Chapter III

Even after all Buffy's talk about her comin' to see me for "old time's sake", I don't see her the rest of the day. I went to the library to give `em the two books I had. Can't get distracted by anything, gotta keep my mind sharp. Kinda gettin' my affairs in order, too. `Cause someone's gonna die here, but I'm not a hundred percent sure that it's gonna be her.

Not that I usually feel like I'm a loser of a Slayer, I wasn't lyin' when I told Mrs. S that I don't let negative thinkin' in when it comes to slayin', but this is Buffy we're talkin' about. Let's face it, she's always been able to own me. One of the things I've been workin' in here, is tryin' not to lie to myself or others, but mostly to myself. That got me into a lot of trouble over the years. I lied to myself about my home life, lied to myself about bein' able to take care of myself, lied to myself about not needin' anyone's help, lied about who I really loved, lied about not bein' psycho, lied about bein' able to stop killin'.

Yeah, I'm a fuckin' liar. What's new?"

"Thirty minutes to lights out, ladies!"

"Hey, Eddie." I whisper over to him.

"What's up?"

"Any chance I can swing a new roomie?"

"What's wrong with the one you got? She's a good girl. I thought you'd like someone who wouldn't bug you."

"Who's roomin' with the new girl? The badass everyone's talkin' about?"

"She's roomin' with Deb's last girl, the little one. You and the badass know each other, don't you?"

"Yeah, which means I know what she's like and I know what she's gonna try to do to her cellmate." Her cellmate was Deb's latest conquest. Petite young thing, redhead who was done for killin' the guy who raped her durin' her childhood.

I look him dead in the eye and he backs down.

"I'll see what I can do, but I can't promise it's gonna be tonight. If at all."

"All I'm askin' is for you to try."

"We'll see, ok? I told you before, I got only five years left here, then me and Onetta can retire and go down to that place near the border. I can work part time and we can take trips to Mexico."

I smile at him, "Have a few cervazas for me while you two are down there, huh?"

"You keep your nose clean and you're gonna be outta here before us."

"I know."

"See ya, later."

"See ya."

Twenty five minutes later and it's lights out, Stella came in right before the buzzer sounded.

I don't ask her where she's been, her clothes look a little disheveled and she's got the face of someone who's been fucked good and hard. Guess she found someone between dinner and now.

"Did you have a good night?" She asks me with a silly smile in her voice.

"Not as good as you, by the looks of it."

"Well…as a matter of fact…"

"You met someone, good for you."

"Yeah, it all happened so fast. It was weird, she was asking me questions about you and when I told her you were my cellmate, she got really flirty. I know she's probably more interested in you than me, but I haven't had someone in so long, I was kinda desperate."

Oh fuck. My nostrils flare and I realize I recognize that smell. It's the smell I've smelled a hundred times while we were sparrin' and all worked up.

"This person wouldn't happen to be the chick that everyone's talkin' about is it?"

"She's not as crazy as everyone thinks. She was really nice to me."

My head rolls around on my shoulders, I can't fuckin' believe what I'm hearin'.

I get up offa my bunk and look at her layin' there. In the darkness she looks kinda like me. Long wavy brown hair, kinda the same build.

Jesus fuckin' Christ, what the fuck else do I gotta go through for her? I go back to layin' on my bunk.

"Faith…" I hear Buffy whisperin' really faintly. Most people won't be able to pick up on it. It makes a chill go up and down my spine. "You will be mine, Faith…"

I shut that noise out with some hummin'. I get some death threats from the cells around me, but at least I can't hear her anymore.

When the buzzer sounds signalin' the doors are about to open I'm right at it. It's shower time and I can't fuckin' wait to see what the fuck happened in B's cell. I didn't sleep a wink last night, just listened to the moans and groans and sighs comin' outta there. I didn't hear a scream, so I don't think she drained her. Well, drained her blood from her, `cause as I see Buffy's cellmate comin' outta their cell, she looks pretty drained.

The kinda drained that comes from fuckin' all night.

Always knew she had a Willow jonez.

Heh.

That thought kinda just grossed me out actually.

I walk past the cell and Buffy's sittin' on the bunk with her head down. When she feels me, she lifts it up really quick and tries to put a smug smile on. But I see the hunger in her eyes.

I wonder when the sex is gonna stop bein' enough to replace the blood lust. I'm fuckin' amazed that she's lasted this long. I'm not even sure what the fuck she's playin' at, what she's holdin' back for.

I don't really wanna find out. I just hope Eddie has some good news for me later.

When I get to the showers and strip down, Deb's there lettin' her eyes roam all over me.

"Don't know what she saw in you, you ain't nothin' special."

"Then why you got your eyes crawlin' all over me?"

"Ain't no harm in lookin', is there?"

"No, but fuckin' me in your head against my will is probably a felony." I laugh.

"Don't be so fuckin' full of yourself, bitch." She spits out.

"Whatever, Deb. Why you got a beef with me anyway? I've never done shit to you. Well, apart from the nose thing, but you had that comin'."

"You just watch yourself, got it?" She tries her best to sound mean. Deb and I haven't really ever had any problems after we got everything straight between us, in fact she once stopped Candy from wailin' on me and caught a week in the infirmary and then a week in solitary after she was better. I guess too many of her little bitches fall for me, without me even doin' anything.

What can I say? I'm hot and dark and broody. No wonder why Vamp B digs me.

The moment I've been dreadin' without even really knowin' it, has finally come and my heart is poundin' in my ears like it's as big as a basketball and has taken the place of my brain.

She probably can hear it with her double heightened hearin' since she's a vamp/slayer hybrid. Fuck, I didn't even think about that shit. She's probably twice as strong and twice as agile.

Someone up there really hates me.

Buffy walks in stark naked and takes the spigot right in front of me. My heart hammers harder in my chest and I can't seem to look away, but after she smirks at me, I finally do.

"Don't stop lookin' on my part, in fact, I kinda like it."

"You forget, I've already seen your goods."

"Oh right, I've always wondered what you did with me that day."

"Less than you think."

"Pussy." She trails her hand down her body to her snatch and caresses her outer lips sensuously. I don't usually describe things like that, but there's no way else to describe what she's doin', it just looks so fuckin' good. I watch as she pulls her lips apart with her index and middle fingers. Damn, fuckin' damn. "You're a pussy for not taking what you want. And you want my pussy don't you? I see it in your eyes."

That word comin' out of Buffy's mouth and her actions make me take in water through my nose and soon I'm coughin' up a storm.

Fuck what Willow wants, Buffy's fine on her own, I ain't babysittin'. I turn around and finish washin' myself and get out of the shower.

I can hear her laughin' and when I turn around Deb's comin' up behind her and palmin' her breasts.

Buffy winks at me as Deb leans down to kiss her neck.

God, I wanna stake the both of them.

"Was Buffy in the showers?" Stella asks when I get back to my cell.

"Yeah, she was there."

"Did she say anything about me?"

"I didn't really talk to her, sorry. We're not exactly friends ya know?"

"Oh well, what the fuck am I thinking? She'd have a ton of girls in here, she seems to be really into women."

"You got that right." I mumble.

"Here I am acting like a school girl with a crush." She laughs one of those laughs that you do when you totally lie to yourself.

What she said makes me think back to the days when I first went out to Sunnydale and saw Buffy for the first time in person.

"Hey, Faith. Are you ok?"

"Hmm?" Stella's voice breaks me out of my thoughts.

"I dunno, you looked like you were gonna cry."

"Nah, it's nothin'."

"Well, it looked like something."

"Don't worry about it, really."

"How about I leave you be and if you wanna tell me, then you know I'm here?"

She's sweet. I should stop bein' so closed off.

"I just…" I trail off and look at the wall.

"Yeah?"

"When you said that thing about bein' a school girl with a crush, I thought of someone I knew from a long time ago."

"Someone you liked?"

"Kinda, yeah."

"What were they like?"

"They…she was like everything I've ever wanted, and wanted to be." I stop for a while, then turn away. "But that's all gone now."

I think of Buffy's face the night I met her, and the way she looked sittin' in the chair across from me as I scarfed down muffin after muffin and told my stories. I wanted to hear hers, but Xander was more interested in findin' out what else I did without my clothes on. I thought she was so fuckin' cool, so badass but in a completely different way than me. She had that innocent vibe goin' on. God I loved the look on her face when I said slayin' made me hungry and horny.

Fuck, I loved her.

But like I said, that's all fuckin' gone now.

I don't see or hear from Buffy for the rest of the day. I wonder where the fuck she's been. I hope she hasn't killed anyone, but if she has, and they've put her in solitary after beatin' the shit outta her, then so be it. Red and the rest of the Scoobs can't pin anything on me. I tried gettin' our cells switched, Eddie told me it might take a couple more days.

"Lights out, ladies!"

Stella comes back in the cell before the buzzer again and this time her clothes don't look all disheveled.

"Night, Faith."

"Did you see your girl?"

She laughs a sad sorta laugh.

"Yeah, she told me I was a bad lay after I gave her about an hour's worth of head, she couldn't get off. Sorry, I know you don't need the gory details."

"Where were you guys?"

"Library."

Fuckin' fitting.

"An hour, really?"

"No, probably more like a half an hour, but it didn't go so well."

