Chapter 10
Its fuckin' hot out here. I tip my head to look up at the sun beatin' on my melon. Goddamned Southern states. I flip the sun a bird before Buffy takes my finger and waggles it.
"One of these days God is going to smite you for that."
I just snort at her. Yeah, him an' what army?
"Okay don't believe me, but don't expect me to kiss your crusty, burnt, and still smoking stump when he zaps that puppy with lightening one day."
Is she on crack? I just keep starin' as we walk out on to the heat steamed concrete.
"You're nuts, ya know that right?"
Buffy's smile is so sweet I could just melt right here. Only I'm not the melty type.
"Yeah, but you love me anyway."
I think she's gettin' a kick outta sayin' that. I look around just to make sure no one else overheard that.
"Relax Stud, your reputation is firmly in place."
A few women skitter away from us as an' I have ta smirk just a little. Word gets around. I'm bettin' by now everyone knows what went down with Ditto last night. Good. That'll keep me from havin' to beat someone's ass again for awhile.
The faint whistle of air is all the warning I get. My hands come up instinctively in front of my face just in time to take the stingin' slap of a leather basketball. I stare at it for a second before wingin' it back to the group of women standin' mid court. They range in color from velvety midnight black to soft cocoa brown. One of them, the tallest, meets my eye an' we stare each other down for a long time. Buffy turns her head to look an' I grip her arm.
"Don't."
Not yet. Buffy takes the hint an' leans into my body. The second she does I smirk an' drop my head a lil to nuzzle her hair. It's all the other woman needs ta drop her eyes from me.
"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" This from the small warm spot against my neck where B's got her face pressed.
"Were gettin' checked out. C'mon."
I take her hand an' lead her toward the court. Nothin' like lettin' off a little steam the good ole fashioned way. Sports. Uh huh. I know ya thought I was gonna say sex. But I already had that kinda work out today. I keep just to the edge of the court. It's clearly marked out territory already an' I'm white. Stretch comes up to toe the line on the other side, the ball trapped effortlessly against her hip.
"Yo."
I wait it out, checkin' out her crew before I dip my head an' light a cigarette. The pale gray smoke curls up and away before I answer.
"Sup."
Buffy is lookin' back and forth between us tryin' to figure out what the hell is goin' on. It's all about appearances, B. Cock of the walk, an' all that shit.
"You're the one that laid out Ditto. Twice."
Yeah that's me. I smirk at it an' flick a lil ash on the ground.
"She had it comin'."
I give Buffy a long lingerin' glance. Our eyes meet; lust tugs against my connection like the swell of the ocean.
"She put her hands on my girl."
When I can, I tear my eyes away from Buffy an 'eye the chick in front of me. Who happens ta be eyein' B like she's a piece of meat. I growl an' edge even closer to the paint.
"Easy, Stud."
Buffy's hands are warm on the skin of my arms. Our connection gives me a jolt an' I let her soothe me.
"You know I'm yours." Damn right she's mine. I smirk at an' shrug off the pissy mood.
"Hmm. Dunno who you are, girl, but damn, you walked in here like you own the joint. Hit the hottest ass, bring down the biggest bitch. Now what?"
Now what?
"Now I play some ball. If the court is open, that is."
She looks over her shoulder at her buddies all laughin' at me.
"Sure. Courts open if you can find someone to be on your team."
Not a problem. I jerk my chin at Buffy. Stretch's eyes nearly bug outta her head at that.
"Aw damn, and you're funny too. Ain't no way you and the princess walkin' off this court without bleeding." It takes until the word bleedin' for B ta realize were talkin' about her.
"Hey! I am not a princess. Okay, one time I was May Queen but that was like..." She trails off as we stare at her. Stretch gives Buffy a thoughtful look before noddin' to me.
"Fuck it, this'll be good. Two on two. You and me gonna have a real good time."
The glint in her eyes makes me smile. Oh she's a fighter. All lean muscle an' cornrows. This is gonna fun.
"Make it three on three and you got a deal."
She snorts an' looks around waitin' for me to point out my third. I can tell Buffy isn't quite sure who I mean until I give a long shrill whistle.
"Yo! RAMSEY!"
The other side mutters an' starts shootin' us looks. Heh. They know they're about ta get royally couch fucked. They just don't know how bad yet. They discounted B, an' that's the worst mistake they could have made.
I can see Ramsey's rolling gait as she makes her way over. "Yes?"
"Wanna play some ball?" She eyes the ball then me before smiling wickedly. Jesus. Get a load of those chomps. "I'll take that as yes."
"Um, Faith?"
I look down at Buffy who looks around at each of us.
"Don't you think I'm a little you know...on the short side?"
She knows better than they do that it doesn't matter how short she is. Buffy is still a Slayer. An' she needs ta remember that. I hook a finger in the top of her jumper an' tug her closer to me. Buffy reacts immediately an' snuggles in with a half shy grin. Goddamn.
"C'mon, baby, all these bitches wanna see us work it."
That gets a round of whistles an' wild laughs. Buffy blushes oh so sweetly an' it makes me catch my breath.
