Chapter 7

Holy shit. How did we get here? I mean. I know how we got here, an' damn, it was good. But I mean. How did we get to this place? I'd ask B, but she's knocked the fuck out, snorin'. I'm tryin' really hard not to laugh too but its' really funny. I bet if I told her she snores she'd get all pissy with me. I run my fingers through her hair and sigh. This is probably about the worst possible thing I could have done. But fuck if I'm not happy right now. Well. Happier than most times anyway. In the back of my mind I know somethin' is going to make this all go to shit, but I don't hafta worry about that right now.

Right now the only thing I gotta worry about is Buffy. Oh. And that Dante guy. Hrm. I roll over a lil onto my back an' B snuggles closer, throwin' a leg over mine an' tryin' her fuckin' hardest to make me her body pillow. Shouldn't I be feelin'...trapped or something? Cause I don't. Instead I'm laying here with a big fuckin' smile on my face tryin' not to disturb her. Jesus. I get one chance to be all up in Buffy, an' I'm already actin' like a retard.

What was I thinkin' about? Right. Dante. So I'm wonderin' what the deal is here. Most take- over-the-world types don't wanna keep us out of the way safely. Usually it's a keep-us-out- of- --the-way- permanently deal. Somethin' ta bring up with Giles. I just don't know how to get him word without someone listenin' in. Buffy's breath huffs out all warm against my neck and I shiver.

"Faith. Sleep now good." Heh. She's even cute when she's barely awake.

"How'd ya know I was awake, McSnorington?" Her arm tightens around my middle at that.

"What?" I bite my lip to keep from snickerin', but she can hear it in my voice.

"Faith. I do NOT snore." Sure ya don't.

"Uh huh. Musta been some other convict." Only she's the only one in my cell besides me.

"Better not have been."

My brow comes up at that. Does that mean this is more than just connectin' with someone just cause she needs it?

"I mean. I...this thing...I want it. But I don't want to keep doing it if you're going to sleep with other people."

 Is she fuckin' kidding me here? She's already laying down rules like were together? I snort at that.

"Wow, B. Ya didn't even wait for the wet spot ta dry."

I pull away from her an' reach over the side of the cot for my jumper. She blinks an' reaches out for me but I avoid it easily. Dunno where I'm gonna go cause this is my place but I'm gettin 'the fuck out of here. Nice. Real fuckin 'nice.

"Wait! I didn't...Faith!"

I'm tryin' to pull my tank back over my head when she swings me around to face her. I'd like ta pull away, but Buffy won't let me go that easy. Yesterday she could barely keep me offa her, today she's fuckin' Iron Man. Go fuckin' figure.

"Faith look at me, please."

I do, but it's not a nice look. She doesn't flinch but she does let go of my arms.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply that you'd...you know...go around doing anyone that comes your way or anything..."

"If this is your way of makin' it better, B, it sucks."

She stops an' blinks at me.

"Look, I get it. You don't want me fuckin' around."

Buffy starts to follow me out of the cell but I give her a shove back in there, "You gonna put clothes on or what?"

Buffy looks down at herself and turns a bright red before skittering back into the cell to grab her clothes. It won't take her forever to get into them, but I'll be long gone before she's even done. I gotta admit. That happened a fuck of a lot faster than I thought it would.

Buffy didn't disappoint. I grumble an' take the stairs down two at a time before leapin' over the rail near the bottom and takin' a quick left. Which puts me nose to chest with the same guard that saw me an' B earlier. My head is slow to come up but I hold my ground.

"What?"

"Are you in a hurry to get somewhere?"

No, I'm just blindly runnin' away from my cell just because. I give him a glare.

"Look, I don't got time for this shit. What do you want, huh? Free show? Lil bit of pussy? Drugs? What?"

He blinks a few times before coughing.

"None of the above," He looks uncomfortable, "What happens between you and the other is none of my concern."

Um. Wha? Since when does that happen?

"My job is to keep you as safe from Dante as I possibly can."

Okay. What the fuck?

"Now is not the time, but perhaps after the dinner hour?"

Do I trust him? Nope. But I kinda wanna see what this shit is about.

"Where?"

He glances around then nods in the direction of a hallway. I don't know where it goes cause I didn't have enough time to figure shit out before I got into that fight.

"Laundry room. It will be private."

"Yeah right. You think I'm gonna go to the laundry room alone with you? That's just askin' for a beatin' an' rape. No thanks."

Somethin' about what I said makes him squirm.

"Try again."

"Can you think of another place to meet?"

No. But then I don't exactly want to be meetin'. I sigh an' nod cause I know I'm gonna meet up with him anyway.

"Until then."

He walks away from me, an' when I turn to watch him he's already gone. What the fuck?

"Faith!"

Shit. She caught up with me while I was wastin' time with Mr. Mysterio. With a growl I turn an' watch her bounce down the stairs to me. Before she can say anything I grab her arm an' drag her down the hall. I don't know where I'm goin' but I'm pretty sure it's more private than in front of a row of cells.

"What are you doing?"

"Shh."

My senses search out the space around us, but if anything is out there I can't tell.

"Listen. Forget that shit. We gotta talk about other shit." It's harsh enough to make her stop an' gape at me.

"Oh..kay. I have to talk to you about something too, but..."

Jesus. She's not gonna let this rest is she? I put my hand over her mouth.

"Mmrmmphm."

"Is this shit between us more important than innocent people?"

A beat of silence before she shakes her head no. Thought so.

"Then later. Right now we gotta be big girls and do some work. Like it or not." Her little lip pokes out in a pout an' goddamnit now I feel bad. Shit.

"So what's up?" I give a nod an look around just in case.

"How much do you know about the kid?"

Buffy gives me a blank look and I sigh. Crap. I better go easy on this one.

"B...the kid. The one you think you hurt. How much do you know?"

Her face goes pale and she turns on a heel and walks away from me. Are you fucking kidding me? I bolt after her.

"Hey! Knock that shit off, B."

"Knock that shit off? KNOCK THAT SHIT OFF!?!"

Uh-oh. I'm in trouble.

"I can't just knock off what I feel, Faith! Not about that, not about you, not about anything!"

Now it's my turn to blink. I gotta remember why I was so stoked to see her pissy before. Oh yeah. Cause it's better than the fuckin' lifelessness in her eyes before.

"Jesus Christ, what is wrong with you that you don't understand that?"

What's wrong with me? Lots of shit. I grab her arm before she can turn away again.

"You want to talk? Fine. I'll talk your fuckin' ear off,"  I'm gonna kick myself in the ass for that later I think, "But not right now. Not about that. Now focus, B, cause I think we might be in some serious shit here."