"You should really stay away from her, Stell. I'm just tellin' you because I think you're cool, not for any other reason."

"I know, I totally know. But it's like she's got this power over me, I can't stop myself."

Shit, she's got Dracula's mojo goin' on? If she can turn into a mother fuckin' bat we're all doomed. But I know that's bullshit, `cause I know Buffy's thrall is all about her bein' hot, and bein' Buffy. She just gets under your skin and you can't…you don't wanna get away.

After roll call's done, the lights go out and we stop talkin'. I hear the Willow-lookin' chick's moans and it makes me shudder.

"Faith," Buffy calls my name and I open my eyes. "Wake up."

"What the fuck?!" I go to get up and notice we're not in a cell, we're in her room in Sunnydale. "Slayer dream?"

"Given recent developments I'd say it was a Slayer/Vampire dream. But we're both definitely in it."

"What the fuck do you want, B?"

"What'd you think?"

"Well, I think a lot of things, like how in the fuck did you get yourself into this shit, but I don't think you wanna tell me that."

"Stop, ok? Just stop. Listen to me…"

"Alright, go ahead."

"You have to help me."

"Help you what? Kill everyone within a ten mile radius?"

"Can you stop joking? This is me talking. Buffy. Not Vampire Buffy or even Slayer Buffy."

"What do you want me to do?"

"What you were born to do."

"I can't."

"You have to."

"Red and the gang'll…"

"What? Kill you? Maybe. They sure got me good." She laughs bitterly.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Look we don't have much time, are you gonna help me out or what?"

"Yeah." It flies outta my mouth before I even think twice.

"Good." She sighs relieved and smiles at me. "I knew I could count on you."

"Sure, that's me, ole reliable."

"Can you hear that?"

"What?" I tilt my head to hear what she's hearing.

"My bidding being done."

I look at her real fuckin' puzzled.

"So what, I'm your slave now?"

"No, you're my savior, actually. I was talking about the other me."

God, I hate these fuckin' cryptic dreams.

I look at her puzzled and she looks me in the eye. "If you've ever loved me, you'll stop me. You'll help me, right?"

"Yeah, B. I will." I assure her.

"You did love me, didn't you?" She looks so innocent and hopeful at me that fuckin' tears spring to my eyes. "Don't answer that, I guess it doesn't really matter anymore." She looks kinda sad about that. "You just have to help me now."

She steps up to me and gets a millimeter away from my lips with hers, and I wake up sweatin' like a pig. Figures.

As soon as the doors open again I'm outta my cell and down to hers. Her chick is missin'.

"Where's your cellmate?"

"Infirmary."

"Oh, yeah, why?"

"She tried to kill herself."

"How?"

"Stabbed herself in the shower, it was really pretty gross. How did you do it all those times?"

"Kinda like how you did it to me, remember?"

She smiles at me and laughs, "Yeah, that was a pretty cool night. You know I'm gonna finish the job, don't you?"

"Whatever you need to do, B. You're the boss. But you know I'm gonna win again, right?"

"You didn't win the last time, what planet are you on?"

"From the planet, "Angel-didn't-drain-me-that-night", Twinkie."

She looks mega pissed at that memory and I feel kinda smug.

"Shower up, you don't wanna miss breakfast, B." I laugh at her, feelin' a little satisfied.

"Already had it, F." She gives me her own smirk and it makes me think I've been bested.

Bitch.

"What can ya tell me about the livin' situation, Eddie?" I say to him as I walk out to the yard.

"Warden's considerin' it. She's pretty spooked about her cellmate endin' up stabbed in the shower, everyone was supposed to be in their cells."

"No way Blondie could've gotten out?"

"None that we know."

"How did the redhead go unnoticed?"

"She musta done it before lights out, don't know how she was missed at roll call. Candy's catchin' a bunch of shit for that."

Good.

"Well, thanks, Eddie. I'll be waitin' to hear."

"I'll tell you as soon as I know anything."

"Thanks."

Sasha nods her head at me and motions me over.

"What's up?" She asks.

"Nothin' much."

"You hear about little Red?"

"Yeah, from her cellmate."

"Word is she got Deb to do it, right before lights out."

"I hear she's still alive, what were they tryin' to do?"

"Don't know. She lost a lot of blood though."

"Why'd they think she did it to herself?"

"She told `em that."

"Red did?"

"Uh huh."

"Fuckin' crazy, man." I shake my head in disbelief.  

"I wonder who they're gonna get to room with her now."

"We'll see." I shrug.

"Word is it's gonna be you."

"Word's all knowin', yeah?"

"Word's usually right."

I chuckle, "Word."

She laughs and looks at me for a moment, almost like she's proud of me or somethin'. She pulls out a cigarette from her headband and thrusts it at me. I take it like it's the last smoke on earth. I've been tryin' to quit, just to see if I can, but these last couple of days has been so stressful I fuckin' need this right now.

They announce a prisoner about to come out, and I see Buffy squintin' at the sun. I guess she's not used to it anymore. Probably the first time in a while she's really seen it.

"Speak of the devil." Sasha mutters.

"Yup." I sigh as I take a drag off of the cigarette.

Buffy's eyes catch mine as soon as hers adjust to the light and she smirks at me. I resist the urge to look away. Truth be told she scares the livin' shit outta me. But I'm not gonna let her know that, `cause that would only give her more strength.

That's the thing about vamps. They get a boost when they feel the fear in their victims. If only people knew that, they might have a better chance at bein' able to get away durin' an attack. I should teach a class on that shit.

I keep hold of Buffy's gaze starin' at me, she's walkin' over all smug and proud of herself. She looks like we're lovers and she's comin' over to say hi to me after a really great night of sex. My fuckin' cunt of a pussy is respondin' to that shit like I haven't had any in two years. Which is true, but it doesn't have to fuckin' remind me.

Gettin' right up in my personal space, she hangs back for a second and then leans in like she's gonna kiss me. I will my eyes not to close. Right before she gets to my lips with hers she takes the cigarette out from my mouth and puts it in hers takin' a huge drag.

"I'll leave you two alone." Sasha says and she starts to get up.

"No, don't!" I say, just a little bit too quickly, but it works `cause Sasha sits back down on the table she was sittin' on.

"Don't leave on my account." B says, as she exhales the biggest fuckin' puff of smoke I've ever seen come out of someone so petite.

I know I'm not a huge fuckin' gigantor or nothin' but I've always felt kinda bigger around B. She's always been so slight, and I guess it's because she's about three inches shorter. Always made me feel superior and stronger, for some reason. But now with the added vampness, she kinda feels bigger to me. I have no clue what the fuck I'm thinkin', all I know is, I'm all screwed up.

I don't back down from how close she's standin', actually, I put my arm around her and squeeze a little. Showin' I'm not a pussy, even though my pussy is, `cause it's still reactin' to her closeness and the sexualness that's pourin' off of her.

"To what do I owe the honor of you jackin' my smoke, B?"

"Oh, nothing," She says all sweetly, almost like she's back in high school and I'm her chick. "I just thought I'd come over and meet your friend." She nods at Sasha then looks at me expectin' somethin'.

"Fuck, where are my manners?!" I say, all smart assed. "Sasha, this is Buffy, my old boss. B, this is Sasha, a friend."

"Nice to meet you," Buffy puts her hand out for Sasha to shake, but Sasha just looks at it and shrugs.

"Yeah, nice to meet you, too." She looks away from Buffy as she says it.

B doesn't make any big deal about Sasha not takin' her hand.

"Any friend of Faith's is a friend of mine." She says with that Buffy smile that can melt anyone's tough exterior.

"We'll see." Sasha grunts. I'm proud of her and her handlin' of Buffy. I mean, I know she knows how to handle herself, but the rest of the bitches in here have practically fallen all over each other to get to B. I'm glad Sasha's not tryin' to become one of `em.

Not that I'd be jealous or nothin'.

Buffy keeps up her smiley demeanor and nods at Sasha, then she looks back at me.

"Ya know that feeling when you've had a really good night? Ya know, gotten what you needed, in more ways than one?"

"Maybe." I manage to get out without squeakin' like a thirteen year old boy. I don't know what it is but she's got me rattled.

Oh, yeah, she's a vamp and got someone to stab someone else, and then gets the victim to lie and say it was a suicide attempt.

"Well, I had a reeeeeally good night." Her face is so bright and happy, it almost looks like she's got some color in her cheeks.

Another prisoner is announced and the doors open, and it snaps me out of whatever fucked up trance I was startin' to go in.

It's Deb comin' out, she looks a little worse for wear, but she's got a satisfied grin on her face as she's lookin' out at some of the girls in the yard. I can see the fuckin' hickey on her neck.

Deb's smart assed smirk kinda gets wiped off her face when she spots me and B. I still haven't let go of her.

She looks at Buffy and stands there like she's expectin' her to leave my side and run up to her. I guess she thought she rocked B's world last night, but I know it would take more than what she's givin' to really make a difference.

She struts up to us, not lookin' at me. I can see some women gatherin' around. They think a fight's about to happen.

Sasha quietly but quickly stubs out her cigarette and puts it behind her ear, crackin' her knuckles. I stay where I am, and Buffy hangs on a bit tighter.

That gives me such a rush, I don't even fuckin' want to think of why.

