'Everything's in order', I think, borrowing a phrase from Giles.

Furniture, dance floor, food, and music.

And people. Lots and lots of people.

Each of us had told a few people, who in turn had told a few people, who...well, you know.

It was like one site with a hundred links.

We even had people comin' from as far away as L.A.

Okay. Cordelia and Angel, but still.

A couple of weeks after our menage a' 'Three's Company', Cordy had packed her bags and set off to be discovered on a stool sipping a coke at a soda fountain counter.

Except the soda fountain counter turned out to be a FAT BURGER and nobody cared.

Not knowing anyone else in town, she had looked up Angel.

She hadn't seen him since Graduation day at Sunny D high.

Graduation.

I can still feel a sharp pain in my gut.

Not from the knife Buffy sliced me open with, but from the events that took place that I helped create. Besides the heinous massacre that happened, I could have actually had a hand in killin' the people that I now loved. That I actually always had.

I was just too fucked up to know it.

Buffy tells me not to think about it anymore. That it's all in our past.

In our Dark Days.

She says it's like an eclipse blocking the sun.

"Those memories can't change the past," she told me gently, "But it can effect our future. I need you here with me now, baby, in the present....it's like an eclipse blocking the sun," she had said.

In a nutshell?

Soul boy took pity on the poor girl, and took Nora Desmond in...

She was definitely no Lana Turner.

I guess he figured she'd starve to death if she kept deluding herself with acting.

He was always doin' stuff like that.

Anyway, the place should be jumpin' with people.

We got three couches and several chairs for the living room, lamps, a table or two. Stuff like that.

We're havin' food catered from the local Deli. Platters of finger foods and other easy things to pop in your mouth.

We got sodas, seltzers, and booze by the barrel....okay, by the bottle, but we got a lot of bottles.

But the coolest part, again, was the training room.

We had rolled up the floor mats, and rented a wooden dance floor. We hooked up with a DJ that knew Oz, and he has a lighting system complete with disco ball and strobe.

He's even got a fog machine if we want it.

But remember the four cameras?

Willow reset the specs so they wouldn't overheat and burn out from tryin' to catch all the motion. Now all four cameras move on a timer. Every thirty seconds. The huge screen is gonna look wicked cool with all the lights and sweaty bodies movin'.

I plan on spendi'n most of my time in there. I can't wait to let loose and dance my fuckin' ass off. It feels so good.

We're pretty excited. Everyone's comin'.

Even Giles and Joyce.

Not together.

But who knows, they could wind up leavin' together.

It's not like it's a complete impossibility.

The last couple of days ran smoothly. Willow spends a lot of time here now that Tara's arrived.

B seemed a little jealous at first, but not too much. I guess she now knows what Red felt like when she first started hangin' with me.

"Oh, Buffy. It's just a Wicca thing. You couldn't understand."

Yeah. I bet that smart. I think Red was givin' it to her a little.

So the party is tonight. Just a few short hours away.

We're pretty amped up.

Buffy had another moment like the other day, when she wanted me to hold her in the morning. She really clung on to me and I even saw a tear or two.

She said it was just opening jitters, cus of the party.

Of course I had to make a joke about me making her opening jitter.

I made a joke because it started to nag me after all.

Buffy is usually pretty right-on with premonitions, and we've all learned to listen to her.

But she wouldn't say anymore on it, so I let it be.

The DJ came a few hours early. He took command of the training room, and set up all his stereo equipment and lighting. He was way excited about the cameras and the big screen.

Well, at least we think he was excited.

"Bitchen. This rocks."

It's easy to see why he and Oz were friends.

And we did ask, when Willow wasn't around, but he said he hadn't heard from Dog boy since he split.

The first people to arrive were Giles and Joyce.

And no, still not together.

They just happened to show up at the same time.

Boy, was that awkward.

We were all still runnin' around, tryin' to get things together before more people showed up. So we left them with drinks and a place to sit on the couch.

"Ah...um...Yes," Giles would said.

"Quite," Joyce would reply.

Maybe it was code for something, cus it sure didn't make sense otherwise.

Giles would fuss with his glasses and cluck.