Okay. I want to strangle her. I probably want to strangle her because she's right more than she's annoying. And frustrating. No wait. I don't want to strangle her because she's right at all. I glare, but cross my arms over my chest and nod.

"Go on."

"How much do you know?"

 I shrug. Next to nothing. I mean. I didn't really want to know anything about him.

"Okay this is gonna take some time. Let's get the fuck outta here. Shouldn't be that many people in the library right now."

It's funny. Years, and I don't know how many thousands of miles later, and we're still trying to figure out our game plan in a library. I follow Faith, only flinching when someone looks our way.

She notices and slings an arm over my shoulders as we walk.

"Jesus, Buffy, no wonder you were getting' picked on. There's not one person in this joint you couldn't take. Why you so scared of them?"

Um. Because I could hurt and kill them.

"You know what were capable of."

I don't think I should have to say more than that. Aside from the mistakes of her past, Faith just put a woman in the infirmary. And she was holding back even. She pushes in the reinforced glass door to the library and gestures to a corner that's relatively private. I settle onto a wooden chair and sigh.

"I cant take that risk again."

"First of all...you don't hafta kill a person to knock them the fuck out. Second, what I'm capable of an' what you're capable of are two different things. I know you think you did the unspeakable, but ya didn't."

So she says. But I saw him. I felt his blood coating my hands. I could smell death on him, thick and hot and sickly. I did that.

"You weren't there. You don't know what it was like. There were so many demons. Back-up was on the way. I knew it, but I had to keep hacking and fighting."

My eyes drop from her face and I swallow hard.

"Every time one fell, another took its place. Somewhere along the line I went down and they just...piled on. There were so many of them, all biting and clawing and I knew...I knew it was the end."

I look up at Faith but she's silent. Just watching me.

"Something changed in me, Faith. Right then...something changed."

A shadow moves behind her eyes and she closes them in pain.

"And then?"

"And then I killed them all."

I became wrath incarnate. All I knew, all I sensed, was rage. And I slaughtered them all. I don't have to say all that. She knows. I can feel a trill of excitement through our connection and I know that in some way she's responding to the violence of it all.

"I was so lost I never saw the boy. Not until I had..."

Cut his head from his body. It was so easy. As if there was hardly any bone and muscle to cut through. That's when I knew I'd made a mistake.

"You weren't supposed to see him, Buffy."

 I blink away the pools of salty tears in my eyes.

"Why do you think the cops showed up before back-up?"

Um. What? I blink at her a few times before shaking my head.

"Sounds of a fight?" I don't know.  It all happened so fast.

"Yeah, and they just forgot about the piles of bodies you cut through except for the kid?"

Well. I...hey!

"While you were here, I was out tryin' ta come up with some good explanations. Turns out someone's payin' Slayers to look the other way. That's why your nearest back up never came. They weren't even in that part of town."

"That's...that can't be Faith. They're Slayers. They're...good."

She gives me a look that clearly says I'm being dumb.

"But..why?"

I just can't Imagine why anyone in the organization would do that. Hey. I've had my share of betrayals in my life, but this is...it's not one person after me. It's a group of people breaking down the one thing that my entire life has been about. Faith's dark eyes cloud and she looks away from me.

"Because sometimes the power, the money, the rage...it all gets too much."

Sometimes I forget. That not everyone thinks like me. That the world isn't so black and white.

"I tracked down a demon. He wasn't too talkative at first, but he gave us somethin' to go on. I handed him off ta G hopin' he'd have more luck."

My brow comes up. He wasn't talkative at first. I don't want to know how she got him to talk.

"What did you find out?"

Faith is watching me carefully.

"You know, for someone that was ass-deep in denial about twenty minutes ago you're takin 'this all really well."

She's right.

"I don't think I've started to process yet. Are you going to tell me what he said?"

She nods. Okay. Let's hear it. I have the funny feeling that whatever Ramsey has been trying to tell me will make sense now.

"He said he did some favors for a demon named Dante. All he told me was that he was supposed ta keep Slayers blinded by the bling."

I'm assuming that means paid off. Okay. Dante. That's the second time I've heard his name. I don't think I'm going to like this very much.

"Dante?"

She nods again. "Know 'em?"

I shake my head slowly at that.

"Not so much, no. But I've heard the name."

Her lips pull down at the corners.

"When?"

"The day of the fight. One of the inmates came up to me. I think she's a demon or a half breed of some kind. She said not everyone was on Dante's side. It didn't mean anything to me then...and to be honest..." I hesitate and Faith inches closer so that our knees touch, "I was more concerned about you."

Her shoulders slump and she nods like she knows. But she doesn't. She has no clue how I really feel because she won't let me talk about it. At least. Not at the moment.

"Mm. Well. Dunno how many of them are in on it but I'd say a good fair amount of the guards are keepin' both eyes on us."

My brows raise. How does she know that?

"Sometimes the voices I hear aren't in my head."

Oh. I give her a nod and look around. It's not that well stocked of a library but it's quiet and it's calm.

"None of this changes the fact that an innocent is dead because of me, you know."

Faith mutters. "I don't think that was a kid."

So it was what exactly? A four foot tall demon in a Batman T-shirt? I bite my lip and shake my head. That's a lot for me to swallow. Even with the faint blossom of hope rising in my chest.

"Buffy, listen ta me. Just for a second."

Her voice changed. It's softer now. I look up at her and realize she's exceptionally close to me. Not that I mind.

"You did not kill an innocent kid. You were set up. Dante wants you in here. Wants you like this. An you're givin' it to him."

Well what else am I supposed to do? I give a soft huff of despair at that. "So how do we deal with this?"

"By meeting up with your new friend. An' by tryin' ta figure out if this guard is for real or just playin' me."

Guard? What guard? Didn't she say the guards were in on this? I open my mouth but she shakes her head.

"Just ran in to him before ya reached me. Said we needed to talk after dinner in the laundry room."

"And you agreed?" Because that doesn't sound very...safe.

"Yeah. But you're comin' with me. From here on out we do everything together. You good with that?"

Everything? God that sounds like it's perfect. I don't have time to answer before the dinner buzzer goes off. We must have spent more time having sex than I realized. So do not mind.

"I think it's for the best." Yes. That's me trying to sound nonchalant about that.

 I don't think it worked;  Faith just snorts and stands.

"Hey...don't think that our talk isn't going to happen. I fully acknowledge the extreme imminence of figuring this Dante stuff out, but we have things between us. Unsaid things."

"We got too many said things between us too."

I knew she was going to punk out on that.

"But a deal is a deal. After this thing tonight." Relief courses through me. Okay. Tonight then.