"You comin'?" Deb nods over towards where her crew is while still lookin' at B.

"Not at the moment, but that's because Faith's a meanie." She pouts.

Deb finally looks at me with a look that could fuckin' kill.

I shrug, "What can I say? I don't put out for just anyone."

Buffy stiffens a little and then turns towards me. She throws the half finished cigarette down and some of the women gasp at that. I know they wanna rush over and pick it up, but they don't wanna be called a bum.

"I'm just anyone?" She asks, without the cockiness or the bravado or whatever the fuck else it's called, in her voice. Kinda reminds me of the way she used to talk to Angel when they were all loved up.

My heart starts beatin' all fucked up, but I can't get sucked into what she's doin' to me just `cause I want her to be what she was.

After mentally slappin' myself a few hundred times, I look down into her face and smile sweetly.

"Just another one of the many blood suckers in my life, baby." I blow her a kiss.

I can see her lookin' at my neck, probably watchin' my heart beat through my pulse point. It makes my fuckin' skin crawl to know she's imaginin' bitin' into that and suckin' for all she's worth.

Her lips part slightly and I can see her tongue feelin' the tip of her canines. Any fuckin' minute she's gonna vamp out, and I put my hand in my pocket and take hold of the lighter Sasha gave me to light my smoke. She's gonna go up like a roman candle if she tries anything and I'll take my chances with Red and the other Scoobs.

"C'mon, come with me, baby." Deb reaches out to touch Buffy who's still makin' eyes at my neck.

"I wanna come with, Faith." B whispers really low and sounds like she's the one in a trance now.

"What?" Deb says, not quite catchin' what she said.

"I think your friends want you to go with `em, B. We can talk later."

She looks up at me puzzled, then narrows her eyes at me like she's mad.

"Your boss?"

Heh, I wondered why she let that go earlier and I wonder why she even cares since she's a fuckin' murderous vamp. Why does it matter to her what I think?

"Whadda ya want from me, B? We weren't friends, right?" I pull away from her. "'Sides, you got friends now." I nod towards Deb.

"Yeah, she does." Deb spits out.

"Deborah! Go wait over there, I'll be over in a minute." Buffy says forcefully, while still lookin' at me, her face showin' she means business.

Deb keeps starin' at me for another thirty seconds and then bends down and picks up the cigarette Buffy threw away. Puttin' it in her mouth she finally walks away without another word.

"Why're you fighting it, Faith?" Buffy says, the seduction is back in her voice.

"Because it's wrong." I put a fake sense of honor in my voice.

"Wrong my ass, I can't think of anything else that would be so fucking right."

"You're the one that sleeps with the dead, B. Never been my thing."

"Maybe you should try it."

"Buffy, you're a…" I stop myself for a moment, censorin' what I was gonna say `cause Sasha's still listenin'. "A blood suckin' mother fucker who would shiv me and leave me to bleed. Why'd you think I'd want any part of you?"

She really looks pissed now and it almost makes me wanna laugh. What the fuck is goin' on here? I wanna scream, `You're a vamp, why the fuck do you care?!'

She steps up closer and whispers in my ear. "You'll be sorry, and I wouldn't let you bleed out…I'd suck you for all you were worth."

I'm fuckin' dyin' to step back, but I hold myself in check. Can't let her know she's gettin' to me.

"I'm sure I will be sorry, but I'm the one with the soul, baby, so that's a no-brainer."

"Huh?" She looks puzzled again.

"You really should've paid attention to Giles more." I say, and walk away, leavin' her standin' there by herself to watch my ass walk back inside.

Sasha comes up beside me, "You and her really have a lot of history together. I know you probably don't wanna talk about it, but what I saw out there? Fuckin' sparks, man!"

"What you saw out there was her tryin' to play me."

"I saw fire, baby."

"You got caught up in all that bullshit posturin' and lies?"

"No, I was payin' attention to what wasn't said." She starts laughin', "I'm talkin' SPARKS!" She starts walkin' faster and leaves me starin' at her back.

I just sigh and go back to my cell.

"You didn't wanna stay out in the yard?" Stella says, when walk in.

"Nah, bunch of shit happenin' out there." I nod my head at her, "What're you doin'?"

"Reading."

"What?"

"I saw the chaplain earlier, she gave me a bible."

"Oh, cool."

"You believe?"

"Not really, but if you do, that's cool with me."

"I don't know what to believe." She shrugs and goes back to lookin' at the book. "I mean, when I was five my parents used to tell me about the boogey man that was gonna eat me if I didn't eat my vegetables."

I smile, `cause I think I killed that demon back in SunnyD. Had a fuckin' head that looked like lettuce and arms like carrots.

She continues, "So you know, can you believe everything you're told?"

"What if you were told the boogeyman was real? Would that make a difference in how you feel about the Good Word?"

"I don't really know."

"I don't either, but I've seen some fucked up shit in my day. Like I said, I don't really believe in God, but I do believe some fuckers are up there tryin' to mess with us." And if I told her how I know she'd shit herself, so I'm not goin' any deeper. "I just live and let live. Unless they fuck with me of course."

She laughs, "I guess that's a good way to look at things."

I shrug and crawl onto my bunk.

"All I'm thinkin' about is when they're gonna let us into the showers, I stink like a cow."

"Me too. I hear they're not letting anyone in the mess either."

"Why the fuck not?"

"They found something they think is connected to Mary's stabbing."

"Mary?"

"The redhead, Buffy's cellmate."

"Oh, yeah." I wonder what that could have been. Probably the knife. Fuck, all I care about right now is gettin' clean and eatin'. This fuckin' bullshit has messed with me enough today.

I close my eyes and try not to think about it or the hunger that's startin' to make me nutty.

"Why am I still here?" Buffy says to me, I'm layin' on her bed in Sunnydale and she's standin' beside it lookin' all pissed at me.

Fuck.

"Huh?" I play dumb.

"Don't act stupid, Faith. I told you to help me, why didn't you?!"

"I wasn't sure…"

"Bullshit! You think this is funny don't you? Well, this is my life Faith and I don't want to live it dead!"

She gets a look on her face like she can't believe what she just said, and I have to bite my tongue `cause it was pretty cute.

Her eyes narrow at me, `cause she can sense I really do wanna laugh.

"It's not funny," She says, tryin' to fight her own grin. "Stop it."

I sit up, "B, I'm tryin' to help you, I really am."

"Then why am I still here?"

"I haven't had a chance."

"You still have the lighter?"

"How do you…"

"Do you?!" She practically yells.

"Yeah."

"You have to do it, Faith."

"Can't you just chill?"

"Chill?! How would you feel if you got turned?!"

I don't even want to think about it, but that's not because I'm all moral and shit, it's because my vamp self wouldn't be fuckin' askin' someone to kill me, that shit's for sure. And that's what makes Buffy who she is, and that's why I can't do it.

"B, Red says she's gonna…"

"Yeah, whatever, Faith." She walks away from me and looks out the window. She's quiet when she finally speaks again. "I thought you of all people would understand. You and I are not so much…different."

I get up off the bed and walk to just behind her. I'm not sure what it is, whether it's the closeness, or the fact that she's really her and talkin' to me like I matter, but I wanna wrap my arms around her and tell her everything's ok.

"I'd like that," She whispers. "Is that crazy or what?"

"You'd like what?"

"You to hold me…"

Fuck, she can read…

"Wakey, wakey, Faithy."

Someone's on top of me and they have my arms pinned down. I say someone, but I know it's her. How in the fuck did she get in here?

I start to struggle, tryin' to switch our positions, so I can show her who the fuck is really boss. Fuckin' bitch. She's gettin' off on it.

"I told you not to fight it, baby."

"Get the fuck offa me." I growl out.

"You don't really want that do you?"

"I said, get off!" I try to rear my lower half up to push her off, but it ain't workin'. She's too strong.

"You keep that up and I will." She grins at me.

"Shut the fuck up, bitch!" I try with all my might, but I still can't get her to budge that much.

I turn my head slightly to the side and I can see Stella standin' outside, like she's keepin' guard. The fuckin' bitch sold me out. If she does believe in God, she better say her fuckin' prayers.

Buffy puts her hand over my mouth and says, "Shhh, don't speak.

That gives me the leverage I need to push her over and onto her back, now I'm on top. I hold her arms down to the bed, over her head, her chest is heavin' up and down as she's strugglin'.

Then all of a sudden her face goes from strugglin' to sexy, and she's lookin' really intensely into my eyes. I feel our connection through where our bodies are meetin'. Especially in the pelvic area.

I don't wanna fuckin' do it, but my body is takin' over from my brain and her movin' under me like that is feelin' fuckin' good. I try my best to block out those thoughts, but the fact that I haven't had anything except my own hand in two years is makin' it really fuckin' hard.

Her knee juts up right against my pussy and she's gridin' slowly into it.

Fuck this! I let go of her and jump off the bunk, lookin' at her and preparin' myself for a fight.

"Lunch time, girls! Sorry about the no breakfast thing but one of your friends thinks it's funny to go stabbing people." One of the guards yells out.

Stella stays where she is when I get outside the cell.

"What the fuck, Stell?"

"You don't understand…"

"No, you don't fuckin' understand, stay away from me."