Joyce on the couch, sittin' forward with her legs tight together, holdin' her drink with both hands.

I almost said, "Heya, Joyce. Almost didn't recognize you, with your legs all together like that."

But I think the fluffy cat T-shirt I got her from Vegas, was the last time she'd allow me to get away with anything like that again.

Besides, she was painfully uncomfortable anyway.

"Ah-hem. May I offer you another beverage?" Giles gets out.

"Oh yes. With alcohol, please. Make it a double."

Poor Joyce and Giles.

I think it was the band candy incident that changed the rep that most school bands had to deal with.

Suddenly it became Sunny D's coolest clique to be in, and everybody was signing up to play an instrument.

Pretty soon more people showed up.

In fact, they were comin' in droves.

My buddy, the bouncer from the Bronze, said they had closed up early cus nobody was comin'. He pulled up a stool by the front door and said:

"Hey, I'm still on the clock. You might as well put me to use."

So we got ourselves a bouncer.

The place got so packed it was almost claustrophobic.

Xander had to make a few extra booze runs, cus everybody was drinkin' like fish. I guess we should have gotten barrels after all.

I had lost Buffy a while back, but then I spotted her standin' by the refrigerator. It was kinda weird, cus she was talkin' to Candy, the waitress from the Espresso Pump that I used to...well...pump.

Oh shit, I thought. Here comes trouble.

But then she turned around and it wasn't B after all.

But she sure looked a lot like her.

Minus the lip piercing, of course.

Wow. That's fucking wicked far-out.

She was like B, but with an edge.

"What are you eyeballing, slick?" Cordelia says to me.

She had come solo, Angel being afraid that the party would last until dawn, and well... dawn and Angel don't do so well together.

Dawn. As in the early portion of the day.

Just in case you were wondering.

"What? Oh, nuthin'," I mumble.

"Sorry, let me rephrase that. Who were you eyeballing?" Then she spots Candy and goes all nutty.

"What is she doing here???"

"I dunno. It's a party, Cor."

"You didn't invite her, did you Faith?" she accuses.

"I didn't invite two thirds of the people here, Cordy. But no, I didn't invite her."

"Oh shit, Buffy is talking to her. Oh my god, what is she wearing?"

Something not very Buffy-like. Which made sense, seein' as she wasn't and all.

A really trashy tube top, circa 1975. It actually looked pretty hot. Super tight bondage pants and quite a few silver bangle bracelets and some kick-ass rings.

The fuckin' bitch was rockin'.

Cordelia narrows her eyes, "That's not Buffy. Unless she was eating sushi with the hook still in it."

"Fucking rad, huh, Cor?" I stare at the girl.

"She doesn't look that much like her. Okay, maybe for a second. But Buffy doesn't look like that...unless she's started doing crack or something. Did Buffy start doing crack, Faith?"

I scowl at her. I get her meaning.

"Of course not, Cordy. Geez, give the girl a break already. So she's into alternative fashion, so what?"

"No, Faith. Alternative fashion is a three piece leisure suit or Parachute pants and a Member's Only jacket. This girl is wearing yesterday's trash."

"Different strokes, Cor."

"Get over it already. Dance with me." And she drags me to the dance floor.

The place is packed wall-to-wall with sweaty bodies...the music was pumpin' and the big screen was jumpin'.

Every once in a while the DJ would hit the fog machine and it misted up the place real nice. It felt cool against my sweaty neck.

Someone passes me a drink and I guzzle it. Damn, I'm so thirsty.

Cor and I move our way further into the middle of the floor. I start to spin, and people moved out of the way to give us more room....

Fuck, I miss this.

The DJ had asked what type of music to bring, so I gave him a list. I told him anything else was okay, but he had to bring what was on the list, too. He said it wasn't a problem. He had them all.

I guess he saw me in the crowd, cus he started spinnin' the CD's I asked for.

"Fuck, Faith...you're whirling like a dervish, are you on herbal stimulants again?"

"Nope, Cordy. Shut up and dance with me."

And I take her hands and hold them up in the air as we move.