Chapter 8

I'm not nervous. Not about meetin' this guy. I'm more worried about the stupid talk I'm supposed to be havin' with Buffy after all this. Fuck. I give a sigh before pushin' my tray away from me an' resting my elbows on the table. Buffy looks up from her food and gives me a look.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothin'. What makes you think there's somethin' wrong?" Besides the fact that I'm singin' with enough tension that I could pop at any minute.

"I've never seen you pass up on food before."

Oh. That. I shrug slightly at it then glance at her nearly empty tray. Her appetite must have come back. It kinda makes me smile but I cover it up by slidin' her my tray.

"You're not going to eat that?"

"Nah, B, help yourself."

She gives me another look before takin' my roll with a quick snatch of her hands. I can't hide the smile this time. She smiles back at me and we bump shoulders lightly. Why can't it always be like this?

"So what's wrong?"

Oh yeah. Cause B never gives up. I sigh an' shake my head but I'm still smilin'.

"Just thinkin' about all of this. Thinkin' about you."

And me. About us. What it could mean, what it could cause. There are too many variables. Ya know? Like one little thing could make this disastrous.

"Thinking about our talk?"

I nod at that and she reaches out a pale hand to rest on mine.

"Look. I know you said later and I'm all for that. I just want you to know that no matter what happens...I don't regret one second of what we shared."

No? I didn't think she would. I mean, okay, I know this is arrogant or whatever but it's me we're talkin' about. When it comes to fuckin' pussy, I'm the greatest. No fuckin' lie. I love pussy. I love it so much I've made fuckin' it my top priority the past few years. If I could spell better I'd write a fuckin' book about all the ways to lick, suck, an' fuck pussy.

"Ew. I totally felt that. God, you're egotistical."

I blink at that before shrugging. I can faintly feel her disgust through the connection.

"C'mon, B, you know I'm the best ya ever had."

I'm tryin ta keep us from getting' too heavy right now. We gotta keep it light until we see what all this Dante shit is all about.

"So besides the point."

Uh-huh. She's blushin'. I grin and duck in ta give her a nip on the shoulder. For a second everything is totally perfect. We could make this work. If we wanted it bad enough. Right? Isn't that what normal people do or some shit like that? Buffy reaches out and tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear. I can still smell myself on her skin as she traces her thumb over my lower lip. Ungh. My clit throbs once in reaction.

"God, you're easy."

We chuckle at that as I catch her thumb between my teeth. I'm not actually bitin' just holdin'. Some of the noise of chatter dies down as the rest of the inmates clue in ta us. B doesn't seem to notice. Or if she does, she doesn't care.

"Tell me somethin' everyone else doesn't already know."

"You're in love with me."

Uh. My mind instantly goes blank. Like someone left the TV on an' all you can see an' hear is static an' snow. One perfectly arched brow goes up an' my eyes are drawn to it.

"Am I wrong?"

Lie. Lie, if you value your life!

"No." FUCK!

Buffy nods once. "I love you too, Faith."

Okay. Okay. It's cool. I can breathe. No one is gonna die. Or get beat up.

"We can work out the details later. I just...needed to know where we stand."

I get that, I guess. My head dips in a slow nod. Everythin' seems to be happenin' so fast. But maybe it's not. Maybe it's all happenin' just right. I dunno anymore.

"Together. We stand together, B. Always." She nods and smiles.

"As much as Id like to sit here and let you charm me all night, I see Ramsey."

I turn in the direction she nods toward. All of my Slayer senses go on high alert. She doesn't look like a threat as she makes slow rolling steps toward us. But everything inside me says that she's one badass bitch when she wants ta be. It makes the hair on my arms stand on end. Buffy gives me a soothing caress an' I relax. Buffy nods to her friend who takes that as an invite and sits at our table.

"Ramsey, this is Faith. Faith, Ramsey."

I'm pinned with an intense golden regard. We're sizin' each other up in that not so subtle way. An' if she doesn't break soon I'm gonna break her face. She doesn't really back down but she does give me a slight nod lettin 'me know that she knows my place in this here party.

"It is good to see you up and about. You looked rather...abused when they brought you to your cell."

Abused? I was knocked the fuck out. I blink an' look ta Buffy.

"I know. It's like a girl convict version of Giles."

Huh. I glance back to Ramsey an' consider it. I guess it is. But G would be way more stuffy about it.

"Time is running short, Faith."

I nod at that. We need ta get to the laundry room soon.

"You are going to meet a guard, no?"

Oh this just got more interestin'. I glance at B, but she nods. For some reason she trusts this...woman. Whatever else she might be she's definitely female.

"You know this how?" I'm not so ready to trust just yet. But that's just me.

"Vikrant is my brother. We came here together."

Huh. Well isn't that nice an' tidy. I drum my fingers lightly on the table top.

"He told me..."

"I'm not done askin' my questions."

She closes her mouth with a click an' I can feel Buffy tense up next to me. She doesn't like that I'm bein' mean to her friend. But I don't care. I want some answers an' the only way I'm gonna get any is if I bully them outta people.

"Who are ya, an' why are you so keen ta help us?" I don't think every demon is bad. It's just been my experience that not a whole lot of them are as noble of heart as Angel was.

"That is something I would not care to explain here. But I understand the need to know what is happening before we all meet in the laundry. We are Kromanah. Perhaps to you, nothing more than another demon breed. And in truth, our people would prefer to keep it that way but the balance has shifted and sides must be taken. We chose that of the Slayers."

I'm a pretty good judge of when a person is lyin' ta me. An I don't think she is. Oh, I don't think she's tellin' us everything, but it's enough that I'll wait an' see what they have ta say.

"Good enough. Let's go meet good ole Vicky."

"Vicky...heh."

Well she just got points for chucklin' at that one. I'm guessin' her brother is gonna be none too thrilled with his new nickname. Buffy starts to get up but her girl, Ramsey, is quick to put a hand on her wrist an' keep her from that.

"Perhaps I should leave first. It would seem odd for us all to wander off together."

She lets go of Buffy when I level a gaze at her hand. "My apologies."

"G'wan. We'll be there in a few."

She nods and gets up with casual ease. I watch her walk away for a second before pinnin' B with my gaze.

"You trust her?"

"Mostly. She's holding something back but she hasn't lied to me yet. So far she's been what she says she is."

Yeah. So far. That's the part that worries me a lil bit. Well. We're short on options so well have ta give a little trust here.

"Do you?"

"Dunno yet. I'm with you though."

That earns me a nice big smile. I love seein 'that smile.

"Knew ya were in there somewhere, Sunshine."

