

She took her friends

She took her whore

She took her LIFE!

"Okay, no more with the touching." Faith laughed, pushing out of Willow's arms.

"You just looked like you needed something." Willow grinned moving back to the table. "This whole situation really bothers you."

"B is what is bothering me. There is something wrong with her."

"Well, I did, kind of, erm, that is to say, I didn't know at the time, but I pulled her out of heaven. White puffy clouds and happy music. Oh and crème cheese like on the commercial." Willow babbled.

"No you didn't. B thought she was in heaven. She told you guys that." Willow looked up, shocked. "Tara told me. About the singing, and the, ‘I think I was in heaven' bit of it." Faith shrugged, and then walked over to the bookshelf and pulled out one of Tara's tomes. She dropped it in front of Willow. "But I read in here about what happens when a human truly dies. Red, you can't bring them back. Their soul is returned, to be used again. No do overs, no second chances. The End." She sighed. "You did the right thing in bringing her back. And yeah, she is broken, and different. And I don't know if I can help her to fix it."

The front door flew open, snapping off its hinges and Buffy stormed into the room. Willow gulped looking at the expression of rage on her face.

"I know what you can do to fix it, F." Buffy hissed, pulling a long knife from the small of her back. Willow looked between the two Slayers, and noticed that Faith paled, just before straightening her back and cracking her knuckles. This was not going to be good.

"What's that, B?" Faith titled her head to the side. "You and me, we keep repeating the past, huh? Funny that. Though I notice, you brought your own knife this time."

"Do you have yours?"

"I don't need one." Faith crossed her arms. "And neither do you."

"Oh, I just might." Buffy rolled her eyes. "You think you can just come in here and take everything that was mine? You wanted my life so much that you had to come and steal it; you couldn't make a life of your own. Well guess what Faith; I am taking my life back. And I am starting right now."

Buffy lunged forward with her right leg, but Faith blocked it before it connected with her stomach. Buffy followed up with a solid punch to Faith's shoulder, and she let the momentum throw her back onto the table. Leaning her head back, Faith locked eyes with Willow.

"Kitchen now!" She hissed, and Willow jumped away as Buffy brought the knife down right towards Faith's chest. The brunette rolled away just in time, and the knife was embedded in the table. Willow squeaked and ran into the far room.

"Damn." B grumbled as she left the knife where it was and came at me again. Looking into her hazel eyes I could see that something was wrong, something worse than before. She had really snapped. The emptiness, it was something I was familiar with. But this shouldn't be happening to her. But what could I do to snap her out of it? Did I wait to long to help her?

"We don't need to fight, B." I said, blocking a solid right hook she sent my way.

"Yes we do. You can't have my life Faith." She kicked again, but it was low, and I let her foot connect with my thigh. "You tried it on for size before, don't you remember? You couldn't hack it."

"That was a long time ago. Things change." I shrugged. She kicked again, and I caught her leg in my hands. "What is happening to you?"

"Me?" She laughed, and dropped, using her other leg as she fell to the floor to connect with my chin. My head snapped back and hit the wall. Fuck that hurt. My eyes clouded for a second, but I blinked and everything was five by five again. "What about you, F? You aren't even fighting back. You expect to be me, and you can't even fight back?" She sprung back up, her fist in my gut. How much longer was I going to let her kick my ass?

I threw out my fist, connecting with her jaw, and she stumbled back. Not very long. Her eyes went round.

"So the little girl can still fight. Yeah!" She clapped her hands and moved quickly to strike out again.

"I could always fight, B." I jabbed and she blocked. We moved into the living room, stalking each other, looking for an in. "Don't you remember? I am the only one you can't beat."

"I recall a coma." She laughed.

"But you were trying to kill me, B. You failed."

She growled and jumped forward, punching my face. Okay, not a good idea to touch my face. There had to be some way I could get through to her. I didn't want B dead, or even too hurt. But how could I stop her from doing it to herself.

"I never fail."

"Get used to it." I kicked her, landing the blow, and she flew across the room. "You want to fight, I will give you a fight. But think about it B. What in the hell is all of this about? Why do you want to kill me?" I stalked over to her. "You can't hide behind Angel or the Mayor this time. This is all you and me, and I want you to tell me WHY!" I kicked her again, as she was still on the ground.

"You ruined everything!" She hissed, looking up at me.

"I did not!"

"Then how can you explain how fucked up my life is?"

"You did it yourself, Buffy. This is your life. I have only been back for a week." I dropped my fists, thinking she was finally ready to talk.

Buffy watched her drop her hands, and knew this was the moment. Faith's words were rolling off of her, meaning nothing. Buffy was barely hearing them. This was her fault. Everything was Faith's fault!

She sprung up, grabbing the knife out of the table and lunged forward. In Buffy's rage she knew, if she killed Faith, then her life would go back to the way it was.