I start to move us around the dance floor, spinning and pullin' her to me, running my fingers through both our hair. Someone passes me another drink and I down it.

I don't know what it was, but it was sweet and now I'm even thirstier.

Fuck, it's hot in here.

We pass by a table with some long necks on it, and I grab a couple.

I open my throat up and let the liquid pour down. In my hetero days I was pretty good at givin' head. Fuck, I'm still good at givin' head.

I just prefer the soft stuff now. It strikes me as funny, and I throw back my head laughing.

Fuck Fuck Fuck this feels FUCKING good.

I down two-thirds of the next bottle, when suddenly it's snatched from my hand.

What the fuck?

"Slow it down, River Phoenix. You don't even know whose drinks these are. That's not very smart, Faith."

"Relax, Cor. They were both full, so no one's touched them."

"Well, that's insane logic."

"Pull the stick outta your ass, Cor. Either shut up and dance with me, or get the fuck off the floor."

"I'm telling Buffy," she says, and pushes her way off the dance floor.

Whatever, you fucking narc.

I spin around and put my hands in my hair, then in the air.

It's much better this way anyway. I can really let loose and not worry about hittin' her precious face with my elbows.

I really don't give a fuck about the rest of the people.

Either get with the program, or step the fuck off.

I look at the DJ and he gives me a thumbs up. I flip him off.

He grins at me. Yeah. At least he gets it. And right now he's my fucking best friend, cus he's got the music and the music's got me.

I get between a couple that's dancin'. I turn my back on the girl, and I let my hands slide down the guy's chest while he smiles at me...

And then I shove him hard, turning around to face his girlfriend. I put my hands around the back of her neck and I smile, pullin' her near to me. I bring her closer and move my body to sway with hers, keepin' our faces just inches apart.

She's surprised, but she slowly smiles and gives me a nice sexy look.

I laugh and spin her around, pushing her back to her boyfriend. Fuck it's hot in here. Where's that drink?

Someone give me a drink!

Did I say that out loud?

Cus suddenly three hands are in front of me, each holdin' a different kind of drink. Hell, why not. I smile and take a shot of tequila, lickin' the guy's neck for salt. I bite him.

I take the next drink and make a face. We bought umbrellas? Shit, that should have warned me. Gross sickly sweet Mai Tai or something. I grab the Corona and tilt my head back; I chew on the lime and then grab the guy and kiss him, shovin' the rind into his mouth with my tongue.

Yeah baby, Faith is BACK.

The music suddenly changes in style, and I recognize B's song for me.

Sonique. I made sure I put it on the list.

B.

Where is my baby?

I need to dance with her.

She should be here shortly, cus we promised to dance to this song together.

You always make me smile...when I'm feeling down...
Your love it feels so good ...
And that's what takes me high...higher than I've been before...
...your love it keeps me alive
Thought I should let you know...that your touchin' means so much.

...It's you I'm always thinking of.

"BABY!" I yell, "Baby, WHERE ARE YOU??"

And then I feel her hands wrap around my waist, and I lean back into her.

B. My baby.

I lace my fingers on top of hers and bring them down to my thighs...I run them over my hips and dip toward my pussy. I shove our fingers between my legs and she rubs me.

Fuck.

I pull them over my stomach and onto my breasts. I squeeze my fingers on hers and she massages them, teasing the nipples.

Shit.

I pull our hands higher and run her hands through my hair. I spin, pulling her into me, and I kiss her. Mmmm. She tastes like cloves. Her lips are so sweet. I run my hands over her ass and pull her tight to me. We grind. She's tonguing me up and I let her.

It feels so FUCKING good.

Something bumps against my lip. She got a snaggle tooth or something? But then she sucks on it, and I don't care anymore. I love when she sucks on my lip.

She makes me so hot, I swear I'm seein' double.

Suddenly everyone looks like Buffy.

My baby in my arms, and the pissed off lookin' chick next to Cordelia.

Cordelia. Fucking black cloud.

Yeah, you gonna go narc to Buffy? Well, she's right here in my arms, and we're doin' just fine, thank you.

Go rain on someone else's parade.

I feel like fucking.

Nobody is gonna miss us if we have a private party of our own.

