Chapter Seven

It was bright and early when Faith finally began stirring. Buffy still held her in her arms and while she could blame that fact on the close quarters of the single bunk, she knew even if they'd been resting on the wide expanse of a king-sized bed, she still would have been exactly where she was.

Faith took a while to wake up, stretching in her sleep, snuggling in closer to Buffy, smiling and sighing, then snuggling in even deeper. The leg she had thrown over Buffy wriggled just enough to get Buffy's attention and the contented noise she made as her face rubbed along a warm breast secured Buffy's attention for about the next fifty years.

Her eyes opened slowly, like she was reluctant to leave dreamland, and when she managed to fully come back to reality, she looked almost startled to see where she was. Buffy thought she looked adorable:

"Morning, Sleepy Head."

"…Uh…Mornin', B."

The sound of Faith's husky and sexy voice made even huskier and sexier by a night's worth of inactivity, had Buffy imagining all sorts of things, all of them good, very good. Except for the ones that were bad, very...She made herself concentrate:

"So, did you have a good sleep?"

"Yeah…"

Faith's head lifted to look over Buffy and out into the cell.

"…best ever. What time is it?"

"Mmm…probably about an hour before we have to get up."

Faith laid her head back down:

"For real, I slept all night?"

"Yep, sawing the logs of the log sawing Queen."

She kissed Faith's head and pulled her in closer.

"Damn, I don't…never done that before."

Buffy laughed:

"Well, I did wear you out, you know?"

"Yeah, talk about gettin' rode hard and put away wet. Jesus, B, you were fucking amazing."

"Thank you, and please consider me at your service any time."

They were quiet, and then in a voice laced with surprise:

"Think it's `cause you were holdin' me."

At the sound of those words, Buffy was sure she melted into a puddle.

"Better get used to it because I'm going to be doing it every chance I get."

"Not gonna complain. So, how'd you sleep, B?"

"Good. Great. The best."

"That's good."

Faith showed not the slightest sign that she wanted to move and Buffy was happy with their position too. She was also totally relaxed, her body at ease even though she'd just lied her ass off, because the truth of it was: Buffy hadn't slept so much as a wink. Her mind had been way too busy going over everything Faith had told her, and now in the near light of the new morning, she had some questions she wanted answers to.

Just exactly who was Nicole and why had she been in the prison? What was her background and what had she done while she'd been incarcerated? All of that information was going to be vital in helping Faith deal with what had happened, but that wasn't the only reason Buffy wanted to know.

Something was off, and no matter what angle she looked at it from, she just couldn't see it any other way. Yes, it had definitely been a horrible tragedy, but it had also been a horrible tragedy that just happened to play perfectly into Faith's guilt and insecurities, hitting her right where she was the most vulnerable.

Faith had worked so hard to turn herself around and then just when everything had looked the brightest, it had all been taken away with one well-placed strike. The self-esteem she'd fought so hard for, her confidence as a Slayer and her pride in all of the good she'd done, the real chance for a real future, everything just wiped out as if it had never existed. It was unbelievable, it was too much, and Buffy wasn't buying it for a second. Something wasn't right.

Faith was being eaten alive and Buffy wanted answers, and she wanted them yesterday. They finally had the problem out in the open, now it was time to start turning over every rock she could find. Her instincts were telling her that something was wrong and Buffy Summers always trusted her instincts. By the time she was done, there wouldn't be so much as a dust bunny left unturned.

"Hey, B, where ya at?"

"Huh? Oh sorry, just basking in the after bask, I guess."

Faith's leg moved with purpose this time:

"Wanna maybe get paid back?"

"Always, but I'm really liking us just laying here."

"Yeah?"

"Uh-huh, aren't you?"

Faith laughed:

"Well, don't tell anybody, but yeah, I'm lovin' it."

"So you'll pay me back later."

Faith snuggled back in again:

"Can count on that, B."

They stayed where they were for a glorious thirty-eight minutes, rising reluctantly only when they had to.

"Better get dressed. Gonna be roll call in a few."

Buffy didn't question her; since she'd been there Faith's internal clock had never once been wrong. Sure enough, they'd just finished dressing when the lights came on and the call went out:

"On the gate!"

When roll call finished, they discovered their lockdown was conveniently over too. Eddie was smiling as he gave them the news:

"Figured after the shower you girls had, no sense in it anymore, so I filled out the paperwork before I left last night. Warden must've been burning the midnight oil `cause the signed release was in my mailbox when I got here."

"Works for me. C'mon B, I wanna get some extras from Mary, I'm starvin'!"

"You go. I'll catch up."

"What? No, c'mon!"

Buffy smiled at her:

"I wasn't prepared to `go' go, I need a few. Save me a place in line, I'll be right there."

Faith looked from Buffy to Eddie, then nodded:

"Okay, but hurry the fuck up, yeah?"

"I will, I promise."

Faith gave her a peck on the cheek and took off excitedly.

"Officer Rhodes?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you ask Officer Jackson to meet me in here as soon as she can?"

"Could, but she's not here. She had car trouble, so she probably won't make it in until noon time at best."

"Damn it!"

Buffy looked pissed, then resigned:

"Okay, I guess they say patience is a virtue for a reason."

She started to leave the cell, but he stopped her:

"Buffy, maybe I can help you out."

"That would be so great, but I don't wanna put you on the spot. I just really need to get something rolling, but it can wait if it has to."

"Why not let me hear what you need and I'll let you know if I can do it."

"It's nothing too bad, I just need to get word to someone on the outside."

"And you don't wanna wait for the request to go through?"

"I'm a woman in a hurry and I don't want anyone listening in."

"So who ya wanna contact? Your bookie?"

They both laughed.

"You could call him that, he used to be a librarian. His name is Giles, Rupert Giles. I need to get a message to him."

Eddie took out a pen:

"Not allowed, but yeah, I can get it done in the next half hour. What's the number?"

He wrote it on the palm of his hand.

"And what's the message?"

"I need them to run a background check, a thorough one. Tell them a full human and demon…I mean, a `kitchen sink', kind of background check."

He said nothing as he stared at her for several moments:

"Got it, and I'm gonna say it just like you first did, even though I don't have a clue what the hell you're talking about. What's the name?"

"I need them to check on Nicole."

"`Nicole' who?"

"I was hoping you could tell me. The inmate from here who…"

"Nicole Ravner? Why do you want a check on her?"

Buffy had no idea what to say. Even though it was Eddie, she didn't want to just blab Faith's personal business all over the place.

"It's for Faith."

"Part of how you're helping her?"

"Yes, I'd tell you, but I feel like it's her story to tell, you know?"

"Yeah, sure. I just don't get what Ravner has to do with Lehane."

"Trust me, I'm not sure I get it either."

Eddie put his pen away.

"Thing is, Buffy, I do trust you. Probably way more than I oughta. I'll give this Giles guy a call as soon as I walk the cells to make sure nobody's sick or hanging back to cause trouble. Be like fifteen minutes. I can also do a little snooping in the Records Department. Lady who works there's sweet on me."

"Aren't we all? I can't thank you enough, Officer Rhodes."

"Getting Lehane back on track is plenty of thanks. I've been worried about that kid, but since you've been here? Not so much."

"She's going to be okay, I'm going to make sure of that. Speaking of which, I'd better hurry before she has a fit."

He gestured her out:

"So I'm taking it she's not in on what you're having this Giles guy do?"

"No, just in case it's nothing. I don't want to get her hopes up or anything."

"Got it."

"Oh, and if Willow Rosenberg answers…"

"You mean: `Miss Soap on a Rope'?"

"Yep, one in the same. You can tell her too."

"Got it. Cotton!"

He yelled down the line and they stood waiting.

"So tell me, Buffy, how many people are involved in this?"

Buffy smiled:

"I've got a whole posse on the outside. We call ourselves `The Scooby Gang'."

"Yeah, heard about you. Real hard cases, always chasin' bad guys and Scooby snacks."

Officer Cotton walked up:

"Yeah, Eddie?"

"Would you mind walking Summers to the mess? Behind on my rounds."

"Sure, no problem. Let's move it, Summers."

Buffy smiled at Eddie, then walked ahead of Officer Cotton with her thoughts on Nicole. She was going to have her answers soon and she couldn't wait.

The smell of the laundry room was comforting and nauseating all at the same time. It reminded Buffy of being home, sitting on the washer in her basement while her mom folded clothes and Buffy pretended to do the same. They would chat about nothing in particular and Buffy knew she would have given almost anything to be back there again.

The odor was much more concentrated in the prison laundry room, the sheer volume of chemicals as well as the number of machines producing heat and noise, made it a much less pleasant place to be. Still, she preferred it to bathroom duty and it was probably a tie with working in the kitchen, although watching Faith sneak food at every available opportunity was pretty much priceless, especially when Mary caught her.