"Faith…"

"Move it or lose it!" Candy comes up and yells at us.

When I get down to the mess, I practically run to get my tray and then get on line. My face must give away what I'm feelin', `cause no one takes a chance at lookin' at me, but they know some shit is up. Usually I'm as calm as can be.

Sasha gets out of place in line and comes back to me.

"Hey, what the fuck's up? You look like you saw a ghost."

"You don't wanna know, but that's pretty fuckin' accurate."

"You're right about me not wantin' to know, but you better not show it on your face, girlfriend. These fuckin' vultures can smell blood a mile away."

Right as she says that Buffy walks in, with a huge smirk on her face and Stella trailin' behind. I notice she has a big fuckin' hickey on her neck and looks like she just got fucked. Candy probably stayed and watched.

Such a mother fuckin' whore.

Chapter IV

They finally let us in to the showers after lunch, which I ate in fuckin' record time, so I go grab one.

I turn it as cold as I can get it to shock me out of whatever the fuck I was still feelin' from Vamp B. I can't…I shouldn't think of her as the real Buffy, it's not fair, not to her or to me.

"Lehane, finish up now, you got another visitor comin'!" One of the other guards yells at me.

I turn the warm on and finish my shower. When I'm done I grab my towel and dry off real quick. I hope Red has some good news for me.

"Hey, Faith, you're looking…wet."

"Keep it in your pants, Willow. Whadda ya got for me?"

"We're still working on the ensoulment spell. There are a few things we need to find before we can even think of doing it, turns out re-ensouling a Slayer for some reason is trickier than just a normal vampire. How are things going with Buffy?"

"Oh, she's a mother fuckin' peach, your girl is. You might get her fuckin' soul put back, but she's gonna have a nasty case of the clap to deal with."

"What?!"

"She's fuckin' everything in sight, Red."

"Sh-she is?"

"Yeah, like you didn't know she'd be like that."

"W-well…I guess…" She shudders a little, and I cut her a break. Vamp B probably tried to molest her.

"Lemme tell you one thing, you guys better fuckin' fly like the wind with this spell, I can only take so much and she's pushin' every fuckin' button I got."

"I know, I know. We're researching like we've never researched before. My eyeballs are starting to dissolve from being on the computer 24/7. Giles is wearing sweatpants almost all the time. Do you know how disturbing it is to see him like that?"

"Oh, yeah, real fuckin' disturbin'." I roll my eyes and lean forward showin' her that I'm dead serious. "Willow, I've got Buffy in here tryin' to rape me, and whatever else she's fuckin' plannin'. Did you know her cellmate tried to `kill herself'?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, she did. Stabbed herself with a knife held by a bitch named Deb."

"How's that committing suicide if someone else is holding the knife?"

"Prison's fucked up. Anyway, that's what I hear. My opinion is it was Buffy who got Deb to shiv Mary. Guess what color hair Mary has?"

"Uh, brown?"

"No, Red, she has red hair. Now, I wonder who she was picturin' when she came up with the `suicide' plan?"

"Hey, missy, don't say things like that! You don't know what happened, and besides, I didn't do anything to her."

"I didn't say you did, but you sure sound guilty. And from what B tells me, sounds like you fucked somethin' up and it's the reason she's a vamp now."

"What did she say? And besides, you'd believe a vampire, even if it is Buffy, over me? Someone with a soul?"

"I didn't say Vamp B told me, I said Buffy told me."

"I think maybe I fell asleep just now, can you repeat that?"

"Buffy's been comin' to me in my sleep."

"As in Buffy, Buffy?"

"Yeah, Bonafide B. Got it now?"

"But how, she's…well…you know…"

"I don't ask questions, Willow."

"What else does she say?"

"She wants me to kill her, set her free. And you know, for the first time in my life, I just might do the right thing and help her out."

"No!" Red yells and everyone around us looks at her. She looks at them guiltily and then speaks quietly into the phone. "You…you can't do that, she doesn't mean it, does she?"

"Sounds to me like she means it."

"Did you tell her I'm trying to get her soul back?"

"Yeah, she didn't sound too confident about that."

"Really?" She looks like I just told her Xander's Republican. "You're lying."

"No, I'm not. What really happened, Red?"

"I told you…Spike…he and she…"

I shake my head, "That's what you're tryin' to lie to me with. Tell the fuckin' truth."

"One minute!" A guard yells.

"Listen, Faith, I am telling the truth, you have to believe me. We should have something solid by the weekend. If we can do the spell, it'll require some planning. Can I come back tomorrow?"

"Whatever you need, but I'm tellin' you, if Vamp B pushes the wrong button…"

"I know, I know, she's"

The line goes dead and I just hang up the phone and leave her sittin' there.

I'm still not convinced she's tellin' me the truth `bout what happened to Buffy.

Question is: why?

When I get back to my cell they're tossin' the fucker. Mother fucker! Somehow I know some bad shit's about to go down. Eddie's standin' outside my cell and lookin' hella guilty. He's got a mock neck under his uniform shirt.

"What's up, Eddie?"

"Got a tip."

"A tip, huh?"

"Yeah, we're just checkin' it out." He looks away from me.

"What's with the shirt? It's like eighty fuckin' degrees in here."

"Found it!" Candy yells and comes out of my cell with a real fuckin' smug look on her face and an envelope in her hands. I can see some writin' on the outside. She opens the flap and narrows her eyes at it.

"That's not mine." I say, matter-of-factly.

"No? Whose is it?"

"Ask my cellmate, she might know." I shrug.

Candy reads the outside of the envelope and says, "Angel dust. Hmm…pretty interestin'. You always make it a habit of labelin' your drugs?"

"Why the fuck would I have that amount of dust in my cell and why the fuck would I label it?"

Candy looks at Eddie and he shrugs.

"Let's see what else we can find." She goes back into the cell and I look at Eddie again. His uneasiness is makin' me nervous.

"What's goin' on here, Eddie?"

"I told you, we got a tip, someone said you were runnin' drugs outta here."

"You know me, Eddie. I wouldn't do somethin' as stupid as that."

"I know," He says, pointin' at himself. "But we gotta check out anything that comes to us, or else we're not doin' our jobs." He goes back to his stance, feet spread a little and hands on his baton. It makes his collar move a little and I can see a dark bruise poppin' out from under it on his neck.

Buffy's fuckin' sadistic face pops into my head and I lose it, I push him up against the bars and pull his collar down.

"Who gave you this?!" I ask, and the next thing I know I've got two guards beatin' the shit outta me from behind. I let go of Eddie and fall to my knees, tryin' to shield my head from the baton blows.

"Hey Buffy, it's that retard, she's catchin' a beatin'!" Deb yells. She must be standin' around with her crew watchin' this shit go down.

The last thing I hear is the fuckin' Vamp Buffy's laugh that makes my fuckin' blood turn cold. And then everything fuckin' spins outta control and it all goes black.

"Hey…" Someone's whisperin' and if it's Vamp B I'm really gonna nut out. My fuckin' skull is poundin' like I just knocked back a case of Jack and let a baboon give me a lobotomy.

"Hey," They say again, and my only response is to moan. "What day is it? Do you know?"

I moan again, can't seem to stop myself.

"Don't worry, you were just brought in here a few hours ago, I thought you might know what day it is."

I roll over onto my back and then realize that was a bad idea as soon as a wave of nausea hits. My head feels like a fuckin' balloon in the Macy's parade and there's an ocean of fish swimmin' around in it. What sucks is, if I threw up I'd probably choke to death on it, `cause I can't seem to make my body roll back over.

"You musta caught one hell of a beatin'." She says.

"Hey!" A guard's voice booms out and the rattle in my skull makes me want to cry or die, or both. "No fuckin' talkin'!"

We're in solitary. I'd know this smell anywhere. It's not too much different from our regular cells except it's dark as shit and there's only a hole in the floor for a toilet. Those two add up to why it smells so bad in here.

After layin' on the ground for god knows how long, I finally manage to get to my knees. The head is still poundin' like a mother fucker, but at least I don't feel like I'm gonna chuck any second. No, only every other second now.

I crawl over to where I guess the bunk is and I reach out to make sure I don't hit it with my head. When I feel it, I grab on and pull myself up the rest of the way. After a struggle I flop down onto it face first and let the sleep take me. I know I've got a concussion, but I can't be fucked to make myself stay awake anymore. `Sides, it's probably been long enough, and who the fuck would care if I went into a coma anyway?

God damn, that shit's bright! I shield my eyes from the light with my hand and I can make out a figure standin' at the edge of the water.

"We gotta stop meetin' like this."

She turns around, "Are you ok?"

"Probably in a coma, can't really hear outta my right ear, unless you count the ringin' in it as a sound."

"You can hear it now?"

"Nah, kinda like I'm tunin' in and out to it, like my body down there or wherever's a T.V. and I've got the volume on low or somethin'."

"I hope you don't mind me coming to you like this."

I shrug, "Figure you've got nothin' better to do. We're the only two who have a Slayer connection. You want to die. I know how to do it. Past history and all.  Makes sense."

"You're pretty wise, even though you're a bit of a smart ass."

"Just a bit?"

She smiles and I realize why I haven't done what she's asked.