I reach out an' touch the tip of her nose with the tip of my finger. Buffy's eyes cross as she looks at my finger. Her nostrils flare just slightly an' her pupils dilate. Uggnnnnnhhh. Whatever she's thinkin 'just went straight through our connection directly to my clit.

"We have somewhere to be."

I blink at her.

"You tryin ta convince me of that or yourself?"

"Both of us, I think. Come on."

Fuck. Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!!! I growl and stand. This is probably the first time ever I'm glad I don't have a dick. At least I can walk outta here without everyone knowin' what I'm thinkin' about. Wait. This is me. Why do I care about that? I smirk nice an' big before raisin' my brow at B.

"This is one of those times I have to play bitch to you, isn't it?"

Yup.

She doesn't seem too broken up about it when she gets up and tugs at the front of my jumper like she's leadin' me on somewhere private. Sometimes I hate it when savin' the world is more important than my pussy. Still. I've waited for this for years. I suppose another couple of hours won't kill me. We walk out of the cafeteria without a problem, an' probably would have made it all the way to the laundry room if Gorilla-bitch hadn't popped up.

"Going somewhere?"

I sigh an' glance around us as women fill in the gaps an' spaces where a person could run to. Hrm. Either this is a set up or...this is a set up. So much for trustin' B's lil buddy.

"You wouldn't be going up to the library would you?"

Um. Wha? I blink an' glance at Buffy who shrugs at me. She must not know what's goin' on either.

"Oh don't look so surprised, we caught your little friend while you two were playing footsie."

Bodies move and Ramsey is pushed forward on to the ground.

She looks a lil beat up but not nearly as bad as she should if they worked her over. An' I know that they did. She glances up at those fuckers an' I swear ta god that her eyes glow fiery yellow for a second. I stop Buffy from goin' to her. She'll be fine. Speakin' of fine. Ramsey isn't the only one that looks better off than she should.

"What do you want?"

I know what she wants. She wants Buffy. Her tiny lil eyes drift from me to B. Motherfucker. I knew it.

"You have to ask?"

Fuck that. I move in closer to B, an' run a hand down her arm. It makes that bitch's eyes glaze over.

"You want her?"

She nods once. I chuckle.

"Too fuckin' bad. She's mine."

I'm just about ta wrap my arm around B's middle when she ducks around me, hands lingerin' on my chest as she leans in against my back. I chuckle at Ditto an' shrug.

"You couldn't handle her anyway. Not even all healed up like ya are," I let my eyes roam over her body. Mm. Demon somethin'. But it doesn't smell right.

"Oh you think so? I could have had her a hundred times before you even came here," She flexes to show how okay she is. I snort. Still couldn't handle B. The bitch snarls at me an' I grimace. Jesus. What the fuck is wrong with her mouth? It's like a goddamn toilet.

 "I'm thinkin' the only way you get any pussy is by knockin out your prey with that nasty stank mouth of yours. What'd ya do? Gargle with raw sewage?"

 Probably that comment wouldn't have been so bad if Buffy didn’t' hafta bury her head between my shoulder blades so she could hide her laugh. Ditto snarls and gestures to her crew.

"Get them."

I give a sigh and look over my shoulder at Buffy. She looks so fuckin' cute with her green eyes just peekin' over my shoulder. Well. Guess this is it. We don't even bother to move until the very last second. It's like the yard fight all over again. We move like were dancin' or fuckin'. I could go for either right now but a fight will do. None of them are the women that attacked me before. Those chicks were chumps. These ones know what they're doin. Problem is…even if they were demons, B and I still wouldn't sweat 'em.

"STOP!"

I don't. I take one last punch to the face of the woman that was about to take her own swing at me. She collapses to the ground like a sack of lead shit. Heh. Bitch. My eyes slowly roam over to Ramsey who has Ditto in a strangle hold.

"Leave them."

I know she's not talkin' to us, but damn the way she's lookin' at everyone makes me feel like she is. Buffy leans against me just a little as they all give us space. I look at her with my brows raised.

"I think the jig is up, B." She nods.

"Way up. Now what?"

Good question. I look at Ramsey and give her a short nod. She releases Ditto with a shove. One that puts her right into my arms. I smile at her right before I head-butt her. Fuck! She's got a hard fuckin' head but she slumps to the ground in a spray of blood. She's not gonna have much nose left after all these fights.

"Good plan there, Stud."

Hrm. I think I kinda like that new nickname. I give Buffy the most dazzling smile in my arsenal.

"I thought so. So what about them?"

I'm not even botherin' to look at the rest of them. Most of them are taking stock of the injuries they just got.

"If I were them I'd realize that this is the part where they run."

I shiver at Buffy's words. Goddamn I love when she gets scary. My smile turns predatory just before I glace at the few women bothering to try an' stare us down. Glances turn away, heads bow an' feet get ta shufflin'. That's right motherfuckers. Run.

"And this one? What shall we do with her?"

Ramsey's voice makes me look away from the retreating forms. I grab one of Dittos arms an sling her over my shoulder. Jesus. She doesn't just look like a gorilla she's as heavy as one too.

"We can't leave her. But if we take her she'll know too much."

Uh huh. Which means it's better ta kill her an' be done with it. I open my mouth to say it but I get cut off before I get anything out.

"No Faith, we can not just kill her. I know she's a piece of crap on a stick ,but…I don't think she's done anything to warrant a death sentence." 

Oh yeah? How about puttin' her hands on you? I growl at that but heave the heavy body on my shoulder into a corner.

"Fine. Let's get the fuck away from here. Guards will be all over the place soon enough."

I start away not really carin' who's following. I want this day over with already.

"Vikrant?"

Okay. You know what's creepy? Finding out that the only person you've been able to call a friend for a long time, has eyes that glow. I mean it's not really that big a deal. Most of my friends from time to time have had cause to have glowy eyes. I've just never seen them glow from so close before.

"I am here."

A light goes on and we all blink away the flashes that cut our night vision out.

"Sorry."

I can hear Faith just barely grumbling about it.

"What has happened? Ramsey??"

He rushes to her side but she slaps at his hands almost like she's annoyed.

"Trouble. I believe they are on to us as humans are wont to say."

Someone has got to teach her how to loosen up.

"This will make leaving all the more difficult."

Leaving? Whoa there. I don't recall anyone saying anything about leaving. I am NOT leaving.

"Hello? Does anyone want to tell us what's going on?"

I'm pretty sure Faith would have asked the same question with a lot more cursing if she had been fast enough to. Matching amber eyes turn to regard me. Oh. Pretty.