Faith was at her side, pulling clothes out of the dryer and placing them on the table for them both to fold. Juanita and Large Marge were working on the clean sheets at the other end of the table, swearing and laughing as they tried to get the ends to meet up.

Juanita looked over at the Slayers folding the clothes:

Hey, how come you chicas get the easy job?"

"'Cause we're blowin' Morrison for the privilege."

"Hahaha!!! Faith, there aren't enough privileges in the world to make that happen."

They all laughed and went back to their chores. Faith kept glancing at Buffy, then looking away.

"What, Faith?"

"Nothin'."

The looks continued, and Buffy finally turned to face her:

"Spill it, Lehane."

"Just…uh…Can I talk to you, B, without it bein' a big deal?"

"Sure, as long as it's not about me leaving you in here forever."

"No, it's not about that!"

"Okay then, go ahead."

Faith hesitated, then tossed down the shirt she was folding and faced Buffy:

"B, of course it's about that."

"I knew it! Look, this whole topic is non-negotiable. I am not forgetting about you, you are not staying in here so you can beat yourself up forever, and I'm more than prepared to pound that into your head if I have to."

"I'm not tryin' to be difficult…"

"Well, a big congratulations to you then for doing it so effortlessly."

They stared at each other, then turned back to face the table as they resumed their folding. Neither spoke for a long time, convinced that they were right and the other Slayer was at best, misguided.

"B?"

"What, Faith?"

"I don't know what to do. I want you, I want us, but fuck, Buffy…you can't just ignore everything. I mean, I don't know how to do shit, and I can't do what you want me to. I don't wanna hurt you, but I…"

"Stop."

"…don't see how…What?"

Buffy put down the pants she'd been folding and took both of Faith's hands into her own.

"Just stop for a second. I get the panic, I get that you're having trouble dealing, but I don't get why you can't see me. Faith, I'm right here and I'm here for one reason only: you. We can fight this out, we can argue about it, you can get all stubborn and be all Faith like, fine, but I am still going to be here for you."

"…"

"Angel is not going to turn his back on you, no matter what. He loves you, he won't ever go anywhere. I'm not going to either. I get why you feel like you do and I'm sorry about what happened, but at the end of the day it just doesn't matter. You can't stay here, it's not where you belong and I'm not going to let you do this to yourself. Just let go of that idea so we can focus on helping you deal with what happened."

"What, B? Just gonna wave a magic wand and…"

"I have something pending."

Faith shook her head with disbelief and admiration:

"That talk with Eddie you didn't want me around for?"

"Yes."

"So ya wanna share what's goin' on?"

"I do, but can I have awhile before I have to do that?"

Faith laughed:

"Yeah, right, B, like I'm not the biggest pussy when it comes to you. Take however long you need, but I don't get it."

"I don't quite get it yet either, but maybe things will be cleared up for us both in a day or two."

Faith began folding again:

"Okay, guess I can hold off on bein' an asshole for that long, `specially if you keep sleeping with me."

"Oh, I'm definitely going to keep doing that…and touching and licking and fucking…"

The noise of the shirt ripping was muffled by the sound of the machinery, but it was easily heard by every Slayer in the immediate area.

"Damn, B. Wanna warn a girl when you're gonna go there?"

"…and biting and rubbing and doing that swirly thing you love with my tongue."

Faith held up the tattered shirt that now looked like a bunch of rags:

"Proud of yourself?"

"Uh-huh, very."

"I wish it was lights out already. I wanna be with you, B."

"And I wish we still got private showers."

Faith moved closer:

"Way you make me feel, I could take you right in front of everybody and not give a shit."

"And I could let you."

There was barely room to slip a piece of paper between them when Juanita's voice sounded out:

"Six-five!"

"Shit."

Faith's tongue traced Buffy's top lip before she pulled back:

"Fuckin' hate this place."

"And that's why you're getting out."

There was no time for Faith to respond as Officer Wilkins walked over:

"You girls wanna keep it G-rated, at least on my shift?"

"Best I can do's a PG-13, so consider…"

"Yes, Officer, we're sorry."

"Great, now get back to work."

The instant she was out of hearing range, Faith started talking:

"Man, what a suck butt! 'Oh yes, Officer! Whatever you say, Officer! Can I go down on you, Officer' '"

Buffy laughed and slugged her in the shoulder:

"Well, excuse me if I didn't want to spend the night in the Hole. For some strange reason I'd rather be with you."

"Probably `cause of my hole."

"Faith!"

"B!"

"Jesus, you two putas wanna get a room?"

"Yeah, bitches, we can feel the heat way over here."

"Shut up, Marge. That's the fuckin' dryers."

"Ain't nothin' dry about it, is there, Juanita?"

"Couldn't hear you, Margie. Too busy rammin' my tongue down your throat."

The night and following morning passed peacefully. There was sex and cuddling, followed by sex and cuddling, all chased with a liberal helping of sex and cuddling until roll call started their day anew. It was just after lunch when Giles got back to her.

"Summers!"

Buffy sat up from her bunk at the sound of Sheila Jackson's voice.

"Present."

The door slid open:

"Come with me."

Their eyes met and Buffy knew she was soon going to have some information, but Faith wasn't happy with the timing of the interruption. She buttoned her shirt and also jumped down from Buffy's bed:

"What's the what? Laundry duty not for five minutes."

"She'll be there, Lehane. Come on, Buffy."

Buffy let herself be handcuffed, then followed Sheila Jackson until they ended up outside the bathroom where Buffy used to pay ten cigarettes to make her calls.

"The cell phone's in the last stall, taped under the tank lid. Mr. Giles is on hold. I can give you ten minutes, then you've got to come back out. Just toss the phone into the tank, I'll grab it later."

"Thank you, Sheila."

Buffy hurried in and found the phone with no problem. Her hand shook as she pushed the button.

"Please let there be something…"

"Ahh…hello?"

"Giles, it's me."

"Buffy, are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Did you guys get anything?"

She could hear papers rustling as she spoke.

"Not all that much, I'm afraid. Our search was quite thorough and yet..."

Buffy deflated like a pinpricked balloon.

"So nothing at all?"

"I'm sorry, but it's just the fairly standard life and death of a drug abuser. After Ms. Ravner's sentence was overturned, she still couldn't manage to avail herself of the second chance she'd been given. She died of a heroin overdose just months after her release. A sad business, really."

"Wait a second…what?"

"I said Ms. Ravner died of a drug overdose just a few months after her release. There was no foul play suspected, and delving in even further has turned up nothing out of the ordinary."

"You've must have the wrong Nicole Ravner, Giles."

"No, not unless Officer Rhodes gave us incorrect information. We've her social security number, several prior and last known addresses, court dates, all of her prison and trial records. Besides, there hasn't been another `Nicole' at this particular institution for at least five years. If you'd like us to go over it again we can, but I must tell you, Buffy, I don't believe…

"Faith thinks Nicole committed suicide right here in the cell block."

"Sorry, say that again."

"Faith saw Nicole's body after she hit the floor in the cell block. She killed herself because she and Faith were having an affair and Faith broke it off."

There was a shocked silence before Giles cleared his throat and continued:

"Buffy, do you trust Officer Rhodes?"

"Eddie? Yes, well as much as I can. I don't `know' him, know him, but everything I do know seems trustworthy. I like him a lot."

Giles was rustling through his papers again:

"I agree, I quite liked him when we spoke and he seemed very fond of you girls, especially Faith. We ran an extensive background check on him as well and he appears to be exactly what he looks like: a good man doing an incredibly difficult job with compassion, fairness, and decency."

"Color me not surprised."

"So ruling out the possibility Officer Rhodes deliberately fed us incorrect information, that means either he's being manipulated or whatever's affecting Faith's recollection of events isn't impacting him."

"So we're looking at a spell?"

"Perhaps…How quickly can you speak with him?"

"Well, he's been pretty accessible, so if that holds, sometime today."

"Excellent. We'll research on our end and see what might be the cause of this discrepencacy. Perhaps a demon, perhaps magic... Please exercise caution until we can firmly rule out Officer Rhodes as a suspect."

She was nodding even though he couldn't see her:

"I'll be on guard of the guard, but Giles, I don't get that vibe from him at all."

"And most likely he's not the culprit, but..."

"…be careful. I will be."

"As soon as we've something to report, we'll be in touch…mostly likely tomorrow."

"All right, tell the guys I said `hi and thanks'."

"I shall. Remember, Buffy, remain vigilant. We've no idea what we're up against."