Sneaky bitch!

I grabbed her wrist, and turned the knife away, just in time. It cut my side, but didn't stab me, which was good. I didn't feel like matching scars. Her eyes were so angry, and I knew I wasn't reaching her. Time to try something drastic. I locked my arms around her, pulling her roughly against me. I could feel her heart pounding in her small chest against mine.

"What happened to you? What is wrong inside of you?" I whispered in her ear. She was struggling, but I locked my arms around hers, and I knew she couldn't move.  "You want me dead? You think killing me will make everything better? Well it won't Buffy."

"I know what you are feeling inside. This giant hole that is throbbing, always reminding you it is there, and you want to do anything and everything you can think of to get it to stop." Faith's voice whispered in Buffy's ear, and she stopped struggling so hard. She didn't relax, but she let herself listen for a moment. "Remember, in the church, when I was beating the hell out of you, when you were in my body? Remember the things I said. You are saying them now to yourself. You may not hear it, but I can. It is clear in your actions. Killing me won't kill that part of you, Buffy." The tension rolled out of Buffy's shoulders, and Faith just tightened her grip. "Accept who you are, the Buffy you are now." Slowly Buffy raised her eyes, locking onto Faith's chocolate gaze.

"Do you actually believe the shit that is coming out of your mouth?" Buffy slammed her head against Faith's face, causing her to drop her arms. Buffy felt her lips tighten in a grin.

Okay, fine.

So I tried to pull a Red and be all sensitive and shit, and clearly it didn't work.

"Fine, B. You want to dance with the devil? Baby, the devil is waiting."

Faith grabbed Buffy's shoulders and threw her across the room, and the window shattered as the blonde slayer went through. She rolled out of the throw, looking around seeing the roof. They had danced here before.

Danced.

Buffy's memory flashed before her. She and Faith, dancing at the Bronze, bodies moving in time, get closer and closer with ever thump of base. She had been so happy then, felt so whole and alive.

Faith jumped through the broken glass, and moved over to her. Memories slipped away, and the rage returned. She wanted Faith on her knees, begging for mercy. Telling Buffy that she was the best, that she was the only one. That Faith would never leave her again.

What?  

Faith sent a roundhouse Buffy's way, and she blocked, thinking now only of the fight. She tightened her grip on the knife, and lunged forward, zeroing in on Faith's heart.

There was a battle going on inside of her. That much was obvious in her eyes. Okay, I would defend myself. No killing her.

I don't want to anyway. I never wanted to kill her.  No, well what did I want then? Just to be needed. By her.

I was too caught up in my thoughts, missing her twitch. She was coming right at me, knife raised. My heels were pressed against the side of the ledge, there was nowhere to go really but down. Shit. She was going to get me.

Willow slipped out of the kitchen when she heard the glass breaking. She peered through the broken window, to see the slayer's fighting. When Buffy lunged with the knife, she could see that Faith was trapped.

"Buffy no!"

I dropped. I couldn't let her stab me, again. That would be too ridiculous. So I dropped off the edge of the building, using one hand to grab the little ledge to stop my fall.

It happened in an instant. I dropped, I held on, and then I saw her blonde hair move past me. B couldn't stop her momentum, and she had toppled over the edge of the roof. This fall might just kill her if she landed wrong.

I reached out my hand, grabbing her wrist as it moved by me. I felt the jolt through my body as she stopped falling. Wow, for being so small she was heavy. I heard the knife clatter on the asphalt below. I looked down at her, and she turned her head to look up at me.

I think I lost myself for a moment in her wide hazel eyes. They seemed to be pleading with me. B looked down at the ground, six stories below, and then back up at me.

"I, I. Please." Was all she could get out. Were those tears? What could I do?

"Is it all so bad that you want me to let go? You just want to end it all? You are killing yourself. Want me to let go, you just say the fucking word B."

Langoustino was sitting in a soft leather chair. He had brought it with him. The desk was new, but it would do, for now. This was all temporary, after all. Just until the Hellmouth was opened, and then he would have a palace.

The door to his office opened and a young strawberry blonde woman entered with his assistant. She was attractive enough, and he did feel a slight tingling of power in the air as she came closer.

"This is Amy." His assistant said, by way of introduction.

"You are the strongest witch in this town?" he asked, threading his fingers together.

"I am now." She said, crossing her arms.

"That sounds an awful lot like a no."

"Well, I-" She stumbled. He thought so. His reports told him of a witch of unimaginable power had lived in this town. But this girl, though a witch, was not strong enough.

"Kill her." He flicked his hand, and turned away.

"What do you need?" She pleaded. Hmmm, she might be useful. He leaned across the desk.

"I need the strongest witch in Sunnydale." Langoustino said.

"Then you need Willow." She smiled, "And only I can get her for you."

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