"Well, a lot, I guess." Then she looks at me like with what I can only describe as a sorry for me face. "Look, I know you've been doing really well in here. I've heard some very nice things. And I'm so sorry to have to ask you to do this, but I couldn't turn to anyone else. I know if I weren't a monster and if you were out of prison we'd probably be…" She looks away like she hears somethin'. "Someone's coming, you have to go, we'll talk later."

Damn, just when it was gettin' good.

"Faith," I hear Eddie whisper. "I brought water."

"Go `way, Eddie." The throbbin' in my head is makin' my teeth feel like they're rattling and I bite back the urge to throw up.

"Look, I don't know what your deal was back there. Why'd you go and attack me?"

"I don't remember."

I don't know if I can tell him that bitch is tryin' to get me through the people I respect. It's workin' and I'm mega disappointed he fell into her trap.

`Cause now I can't trust him for shit.

After a while he lowers his voice and asks, "Why'd ya have such a problem with Onetta givin' me a love bite?"

Oh fuck! No fuckin' way, dude! Are you serious? I jumped to fuckin' conclusions and lost my cool over nothin'.

"Listen, Faith...I know we've been close, but I don't like you that way. I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong idea."

I let out a laugh `cept, it sounds more like a moan `cause the pain shoots right to my head.

"Hey, don't cry, I'll still be here for ya, just not like that."

"Thanks, Eddie, you…you're a…pal."

"And I won't mention anything to Onetta."

"She's a great lady," A sob escapes me `cause she really is a great lady, and `cause my brain's screamin' at me to go back to blackin' out. "Tell her I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"F-fuckin' up."

"You didn't do anything wrong `cept come at me and I'm not pressin' charges. That envelope we found in your cell ain't PCP. Don't know who planted it or why yet, but it's not drugs."

"No?"

"Nope, I heard the lab guy say it was ashes."

Ashes…

I remember what it said on the outside, `Angel dust', written in Buffy's handwritin'.

I just manage to roll over onto my side before my stomach empties itself onto the floor.

"This is Rhodes! I need a medic in solitary for 430019!" I hear Eddie yell right before I tense up and let loose another volley of spew.

"Angel…" I hear myself whisper. Dust. My stomach lurches and I spew again.

 Finally, gratefully, everything goes black.

I'm dreamin' again, but this time B's not here. Well she's here but it's not a Slayer dream. We're on patrol and I'm tryin' to put an arrow in the long bow, but I'm havin' a hard time `cause Buffy's fuckin' practically runnin' and I can't keep up.  

Fuck, it's that night.

The night that started me down this fuckin' road that I've been walkin'.

Buffy's in her wool coat and she's lookin' like it's two degrees out, while I'm in my vest jacket and my favorite long white cotton shirt. It was so soft.

I wanna rib her for bein' a pussy about the cold and tellin' her stories about the winters in Boston, but she looks like she's a million miles away. She's thinkin' about Willow, and the place we robbed and the cops we knocked out and everything else in the world…and probably wishin' Angel was here instead of me.

Angel.

Even though I wanna stop this fuckin' dream somehow, I know I can't, and it just keeps playin' out on its own.

"Quiet tonight." I say to her as kind of a question.

"I just wanna get this done." She answers all business like and hugs her arms tighter around herself.

We keep on walkin' and we go through the same motions we did before. She's givin' me shit about goin' back for the bow; I'm talkin' about goin' and gettin' some ribs.

One of the Eliminati jumps down and surprises us and B dusts him.

My juices are fuckin' flowin' and I feel amped. We come in contact with the next one and B grabs him and throws him into the dumpster. Not even lookin' at what I'm stakin' I hear Buffy laughin' and I get that ice water feelin' back in my veins.

When I plunge the stake into his heart, Angel looks up at me puzzled. Then he's dust.

"Faith…no…" She says quietly and all smartassed with a smirk on her face. "Don't…" It's Vamp B.

I look down at his ashes. "I didn't know…I didn't know!" I drop down to my knees and try to put the pieces of Angel back together.

"He's not Humpty, Faith. Even the King's Horses went home, he's a lost cause."

God I hate that fuckin' sound to her voice. It's like the time she told me she was gonna to feed me to him. I couldn't stand it then either. I wanted to just fuckin' tell her I was sorry, but I was goin' nuts so I didn't.

"What did you do?" I look back at her.

"Me?! I didn't do anything, you're the one that killed him."

"You're a fuckin' liar! Angel's not dead, you're just tryin' to fuck with me."

"You're right, I am trying to fuck with you, but you won't give it up. Playing hard to get's a new thing for you, but I gotta tell you: I'm impressed."

"Who cares what the fuck you think?" I charge her and she sidesteps me slightly then kicks me in the gut.

I go down like a fuckin' sack of bricks and she pounces on my back.

"Just give in to me and you don't have to care anymore," She whispers into my ear. "No more worrying, baby. You'd like that wouldn't you, Faith?"

She put the real Buffy back into her voice and it's all I can do to not close my eyes and give in to her.

Instead, I rear up and butt her in the nose with the back of my head. The next thing I know I'm in the infirmary. My skull's doin' its impression of an egg and splittin' open, I can feel blood pourin' out of it and down onto my neck.

Fuck these fuckin' dreams.

"Hey, hey…don't…" One of the nurses comes rushin' up to me and tries to get me to lay down. I'm cuffed to the bed but that didn't help my head none, `cause I banged it back on the headboard. "I need help in here," She yells, but it's not a panicked yell, she's kinda calm actually. "She's managed to hit her head again."

Someone else comes rushin' in and they take a look at what I did to my head. They stop the blood flow and marvel at how the cut I just opened up seems to be healin' already.

I spend another day or so in the infirmary, just as a precaution. I'm pretty much healed, but before they let me go they send my counselor in.

"Hey Faith, how are you today?"

I turn my head and look at Brian. I know this session's gonna go a lot different than our others. Sucks `cause I was doin' so well and now I'm losin' it.

Finally after a minute or so of starin' I acknowledge him with a nod of my head.

"Can you tell me what's going on with you?"

I shrug.

"Faith, I think I know you pretty well after two years, and I know that this isn't like you anymore. What's up?"

"Just some bullshit posturin' and jockeyin' for position. You know when the badasses come in they try and test me."

"Who?"

I like this dude, but I'm not rattin' out anyone to him, even though it's fuckin' Vamp B. I'll deal with her ass on my own.

"Is it Deb? I thought she stopped that?" He asks even though I didn't answer his `Who' question.

"Look Brian, you're a good guy and I don't wanna be a bitch to you so we can work some stuff out, but I ain't namin' names."

"Ok, I get it, but you know the rules. If it involves contraband or a plot to kill someone, I have to report it."

"It's not either of those, it's just someone tryin' to get to me. No big really, I just lost it for a minute. Won't happen again."

"Well, I have to tell you, the warden heard about what happened with Eddie and she was disappointed, even though Eddie assured her you didn't mean it. Can you tell me why you did it?"

I'm quiet for a bit while I think of what to say. I stare at the wall.

"I had a flashback to someone that was messin' with me, and I thought he was them for a second. I snapped."

Brian looks down at his book and makes a note.

"You exhibited some of that when you first got here, I thought it was under control, but it's not uncommon for someone who's suffered the kind of childhood trauma you have to regress a bit."

I kinda half laugh, `cause I know I'm probably gonna hafta regress a lot, if I'm gonna stop Vamp B.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Faith." He puts a hand on the bed, not quite touchin' my leg. He knows I might snap so he's tryin' not to push me over the edge. Like I said, he's a good guy. "Recovery is not going to happen overnight, it's a process, and one you can make it through. I've got complete confidence in you."

I sigh a relieved sigh. Not only `cause he believes in me still, but because I thought he was gonna say "I've got faith in you." Which would've been pretty lame.

"Anything else you want to talk about today?"

I shrug, "Can't think of anything else." Then I remember what he said about the warden. "Is the Warden gonna separate me out again? Am I in trouble?"

"Well, you'll have to go back to solitary for about a week. She can't really break protocol on that. But it's not so bad right? Just a week or so."

"Oh, it's a snap." I smile and he knows I'm fuckin' around. "Kinda like Club Med for prisoners."

"Well, I know it sucks, but hopefully this'll be the last time you're there. My advice is to do your time down there, come out and let the experience make you into a better person."

Yeah, `cause smellin' piss and shit all day in the dark is gonna make that happen.

Come to think of it, I doubt the Warden's ever gone down there. If she did she'd probably mess up those nice Ann Taylor clothes she wears.

Brian sits and watches me stare at the wall for a few more minutes. "Well, if you don't have anything else for me today, I've got to go."

"Hot date?" I smirk.

He laughs, "I wish. I've got some more rounds to make."

I nod at him and he turns to leave.

"Hey Brian," I call out when he's almost at the door and he turns to look at me. "Thanks for everything. It helped."

"I'm glad, it was my pleasure."

Things like that are the reason why I know I've made progress. Normally I wouldn't have said shit, but that's how you get bonus points in prison.

It must be almost time for me to get out of the hole. I was surprised Vamp B didn't put in an appearance. Even regular Buffy didn't come to me in my dreams or nothin'. Which had me kinda worried for the first day or so, but I fuckin' let that go. I worked some shit out in my head while I was down here. I gotta start thinkin' of myself more.