"Well, whatever it is, it's going to be very sorry very soon. Bye, Giles."

She hung up and re-taped the phone to its original position instead of just tossing into the tank as Sheila Jackson had instructed. She went out into the hall and Officer Jackson looked relieved to see her.

"Perfect timing. I need to be in the kitchen for guard duty in a few. Did you get anything?"

"Yes and no. We may need a follow-up call tomorrow."

"All right, that should work out okay. I guess I'll have to buy another phone though."

"Nope, I re-taped."

Sheila was handcuffing her again:

"You did? That's great. Even though it was just a cheapie, I wasn't looking forward to buying another one."

They started walking to the laundry room once the cuffs were secure.

"Giles will reimburse you, but for the love of your sanity, I hope you kept your receipt."

"My dad was like that too, no wonder they hit it off so well."

They shared a laugh about their cheap, by the book fathers, and then Buffy lowered her voice:

"Is there any way I could talk to Officer Rhodes privately?"

They stood outside the laundry room as Officer Jackson uncuffed her:

"I'll tell him you need to; he should be able to figure something out."

"Thank you, Sheila, for everything."

"Are you kidding? My Dad would come back to life just to kill me if I didn't help out."

They entered the laundry room and Buffy spotted Faith at a glance. She went over and they kissed furtively as Sheila notified the guards on duty that she was dropping off Prisoner 769445.

With a nod, she left, and Buffy and Faith began folding sheets together without a word. Several folded sets later, Faith finally spoke up:

"So, you gonna share or what?"

"I'd rather not, not right now."

"And why's that? Didn't Giles and the gang come through?"

"They did, but we need more."

Faith kept folding, obviously thinking it over.

"Not really gettin' this, B. I wanna give you the time you need, but the mystery's got me wicked curious. Plus gettin' left out of the loop again isn't exactly a great memory, ya know?"

"You're not being left out of the loop, you're being kept in the dark."

Faith looked at her disbelievingly:

"That s'posed to make me feel better?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, I did say it all cute and with a special `Buffy' smile."

Faith laughed, her building anger dissipating just like that:

"Fuck, you make me such a girl."

"I promise, Faith, it won't be much longer before the loop definitely includes you. Deal?"

"...Yeah, deal."

Buffy stuck out her hand for Faith to shake, but Faith refused:

"Nah, don't need that."

Buffy smiled, all warm and happy:

"Because you trust me?"

"No, `cause I know where to find your ass when ya try to welsh on me."

"My sweet talker."

"Yeah, I got it goin' on, B."

They kept folding.

They were halfway through their dinner when Eddie showed up at their table.

"Let's go, Summers. Warden wants a word."

Buffy stood up, trying to look casual with all eyes upon her. Faith grinned as she hauled Buffy's tray across the table:

"Don't worry, B, I'm gonna finish yours for ya."

"That's so thoughtful of you, F."

"Yeah, the pussywhippin's been pretty effective."

Buffy was handcuffed, then marched out of the cafeteria without a word. They walked all the way to the Warden's office in silence, and upon arrival, Eddie unlocked the door and motioned her in first. He flipped the light switch, then closed and re-locked the door.

"You can have a seat, Buffy."

She did as he checked the other office to make sure they were alone.

"I thought for a second you really were taking me to see the Warden."

He unlocked her cuffs and sat down across from her:

"Nope, Sheila got permission for us to meet here. So what's this all about?"

"Nicole Ravner."

"I got the message to your friend and faxed everything we had on her. I don't really know anything else."

"Eddie, how did Nicole die?"

"She's dead? Damn, well, can't say it's a big surprise. Still sad though, girl that young. I'm guessing she couldn't kick the junk, more than likely. Had a real chokehold on her when she was here, I know that much."

"Faith says she committed suicide."

"Yeah, guess you could call it that. She was for sure working hard to end up…Wait a sec, how would Faith know? She hasn't seen Ravner in forever."

Buffy was studying him intently as they spoke, looking for the slightest sign that he was lying.

"She says she saw Nicole's body land right in the middle of the cell block."

"What?! Here? No, Nicole sailed outta this dump on some technicality a long time ago."

"Could Faith have her mixed up with someone else?"

Eddie stood, his face nothing but puzzled as he shook his head:

"Don't see how. Nobody's killed themselves anywhere in the prison for like eleven years, and far as I know, nobody's fallen, not ever. What the hell's Lehane saying that for?"

Maybe he was a master at it, but as hard as she searched, Buffy couldn't see the slightest indication that he was anything but honest and confused.

"I don't get this. I mean, sure, I call her `Crazy Girl', but Faith ain't crazy at all. I'd vouch for her sanity as much as I would my own. What the hell is going on here?"

"I wish I could tell you."

"Well, you're gonna have to give me something this time, Buffy. I got one fucked up girl who turns herself around in prison and saves my life, then falls to pieces. Then I got another girl who waltzes in with the Warden's permission and proceeds to straighten out the first one using super speed and strength, plus a shower I think we'd all like to call our own."

Buffy flushed red and he kept going:

"Now you're telling me my girl thinks some junkie offed herself taking a header in the C-Block, which makes no kinda sense. Nothing's normal about either of you or this whole situation, but I trust Lehane with my life, literally, and that gets extended to you by association. So at least give me some kinda basics `cause I more than get the feelin' that I'm gonna be puttin' my career and ass on the line `fore this is all over. At least like to know what I might be dying for."

Buffy stared at him and it was the kindness and concern in his warm brown eyes that decided her.

"…You might want to sit down, it's going to be kind of hard to believe."

"Yeah, well those are the only things worth believin', in my experience."

He sat down and Buffy met his eyes:

"Okay, we're called Slayers…"

Chapter Eight

"Giles, could you please make sense that makes sense and maybe make it faster?"

She had fifteen minutes this time and at least half of them were already used up.

"All the research leads us to conclude that there is a Transformative demon in the prison, most likely a Pralak. As I said, it delves into its victim's psyche, pinpointing with sometimes deadly accuracy its target's weak spots. It needs a go between, someone close to the victim who can be read in order to create the scenarios that will have the greatest impact."

"And then what?"

"Pralaks thrive on pain, guilt, and despair and as the relationship progresses, it can call up these emotions at will. Faith has been its primary target and main source of sustenance, and I'm not at all sure how she's managed to withstand the assault for this long. I shudder to think what would have happened if you hadn't intervened when you did."

Buffy was now pacing in the bathroom, the tiny stall seeming like a prison.

"Okay, so how do we find this thing?"

"That's the difficult part. It's been inside the prison for a long time and will have taken on its human identity for good. It will appear completely human because for all intents and purposes, that's exactly what it is. It's adapted to its surroundings and short of a detailed examination in a laboratory far past anything encountered in a prison, there'd be no way to detect anything out of the ordinary."

"But it isn't human, is it?"

"No, it's purely demon, and a truly loathsome creature at that."

"So that means I get to go all Slayer on it."

"Yes it does, and you will need to. Pralaks are incredibly formidable opponents."

"Good, it can be all formidable while I'm dicing it into tiny pieces."

Giles could feel her anger simmering and ready to explode, and he wasn't feeling much calmer himself, none of them were. Faith had been violated, tortured, and manipulated, all right under their noses. There wasn't one of them that wasn't looking for payback.

"I must say, that's a plan we all fully support."

"Does it take anything special to kill it?"

"No. As this one is clearly passing as a human, anything that would kill a person will work. But it shan't be easy, Buffy. Pralaks are extremely strong and well-versed in all things human. Do not take this upcoming fight lightly, even though you've two Slayers on your team. Faith could be compromised."

"`Compromised' how? She'll see Nicole running around in the fight or what?"

"Nothing like that, but her emotions will most likely be used against her. She will feel despair, guilt, and depending on how successful the demon is, she might be unable to help. The affects could be quite debilitating."

"If that happens, I'll handle it. Even if it doesn't happen, I'll handle it. I so want to make this thing pay."

"Understood."

Buffy was almost stomping around the bathroom, her anger building and driving her to slay. She knew she needed to calm down and regain control of her emotions, but at the moment she was finding that hard to do. Faith had been and was being tormented by a demon, and Buffy was a demon Slayer. Add those things together and it was clear she wanted a pound of flesh…correction: The Slayer wanted several pounds of flesh and she wanted to take them just as painfully as she possibly could.

"Any idea why this thing is here and why it did this to Faith?"