I whisper in her ear:

"Let's go pitch a tent, baby. I wanna fuck you on the floor."

She grabs my hand and pulls me off the dance floor, pushin' people out of the way.

Haaaaa...my baby is HORNY for me.

I'm gonna fuck her good.

I turn around and wave to the DJ. He looks at me like I've got two heads.

Like he's scared or something. What the fuck is his problem?

He's not my best friend anymore.

I've got all the friends I need right now. And she's gonna fuck me 'til my head spins.

We stumble through the living room. The sweat must be pourin' in my eyes, cus I can't see very well.

Everything is so blurry. Fuck it's hot in here.

Hey, it looks like Joyce and Giles are still here too. I grin at them as we rush by, stumbling.

They both look kinda weird. I guess they figure that me and Buffy are gonna go fuck, and it's freakin' them out.

Sorry.

Your little girl, and your little Slayer, ain't so little anymore.

In fact, she's a pretty big horn dog. Just look at her pullin' me across the room!

Buffy tries to open Tara's bedroom, but I pull her back.

"No baby, upstairs, remember?"

She ignores me, and keeps tryin' to get the door open. I think it's locked.

I hear the black cloud's voice comin' from the kitchen.

" ...what are you gonna do about this? You can't let that skank crack-whore get away with it. DO something for god's sake!"

Whatever. I guess she did find someone else's parade to rain on.

Buffy finally remembers that we're stayin' in the loft. She pulls me up the stairs, and I fall giggling.

"Damn, Baby. Cool your jets, I'm not goin' anywhere."

Fuck, she's horny. She's draggin' my ass up the stairs, damn near pullin' my arm off!

We don't have any lamps or anything in here yet, but the moonlight comes partially through the balcony French doors and I can see her eyes starin' at me.

She's like a cat.

She pushes me on top of the comforter and the blankets on the floor, and starts makin' out with me. She unzips my leather pants and it rips.

Oh-oh...

Oh, fuck it. I get her top off and I'm suckin' on her nipples.

Both of them.

Hmm. Her breasts seem a little bigger. I can't always get both of them in my mouth at the same time. I must be gettin' good. I run my hands over her ass and I tug at her waistband.

I tap her.

She ignores me and keeps kissin' me, fuckin' with my nipples. Hello! I'm tappin' your ass. That means unzip your pants and help me pull them off, remember?

I'm about to say something to her about her rude behavior, ignoring me and shit, when the door bursts open and a sudden stream of light comes pourin' in from the hallway, blinding me.

I blink and put a hand up to shield my eyes.

"Get the fuck off her, you skanky whore," the black cloud snarls.

Buffy stiffens and looks up at her.

"Fuck, Cor...it's not Three's Company right now. But if you ask me real nice, maybe I can talk Buffy into it."

"Faith, you are totally fucked," she says to me.

Yeah, okay.

So I'm a little fucked up...but what of it? It's a party, for fuck's sake.

"Who's Buffy?" Buffy asks.

What? She hit her head or something? She's actin' like a loony tune. She snags me with her tooth, ignores me at Tara's door, drags me up the stairs, ignores my tapping...and now she's asking who SHE is?

She's Bizzaro Buffy.

Cordelia's not playin'. She's plenty pissed.

"You've got until three to get your carcass off of her. One, two...Fuck this!"

And Uber bitch yanks my girlfriend up, and slings her out the door.

"Heeey..." I say.

"Shut up, Faith. You've really done it now. You've just embarrassed Buffy in front of the whole party, not to mention her mother and friends. I don't think you can fix it this time."

I get pissed.

"What are you talkin' about? Buffy wanted it as much as I did. I can't help it if Joyce's daughter is a horn dog. Why does everyone always assume that it's me?"

"Because it is you, you retard. You can't be serious! That wasn't Buffy, Faith. It was crack-whore fashion victim."

I blink. What?

"Who? You're crazy, it was Buffy."

"No, Faith, it was Candy's friend."

She looks at me for a minute, and then softly says:

"I'm taking Buffy back to L.A. with me. You need to get your shit together. Please, Faith. You seriously need to snap out of it...or you're gonna lose her."