Who the fuck cares what Willow or Giles or even Buffy wants me to do? I'm gonna go back to actin' like I was before.

B could be dead for real now for all I know. Maybe Willow forgot to cast the "protection from the sun" spell and she went up like a blonde bonfire. Or maybe Deb accidentally stabbed her through the heart with a wooden dildo while they were doin' some kinky shit.

Point is: it's not my fuckin' problem anymore.

After they give me my lunch which isn't much, not near enough to take the hunger away, I sit on my bunk and try to block everything else out.

And that's when it happens.

"Faith."

"Buffy."

"I'm not gonna pester you about killing me, I know you're kinda busy right now."

"Yeah, `busy'."

She sighs.

"Where ya been?"

Truth is I kinda missed her.

"Why, did you miss me?"

"No!" I say out loud and way too quickly to be convincin'.

"Liar." She says it all playfully, and for a minute I think she's Vamp B. "I'm not, I'm me."

I forgot she could do shit like that. Hafta ask her how, `cause it doesn't seem like she can read all my thoughts, but I've got more important shit to ask her right now.

"So, B. Before we get interrupted or you gotta go or some other shit like that that keeps happenin', give it to me straight. What the fuck happened?"

"To me?"

"No, to Justin and Kelly." She gets a confused look on her face so I spell it out. "Of course you!"

"You don't have to be such a snot about it, Faith."

I sigh and remember that I'm not supposed to be givin' a shit about it anymore, but one look from her, one fuckin' smile, one soft word and I'm right back on the "Buffy Train".

She gives me a curious look and I realize I thought that in front of her. I don't acknowledge or deny it. I just keep movin' on.

"How did it happen?" I say quietly.

She gives me a look that I can't really describe, almost like she's disappointed I didn't explain the `Buffy Train' thought. But I must be playin' it up, `cause she'd be fuckin' freaked out about me thinkin' of her like that.

"Like you care." She says, a bit pissy.

"Buffy, I wouldn't have asked if I didn't care, and I think Red's lyin' to me. Can you tell me the truth?"

"Where are we?" She looks around and I just noticed our surroundings.

"Rock quarry in Boston."

"We must be in your head."

I wanna say somethin' smart assed, but I don't want her to clam up, I just want her to tell me what happened.

"B, what happened?"

"Willow…"

I knew it.

"No, wait. She's here."

"Oh fuck…" I groan. We're never gonna hash this shit out.

"I feel weird…"

"What does it feel like?"

"She must be doing that protection spell."

"Yeah, so your vampy self don't go burnin'."

"I wish she'd just stop. Why can't she just let me go?"

"Can anyone?" I say, before I get a chance to censor myself.

She looks at me with a half smile, and then looks down into the water below us.

"You used to jump down into this?"

"Yeah," I look to where she's lookin', steppin' up close to her and starin' down at what she is. "Couldn't get enough of it."

"Who can blame you?"

That's right, it's dark and mysterious, somethin' that gets her juices flowin' like nothin' else.

"What's up, B?"

"I just want it to end…"

"What?" I have a feelin' what she means, but I can't even begin to understand why.

"All this…this…"

All of a sudden she turns around and kisses me. Her lips are soft, but I can feel the urgency in `em. Her eyes are closed, but mine are still open wide. She snakes her arms around me and hugs me tightly to her, and I can't help but give in to her softness. My eyelids slide closed and I let her tongue into my mouth.

Fuck she's sweet. Just how I knew she'd taste. Wonder if all of her is just as sweet.

She pulls back quickly and I'm left kissin' the air. I think I might get slapped here.

When my eyes open she's lookin' into `em kinda like she's sorry.

"I know I shouldn't have…I just wanted to…" She looks sad. "I shouldn't have."

Next thing I know she lets go and falls backwards and down into the water.

And that's when I open my eyes again and I'm back in the hole

I thought I'd feel angry, `cause of the fuckin' mind games, but I can't get my mind off that fuckin' sweet kiss.

"Prisoner 430019, you're going back up to General Population. You've been assigned a new cell mate."

I'm standin' in front of the warden and a guard that must be new. She's readin' stuff to me from a clipboard.

I can't really see too well, my eyes are tryin' to adjust to the light, but I know they'll be as sharp as ever soon.

"Are you ready to go back, Faith?" Phyllis asks me.

"Yes, Warden."

"Faith…"

"Phyllis?"

"Better," She smiles at me and then nods at the guards standin' on either side of me. "I'll be looking forward to seeing more progress from you."

"Thank you."

The guards turn me around and lead me out the door.

I can hear the warden say somethin' to the new guard about me lookin' good even after ten days in the hole and that she should try it.

She'd fuckin' die down there `cause she wouldn't have Buffy comin' to her and makin' her feel like she was worth somethin'.

"Hey, baby, did you like your little vacation?"

Vamp B's loungin' on my bunk and lettin' her hand slide down into her pants.

She's watchin' my face, as she touches herself.

"What's the matter, B? Your crabs itchin'?"

"Oh, I've got an itch…but it can only be scratched by you."

My nose twitches and I can smell her. It's fuckin' sweet and I can't help but lick my lips.

Her smirk gets bigger, "Like what you smell?"

I walk up to her and lean over her body. The look on her face makes me wanna give in. `Cause I can feel the excitement in her, and I've gotta say, it feels fuckin' good.

I reach behind her to the bar on my bunk and I pull my towel off of it slowly and let it fall down onto her face.

"What the fuck?"

"I'm goin' to take a shower. When I come back, you better be back up on your own fuckin' bunk and you better be finished."

"What if I'm not?" She says all smart assed.

"Don't worry you will be."

"Oooh, I can't wait `til you get back." She says all throaty, with the excitement drippin' from her voice. And from her pussy, but I can't think of that. "This is gonna be so good!"

We'll see about that.

Chapter V

As I'm walkin' to the showers I see some people who're lookin' at me curiously. They really don't know me and probably thought I'd be in the infirmary for a month or maybe even dead. The beatin' I took to the head was pretty bad.

Stella's leanin' up against one of the cells and she looks sorry. Kinda looks fuckin' pale as shit. I don't look at her for long, I just make sure I veer over to her spot a bit more. I don't feel tingles so she's not a vamp. Thought I'd fuckin' have to stake her.

She reaches out for me.

"Faith…"

"Don't fuckin' touch me." I keep my voice dangerous. "Told you before to leave me the fuck alone."

I keep walkin' and she pushes her luck. "Can you just listen to me?"

I stop and she practically crashes into my back.

"What?!" I turn around and look at her and she backs up a bit.

"N-nothing."

"No, I'm listenin', now what's up?"

She walks over to the rail and speaks low so I can't really hear her and have to step up closer.

"…never thought I'd be into blood play, ya know?"

"What the fuck's goin' on?"

She pulls up her sleeve and shows me the cuts on her arms. "She loves the taste of it, especially during sex. She gets off on it, so hard. I just can't say no, `cause it's just so…God I can't even describe how good she looks when she's coming. It's like…"

I cut her off, "So she cuts you?"

She nods.

"How?" Not exactly like we can get razors in the cell.

"Deb got her something I guess, she gets her everything."

"So for the last week or so she's been cuttin' you?"

"Yeah." She sighs weakly. "As much as I love to see her so satisfied, the truth is…"

"It's killing you." I finish for her.

"Yeah." She sounds relieved for tellin' someone.

"So what'd you want me to do?"

She puts her hands up and laughs a desperate laugh. "I don't know, really. Maybe tell me I'm stupid, smack me around a bit?"

I look at her for a few moments. Don't really know what she's in here for and I'd like to say I don't care, especially `cause she's fuckin' Vamp B and lettin' her drink from her, but I feel bad for her.

"Just stop. I know that sounds hard, but don't let her do it. Don't go with her when she wants."

"I guess…" She doesn't sound convinced and I can't really be the one to do it. I'm not really a "words of wisdom" kinda girl.

"So who planted that shit in my cell?"

"I don't know. All I know is, she came into the cell when you were napping, she said she wanted to wake you up and for me to look out so you guys weren't disturbed. I was so jealous."

"Of?"

"She…nah, forget it."

"Tell me. I'm not playin' games, this bitch could want me dead."

"She loves you."

I crack the fuck up laughin'. Must sound like a real fuckin' looney toon, `cause I can't stop.

"It's true, Faith. You're all she talks about. The only time she mentions Deb is when she wants someone hurt, or I'm too tired and weak to…ya know, but she talks about you guys like you were something."

"Yeah, we were somethin' alright. That envelope she left for me wasn't exactly a love note, ya know."

"Well, I'm sorry, I didn't see her plant it."

"No, probably got Deb for that." I'm gonna break both that bitch's legs.

She sighs and looks at me, fuck she looks tired.

"Sorry about the time you pulled in the hole."

"Yeah."

"What was in that envelope anyway? I assume it wasn't dope since you're still here."

"No, it wasn't. I don't know really, until I make ask around, but for now I'm thinkin' it was nothin'." Still in denial about it bein' the Big Guy.

"So what happens now?"

"Now I go take a shower. Don't really know what's in store for you. Like I said, you should stay away from her."

"Yeah, I'll try."