"Doncha wanna show 'em what we've got?" Her body shivers at the tone of my voice and she practically snatches the ball outta Stretch's hands. Heh. That's my girl.
"Aight, aight, we can dig it. Three on three, first to fifteen. But just to make it interesting what happens when we win?"
Oh she's too confidant. I'm gonna shake that rock solid confidence she has in herself. Her eyes go to Buffy again. Ha. Don't even think about it.
"Depends on what ya want. But just so ya know I asked Ditto this same question." That makes her stop a second.
"Okay okay. Sheeit, you're real damn possessive, we get it already."
Don't fuckin' forget.
"Whacha got that I can't already get?"
This is where it pays ta be in tight with a guard. I look her up an down, notin' the fine lines of muscle under ink darkened skin. She's been here long enough ta have a bead on everything that goes down in this place. It could be useful later. I note the name tatted across her wrist an' jerk my head at it.
"That your girl?" Her eyes narrow.
"My kid. What's it to you?"
Sore spot. I give a nod.
"Just askin'. Guess the question isn't what I have but what I can get. What ya need?"
There's a stir an' we all look over at the shadow of the tall watchtowers. I can see the glint of metal from here. Yeah. We all need ta get out of here. But I want her ta give me somethin' I can work with here.
"This ain't your first ride at the rodeo, is it?"
Nope. Not by a long shot. I just flick my cigarette butt across the yard an' cross my arms over my chest.
"Six months ago we got a new associate warden in. Now I can't get my supply of green in. You lose you start mulin'."
Oh that's fucked. But it's not gonna matter.
"Deal."
Buffy clears her throat beside me but I don't look at her. I don't need to. I can feel the needle hot prickles of her anger on my skin.
"An if we win...we get a favor." There's silence as they stare me down. I don't give an inch though. I've been mad dogged by worse than them.
"A favor is a damn good prize. Ain't no game I know that's worth that." She snorts an' shakes her head, so I shrug.
"Not even if we spot ya a ten point handicap?"
An the crowd goes wild. Cause now it's not just us an' them, its' everyone in the yard. The Aryans that were at the weights, the Dominicans and Cubans playin' dominos, the Samoa Nation sunnin' on the bleachers, hell even the guards are all starin' at our little drama.
"Bitch, are you insane?"
Well yeah. I just shrug.
"Yeah, we're down. You take us with that big a lead an' you can have your fuckin' favor."
Good deal. I just smile at Buffy who rocks on her heels and rolls her eyes.
I know what being a mule means. I hope to god that Faith can get us out of this. She knows what she's doing right? I mean. I hope she knows what she's doing. Ramsey doesn't seem the least bit disturbed so I guess that's a good thing. Faith turns to me an puts her hands over mine on the ball.
"Its gonna be easy-peasy, B. Trust me."
It's really hard not to trust her when she's looking at me that way. Her smile so easy, and free. I can see everything she is in that look. And it takes my fucking breath away.
"Easy-peasy."
I give a nod at it and wait for Faith and Ramsey to settle into position on the court. I pass the ball off to Ramsey and run in to cover the open man. Okay. Let's look at this realistically. I don't care how kick ass being a Slayer is, I haven't played basketball since the fifth grade. And it sucked because Jimmy Allen Anderson knocked me down and made me scrape my knees. I still have the scars if you look really closely. Asshole.
I think I just found my inspiration for getting serious about the game. We pass the ball around a few times before Faith shoots a perfect basket. It makes the other team just a little nervous but they cover it easily with over enthused bravado and ass slapping. One of them takes it out but Ramsey streaks by and steals it before the pass is ever completed. We all watch as the ball arcs up perfectly before plunging through the net. I may not be very good at playing but I can appreciate the perfection that was that shot. Ramsey and Faith high five it, but I'm just a little too busy keeping my eyes on the player I have to cover.
She's bigger than I am by a lot. Not just tall but broad. The ball is in her hands and she blows me a kiss before blowing right past me on her way to half court. Did she really just do that? I grunt and spin on my heel, putting on a burst of speed to catch up to her.
"Thanks!"
I swipe the ball and lob it over my shoulder without looking because I know Faith will be right there waiting for it. She doesn't disappoint me and we make two more points before they even know what hit them.
"It's okay, s'alright. We still got the six point lead."
Yeah. Not for long. There's a hard and furious push between the two teams to get control of the ball and keep control of it. Like magic the ball floats over to me, right into my hands. I know it's not magic, but boy was I ever not prepared for that. Just as I turn to shoot, I'm body checked to the ground. My face smacks on the ground and my lip splits open. Again. I grunt and shrug off the hands trying to help me up. I know it's Faith and Ramsey, but I'm okay. Just annoyed.
"You okay, B?" Faith tries to tip my head to look at my lip but I jerk my chin out of her grip.
"What's the matter princess? Game too much? Don't like it rough?"
Oh man. That was something she so shouldn't have done. I watch Faith's back stiffen and her head turn slowly to mark the woman that pushed me.
"I'm good, Faith. We've had worse before breakfast before."