"Well? Kinda waiting here, and not that I don't have oh say a life sentence to wait on you, but I could be doing other things right now."

I turn my head to let my gaze wander down Faith's body. She starts when she feels exactly what I'm thinking.

"Cut that out. Tease."

Tease? I open my mouth to argue that, but Ramsey and her small mountain of a brother nod. I think that was more for themselves than for us.

"Our time is short but I will explain what I can."

Why do I think this is going to take way more time than we actually have?

"There is a demon, an old one, named Dante."

We know all this. Moving on?

"It has long been that demons and humans share this world because there is no other option. It can not be conquered as its defenders are strong and fearless." At that statement she gestures to me and Faith. "And for many of us it has been the only home we know."

We look at each other then smirk and look back at Ramsey. Hey, job well done and all that. Right?

"So what happened? This Dante douche decided ta try an buck the system?" That's my Faith, always to the point.

"Well put."

This is from Vikrant. I blink at him and note the fact that for his size, he has a really gentle voice.

"Dante is only the name he took in this world. He is much, much older than that. And he has been planning this for a very long time."

How long? Probably longer than I've been alive I'm guessing.

"He has been watching for weaknesses. He found one."

In me. I nod at that even though he has the manners not to mention it.

"We get it. He wants ta end the world. Don't you guys have any original sinister plans?"

I have to bite my lip. Ramsey has a slightly annoyed look on her face. I don't think she likes being lumped in with the bad guys.

"Apparently not."

I can hear the amusement in his tone. I think I kind of like him.

"Those weaknesses he exploited, landing you, Buffy, here. I do not think he expected Faith to wind up on this side of the bars with you, but then I think she doesn't often do what people expect."

 Boy does he ever have her pegged. I chuckle at that and look away from her outrageous stare.

"In any case we came here, hoping to help in anyway we could."

Ah-ha. So now we get to it.

"And what exactly are you trying to help us do?"

"Save the world?"

I have to laugh again at the man. Demon. Man demon. Whatever.

"Or at least help you get out of here to save the world."

"Yeah, I kinda sorta get that. What I don't get is why? Why help B? We don't know you from Adam."

Yeah. Good point. I blink at Ramsey who clears her throat and stalls him from speaking with a hand on his shoulder.

"We are because the Elder wished it to be so. Our people would not have willingly chosen the side of light, but this is bigger than the will of a nation. The world itself is at stake. After this place? Then what? What other home will be ravaged and its people destroyed?"

So this really is about the greater good. I really thought I had a handle on the honorable demons but I don't think I ever realized that even the evil ones have a code of honor.

Well, this is all well and good. But the fact remains that I'm not going anywhere just yet. I look to Faith who must read my mind.

"Okay. Good to know. Thanks for the offer but well get back ta ya on that."

She takes my hand in hers and tugs me away from the siblings. I follow because I've suddenly found myself wanting to. I'd follow Faith anywhere. Just as long as she's still holding my hand.

She waits until were far enough to not be heard before she lets go of my hand. Damn.

"So…what do you think?"

See? This is me not getting upset about her letting me go. This is me working on the problem at hand. I'm rewarded for my patience when Faith's warm arm settles over my shoulders as we walk.

"I think they're still not tellin' us everything. Who the fuck is this Elder person anyway? An' who said were goin' anywhere anyway?" Relief floods my body and I shrug slightly.

"I really don't know. All I know is that the more I think about it, the angrier I get. I was set up."

Faiths steps slow as I speak. She looks down at me with an expression I can't quite read.

"I know. You and everyone else have been trying to tell me that from day one. And while I know a part of me deep down already knew this…I needed to get here on my own. And before you ask…no I'm not over it. I don't think I'll ever get over the feeling of killing a child."

Even if it wasn't a child and he was already dead. Though I'm not positive on either of those things, I am positive about something.

This wasn't my fault.

Faith grunts and gives me a nod. "Sometimes B, the heart doesn't wanna forget."

I have to look away from her.

"Have you? Forgotten?"  I know it's a shitty thing to ask her but she's the only one that understands. A soft sigh makes me glance up at her from under my lashes.

"No, B. There ain't no forgettin' for the guilty."

 No. I suppose not. I swallow hard and nod at her.

"But that shouldn't stop you from movin' on, bein' better. Bein 'more."

We stop at my cell door. I didn't think she'd walk me all the way here.

"What more is there, Faith? What more is there left to give?"

Because as long as I've been a Slayer I've been more and given more than anyone should ever have to. So when does that end? When can I be free?

"When ya don't gotta ask me that you'll already know the answer."

Oh…kay…cryptic much? I start to say it, but she leans down and gives me the single most perfect kiss of my life.

"Tomorrow, B. Right now we got too much to think about. Get some sleep."

I watch her walk away before I realize that she totally ditched out on our talk. I knew she would. Great. I sigh softly and slip into my cell to settle on the cot. Wow. Talk about roller coaster days. I wish I knew when this one was going to stop. I'd like to get off now.

Chapter 9

It's morning. I cant' see the sun in my cell but I know cause my body can feel the sun. I've never told anyone this before but when the sun comes up a lil part of me is scared. Like most vampires an' demons, whatever helps me kick ass doesn't like the light very much. I roll over on my side an' let my eyes drift open. Guess now is as good a time as any ta start my work out. Fuck it's early. And it's cold. I shrug into my jumper. Ya know what I miss about the outside? Space heaters. Where ever I ended up I forked out a few bucks for a space heater to warm my clothes up before I put them on.

Creature comforts. I smirk when I feel the other end of my connection's confusion. Somethin' is goin' on with that. We're...connected. Always were. But ever since I came here it's been stronger. I can almost always tell where she is now. Or what she's feelin'. If I try. I should ask her if she's feelin' it this strong too. The cement of the floor is cold against my palms as I start my push ups, but I barely feel it when I get a warm rush of affection from B. She's thinkin' about me.

On my twenty-eighth push up my elbows give out on me, an' I crash face first onto the ground. Fuck. Rollin' onto my back, I cup my nose an' mutter. If it weren't for the fact that B's thoughts just turned triple x-rated I'd be real pissed off. Damn. I dunno what she's thinkin' but whatever it is it's good. Shivers chase themselves down my spine. Fuck the work out. I get back in bed, kickin' off my clothes as I go. Yeah baby. We're about to take jillin' off to a whole new level.

I'm startin' ta wonder why I was so pissed off at havin' ta wake up early. My hand goes down between my legs. Damn. I haven't even had time to think somethin' dirty an' I'm already wet. Well. Not as wet as Buffy was yesterday. I groan at the memory.