"There are two likely scenarios. One would be a vendetta specifically against Faith. Pralaks are frequently used as mercenaries for hire to perform all sorts of unpleasant tasks, but that seems more than a tad farfetched in this setting. The other, much more likely possibility, is that the Pralak was already on the scene when Faith appeared. Once it became apparent that she was a being of enormous power and committed to fighting evil, it would perceive her as a threat. Faith was in effect, cramping its style. As Pralaks thrive on pain and despair, a prison setting would be like a never ending smorgasbord, a heaven of sorts, and  a Pralak would most happily live out its days there, unless a Slayer was suddenly in the mix and working toward the opposite goal."

She was silent for a long time, so long that Giles feared the connection had broken.

"Hello? Buffy, are you still there?"

"I know who it is, Giles. I know who the Pralak is."

"Yes?"

"It's Frankie."

"And who is this chap?"

"He is a she, a big bully who hates Faith and had all of the power until Faith showed up."

"One moment. Willow, please begin researching the inmate records for a `Frankie'…Buffy, what's Frankie's real name?"

"Frankie "Bitch From Hell Who's Soon To Be Dead" Pralak."

"I see. Willow, please compile a list of all prisoners in which the derivative `Frankie' could be used."

"Giles, I need to get going."

"Yes, all right, but I must urge caution, Buffy. Just because this `Frankie' seems to be the likeliest of candidates, it doesn't in fact mean that she's who we're after. Please don't do anything rash until we can check things out."

"Okay, but there's no way it's not her. She has a mullet, Giles."

"Pardon? A fish? Or is that some sort of weapon?"

"It is the way she wears it, especially with that crew cut."

The sound of shuffling papers was taking over and his voice already sounded preoccupied:

"I`ll ask Willow to interpret that particular `Buffy-ism' at a later time. Be careful and please, whilst I understand it's going to be difficult to wait, there is absolutely no benefit in going off half-cocked."

"We'll wait, but hurry up, Giles. My Spidey sense is tingling like crazy."

"I understand, and of course we'll work with all the alacrity we can muster. You fully understand Nicole's role in this?"

"Yes, at least enough to explain it to Faith tonight."

"Splendid. The sooner she understands what has been done to her, the less impact it will have. Once we've destroyed this demon, I shall happily answer any and all questions Faith might have."

"I'll tell her."

"Stay alert and safe, Buffy. We shall speak to you soon."

And then he was gone. Buffy carefully re-taped the phone to the underside of the toilet tank lid and went out into the hall. Eddie was waiting for her this time:

"So?"

"There's a demon in the prison, my money's on Frankie."

He cuffed her and they began walking.

"Well, she's definitely not what you'd call one of the `good guys'. I guess if somebody's gotta be one, it'd be her."

"They're doing more research, hopefully we'll know for sure soon."

"Then what?"

"Then I slay."

He glanced down at her and noticed everything about her seemed different. She was still a tiny little slip of a girl, but Eddie knew without a doubt if it were any other situation and any other inmate, he'd be frantically calling for backup right about now.

"Damn, you sure can look scary as hell."

Buffy smiled at him, her eyes friendly again:

"Sorry, I'm just mad and I wanna kill this thing…twice."

"Factor in how many times Lehane's gonna kill it, I'd better bring some baggies from home to pick up all the pieces."

"You'd better bring a few boxes, all family size."

When they got back to the cell, one look at Buffy told Faith she finally had the information they needed.

"What is it, B?"

"It's big, but I'd like to wait for lights out, okay?"

"Sure, nighttime's ours anyways, in or outta here."

The call finally came much to Buffy's relief, but before she could utter a word, Faith was kissing her.

"Faith…we need to…"

"I know. After, B. I want you."

"I know, but we..."

"No. Now, B."

They made love for a long time, Faith ravishing Buffy with a scary intensity. When it was over, Buffy was sore, winded, satisfied, and concerned.

"Want to tell me what that was?"

They were entwined in the bottom bunk, the dim glow from the hall barely reaching into their cell. Buffy's head was on Faith's chest as she listened to the rapidly beating heart gradually slowing into the rhythmic cadence she found so comforting.

"Was about fuckin', B. What, didn't I do it right?"

Buffy nuzzled in and nipped a lot harder than what could be considered playful.

"OW!"

"Don't get all bitchy with me after that performance."

"…Sorry."

Buffy's tongue slid smoothly along the bite, soothing the pain that was left behind. She gently kissed the faint mark, then settled her head back down.

"So, what was that?"

"I don't know…Guess I'm freaking a little. Kinda scared about what you got to say and what it's gonna mean."

Buffy lifted up so that she could see Faith:

"Faith, it's big and it's going to be upsetting, but it's going to be a good thing in the end. Regardless, it's not going to make me leave you, so if that was supposed to be `goodbye sex'…"

She moved quickly and confidently, and Faith moaned underneath her as their centers aligned perfectly:

"Hello, F. My name is Buffy and I'm going to be your lover for the next hundred years. I will not be going anywhere…"

"Ohhh…"

"…I will not be deserting you…"

"Fuck, that feels so…"

"…and I will be making love to you, laughing with you, yelling at you, and happily  living my life with you for as long as I'm alive. And just so you know…"

Buffy began moving faster and Faith joined her in perfect rhythm, her legs clasping tightly around Buffy's ass.

"…I plan to stalk you in the afterlife too, so be prepared for an eternity with me, okay?"

"Buffy…"

This time when they were done and struggling to return their breathing to normal, they found themselves in the same position as before. Buffy's head still rested on Faith's chest and Faith's arms were still wrapped around her, the sheet and blanket down around Buffy's waist.

"B…I love you, so damn much."

Buffy's lips curved into a smile that Faith could feel against her skin.

"I love you too, so much so that I'm blissfully happy being in a prison cell under the scratchiest blanket ever created, making love with hardly any privacy at all in a room with a terrifying toilet plopped down in the center of it and all hell about to break loose."

"Yeah, guess when you put it like that, no way can I ever doubt how you feel about me. Toss in no yogurt and no designer clothes, damn B, how long ya had it this bad for me?"

"Probably since I met you, but officially? A while."

"Oh man, what a cop-out! What kinda time frame is that?"

"The only kind you're going to get."

They both laughed and Faith drew lazy patterns on Buffy's back. Neither said a thing, just enjoying the calm before the storm they both knew was coming.

It was Faith who eventually took the bull by the horns:

"B, it's time, yeah?"

"Yeah. Do you want to get dressed and sit up?"

"Not `less you do. I mean, I just feel better when we're together, like everything's gonna be okay. Figure I'll be needing that feeling in a sec."

"I think so, but, Faith? It is going to be okay."

"Okay, I'll try to hang onto that."

Buffy kissed her and began explaining. Faith looked confused and disbelieving, but she listened calmly.

"So you're sayin' there was no Nicole?"

"No, there was definitely a Nicole. You saved her for real, and you knew her. That soft spot you had was probably real, she joined a gang while she was here, that stuff's all true."

"But?"

Buffy wished there was a better way to explain, but there wasn't so she just kept going:

"At some point she started working with the Pralak demon, probably in exchange for drugs. She was trying to get closer to you so that the Pralak could learn where you were the most vulnerable. But you weren't interested in Nicole or anybody, so they couldn't do much. Maybe they gave up or maybe the demon was just biding its time. When I died, they went after you again. The demon already knew I was a weak spot and it was obvious you were in trouble, so with some first rate coaching, Nicole acted just enough like me to pull you in."

The tension felt like it was humming through Faith's body:

"So I kept screwing Nicole and the demon was reading my mind and making her seem more like you?"

"…Not exactly."

"Well, what exactly?"

"Faith, Nicole left after that first time you had sex."

Faith looked confused, but as the truth dawned on her, she looked horrified. She shot out of the bed and looked back at Buffy:

"I was banging a fucking demon?!"

"Hey, shut the hell up in there!"

"So she fucks good, wanna pipe down?!"

"Give us a break, we know she's a demon in the sack!"

The catcalls faded as did the echo of Faith's voice.

"Yes, Faith, you were and that's why she kept wanting you to look at her. It would have made the spell more powerful and the rush of your pain even more pleasurable."

"I feel like I could fuckin' puke."

They didn't speak for a few minutes as Faith paced the cell, her arms wrapped around herself, her head bent as she stared at the floor.

"So when I saw her die…that was the demon?"

"No, Giles figured out that was all just an illusion. When I came back and we patched things up, the spell started weakening. You began feeling better, it was like you were getting a blast of medicine whenever we were together, and you started seeing flashes of `Nicole' as she really was. You were losing the need you had for her, the Pralak couldn't keep you hooked, so it started pulling out all the stops."

"Yeah, I remember in our dreams, I felt lighter, like everything was gonna be okay. Then I'd see Nicole and it was like I couldn't breathe. All I could think about was the horrible shit I'd done…I kept falling backwards no matter how hard I tried."