She turns and leaves, shutting the door behind her.

Leaving me, and a sliver of moonlight, alone in the darkness.

BUFFY'S POV:

I'm so numb I can't feel anything.

I have goose bumps, so it must be cold, but I don't feel anything.

I push in the cigarette lighter. When it pops out, I bring it to the palm of my hand. I smell flesh burning but I don't feel anything.

I picture Faith kissing that girl and running her hands all over her...and I don't feel anything.

"Are you fucking insane, Buffy? Don't do that," Cordelia takes the lighter from my hand.

I lean my head against the window and close my eyes.

Why can't I feel anything?

We're almost to L.A. We should be there in a few minutes.

There being Angel's.

He's waiting for us.

Cordy had called him from her cell.

"...it's really bad, Angel. Like you and Buffy, bad. She's practically comatose."

I heard her say more words, but they began to drone. I'm numb and everything sounds like humming.

All I can think about is that I knew it.

I knew something bad was going to happen.

I felt it two days before, but since nothing happened that day, I had tried to ignore it when it happened again this morning. Or yesterday morning, I guess.

It was almost four o'clock the next day now.

Besides the whole thing just being a fucking nightmare, seeing Faith kissing and groping that girl on the dance floor to my song...seeing the DJ's face as he looked at me, realizing that it wasn't me dancing with Faith...and the people smiling and crowding around them, oblivious to my pain.

And Cordelia taking my hand and squeezing it; seeing Ronald and Xander, Willow and Tara, all looking at me with such shock. All of that, and what really sticks out the most in my mind is my mom's face and the look of disappointment from Giles.

I felt like a ten year old, with one hand down my pants and the other one in the cookie jar.

I felt so ashamed and that I got caught.

But now I'm just numb.

Cordelia parks the car in the underground structure of the hotel and grabs my bags. She puts her arm around my waist; as much to steady herself as it was to steady me. She was struggling with the bags. I really didn't care.

Leave them.

The elevator rides up, and the doors slide open to show Angel standing there. Concern and love on his face.

I start to collapse and he takes me in his arms.

"I'll take this up to a room," Cordelia says, and leaves me with him.

He holds me as we stand there; it seemed like an eternity. And I remember when I used to cry hoping for moments like this.

But now I just feel numb.

He tries to get me to move, but I'm frozen. He waits a moment longer, and then lifts me into his arms and carries me upstairs.

He takes me to his room.

I don't move as he lays me gently onto the bed.

He kneels by the side and takes my hand. He looks at it for a long time and then he brings it to his lips, kissing it.

I feel nothing.

He looks at me and so many emotions pass on his face.

I remember again how I would always look at him, praying for some sort of sign to show itself so I could know whatever it was he was feeling.

I don't remember ever seeing it quite like this...

...but still I feel nothing.

I'm over him.

And then I crawl up into a little ball and finally let myself cry.

I've just lost the two loves of my life.

"...for the sixth time, no, you can't speak to her. And even if she wanted to, I don't think I'd let you," Cordelia says into the phone.

Faith has been calling nonstop since nine o'clock this morning.

We were all still sleeping, but the machine had taped her messages.

"Baby? Buffy, baby, please pick up the phone. I need to talk to you," she said, still a bit slurry.

And:

"Goddammit, Angel. Put her on! Take your fucking dead hands off her, and hand her the phone!"

Followed by cursing.

And:

"Hey, Cor. How's the DEA doin'? You fucking bitch narc."

Followed by a lot more cursing.

And:

"Buffy? Baby, I love you. I didn't know. I swear...I didn't know."

But now we were awake, and Cordy's been fielding the calls all day.

This was the sixth time she's called since we've been up.

"That's real nice, Faith. Why don't you go fuck yourself with that mouth?"

I can't take it anymore, so I go back upstairs to Angel's room.

He's sleeping, and I crawl into the bed to curl up next to him. I want to take comfort in the warmth beside me, but there just isn't any.

Living corpses don't generate much heat.

I remember my morning wake-up call from the day before, and the warm feeling it always gives me.

Not just from what she was doing to me, but from her body as well.