She looked so fuckin' tasty with her ass in the air an' her head down. Her pussy was so pink an' swollen with need. Ungh. I can feel her respondin' to me now, curious an' eggin' me on. Jesus. She's teasin' me an' she's no where near me. My clit throbs an' I use a callous on the edge of my thumb ta stroke it. B's end of the connection makes me gasp raggedly an' arch my hips up. I bite my lip an' concentrate on what she's feelin'. Dominant. Hungry. Oh fuck me. I hope ta hell that means she wants ta fuck me hard. Time ta switch up from strokin 'to thrustin'.  It's hard an' fast an' I can tell she wants me to slow down. Don't ask me how I know, I just do. I growl out in frustration an' slow my pace, easin' back from the orgasm that was so close a second ago.

I'm pretty sure she's amused at my frustration. I can just picture her chucklin' at me. God she's sexy. More. She wants more. I add another finger an' let my pleasure slide along the connection to her. I swear I can hear her moan if I close my eyes tight enough. My legs come up, givin' me more room an' a better angle. A thrill goes down the line an' I hiss. More. She wants...more. I don't even question it, I just do it an' fuck if it doesn't make me wanna scream an' buck an' grip until I come. 

But I can't. Not yet. She won't let me. Now...I know on some level that I could end this all right here right now and have my happy time my way. But, somethin' tells me it's gonna be so much better if I play this game her way. I bite down on my lip and give a deep groan as I twist an' rock with my own thrusts. Buffy went from just at the edge of my senses, to more. It's not really me anymore, it's her usin' me. Usin' my body with just her thoughts. Heat flares at the top of my head and drizzles down my body like slow honey.

Oh. Christ. The air goes out of my lungs and I open my eyes. I can feel myself echo against B's presence in my body. My head turns slightly to look down the line of my body an' I whimper. I've always know that I've had decent looks, an' I've always known when someone wanted me. But I've never felt someone wantin' me before. A fresh flood of wet slicks my thighs and coats her hands.

She likes it too. I can feel her pleasure vibrate along my skin like a soft hum. Jesus. I've never felt anything like this before. My thighs quiver at the hard pinching pressure on my clit, an' I cry out. I think I just woke up the entire block. Fuck if I care. Buffy laughs almost audibly and I whine a lil. She's gotta let me go soon. I don't think I can hold on my longer. I send out a plea for mercy down the line.

Her breath cools over heated skin between my legs but it only lasts a second before a fire breaks out all over my body. It feels so good it fuckin' hurts when she brings me over. My toes curl as every muscle in my body clenches an' contracts. My eyes close an' I can see her body pearly white in the dim light. Her thighs quiver with the last wave of orgasm when she pulls her hand free. I don't question the hows or whys of what we're doin here, I just know that it's fuckin' awesome.

The next time we fuck it's likely ta kill me.

That wasn't a complaint or anything.

We're able to hold this warm link for a few minutes before the buzzer goes off. Fuck. At least B is just as annoyed as I am. I feel the connection fade back to the low hum in the background of my thoughts. When I'm able ta sit up I notice the complete lack of sound down the row. Weird. I inch to the bars with a soft grunt and use my mirror to look out.

Every mirror is pointed towards me.

"Shows over, assholes."

Heh. Well, I'm probably gonna hafta be real careful the next time I'm in the shower but it was fuckin' worth it. It doesn't take me too much longer than normal ta get cleaned up an' down to the mess. B's already there waitin' on me. I grab a tray an' bump her shoulder lightly with mine.

"Hey, B." Her smile sets my world on its end.

"Hey yourself, Stud."

I like the sound of that.

"I love it when ya stroke my ego."

Whatever slop they're servin' today gets dropped on ta my tray. My nose wrinkles but whatever. I've had worse. S'long as it's not still movin' we're good ta go.  We're getting' looks but most of the people here don't give two shits about us. Vicky boy passes us with just the barest hints of a nod. I raise a brow slightly to acknowledge him before B an' I grab a seat at one of the far tables.

"Are these eggs?"

Probably supposed ta be but who knows what they really are. I shrug an' poke at what I'm pretty sure is oatmeal. I give it a tentative taste. Yep. And its not bad. It only kinda tastes like paste.

"I don't see Ditto around. You think she's in the infirmary?"

Maybe. I glance around the room an' sure enough, no Ditto. I give Buffy a grin.

"Is it too much ta hope she's dead?"

Her laugh makes my heart tingle. Yeah, I said it, so fuckin' what.

"I think that's about as likely as me and Xander having a love child."

Okay I gotta blink at that. I open my mouth ta comment but B puts her fingers on my lips and shakes her head.

"Hey...I'm not the one that slept with him, so don't even start."

Oh yeah. Well. That shit was a long time ago. I give her a teasin' growl an' bite the tip of her fingers.

"That was two an' a half minutes of my life like forever ago."

We share a laugh at that. I'm glad that she doesn't hold that against me. Or ya know. Fuckin' Beefstick. God. That was...I don't even know why she was with him. He wasn't that cute. He wasn't good in bed. He didn't even wear leather. I still don't know what the attraction was.

Buffy's voice nudges me out of my thoughts about Whitebread.

"So that was a trippy way to get happy pants this morning, huh?"

Happy pants. Heh. Sometimes ya just gotta love the way B puts things. I watch her fiddle around with her eggs a little. I think she might be a nervous about all that.

"You're tellin' me. Here I was getting' through my mornin' push ups, an' bam, your inner sex monkey came a callin'."

Buffy's mouth drops open in awe. Oh man, what I wouldn't give for a camera right now.

"Buh...you....I..."

Oh this is fuckin' priceless. I crack up laughin' and wrap an arm around her waist.

"I do not have an inner sex monkey. I don't even know what an inner sex monkey is."

This is good. The jokin' an' shit.

"And it is so not my fault that thoughts of you make me excited. I've been riding the repression train for a long time. Once you let go there's no turning back on these things, Faith. No turning back." She looks at me oh so seriously before givin' it up and gigglin'.

"I always knew you were a closet freak."

She pinches my inner arm hard. OW! I take my arm back an' rub the stop with a mock glare.

"Keep it up blondie, an' I'm gonna start refusin' ta put out."

Okay. We both laugh at that one. I'm about as likely ta refuse B as she is to refuse me at this point. Which is not at all.

"Yeah, that'll happen two days from never."

Well, she's not afraid ta call me on it anyway. B finishes what's left on her tray an' eyes mine. I tip it sideways an' give her half my eggs an' the rest of my toast. The fact that she's this hungry is a good sign. If we're gonna survive bein' stuck in here with shady cops, demons, and prison bullies she's gonna have to get her strength back up.