Buffy sat up on the edge of the bed, pulling the sheet with her. Faith paraded back and forth with everything hanging out in the open, and although Buffy very much enjoyed the view, she couldn't quite manage that yet and covered herself modestly.

"The Pralak was desperate to hang on. It was feeding on your pain and didn't want to give it up, so it decided to escalate your decline, to make you one big snack of misery."

"So what did I see that day?"

"A hallucination, a dream. It probably occurred at night while you were sleeping or maybe right as you were waking up in the morning. But it never happened, no one jumped, there was nothing even remotely like that."

"Guess that explains why I never got any shit for just walkin' off the job."

Buffy went to her.

"Eddie told me that one morning you just didn't get up. Roll call came and you were still in your bunk facing the wall. He thought you were sick or something, but you weren't and you wouldn't talk to him about it."

"Yeah, guy tried to reach me `bout a billion times."

"Anyway, you know what happened after that."

"Yeah."

They stood under the window and when Faith began trembling, Buffy wrapped the sheet around her too. She pulled Faith close and held her.

"Fuck, B…I didn't kill her. It wasn't my fault."

"No, it wasn't."

"And I was going backwards not `cause that's me, but because I was under a spell. The demon was pushin' my buttons."

"That's right, Faith."

"'Cause that's the thing I couldn't get, you know, why I'd act like that. At night I'd dream I was killing people. I'd make'em scream, torture'em just for fun, but it wasn't fun. I hated it, but I just kept doin' it anyway. I'd wake up and I'd feel so dirty, like nothin' I did could ever matter because I was just evil. I could still smell the blood, still hear them crying."

"I know."

Faith was shaking and Buffy guided them back to the bed where she laid down and pulled Faith with her, wrapping the blanket around them as well.

"I'd be with you and feel so good, but then it'd all fall apart. I knew I couldn't be with you, I couldn't trust myself to be with you…not even in a dream."

She was crying and didn't seem to know it.

"I wanted away from Nicole. She always made me feel worse somehow, like I was weaker in all kindsa ways. But I couldn't give her up, not `tiI I started seein' you. You were like a miracle, B. I felt so strong when I was with you, like I was gonna be okay. Then I'd see her…she was nothing like you. I saw that so easy, like a fog was lifting and I realized I hated her. It made me feel bad, but I couldn't help it. Then she killed herself."

"Except she didn't, Faith."

"Yeah, she wasn't even here anymore."

The tears came pouring out of her, pain and relief mixing together until Faith was just sobbing her heart out as Buffy held her.

"It's going to be okay, Faith. You're going to be okay."

Faith cried for a long time, but when she stopped, she lifted her head and Buffy almost cheered when she saw the fire in her eyes:

"Where the fuck is this bastard?"

"We're not positive."

"When are we gettin' positive?"

"The gang's researching a couple of leads, so Giles asked us to hold off until we know for sure."

"Makes sense, but not gonna be easy to do. Who's the main suspect?"

"…"

"B, who is it?"

Buffy tried to sit up, but Faith's arm held her right where she was.

"Who do you think it is, B?"

"…I think it's Frankie."

"Shit, of course it's Frankie! And that puking feeling? It's back in spades."

"I promised Giles we'd wait."

"…"

"Faith?"

Faith got up again and began her familiar routine of pacing.

"I heard you."

"And what does that mean?"

"Means I heard you and I know what you want."

"Okay, and does that mean…"

Faith's voice came out loud and angry:

"Jesus fucking Christ! Just told me I been gettin' fucked every which way for fucking ever by some disgusting ass demon, and I think I took it pretty fuckin' good. Now you want me to just sit here with my thumb up my ass and do nothing?!"

"Just until we confirm who…"

"It's Frankie! You know it and I know it. There's plenty of other bad asses in here, but she's the one that sets us both on edge. She's got all the power, causes most of the pain, plus she's butt ugly. It's her and you know it. Giles is just doin' his `Careful Grandma, you might break a hip if you make a move' bullshit."

"I know you're upset, I'm upset and looking for vengeance too, but…"

"My Slayer sense goes off every time I'm near her, but she had me so fucked up I ignored it. What's your goddamn excuse?"

"I don't have one, I didn't know I'd need it."

The tone as well as the words had Faith looking at her, and what she saw was how angry, upset, and concerned Buffy was.

"…Fuck. I'm sorry, B. Guess I'm not taking it that good after all."

"I'd say you're taking it fine. I get why you don't wanna wait, I don't want to either, but…"

"You promised Giles. I get it, makes sense too. Can't just start killin' shit, that's how accidents happen which is what got me here in the first place. I'll be cool, least for a day or so. But I owe that bitch for the drive-bys even if she's not a demon, plus a shitload of other stuff, so one way or another, her and me are gonna be talkin' real soon."

"And I'm right with you on all of that. But we also have to be careful, the odds are that her people are just that – people. We can't just kill all of them…it's going to be tricky."

"Can for sure break their arms and legs for'em. Buncha assholes anyway, hangin' around with her, terrorizing everybody else just `cause they can."

Buffy snagged her as she walked by, pulling her back into their bed.

"But you can't kill somebody just because they're a bully, not even a Slayer can get away with that."

Faith stretched out on top of her:

"Yeah, okay. So we wait until your Watcher…"

"`Our' Watcher."

"So we wait until Giles…"

"`Our' Watcher."

Faith laughed, smoothing the hair back from Buffy's face:

"Gotta be a stubborn little shit about everything?"

"When it comes to you and it's important…yep, I'm afraid I do."

"Alright, so we wait for our Watcher to confirm what we already know is true."

"Right, that's the plan."

"Then we kill that bitch dead."

"Yes, somehow."

Faith had been investigating Buffy's neck, but her head jerked up:

"What do you mean? You said the thing's killable."

"It is, but I also said it seems human. We can't just kill something that looks like a person and leave her body dumped in the hall."

"Fine, I'll toss her over the railing and she can decorate the C-Block floor."

Buffy laughed:

"Hmmm…that's actually not a bad idea."

"Okay then, problem solved."

"What are you doing?"

"What's it look like, B?"

"Like you're trying to start something."

"Bingo, ya got it first try."

She kissed her way down Buffy's body, obviously heading for a specific destination.

"Shouldn't…we be…Mmm…I love how you do that…"

"Yeah, I got mad skills."

"But F, we should…be…figuring things…out..."

"Later, right now I gotta get this `Frankie' taste outta my mouth."

Buffy flinched in disgust:

"Faith!"

"B!"

"That is just so gross!"

"I know, think how I feel."

Buffy laughed, reaching her hand down to caress Faith's hair:

"You really are amazing, you know that?"

Faith looked up:

"Haven't even got started yet."

"You know what I'm talking about."

"Yeah, well see, I got you, B. Everything else just seems like it's not such a big deal…or at least seems like I can get past it. Now shut up, I gotta concentrate."

"My lips are sealed."

"No they're not, B. Trust me, I'm lookin' right at'em."

It was the life of a Slayer to expect anything to happen at any time. One minute everything was normal, if not outright fine, the next an apocalypse was brewing and everything was hanging in the balance. Or maybe there was just the gradual build-up of random little moments, all innocent enough until the pattern suddenly began to emerge. Then it became more than clear that there really wasn't anything random because everything meant something and ended up counting in the long run. And sometimes, no matter how hard a person tried, they just couldn't do what Giles wanted them to.

That was why Buffy was now busy preparing herself for a prison fight, ready to defend her life as well as Faith's. It wasn't their fault, and although Giles would probably never believe it, neither Slayer had instigated the brewing battle. They'd stayed low key all morning and right through lunch, reporting for laundry duty just like they were supposed to. The problem was that another agenda was already in motion by then, one they had not been made privy to.

Buffy had just hauled some clothes out of the dryer and was folding them when Faith sidled closer to her and spoke softly, so softly only a Slayer could hear her.

"We're in trouble."

"How?"

"No guards `cept Morrison in the hall."

"That's weird."

"Nobody in here now but me and you and Frankie's crew. At least twelve and they keep comin'."

"That's not good."

Faith's head didn't move as her eyes roamed the room.

"More out in the hall. They're runnin' a set-up for a blanket party."

"A `blanket party'?"

"Yeah, they toss a blanket or a sheet over ya so you can't see, then beat the shit outta ya."

"Okay, I'd like to avoid that if possible. Maybe we should just walk out of here."

"They got all three doors covered, inside and out. No way to go without the fight we're tryin' to avoid."

Buffy's voice was nothing but perky:

"In good news, we've got the wall behind us. I say we should go back to back sideways."

"Agreed."

"So how long will Morrison let it go?"

"Depends on how much cash he got, but a guy like him? Gotta figure `til the alarm sounds which means some other guard's gonna have to stumble onto us. Not too likely this time a day, not in here."