Faith is so hot-blooded, you can just feel the red liquid coursing through her veins.

I shiver.

I pull myself closer to Angel and snuggle.

Better a dead body, than no body.

I never used to think of him that way.

He used to make me feel so alive, that I didn't even care that he wasn't.

But it suits me fine this way.

I know that he's dead, and it fits the way I feel inside.

There is no conflict.

I continue to hear the phone ring every ten minutes or so, until it becomes every twenty minutes and then every thirty.

Then it just stops.

I try to take comfort in that she's given up, but then it starts to fuck with me, and I get up and go downstairs.

"I think she's finally fallen asleep, Buffy," Cordelia says as I look at her.

She looks at me closely, and I can see dark circles under her eyes. It's taken a toll on her too.

"Thanks, Cor. For being my friend," I say.

"Of course I am, Buffy. But I'm Faith's friend, too. To be honest with you, and to be fair to her, that girl really did look like you. A skanky you, but she did look like you."

I know what she means, because a few people had pointed that out to me. Tara and Xander, for two.

I had looked at the girl closely and thought so myself.

A hard-core version of me; something I knew would be attractive to Faith.

I had found out she was a friend of that coffee cunt and was about to throw their asses out, but then I saw them arguing and the coffee cunt left.

Fine by me. I never thought my doppelganger would be the real threat.

Cordelia had assessed the situation and quickly packed some bags for me. She told my mom and Giles where to locate me, and left Willow and Tara in charge of the fort.

She had asked Ronald not to let this effect any of his business decisions concerning Faith.

He smiled understandingly, and then he had said:

"I'm no stranger to drama. Love can be a bitch."

Faith had been right about her feelings about him.

"Do you want to talk to her?" Cordelia asks me.

I shake my head.

"Didn't think so," she said, spreading some cream cheese on a bagel, "Here, eat this. You look like you're about to keel over."

I take it from her and devour it.

She raises her eyebrows at me and hands me another.

"Careful, I started out with five fingers and I expect to keep it that way," I look at her apologetically, and take it gently from her hand.

"That's better, Buffy. Why don't you try to get some rest before the phone starts ringing again."

"No, that's okay, Cor. Why don't you go get some rest yourself?"

She smiles ruefully at me.

"No, no rest for the wicked I'm afraid. It's partially my fault this happened anyway."

"Why do you say that?" I ask surprised.

"Because I knew something wasn't right. She was acting like the old Faith on the dance floor and I ignored it at first. It was so fucking sexy, I didn't want her to stop." She looks at me embarrassed.

"That's okay. She's hard to resist that way. It's not your fault."

"But it is, Buffy. When she started drinking anything she could find, I knew there could be a problem. I know she can normally hold her liquor, I wasn't worried about that, but her blatant disregard for what could be in those drinks alarmed me."

"But that's when you went to come find me," I tell her.

"Yeah, but I didn't right away. You were busy talking to Ronald and Willow, so I decided to go to the bathroom. I waited in line for a while before I remembered you had one upstairs. It was only after that, that I came and got you."

"How long do you think that was?" I ask wondering.

"I don't know. About four songs, maybe?"

Four songs? Lets see, we're talking about the long versions of Chinese Burn, Killing in the Name of, More Human Than Human, and Closer.

Because that's when the music changed, and then Sonique's It Feels so Good came on.

That's plenty of time for whatever was in the drinks to metabolize in her Slayer's system.

My girl was fucked up.

But I don't care.

"She still should have known it wasn't me. I know when it's her a block away without even seeing her."

"But you've never been fucked up like that."

"Then she shouldn't have let herself get fucked up," I say defiantly.

"I don't think she did. Not consciously anyway," She looks at me with those dark circles, "Look, I'm not saying you shouldn't be mad, but just consider the circumstances."

"Oh, but I am, Cordy. That's what pisses me off."

She shrugs, "Okay, suit yourself," And she makes me another bagel.

A few hours later the phone starts ringing and Angel answers it.

He's awake and he's rather cautious around me.

We're distant.

"Angel Investigations," he answers.