I leave her at the rail starin' down at the concrete below. Some fuckin' light goes off in my brain and when I turn back around she's up on the rail startin' to make her way over. I leap out and grab her right before her body starts goin' down and I grip the iron bar with my other hand. The weight of her body pulls me over too and my fuckin' shoulder gets pulled out of its socket, but it holds.

There's fuckin' chaos in the pen, and the pain is shootin' through my shoulder and arm. She's cryin' and we're just hangin' there, it's so fuckin' comical that it's not even funny.

Finally, the guards pull people away from the railin' and they grab hold of my arm and pull me back up. I scream `cause it fuckin' hurts so bad.

I just wanted to take a fuckin' shower.

"What happened?!" A guard asks, freaked out.

"She was…tryin' to…kill…herself." I manage to get out through gasps of air and pain.

"I wanted to die, why didn't you let me?" Stella cries.

"Oooh, look at the fuckin' hero." I can hear Deb sneer. Guess the fuckin' bitch doesn't have anything better to do then hang around spoutin' prison commentary like she's a retarded Will Rogers.

I just lay there and look over at Stella who's a mess of tears and fear, guess starin' at your own mortality can make you jumpy.

"I don't…like…people…doin' that shit."

The guards make everyone get in their cells and they put the whole block on lockdown. Stella's taken away to the psych ward and they take me back to the infirmary. One of the male nurse dudes tries to help me up on the bed, but I stop him and tell him to stay where he is. He gets what I'm tryin' to do when I line up my shoulder just right, and he takes over and grabs my shoulder.

I wanna fuckin' squish his fuckin' bulbous head like a grape, but soon he pops the shoulder back into place and I feel such relief that I wanna kiss him. My head's all tingly and feels rushy.

"Phew, thanks dude, that was killin'!"

He laughs.

"Name's Jerome." He puts his hand out and I take it givin' it a good firm shake. "Looks like you're alright now. You need anything else?"

"Do you think I can use the shower in here, Jerome? I was on my way to the showers when we got put on lockdown."

"Sure, there's some fresh clothes in that cabinet." He points to one behind us. "Probably find somethin' in your size."

"Thanks man, I owe you big time."

"Nah, it's nothin'."

Most people exploit the women in here, `cause they can. Jerome's one of the good dudes I can tell, and it's all been because of the good example Phyllis' been settin'.

Speakin' of her, when I get out of the shower she's waitin' to see me.

"Faith, just the person I wanted to see." She's all smiles.

"Hey Phyllis, what's up?"

"I just wanted to personally thank you for helping to avert a major PR nightmare, and for saving a life. Quite frankly that's more important, but you wouldn't believe how the media reports these things."

Oh I can believe it, `cause this prison's not in Sunnydale. If it was they'd be ignorin' it and reportin' on the weather instead.

"Now, Faith. Eddie had asked me if a certain prisoner could be transferred into your cell, he thought it would be better for everyone else. Are there any issues I should know about this prisoner?"

Fuck, I don't wanna lie to her `cause she's been real good to me, but if I told her the truth I'd be spendin' the rest of my time in the psych ward, and people would be dyin' left and right on her watch.

"We knew each other…"

"In a past life?"

"Somethin' like that." I laugh.

"Were you…girlfriends?"

"No, not really. Just friends, well, kinda like friends who hate each other."

"So you're ok with being her cell mate?"

"Yeah, I know how she operates, it'll be fine."

She takes her glasses off. Man she really is a fox, her brown hair all up in a bun, but kinda spillin' out in the front, just enough to make her look sexy, not stupid. Kinda like a sexy teacher, or principal.

What the fuck am I thinkin'? I gotta focus here, she's talkin' to me.

"…I don't need to tell you how important the stability of this facility is, especially after the last administration. I'm thinking of my future here, as well as yours, and if you play this right, we will both be satisfied."

Woah, wait, back the fuck up! Is she comin' on to me here?

"Wouldn't you agree?" She kinda quirks her eyebrow and her lips. Fuck she really does look like sex on a stick right now.

"I guess…"

"You guess?" She laughs then continues, "You don't like my proposal?"

"I like it fine, I just…"

"So, what are you waiting for?" The warden puts her hands on her hips.

"Well, I…"

"Faith…"

I start to take my towel off and she turns around.

"Faith! I didn't mean that you should get dressed right this minute! I just wanted to hear what you had in mind about my proposal. You didn't really listen to all of it did you?!"

Whoops.

"Sorry, I kinda didn't catch the first part." I admit.

She laughs again, "Well, you can get dressed when I leave, are you decent again?"

"Yeah."

"Good," She turns back around. "What I said was: I want you to make sure this girl doesn't create the havoc I'm learning she's capable of. When she's done her thirty days here she gets extradited to Mexico, where it's believed she killed three people, including one member of the Mayor of Puerto Vallarta's family."

"How long was she runnin' down there?"

"They say about three or four months."

Fuck, I gotta know what the fuck went on. Willow better show soon.

"Anything else I gotta know?"

"You know what I know right now. If I need you to know anything else, I'll call you in."

"Ok."

"Faith, I just want to be perfectly clear here. This isn't something that will garner you extra privileges, and we're not breaking any rules. Except maybe the unofficial code of conduct the prisoners have against teaming up to help the establishment. What I can promise you is a letter of commendation and a glowing review to your parole board on your model prisoner status. That coupled with the glowing reviews of more than half the guard staff and your counselor, should shave at least a couple years off of your sentence."

"Thanks, I don't know what to say."

"Say you'll watch her."

"I'll watch her."

"Thank you."

"Phyllis?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry about earlier, ya know, when I misunderstood what you meant about helpin' each other out."

"Not to worry," She smiles at me warmly. "I'm sure such behavior was commonplace before me, but I'm not that person and neither should you be, not anymore."

"I'm gettin' that."

"Good."

"So, what happens to her when she goes to Mexico?"

"I suspect conviction and then the death penalty. They're pretty upset about the killings, plus they're not like California or The United States for that matter. She'll probably be tried, sentenced and put to death within a short amount of time."

Fuck, dude, Willow and the rest of the Scoobs better get this fuckin' show on the road.

Before we say our goodbyes I ask her if I can be allowed to make a phone call. She agrees and then leaves me to get dressed.

While I'm dressin', I think about what she said about me not needing to be `that person' anymore. If only it were that easy, especially when her special project is pushin' me so fuckin' hard in that direction. And not just with puttin' her pussy out for samples, she's beggin' for the biggest beat down in the history of beat downs.

I just hope it doesn't land me in the hole again.

"Hello?"

"Dawn, it's Faith."

"You must have the wrong number…"

"Don't hang up! Is Willow there, it's really important."

"What do you want with Willow? God! Why am I even talking to you?!"

"Please, Dawn, is she there or not?"

"No, she went somewhere this morning. She hasn't come back yet."

"Was she comin' to see me?"

"Why would she come to see you?"

Fuckin' Willow, way to let the Squirt in on things so it would make it easier for me. Dumbass.

"If she comes back soon, would you tell her I called?"

"Why would I?"

"'Cause it's a matter of life and death, alright?! Look, I know you hate my guts, I don't blame you. Just tell her I called and to get in touch with me. You don't gotta write me letters or knit me a fuckin' sweater. Just relay the message, yeah?"

"You're such a bitch!"

I have to bite the "Fuck you, you fuckin' stupid bitch!" that's dyin' to fly outta my mouth. The slammin' of the phone and the dial tone I hear save me and her from the onslaught I was about to unleash in her eardrum.

It's not her fault she's so mad at me. It's all on me. She and I used to hang a lot when Buffy was off with Angel, makin' moon eyes. We kinda bonded in that time, and when I turned evil, she hated me like I was overcooked brussel sprouts. Guess it's all on Willow now too, `cause it seems like she's left Dawn outta the loop.

When I pass by the guard station with the new chick guard and Eddie, I nod to him.

"What's up, Faith?"

"I got any visitors signed up to see me, Eddie?"

"Not today, but they've got another twenty minutes to get on the list."

"Ok, thanks."

"Good job earlier."

"Yeah." I don't really know the new guard and don't want her to think I'm gonna be as nice to her as I am to Eddie, so I just leave it at that and go.

Even though I'm not in my cell for roll call, they let me go to dinner with the rest of the inmates. Haven't seen Vamp B since before the thing with Stella. We'll see what happens in the mess hall.

"Hey, girly, haven't seen you in a while." Sasha comes up behind me.

"Yeah, I've been keepin' low."

"So low, you were in a hole, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Word is you got caught with a truck load of ice."

"Word is wrong."

"Word?" She smiles after she says that and we share a laugh.

"Move it, will ya!" One of the women behind Sasha yells. "Get caught up later, we're hungry."

"Keep it soft, ok, Wilma? We're fuckin' movin', ya jag off."

"Just move your fuckin' ass, Sasha."

"Look, I ain't lookin' to start no beef, we're movin'!"

"Well, it ain't fast enough!" Wilma yells and does somethin' fuckin' so fuckin' stupid I'm left with my jaw hangin'.

She pushed Sasha from behind while she was lookin' at the food behind the glass. She smashed her face against it and blood just pours out from her nose.

Sasha snaps back up and looks at the blood on her hand. She's gets up in Wilma's face and punches her in the stomach.