"What's the plan for the day?"

Well. It's visitors day. Which means were not gonna get to see each other until probably after lunch. But we can workout in the yard then. Maybe talk a little. Okay who am I kiddin'? I'm gonna be tryin' ta find ways to have my hands all over Bs tight little body. Oh yeah. Thoughts of that flood my brain.

"Faith!"

Wha?? I blink an' shrug.

"Sorry."

Not really. But she knows that. Buffy shakes her head with a chuckle.

"We can catch up later in the yard. You gonna be hangin' out with your buddy?"

Buffy nods. "Probably."

I give a slight nod too. I don't like it much but I don't have a reason to get pissy about it. So far Ramsey has been on the up and up. Maybe I'm just a lil bit jealous.

"You Don't like her much do you?"

It's hard ta answer that without getting' distracted by other things. But I did promise this so I shrug.

"It's not that I don't like her B. She seems alright. I just don't know what she wants outta this. It makes me wary. Plus she's not ugly."

She nods at it and munches a piece of her toast.

"Are you afraid that I'm going to hit on her or something?"

Uh. No. I give her a wide-eyed blink.

"No, but that doesn't mean she won't want ta hit on you."

Another nod.

"You don't have anything to worry about, Faith. She doesn't want that from me or she would have said so by now. And even if she did...I'm pretty sure I'm taken."

Sweeter words were never spoken, ya know? I smile at it.

"Yeah? That's good. I was gonna feel real stupid bein' jealous if ya didn't wanna be my girl."

"It's not a matter of want anymore, Faith. I wanted you in high school. Now it's need. I need you. I need to be with you. And...I just... I guess if I have to be the right now girl for you, I'll do that. But I'm willing to try anything. Because I love you and I know you love me."

I like how she's makin' this huge grand statement while gettin' her eat on. I reach up and brush some crumbs from the corner of her mouth.

"If we do this, B, it can't be for the right now. It's gotta be the now and forever for me."

I can feel the surprise through our connection.

"I've been hidin' from this for too long. An' I'm not perfect, relationships aren't my thing, so I'm gonna fuck up. Probably a lot. But..."

I gotta look away. Its' a lot to say that I haven't said before.

"You don't just feel someone the way I feel you. You an' me we're it for each other. I hope you know that."

"Wow. You really know how to make a girl swoon."

Huh? I blink an look over at her. Buffy reaches out her hand for mine an' we lock fingers.

"This is it, isn't it? It's really happening this time?"

Oh yeah it is. I swallow hard and nod maybe a little too quickly.

"Don't laugh, but you're my first girlfriend."

Buffy swallows the laugh before it comes out when she realizes I'm serious.

"You mean that don't you?"

I nod an' raise a shoulder in a half shrug.

"Never thought it was worth it. I mean the sex was good but I didn't wanna set up house with a chick." It was always too big of a commitment before.

"Have you set up house with a guy before?" Well yeah. But I think I know what she's really getting' at.

"Ya mean have I lived with a guy before, and am I currently livin' with someone?"

She nods slowly. I shrug an' offer up a sigh.

"I've crashed with guys before from time ta time but it was never serious, B. Nothin' has ever been serious." Not like this. I give her a grin though. "Of course if I could remember where my apartment is I'd be able ta tell ya if I share it with someone, but...."

"You've been on the road that long?"

I nod. I don't even know how long I've been on the road. I just know that between Giles an' Robbie I've been busy.

"What have they been having you do?" I don't wanna say it because she'll feel bad. But if I don't she's gonna be pissed that I didn't tell her.

"Lately I've been tryin' ta find out what really happened to you. Every lead turned to dust for awhile. I got a lucky hit from a friend at uh...a specialty love clinic if ya know what I mean."

I can read the curiosity and squick feeling she's havin'. It's kinda funny.

"A demon brothel?"

Hey everyone has their kink. Who am I to judge?

"I don't even want to know. Nice diversion by the way, but you haven't told me what you doing before that."

Hrm. I'm gonna have to think of better ways of avoidin' her now that we're a thing.

"Wet work."

The two words drop like stones between us. Buffy flinches an' turns away from me. I think she's turnin' a little green.

"I thought you were working for us all this time." She already knows. I can tell in the way her back goes rigid waiting for my answer.

"I was."

Her head dips in a nod. I just confirmed some things she suspected I think.

"The things I had to do, B...it was for the greater good. I swear. I never took an innocent life."

I don't know why its important to me for her to know that. I pretty much figured I'd carry the burden of it better if I didn't care what anyone thought. But I care what she thinks. It's why we didn't tell her.

"Giles is a part of this?" I nod. "I kind of thought so. It's a little weird to think, hey the love of my life is a contract killer."

Yeah. It's kinda weird to think of myself as a contract killer but a spade is a spade.

"Does this change things?"

Her head turns slowly to face me.

"God, no. Not between us. With Giles...that's up for debate. Someone should have told me this before. It's like they were keeping all these things from me and I don't know how to react to that."

If I say the wrong thing here she's gonna be pissed at me. I nudge her gently with my knee

"B," I shake my head and start again, "Buffy, it was my call not to tell ya."

Her eyes darken an' I wanna look away so bad but I can't. I owe her the truth an' I won't be a pussy about it. I'll own it.

"I didn't want ya to know that I was doin' this. I didn't want you to think...that I was bad again."

Her breath comes out in a whoosh and I think that shocked her.

"Faith...that's...I wouldn't have, I don't think you're bad."

 Okay. That's good right?

"But they could have told me they were operating that way without telling me who it was doing it."

Yeah right. I give her a look. We both know that she wouldn't just accept a nameless faceless person torturin' an' killing for the cause. She'd want to do it herself. Take the blood onto her hands and live the guilt on her terms. And she'd end up exactly where she is now. Only worse off. I shake my head.

"C'mon Buffy, we both know it wouldn't go down like that."

After a long second she nods. "Yeah. I guess you're right."

She picks up her tray and stacks it on mine. We don't have much time before we have to split up again to go back to our blocks. I wonder if killin' a guard to get sent to her block would piss Buffy off. Probably. 

"I seriously need a shower."

I let the topic change go by without comment. She needs time ta process an' I get that.

"Yeah no kiddin'. Jesus B, if I had known ya wanted me that bad I'd have tried harder ta get ya naked before." She gives me a sharp jab with her elbow as she chucks the trays. Heheh.

"You can have me naked any time you want me when we get out of here."

 It's the first time she's said anything like that. I raise both my brows but don't say anything. I think she's gonna need more encouragement before she really commits ta wantin' out of this place. Which means I have a few calls ta make.

"So I'll see you later?"