He glances at me and says into the phone:

"No, I don't think that's a good idea. I'm not up to anything, so there's no need for you to come down here. No, I'm not...no, she's not...no, WE'RE not. Stop thinking that way, you're only making things worse."

She thinks we're up to something. Good. Let her.

"I slept in my own room...and she slept in hers," he lies.

Cordelia looks at me, knowing better.

I ignore her.

I go upstairs to Angel's room and shut the door. I'm not dealing with this.

A few minutes later, Angel knocks at the door and lets himself inside. I'm lying against the headboard clutching a pillow to my chest.

I hear the phone start to ring again downstairs.

"Buffy, you can't keep avoiding her. She's hurting real bad, and you can't let her go on like this."

"What about me? I'm hurting too," I say angrily.

"I'm not saying you aren't. But I think you're more pissed than actually hurt."

"What would you know about that? I recall feeling that way for you and it never seemed to bother you."

He pauses.

"That isn't true, Buffy. You know it bothered me. But that couldn't be fixed and this can."

"You gonna try and fix this too, Angel? You care more about my relationship with Faith than you did about ours?"

I'm being a bitch and I know it. So he shouldn't have let himself into the room.

Okay, so it was his room, but he's the one who put me in it.

He gets a no-nonsense look on his face. I hate that look. It usually means he's gonna say something I already know but don't want to hear.

"You're a big girl now, Buffy. You were a child when you were with me. You acted that way because you didn't know any better, but now you do."

I just look at him.

"I know that we're over. I knew that the minute I kissed your hands, before you crawled into a fetal position and cried yourself to sleep. I knew it wasn't me you were crying for. It was Faith."

Emotions cross his face. I can tell he's hoping I'll deny it.

I just say:

"Leave me alone."

He looks at me one last time and walks out the door.

I'm restless again. Something is stirring inside of me and I know it's not hunger.

I'm horny.

I'm just so used to having constant sex whenever I wanted it, which was whenever she wanted it, and that was all the time.

Plus that sick jealousy thing I get that always makes me horny when I see or think of her with another person.

Whack-job Buffy.

I fidget awhile to keep myself occupied. I twiddle my thumbs. I shift around on the bed to get more comfortable. I pick at my cuticles and stare at my nails. I need a manicure. I start to touch myself, but then hurl my body from the bed and head downstairs. I inch myself to the door, listening to Cordelia on the phone.

" ...and you can stop calling too, Willow. What is this, tag-team dialing? Buffy doesn't want to talk to any of you. If she did, don't you think she would have called you by now?"

It's kind of true. I hadn't really thought about what Willow was thinking. I only called my mom to tell her not to worry.

She kind of pissed me off, too.

"Buffy, I understand you're embarrassed. Believe me, I've been embarrassed by Faith too...no, never mind when, that's not the point. But we had a long talk and I believe her. You need to come home."

"I'll think about it," I said to her, and then I hung up.

"Oh, that's real nice, Willow. Your mouth is worse than Faith's. Why don't you go fuck yourself with it, too? Or better yet, why don't you go fuck EACH OTHER with it?"

Heeeey. Okay, that's one visual I won't get off on. That's just oogie.

Cordelia hangs up the phone and sighs. She looks up at me.

I shake my head. She shrugs and goes back to what she's doing.

I wander back upstairs and go into the room that Cordelia put my bags in. I reach inside and pull out the dirty Rob Zombie T-shirt that Cordelia had accidentally packed. I hold it to my nose and take a deep breath.

I feel a pang so deep in my chest that it nearly knocks me over.

I crawl into the bed and pull the covers over my head. I fall asleep holding her dirty shirt close to my face.

I wake up to the phone ringing at one thirty in the morning.

It rings and rings and rings. No one is picking it up, and the answering machine isn't either. I figured that Cordy was probably asleep, but where was Angel?

I hadn't seen or heard him since I told him to leave me alone.

Why isn't that machine picking up?

After the twentieth ring, I go downstairs and answer.

I hear Willow.

"Listen, you WEAK MINDED WHORE. If you don't put Buffy on THIS instant, I'm seriously considering putting the mojo on you. Tara has the final ingredient ready to go. You HEAR me, you ADDLE BRAINED BITCH??"