Next thing I know the whole fuckin' place erupts in pandemonium. Sasha's bein' beat by Wilma's friends and I'm tryin' to step in to help her, but four fuckin' guards come outta nowhere and pin my ass down to the ground. I struggle to get up, but they keep me pushed down to the floor.

"What the fuck?! I didn't do nothin'! Get Wilma, she fuckin' started it!"

"We'll deal with this, you just stay where you are. You don't need to be pullin' time in the hole, Lehane!"

"They're gonna kill Sasha!"

"We've got this under control!"

Yeah, fuckin' twenty minutes later, and rubber bullets and guards in riot gear and it's finally "under control".

Sasha and Wilma are both carted off to the infirmary and the rest of Wilma's posse is taken straight to the hole. None of Sasha's crew was in the mess hall yet, and the rest of the block was on lockdown as soon as the first punch was thrown, so they didn't get a chance to help her out.

I hope she's ok.

I see Vamp B with her eyes all wild and her nose twitchin' from all the blood that's been flowin'. She's gonna fuckin' vamp out I know it.

Deb's tryin' to pull her away, but Buffy's just starin' at me. If this was a cartoon I'd turn into one of those huge turkey legs, like what used to happen on Tom and Jerry when Tom was hungry and fantasizin' about Jerry bein' one of `em. But if it was accurate, I'd turn into a huge bag of type o negative.

She finally manages to pull Buffy along and one of the guards stops her. "Get to your cell, Williams." She stares him down and he yells, "NOW!" right in her face. Deb looks like she's thinkin' about it for a second and then finally lets go of Vamp B's hand. Guess she weighed the pros and cons and Vamp B wasn't worth it. Not near enough to want a ticket to the hole.

Don't look like Buffy was too unhappy about that. The guard motions me over. "You and her get back to your cell. Alright?"

I recognize his voice, he was one of the guards holdin' me down keepin' me out of it. Guess they got the message I'm supposed to be kept outta trouble.

"Got it." I nod at him.

Vamp B looks a little stunned, like she's in the middle of the blood lustiest thoughts right now. I take her elbow and lead her out the door.

This night's gonna be interestin', that's for fuckin' sure.

When we get back into the cell Vamp B pushes me off, then cold cocks me right in the mouth.

My lip splits open and her eyes get yellow.

Oh, fuck. Here it comes.

She charges me and I put out both arms, catchin' her and then pushin' her out and holdin' her at arm's length. She growls her frustration.

"You better take it down a notch, B. Get your ass to def con one real quick or you'll be a fuckin' pile of dust in a minute."

"Give it to me…" She whispers raggedly and narrows her eyes at my mouth.

"Not gonna give you shit, just fuckin' calm yourself down!"

"If I were your precious virgin Buffy, you'd give me anything I wanted." She gasps out.

She's got blood lust, but I can feel regular lust, too.

"If she was a virgin, which I happen to know firsthand she wasn't, but if she was you just fuckin' had her cherry popped by about a hundred cons, so shut your fuckin' mouth about her."

"She's in here, Faith…you could…have her. I'd let you do anything to her…"

 I let go of her for a second just to pop her in the face, then grab her with both hands again.

 "I told you to shut the fuck up!"

I can hear some of the other inmates whisperin' to their cellmates that something's goin' on in our cell. They're always lovin' anything havin' to do with listenin' to or watchin' fights or fuckin'. It's like a sports night for them.

Her eyes go from yellow back to normal and she looks like Buffy again, `cept kinda scared and worried for me.

"He did this to me."

"Who? Spike?"

"No, Angelus, he turned me."

"Shut your lyin' ass mouth, bitch! Angel didn't do shit."

"He turned me Faith…and said he was coming after you."

"Well I haven't seen him."

"He's dead, didn't you get the message? I put it in an envelope for you."

Somethin' in me fuckin' snaps and I let her go, givin' her another couple punches to the face. She takes `em like they're nothin' and then trades `em back to me for fuckin' real nice ones. My head's groggy after that.

After about fifteen minutes of tradin' blows I just wish I had a fuckin' stake, she's pushed me that far.

Gettin' inside my head, tellin' me shit about her and Angelus runnin' together and killin' more than just the three people they got her pinned for down Mexico way. When she tells me about how she almost killed and turned Dawnie, I fuckin' lose it.

I push her back into the wall and try my best to tear her head from her fuckin' shoulders. She manages to get a hand in between mine that I got around her neck and hooks her legs around my waist. She's grindin' for all she's worth and workin' herself up even more. Yeah, I smell it.

If I was into kink, my libido would be through the roof. But even though I'm not, and despite everything I've done to try and keep it down…it's still pretty high just from the fuckin' punchin' and shit we were doin'. Not to mention all of the fuckin' talk about fuckin' she was doin' in between the punches. I heard some shit about Angelus I'd rather forget, and some stuff about Stella that I knew already: about how good she was at head, but not good enough `cause she wasn't me.

Her face looks like she's bein' fucked and I can't take it anymore. I let go of her throat and snake my hand down into her pants. Not waitin' for a verbal invite, I shove three fingers into her soppin' hole.

"This what you want you fuckin' bitch?!"

"Yesssssss….." She hisses out and my own pussy contracts from the sound of her neediness. "Fuck me!"

Oh fuck me! What the fuck am I doin'? I can't help it, it's like I'm not in control anymore. Kinda like the Slayer's taken over.

She lets go of my waist with her legs and tries to push her pants down so I can have better access. I reach down with my other hand, the one that's not wrist deep in her pussy and rip the shit off of her.

She falls back against the wall and lets out a grateful moan. If people didn't know what was goin' on before, they sure as shit know it now. I hear, "Yeah, get that pussy!" and other shit like that.

I see her starin' at my mouth, she can still smell the blood. Finally, she leans forward and tries to kiss me and I push her back by the throat.

"Don't fuckin' try it." I increase my thrusts into her pussy and she moans.

Still doesn't stop her from thinkin' about my blood.

"I want a taste, give me one taste…"

Why can't I fuckin' tell her no? I think this even as I'm leanin' in and let her snack on my bottom lip. The one that's split. She sucks gently, and it makes me wanna kiss her, but I hold back. I can see her eyes rollin' in her head and she fuckin' comes like a Mack truck barrelin' down the highway outta control.

As soon as her pussy's done spasmin' around my hand, I lift her up with one hand on her shoulder and the other still in her pussy and toss her onto her bunk like I'm stowin' luggage in the overhead.

"You got what you wanted, now leave me the fuck alone."

"Oh god…that was…" She's still tryin' to recover from the monster orgasm she just had. "Oh, Faith, so good. Oh…"

I'm tryin' to control my own breathin' but the effort from the hard fuckin' I just gave her and my own need runnin' outta control is makin' it close to impossible. The smell and feel of B's pussy juice is also gettin' to me.

After about five minutes I hear snores comin' from the top bunk and an excited whisper from the cell next door. "Fucked her right to sleep. I knew she was a playa!" Some of the women let out low whistles, it's like a congratulations thing in here.

I know I'm gonna regret this tomorrow, but I can't stand the feelin' in my own pussy, so I help it out by rubbin' it a few times. In no time I'm comin' myself. Even had a weird thrill `cause her juice was still all over my hand.

"Weird" is fuckin' right.

Five minutes later, I'm joinin' her in slumberland.

"Hey." I say, happy to see her.

Buffy turns around and walks up to me. Just like the last Slayer/Vamp Slayer dream, she's all softness and sweet, `til she gets near me and slaps the shit out of my face.

"What the fuck, B!" I grab her arm to stop her from doin' it again.

"How could you, F?!"

"I couldn't help it!"

"Bullshit!" The look on her face changes to smartass, but deadly smartass. "Did you have fun with her?"

"What?"

"Was it good?!"

Somethin' hits me and I can't believe it.

"Wait a minute…you…you're jealous?!"

She lets out a dangerous laugh, one I don't wanna hear again. Ever. But I know I'm gonna.

`Cause that's what happens when you're Faith.

"Go back to your whore." She spits the words at me like it hurt to have `em in her mouth.

"Talk to me, B. Tell me why you're mad." I keep my voice even and soothing hopin' it works.

Her face softens, "I was starting to think it could work…"

"What?"

"The spell…us…"

"And I blew it…" Fuck, why am I thinkin' of all this? She's gonna be extradited to Mexico in a month.

"Mexico was…I can't even think about it."

"Did you feel anything?"

"For Angelus?"

"No, when she and I were…"

"She is me, and yes."

"Felt good, didn't it?"

"Why are you bringing this up?"

"It could be like that for us, B. Don't give up."

She looks at me curiously for a second and then she's all over me again. Suckin' on my lips and hoppin' up on my hips, pushin' us back into a huge boulder. We're still at the quarry. I suck on her tongue which causes her to moan and just like that my desire is through the roof again.

"B, we gotta stop, I need to go." I pant out at her after I pull away.

"Why?" She's tryin' to kiss me again.

"'Cause she's there…"

"Oh, and that's better than this?!"

"Stop it, Buffy! You want me to end up drained?! I gotta get back there to keep on guard. When I'm here everything else falls away."

She finally gets it and hugs me to her. I run with her still in my arms and jump into the murky water below.

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