Buffy kept folding, but she was watching everything taking place around her.

"So we're on our own. Works for me."

"Me too. You seen Frankie at all today?"

"No, she wasn't in here either."

Faith smiled and it wasn't fun-filled.

"Bitch'll show, sooner or later. B, I know they're humans, but they're not good ones. Watch yourself, `cause they'll kill you soon as look at you."

"I'll be ready, Faith."

"Don't I know it."

The next half hour pretended to pass normally, but the Slayers weren't fooled. They were on edge, all of their senses heightened. They observed the subtle blocking off of the three exit doors with solid looking wooden wedges slid smoothly and stealthily underneath them, they noticed how the always open supply closet was closed and probably locked as well, cutting off all of the available escape routes.

Frankie's crew dispersed themselves strategically around the room casually and professionally, and it was doubtful that a normal person would have even noticed what they were doing. But the two women they were boxing in weren't normal, they were built for battle and they easily recognized a trap being tightened.

They could also hear the faint clink of shivs and chains as the weapons were brought out and put covertly into positions that were easily accessible.

"I count twenty-nine to two, F."

"Not good odds for the dumb bitches, but then they got the weapons."

Five more minutes passed before the opening foray began.

One of the girls came down the aisle between the folding table and the dryers gesturing with a spray bottle that she was trying to sell as empty. Slayer hearing however, made it clear that there was plenty of liquid inside. Another girl followed right behind her cohort, dramatically reenacting a scene from "Leave it to Beaver", the one where June again goes into mourning because she finds a stain on one of her blankets.

Eddie Haskell spoke first:

"'Scuse me, you guys happen to have any more bleach?

"Nope, not yet."

The girl raised the bottle quickly:

"Choke on it, bitch!"

She sprayed the bleach right into Faith's eyes and the other girl threw the blanket over Buffy, signaling five other girls to rush in…except Faith was holding the bottle, the previous bleach owner was unconscious on the floor and the blanket party host was now wrapped in said blanket and smashing her way into the oncoming party crashers.

"Hey, anybody need any bleach? I found this bottle and it's all squirt ready!"

There was nothing at first, and then an extremely large woman took charge:

"Look, you can't get outta this. We got the numbers, the screws ain't here or comin' any time soon neither. We're gonna beat the shit outta you Lehane, but got no orders to kill ya. The little airhead, well, Frankie wants to fuck her for awhile, then maybe pass her around. Ain't ideal, but nobody's gotta die."

"Excuse me?"

All eyes turned to Buffy:

"I am not an `airhead'. This blonde comes from a bottle, so I'm not even really a ditz. Oh, and Frankie should probably go fuck herself. I'm with Faith."

"Look, we get it. You assholes are the dregs, but we're gonna cut ya a break anyway. Me and B aren't even sweatin' this, so that oughta tell ya somethin'."

The big girl laughed:

"Yeah, yeah, all seen or heard about what you can do. That's why we got plenty of us here."

Faith's smile deepened:

"Bitch, nobody here's ever seen what I can do, and as much as it hurts to admit it, B's even better than me."

"Awww… really, Faith?"

"Shit B, you know it's true. Always end up handin' me my ass, one way or the other."

"Well, of course I know I'm better than you, I just can't believe you're admitting it."

Faith's dimples appeared:

"Fuck, don't gotta be so smug about it. Not like I can't…"

"Hey!"

The Slayers turned back to Frankie's proxy, Buffy's eyebrow arched at the interruption:

"Yes?"

"We're offering you one chance to surrender."

"Oh, I thought we were offering you that."

"Yeah, me and B was tryin' to let you dumb asses know you're in way over your heads."

"Fine, wanna play it this way? Take'em ou..."

She went down, out for the fight as the plastic bleach bottle hit her Slayer-hard in the temple.

Buffy and Faith stood back to back and began defending themselves in the narrow alley- like aisle. Frankie's goons quickly became frustrated as they were bruised and bloodied, yet barely able to land a hand on either of their targets. Eventually they got the bright idea to stand on the other side of the table and sling their chains across it.

Enough of the blows connected to make Buffy and Faith move, each leaping onto the table, then without hesitating, onto the extra-tall dryers. They hit and rolled off to the floor on the other side, out of sight for the moment.

"Ideas, B?"

"Might as well take our chances…"

Buffy kicked a laundry basket on wheels down the aisle, tripping three girls and several more running up behind them.

"… out in the hall."

"Let's motor."

Half of Frankie's crew gave chase, but Buffy and Faith turned on the Slayer speed as they ran for the exit door that didn't have Morrison standing outside of it. They fought their way through several girls who had come around the other end to cut them off, kicking, punching and shoving into the clear while barely slowing down. They were nearly there when Buffy noticed Faith dropping back.

"Faith, come on!"

Faith shook her head, the tears streaming down her face:

"Go, B."

"Faith!"

She turned back for her, but the crowd was already there. Chains hit Faith twice, three times, the last one actually wrapping itself around her neck as the owner yanked back hard, pulling Faith from her feet.

Buffy wanted to wade into the mix and grab her, but she knew that was exactly the wrong thing to do. A shiv cut into her arm as her delay let several of the inmates catch up to her. She struck out, the sound of various bones snapping and the cries of pain that followed, kept her company as she dispensed with the first wave that reached her.

Two tough looking inmates lunged at her with a blanket, but Buffy leapt over them, reaching back and snatching the party favor from their surprised hands. She draped it over the guard by the door, then kicked her into the fast approaching group. They all collided, some falling to the floor, others wobbling off balance and bumping into the fresh arrivals coming up behind. 

Buffy bent and quickly removed two of the three wedges under the door. A chain hit right next to her head, but she grabbed for the last wedge and yanked it clear. Her hand caught onto the chain when it lashed out again and the Slayer pulled it from the grasp of one of Frankie's minions. The woman couldn't move fast enough to untangle the chain from her hand, and she screamed in pain as her shoulder dislocated and her wrist and fingers broke.

Buffy opened the door and kicked the guard in the back of the head before he could turn around. He was unconscious as he fell and Buffy had his baton cleared before he dropped to the floor. She swung out, smashing the weapon into the girl closest to her, hitting her right in the mouth and feeling her teeth give way. The girl reeled back with her hands to her face, then stumbled and fell.

Juanita heard the commotion from down the hall and came running with several of her gang. Buffy threw the baton and it broke the glass over the locked alarm switch just as Juanita drew even with it. She never hesitated, pulling the lever down as she ran past to follow Buffy.  A klaxon sounded and suddenly all hell broke loose.

Everyone began fighting, guards and inmates alike. Prisoners poured out from their open cells before the doors could automatically slam shut, and the guards in the control room, including Sheila Jackson, locked themselves in to maintain control of the facility and prevent the inmates from taking over. Other guards began trying to maintain the current level of chaos until the riot squads could arrive and quell the uprising for good.

A prison riot was in full swing.

"What's going on, chica?"

"Frankie set us up. They've got Faith in the laundry room!"

Buffy punched another one of Frankie's stragglers in the stomach, then gave her a quick uppercut to the jaw that caused her to drop like a sack of potatoes. Juanita and Large Marge were busy trying to open the laundry room door, but it wasn't remotely budging.

"Shit! Margie, smash it!"

Marge was trying, shoving her considerable weight against the door, but it wasn't giving an inch.

Eddie ran up, keys in hand, and a jagged cut bleeding down his face. He fumbled to unlock the door:

"What's happening?"

"Frankie's got Faith!"

The lock turned, but the door didn't budge. Both Eddie and Marge slammed into it, but it refused to even move, let alone open.

"They got it jammed! Must have it barricaded too!"

"Stand back."

Buffy's voice cut through the din and Juanita looked at her like she was crazy:

"Buffy, we can't get in that way. If Eddie and Margie can't…"

The door was ripped off its hinges, four of Frankie's crew hitting the floor as they lost their balance. Large Marge and the rest of Juanita's gang stopped to deal with them, but Buffy continued in, Juanita and Eddie right behind her.

They were instantly engaged, but Buffy used the chain to her painful advantage. She moved through the mass gracefully with brute force, taking out some at a distance with the chain and using her empty fist and her feet to dispense of those up close.

Her eyes sought Faith, but she was nowhere to be seen. Buffy spun in a complete circle looking, but neither Faith nor Frankie were anywhere in sight…but the supply room was. The door was still closed, but that had to be where they were, where Frankie had been all along.

She heard a cry of pain behind her and turned to see Juanita with a shiv sticking out of her shoulder. Eddie was fighting with Morrison and two prisoners who had metal pipes in their hands were stalking Juanita. She started to go to them, but Juanita stopped her:

"We're good! Get Faith!"