"Yep."

Buffy pushes up on her toes and gives me a quick kiss on the lips before headin' down the hall to her block. I think that all went pretty fuckin' well. I'm practically skippin' to the common room. I hafta stare a bitch down ta get the last phone in the bank. It's not much more private but it's somethin'. I dial a backline that only a few people know. The automated operator asks for my name so it can politely inform the person I'm callin' that a someone in prison is on the line.

"Alpha zero two zero zero."

"Faith! I was wondering when you were going to show up on the radar again. Of course I wasn't expecting prison." I chuckle.

"Hey Xander. Listen, is this line clear?" There's a long pause before he answers.

"It is now. You want to let me know what's up?"

Boy is that ever a long story. I'll see if I can shorten it.

"I got myself tossed in the can to be with Buffy." Well okay I guess it wasn't that long of a story.

"Wow. Now that's what I call romantic. Did she reward you appropriately with naughty sweaty jail house sex?"

He sounds a lil too hopeful for someone that's supposed ta be talkin' about his best friend.

"Yeah, like I'd tell you. You should be glad I don't tell B what you're sayin, she'd kick your ass."

He chuckles at that an' it sounds nice. I miss him.

"No kidding. How's she doing? Any change?" He's worried. All this jokin' between the two of us was all for show. He's been dyin' ta ask about her.

"Doin' okay. She knows somethin' is up now though. Tell Giles I need some information on demons called the Kromanah. Might be some connection between them and Dante."

"Check. Anything else?"

"Yeah. Can ya find a way for us to have better communication?" He hesitates.

"That's going to be difficult. I'll see what the coven can come up with though."

"Good job, boyo. Now...get me Will. I need her help."

"Did you hear me, Buffy?"

What? Huh? Who? Oh. I blink at Ramsey and flush a deep pink. Her head tips to the side and I blow out a breath.

"I'm really sorry. What were you saying?" She grins and shrugs.

"Nothing of  import. You've been distracted since this morning. I take it things are well with you and the other one. Faith?"

As well as I could have ever imagined them to be. Well. Except for the B rated prison chick flick we're both in. What the hell was I thinking? How could I have been so stupid?

"Yeah. We're working things out. And...I'm starting to see what's been in front of my face all this time." I was set up.

"That is good. I had hoped that you would find your way soon. It will make getting you out of here easier if you are being cooperative."

I think that she means she would have tried to get me out of here willing or not. My look is significant enough warning for her to take a step back.

"That did not come out as I intended it."

"I'm sure." I give her another annoyed look, but go back to folding my stack of sheets.

"I only meant that should it become necessary, I would have tried to get you out at any cost. It is important that you understand your innocence in what has happened."

Vitally important,  I'd say. But hey, we're past that now. At least were trying to get past that. But on to more important things.

"So does that mean you have a plan for getting out of here?" Let me clarify. "For both me and Faith?" She looks around for a second before leaning in casually while folding her sheet, making it seem natural.

"Yes, but it is complicated and requires complicated magicks."

I really don't like the sound of that but short of digging my way out with a spoon I don't see any other option.

"It is true that it is more difficult to take a fourth, but I can see that one directly affects the other. It would be unwise to attempt to separate you."

Smart girl. At least she knows where I stand with that.

Too bad I don't feel comfortable telling her about my connection with Faith. It's terrifying and amazing and three million other things. And I feel so alone not being able to talk to anyone about it. I guess I should talk to Faith because she's feeling it too. I know that logically. But I just...miss girl talk. And Faith is definitely not the girl talk type of person.

"You don't know the half of it."

She smiles and grabs another sheet while I stack the newly folded one. We work well in a team. It'd really suck if I had to do these chores with someone as shitty as Ditto.

"My people will offer you as much help as we can when we get out of here. We are not many but we are fierce."

There are tons of demon breeds. So many that I couldn't possibly hope to know them all. So I don't know anything about her people.

"Can you tell me about them? Your family, I mean."

Ramsey pauses to shake out the balled up sheet.

"We are a handful of nomadic tribes around the world. For many years we lived in moderate coexistence with humans. The occasional Feast of Innocence was overlooked and in turn we kept the area clear of brigands."

Brigands. Boy that sounds like a long time ago.

"How old are you?"

Ramsey blinks at me in confusion. "I am not sure." Oh boy. Old doesn't begin to cover it. "I only know that I am the last of my kind born before the First Crossing."

Uh...huh. I feel like I'm in history class all of a sudden. "So you remember where you came from just not how long ago?"

"Yes. A social uprising forced my people and a large family of human traders out of Eastern India. We traveled together through much of Europe."

I...think she's talking about the first movement of gypsies. But that can't be she'd have to be like...whoa old.

"Wow. You don't look a day over jailbait."

That earns me a laugh.

"A healthy diet."

Yeah. And the occasional Feast of Innocence. Whatever that is. They probably ate babies. What could be more innocent than a baby?

"So not inspiring me with confidence in you."

"My apologies." She raises a shoulder in a shrug and I sigh. Again. I'm going to have to take my chances. We don't have very many other options right now.

"Hey I'm not so big on the judging these days. I am in prison after all." Not because I killed someone. Because I was stupid enough to believe I did. Then I let myself get carted off and pushed away my family and friends. Again. What the fuck was wrong with me?

There's another one of those silences where I stack and she grabs a new sheet.

"Yes, something that confuses me greatly. I have known you but a short time and yet I do get the impression that you would just lie down and take it."

She almost seems uncomfortable saying that. Almost like the phrase is too much modern slang for her.

"I'm not. Not usually. I'm starting to think there's something more going on with my state of mind than we all considered." Like magic. Or drugs. God. Why can't my experiences with drugs ever be happy and fun like everyone else? "Do you have any ideas about that?"

Another shrug.

"I would start looking at the changes in your life around the time you started to feel not like yourself."

Hrm. That's going to be a little difficult to pin down. When did things go wrong for me? How long has Faith been working for Giles? The only thing different was that I was seeing someone then. It doesn't happen often but I try to go with it when it does. No telling when you're going to be getting naked with someone other than yourself sometimes. But that couldn't possibly have anything to do with it could it?

"There wasn't much out of the ordinary. You know the usual. Break up to make up to break up because the make up wasn't that great,"  I chuckle at that and smooth out a wrinkle, "But Jamie is one of the good guys. He's worked with Slayers for a long time before I even met him. He's the one that helped Xander implement the pat..." Patrol rosters. Mother fucker.

"Buffy?"

"Never mind. The sooner we get out of here the better."

Ramsey nods solemnly.

"I will speak to my Vikrant tonight."

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