"Will, it's me," I whisper.

"Buffy? Oh thank goddess! What is going on? Why are you there? Faith needs you, come home now."

"I really don't think it's any of your business, and I don't care what Faith needs," I say forcefully.

"None of my business? Have you been smoking dope? She made a mistake and now you're making a bigger one. Buffy, it's all of our business! Did you forget that we live on the Hellmouth? Word has already gotten around that the Chosen Two are having a spat and the whole fucking place has come unglued. The WHOLE FUCKING PLACE! It's just crawling with vamps and demons and more are coming. Buffy, we just came back from patrol and everybody's freaked out. Ronald got too close and Giles had to take him to Sunnydale Memorial. Xander got a dislocated shoulder and Faith is getting the crap beat out of her. She made us leave cus she said she couldn't handle it alone and watch over us," she pauses.

"Buffy, we're scared. We're okay, but she's gonna get herself killed."

"I'm leaving now. I'll get there as soon as I can." And I slam down the phone.

I don't know how, but I need to get there.

I look up to the top of the stairs and Cordelia is walking down, she's carrying my bags.

"How?" I simply ask her.

"In a limo with Angel. Ronald already ordered it, and it should be here now. Don't worry, this is Los Angeles so the windows are plenty tinted. We have a lot of celebrities here who don't want to be spotted. Angel will be safe."

"How did you know?" I ask, as I throw on some clothes from the bag.

"I didn't. I overheard Angel on the other line talking to Ronald. I'm assuming something bad has happened."

"That's an understatement," I say, lacing up my Nikes.

"Whatever it is, Buffy, that's making you go back, you better make sure you fix this thing with Faith. I hate to be the one to remind you, but Slayers don't have a very long life expectancy. I'd hate for you to find out the hard way."

"I almost did, Cor...I almost really did." And I lean over to give her a quick hug and grab my bags.

She looks over my shoulder, and I turn around to see what she's looking at.

Angel is standing by the front door, and he's holding it open.

He's dressed in his trademark black trench coat and dark clothing.

I see the look on his face, and I feel an immense love for him. I feel something for him again, and it feels right.

I smile gratefully at him as I rush through the door.

"Angel, we need to motor."

We get there in record time.

The driver had been instructed to drive as fast as the car allowed, and that all repercussions would be dealt with. Plus, Ronald had offered him a thousand dollar tip.

We had a little over a couple hours left before sunrise.

Angel was able to help, and thank goodness, because Willow was right. The place was swarming with Evil.

It was like Mardi Gras, Hellmouth style.

The limo driver speeds away with a squeal of tires after dropping us off at one of the cemeteries.

Faith was going it alone, and she looked battered and weary.

A vamp comes up behind her as she's fighting off another from the front, and he whacks her hard on the back with something. I hear a loud whoosh of air escape her as she falls forward, staking the vamp in front of her.

He turns to dust, and since nothing is stopping her, she falls to the ground. The vamp from behind jumps her but she turns at the last minute. She pulls her knees up to her chest and catches him on his ribcage, hurling him backwards and slugging him hard in the jaw as he flies over her.

I hear a splinter of bone cracking before he lands with a thud.

In less than a heart beat, she's up and over him, driving a stake into his chest.

Angel had gone off in the opposite direction, chasing a gang of vamps that went running when they saw us. I run over to Faith, leaping over headstones and hurdling myself towards her. She spins around before I reach her.

Her eyes are wild and her hair is everywhere, she has her arm poised back to strike. She looks me over quickly to see if I'm hurt, and then she smiles, relieved.

"Baby, I thought I felt you. Are you okay?"

She felt me and was concerned if I was okay!

I feel so ashamed. I throw myself into her arms, burying my face in her hair.

"I am now, Faith. Can you forgive me?" I choke into her neck.

She kisses my head and strokes my hair, "That's not even a question. Let's go home, baby."

I pull back and look at her.

"Angel is here," I say quietly, wondering what her reaction might be.

"Then he'll come, too."

And we go off to find my former lover...and hopefully, our new best friend.

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