Buffy kicked the door in and the sight that greeted her was not one she'd ever wanted to see. Frankie was straddling Faith, the look on her face orgasmic as Faith writhed in obvious agony beneath her. The smell of smoke was heavy in the air, and Buffy realized that it wasn't drifting in from laundry room, but emitting from Faith herself.

Buffy tackled Frankie around the neck, hauling her off of Faith, only to find herself swatted like a fly into several neatly stacked boxes of detergent. Buffy shook her head to clear it and saw that Frankie was right back on top of Faith like an addict determined to get her fix.

Buffy smashed a heavy canister of something against the back of Frankie's head and Frankie had had enough. She grabbed Buffy around the throat and lifted her into the air, squeezing tighter and tighter until the room seemed to be growing dark.

"How do you like that, Slayer? All of your lover's strength is killing you."

Buffy's hands clawed at Frankie's, but it seemed to have no effect, so Buffy kneed her hard in the face. Frankie snarled in pain, her nose clearly broken as she threw Buffy into several barrels of bleach and stalked towards her.

She pulled Buffy to her feet by her hair and punched her several times in the face. Buffy's blood sprayed against the wall and onto the floor, but Frankie kept right on going. Buffy blocked a blow, only to have her arm snapped for her efforts.

Frankie held her upright with that arm, twisting and keeping her grip tight as she pounded Buffy relentlessly with her other fist. Buffy kicked out, connecting solidly with Frankie's crotch and she lurched away in pain as Buffy hit the floor.

"Hey!"

They both looked up at the sound of the voice. Faith was on her feet, looking weak and barely able to stand.

"Why ya fuckin' with her when ya got me?"

Frankie picked Buffy up and threw her into the storage shelves, knocking them over in a domino effect and burying Buffy in supplies and heavy corrugated metal.

"Want some more, don't ya, Faith?"

"What do you think?"

"I wish I could haul you out of here and make you my personal pet."

Faith was edging for the door, and Frankie laughed:

"You think you're going to escape? You're not. I can stop you in a second. How do you feel now, Faith?"

Faith's legs almost buckled as she felt so much guilt, she could barely stand.

"…Stop."

"Stop trying to get to the door then."

"Okay…alright…"

Faith stood still and the feeling went away instantly.

"I'm in your head, Slayer. How do you like it?"

"Fuck you."

Faith went down to a knee as her most painful emotions took over.

"You're such a rude cunt, Faith."

"B…"

Frankie glanced over at where Buffy was buried:

"Your precious love is either dead or unconscious, and that's your fault."

"No…B…Not B…"

"Why not Buffy? She's going to get it sooner or later. Your kind are vermin, preying on the weaker demons, terrifying them…You almost killed her yourself once, remember, Faith?"

"I…make it stop. Please…make it stop…"

"Sure, it's going to stop forever for you. I hate to gorge and kill, but unfortunately your beloved slut has started a riot. We've got just minutes before half of the prison comes pouring in, even though from what I can sense, my girls are holding their own.  That's only going to last until the riot squad gets here though, and I want to make sure I have time to finish killing Buffy if she's still alive."

Faith was huddled on the floor crying as Frankie approached her.

"You're so pathetic, I love it! I can smell all of the fear, guilt, and pain. In the old days I would have kept you for years, living high on the `human', as we say. Damn, those were good times. Plus, an evil Slayer trying to make amends? Everyday would be like Thanksgiving, well, without the football."

Frankie straddled her again and leaned down to push her onto her back when Faith's arm swung out at her, the hidden shiv slicing deep across her neck.

"Not gonna kill B…no matter how bad I feel…Fattie."

The blood, a deep rich human red spattered on the floor as Frankie staggered back in shock. Her eyes were filled with disbelief, then rage, and with a flick of her hand,  she had Faith curling into a tiny ball, sobbing and screaming as every negative emotion she'd ever felt hit her all at once.

There was a rustling noise and then a fabric softener covered Buffy lurched to her feet clumsily, cuts and scrapes dripping blood, her broken arm hanging awkwardly as she grabbed Frankie by the hair with her good hand and flung her headfirst into the nearby wall with all of the Slayer force she could muster.

Frankie's head exploded and she was dead in an instant. Buffy swayed and tottered over to Faith who was slowly uncurling and struggling to her feet, the air around her once again smelling like smoke.

"B, you okay?"

"We don't like drive-bys. You?"

Both Slayers sensed it at the same time and their eyes went to the supply room door. Eddie and Juanita were both standing there with stunned looks on their faces.

"Hey guys, how's it goin'?"

"They don't look so good, F. Plus they're in triplicate and fuzzy like…"

Buffy passed out, falling toward Faith who caught her easily:

"I got ya, B. Just hang on."

Chapter Nine

One Year Later…

Buffy entered the prison, handing over the things she'd brought and then passing through the metal detector. The guard smiled at her, recognizing her not as a former inmate but as a regular visitor.

"Good to see you again, Miss Summers."

"You too. Can you believe this weather we're having?"

"Yeah, not too hot to really get out and enjoy it. You're at #8 today."

"Thanks."

With a smile, Buffy headed to the black chair at #8 and waited.

She hated coming to the prison, it was hard to believe she still had to. All of the appeals had gone nowhere, all of the possibilities for a reduced sentence had disappeared as if they'd never existed. It turned out that murdering another inmate by smashing her head into a wall after slicing through her jugular with a shiv, was considered a serious offense. Even when a respected guard swore repeatedly under oath that it was a simple case of self-defense.

The situation was depressing, so far past depressing that it forced Buffy to put it out of her mind and focus only on happy thoughts. It didn't help either of them if she showed up all morose and sad, so she plastered a smile on her face and tried to radiate her special brand of "Buffyness".

A couple of minutes went by before Buffy spotted the familiar dark hair. When she passed #7 she came into full view, and Buffy smiled sincerely when she saw the grin and dark brown eyes.

They both picked up the phone on their respective sides at the same time, but Buffy spoke first:

Hi. You're sure a sight for sore eyes."

"Not lookin' too shabby either."

"I brought you that good chocolate you like and a few magazines."

"Maybe the screws'll get'em to me in a week."

Buffy shook her head:

"Nope, I gave them to Officer Harrison. She always delivers everything."

"That she does. So chica, where's your better half?"

Buffy laughed:

"I had business nearby the last few nights, so she's meeting us. She'll be here any second."

"Okay, I can make do with you. So, what's the word from the outside?"

They chatted comfortably about what Buffy and Faith had been doing, using coded words to discuss slaying business. Juanita was extremely interested and she was always saying she knew Faith had to be some kind of superhero, even way back when. She called her: "Boss Bitch" or "BB" because Wonder Woman was already taken.

Arms slipped around Buffy's shoulders and she leaned back into them as she felt the lips kissing her gently on top of her head. Then the phone was yanked roughly from her hand and a hip check shoved her and her chair off to the side.

"Hey there, puta!"

"BB! How's it shakin'?"

"Shakin' great, `specially when B's attached to the other end."

"Faith!"

"B!"

Juanita laughed:

"Damn, better watch it, don't wanna make the powder puff mad."

"Yeah, she's got me all…OW!!! Fuck!"

Buffy took the phone from her:

"Don't encourage her, okay?"

"Buffy, it takes nothing from me to get her going."

"I know, but still."

"B, gimme the phone back."

"No."

"Please?"

"Say `please'."

"I just did!"

Buffy tried not to smile as she pouted:

"Yeah, but I want you to do it because I said so."

"You are so fuckin'…Fine, can I please have the goddamned phone?"

"Since you asked so politely."

Buffy handed it over and Juanita coughed:

"Pussywhipped."

"Wanna screw around or wanna hear what I got ya?"

Juanita sat up and tried to get the smart ass look off her face:

"Faith…c'mon, Boss. You know I'm on your side…Bitches, yeah?"

"And what do you know about it? Keep livin' like a fuckin' nun."

"Well, you're half right."

Buffy squealed and snatched the phone away from Faith.

"Who is she? What's her name? What does she do?"

"She's a rocket scientist, B."

Buffy ignored her:

"You know what I mean, Juanita. Tell us everything."

Juanita smiled as she watched them sharing the phone and looking at her with real happiness. They were great girls, real friends, and she didn't regret taking the rap for Frankie's murder.

She was already in for life, a double homicide for which she was totally guilty. The two bastards had gotten just what was coming to them and Juanita knew she'd do it all over again if given the chance. She was at peace with her crime and she slept good at night, she always had.

Frankie's murder didn't do a thing to her, she was never getting out anyway, despite the high hopes that Buffy kept hanging on to. Juanita fully admitted that she belonged in jail, but Faith? No way, no matter what her record said she'd done. Faith was a hero, cut and dried, and the fact that she had somebody like Buffy in her corner, well, nobody with any brains could argue with that.

She'd seen them take down Frankie and although she didn't understand everything, she knew enough to know that the Slayers needed to be on the outside where they could save the world whenever it needed saving. Things like "Frankie" needed somebody to kill them, so Juanita copping to a murder she didn't commit? Whatever. She owed Faith her life anyway.

At the scene, Faith had at first refused to go for it, but shocker of shockers, a screw had pushed her into it. They hadn't had a lot of time, but there'd been just enough so that Juanita could take the shiv out of Faith's hand and claim it as her own while Officer Rhodes had talked sense to her. With Juanita's way less than stellar record and Officer Rhodes' testimony under oath, Frankie's death rested exclusively on Juanita's shoulders.

Buffy had left the prison three days later as if she'd never been there, and it was some time less than two months after that, that Faith had  gotten her sentence overturned and found herself free to go. She'd hugged Juanita fiercely, almost popping ribs as she thanked her.

"Ya don't gotta thank me, Boss. I owed ya, now we're even."

"Maybe, maybe not, but ain't gettin' rid of me that easy."

And she hadn't. Buffy and Faith had kept her a part of their lives, writing letters, mailing treats, and visiting every three weeks. They looked happy and that made Juanita feel as good as gold. Her life hadn't been worth much, but helping out two superheroes who just happened to be two nice girls in love? Juanita had done something right for a change.

They talked about Shonda and her hotness until the phone clicked, letting them know they only had two minutes left. Faith took over:

"So, big question is…Got her in your cell?"

Juanita grinned big:

"You know it, BB, as of three days ago. Eddie made it happen."

"Guy's worth his weight. Speakin' of, brought some `X-Men' and `Batman' comics for ya, twenty in all, so don't let'em cheat ya."

"Yeah?  Thanks, Faith!"

The call went out:

"Wrap it up!"

"Guess I gotta go. You putas be safe out there."

"You too, Juanita. Let us know what Shonda likes and we'll bring her something next time."

"Yeah, imagine the bitch is goin' nuts havin' to deal with you 24/…"

The line went dead, but Juanita communicated easily with her middle finger raised to Faith against the glass and a huge smile on her face as she walked off.

Buffy and Faith linked hands and filed out with the other visitors.

"She looked good, yeah, B?"

"Uh-huh. I'm glad she found somebody."

"Yeah, makes the days and nights almost livable in there."

Buffy leaned her head into Faith's shoulder:

"It makes them pretty livable out here too."

They paused for a quick kiss, then kept walking.

"Damn, that Eddie's a class act, yeah? Gettin' them celled up."

"Yeah, hear that boy's not bad."

They turned around to see him leaning against the wall in the shade. Buffy ran to him and gave him a huge hug:

"Eddie!"

"Hi, Buffy."

Faith gave him a complicated handshake he couldn't possibly keep up with, although he tried until she began laughing.

"Come here, Crazy Girl."

He pulled her to him in a bear hug that lifted her off of her feet.

"How's my favorites ex-cons doing?"

"Great! Me and B are livin' large."

"Glad to hear it. Buffy, she driving you around the bend yet?"

"No, so far, so good. I think I might be stuck with her."

"Fuckin' right you are! So Eddie, you gonna be down our way at the holidays?"

He smiled and nodded:

"Thinking me and the missus might. She's dying to meet you girls."

Buffy was already making plans:

"Make sure to bring her, your sister and her kids too."

"Yeah, more the merrier, Boss."

He laughed:

"They definitely loved it last time. I'll give you girls a call, let you know for sure when it gets closer to the time."

"Eddie, you did such a nice thing for Juanita."

"Ahh, wasn't that big a deal, Buffy. Everybody needs a little happiness, course that's gettin' harder to find with you and this crazy girl hoggin' it all."

Faith grinned:

"Shit, you kiddin' me? I'd have to be crazy not to hang onto B."

"No argument here, not either way. All right, I'd better go, my shift starts in a few and I gotta grab my mail."

He hugged them again.

"Man, you two look just like ya oughta. Makes me happy, ya know?"

With a wave, he went inside and they watched him go.

"Damn, that guy's really somethin'."

"Yes he is. Definitely one of the good guys…Oh no you didn't!"

"Huh? What?"

"Faith Lehane, what am I looking at?"

Faith tried to play innocent:

"Tough to tell, B, `specially with that lazy eye thing you got…OW!"

"Why would you bring the bike?!"

"Why not? It's perfect bike weather and…"

Buffy's eyes narrowed:

"How many times have we gone over this?"

"No clue."

Buffy's eyes narrowed further, blazing right over into the "Danger" level.

"You'd better get a clue."

"How? I didn't know I was s'posed to be keepin' track."

"Why…is…your…bike…here?"

"…'Cause I want you holdin' onto me today."

"That's a good start."

"B, c'mon, look at it out here! Sun's shinin', birds are singin' and shittin' all over the place. All I needs something between my legs, wind in my hair and your arms wrapped around my waist, maybe inching up once in a while to my tits."

Buffy looked at her, her head shaking in affectionate disbelief:

"Wow, I am so in love with you, I found every word of that nothing but romantic and charming."

Faith practically beamed at her:

"See, bike's a good thing. `Sides, I give us fifty miles `fore we gotta pull over someplace and fuck."

"Oh my God, can you be any more full of yourself?"

"Probably not, but you know it's true. Your pussy rubbin' against my ass, your tits on my back…Fuck, let's do it right now! I see some bushes over there."

Buffy pulled her hand out of Faith's:

"Get on the bike."

Faith leapt onto the motorcycle from behind and revved it up.

"Let's go, baby. Open road's callin' us!"

Buffy sat down calmly, shifting this way and that until she was comfortable. Her hands slid around Faith's waist and as Faith pulled out of the parking lot, Buffy kissed the back of her neck.

Faith swerved slightly:

"Damn, B. Wanna warn a girl when you're gonna go there?"

"`Warning: Buffy's On the Bike with You and She's Madly in Love'."

"See? That's all I'm askin'."

They rode in silence, the roar of the road and wind the only sound for miles.

"Hey, B?"

Buffy had been almost dozing, her head leaning sideways on Faith's back, her hand rubbing slow circles on Faith stomach, the soothing purr of the motor, the feel of Faith's silky skin…

"Hmmm?"

"You sure are one bad ass chick."

Buffy smiled:

"I try."

"Thanks again, B."

"Faith…"

"Yeah, I know, but shit, I'd be dead or starin' at a wall right now if it wasn't for you."

"But you're not."

"Nope, not even close."

Buffy's hand lifted to caress Faith's breast.

"I'm glad you brought the bike."

"Yeah?"

"Uh-huh. Wanna pull over somewhere?"

Faith laughed:

"You're such a tease."

Buffy gave her a confirmation pinch, then slid her hand back down…a little further than before.

"Well, come on, F. I see lots and lots of bushes."

"You just hang on for…eleven more miles."

"Why?"

"`Cause I got a surprise waitin' for ya."

"What is it?"

Faith laughed and didn't even bother to pretend that she wasn't going to tell her:

"Well, look at that sky, baby. Figured we'd have a picnic on the beach. Perfect weather for it."

Buffy could feel herself melting right where she sat:

"Pull over."

"Huh?"

"Pull over, by those trees there."

Faith did as she was told, the road deserted and the countryside filled with only country sounds when she killed the motorcycle. She turned towards Buffy:

"B, didn't you hear me? Got a picnic packed and waitin' about ten mil…"

Buffy kissed her with everything she had, and Faith was totally dazed when they parted.

 "Isn't it crazy how loving Faith just always makes you happy and horny?"

"Huh?"

"Just wanted you to know how I felt about you."

"Okay, B. Me too…That verse is plenty vice-a…I mean…"

Buffy laughed at how she sounded almost drunk:

"Faith, can you drive?"

"What?"

"Let's just sit here a minute."

"Okay."

They sat there for a while, Buffy hugging her from behind, her chin resting on Faith's shoulder as they simply appreciated the beautiful landscape.

"You ready to motor, B."

"Yep."

Faith leaned back, twisting her head for a quick kiss. She started the bike, waited for Buffy to hang on and then she took off in a cloud of dust.

"Don't forget, B!"

They had to shout to be heard over the noise.

"What, F?"

"Gotta hang with me in the afterlife too!"

"I'll be there!"

"Meet ya in the shower!"

"I'll bring my soap on a rope!"

Their laughter swirled all around them as they roared down the open road.

The End