She smiles at that and I smile back. And then hiss because ow! "Did they make the basket?"
Faith nods and I sigh. "Sorry."
"No worries, B. Were just playin' with them."
Yeah okay were just playing with them and their now seven point lead.
"You sure you're good?" I nod again and she grins. "Good, now this is what I want ya to do. See that one there?"
I hope she doesn't mean the one that looks roughly the shape and size of a California Redwood.
"Uh...you're pointing at someone else right?"
"No, B." She snorts and shakes her head. "You trust me yeah?"
Well. Yeah. I nod.
"Okay, then trust me when I say you can do this. They don't know they just fucked with."
Her smile is so broad and pure I can't help but believe in her for just a second.
"They're gonna give her the ball and you're gonna be waiting. Stick to your player until she makes it to the top of the key."
The what?
"Huh?"
"The top of the free throw circle thing."
Oh. Why didn't she just say that to begin with? I give Faith a bright smile.
"When she comes up you, get right in front of her. Take the charge."
Is she insane? I give her a questionable look but nod. The play starts up and I can see where my team can steal the ball away but they aren't. They're letting that mammoth woman take the ball and head straight toward me. Little ole me. Fuck. I break away from my player and Ramsey takes my spot in a flash of movement so fast I didn't register it until it was done. Oh god please don't let this hurt as badly as I think it will.
I can see the look in her eyes two seconds before her body connects with mine. It's kind of like the look a bull gets when he's tired of letting you get in his way. My muscles tighten as I brace against the impact. There's a moment of utter stillness before everything snaps in to real time and the woman goes bouncing off me to land with a hard slap on the hot concrete. The ball pops out of her hands and goes rolling up to Ramsey who sinks it easily.
Faith swaggers up to me and looks down at the poor woman staring up at the sky in a daze.
"Hunh. How's that for rough, bitch?"
It's strange. They've been calling each other names since we started this game, and normally that leads toward bad feelings but here it's like a term of endearment. At least on this court. Faith holds out her tanned arm and helps the woman to her feet before winking at me and taking spot further down the court.
Faith and Ramsey are just everywhere at once. God, I wish I had that kind of grace. When the ball gets snatched and passed by the other team right out from under me I feel a hesitant touch on my end of the connection. Faith. I glance at her and shake my head sorry that I'm letting them get away with another easy basket. Three more points and they win the game.
"Sorry Faith, I'm not that great of a player."
Her eyes narrow at me.
"Bullshit. You're scared."
I open my mouth but she cuts me off.
"You're scared of hurtin' someone, an don't say you're not."
Okay. Okay. I put my hands up in a placating way.
"They might just be humans, but you know they're playin' for keeps. We lose we lose, but I'm not losin' because you don't wanna step on the ants to cross the road."
Wow. She actually seems annoyed with me. I blink at her and nod once.
"Okay. What do you want me to do?" A knot forms in my stomach at the idea of having to get too physical during the game.
"I want ya ta play with me."
The teasing tone doesn't go unnoticed by everyone else and they all chuckle and crow. Ugh. It's like Saved By The Bell or something.
"Doncha wanna play with me, B?"
She has no idea how badly I want to play with her. My face flushes with heat and I nod.
"You know I do."
"Good, keep your eyes open, this is all about you an' me."
Keeping my eyes open isn't a problem. Keeping them off of her while we play is. Still I do what she asked and keep my attention on the ball, watching its movement. After a second I feel liquid heat steal through my body and I know it's her. I can feel her heart beat pulse in my own chest. I glance over at Faith and she smiles. And I just let it go.
I let it all go. My body works in concert with Faith and Ramsey, tightening holes in our defense and blocking every shot and pass they attempt. It's frustrating them, and they're starting to take it out on us with liberal use of elbows and knees. It's no use, we have them locked out of scoring. As a ball slides in to my field of vision I snag it out of the air and turn for a jump shot. It's beautiful. I can see myself the way Faith sees me right now. Like an angel about to take flight....
I make my shot and that's when I know. Faith isn't using me to play. She's playing with me. Beside me. Inside me. I meet her knowing look and smile tentatively. I can do this. The warmth fades into the background and I cut around a player, ducking under an arm and stealing the ball oh so easily. Suckers. I lay it up as if I've been doing it all my life.
The rest of the game is a blur. I know we're passing, and shooting and dribbling and all that goes along with playing basketball. But I don't notice any of it. I barely even notice when Faith makes the winning shot from half court. All I feel, all I see, is her smile. I can feel her smiling at me. And it's like I was never lost at all. My little personal Faith bubble gets broken by the roar of the spectators. They fly off the bleachers and tables crowding around us with congratulatory slaps and laughs.
I was here for months and no one even bothered to learn my name. Faith is here a few weeks and she's the playground hero. It makes me chuckle a little. We find our way to each other despite the bodies conspiring to keep us apart. Faith crosses her arms over her chest in a pose of supreme arrogance. God it's sexy.
"Told ya we had it in the bag."
Yeah she did. I reach out without thinking and curl my hand around her upper arm.
"You're amazing ,you know that?" She rolls her eyes but I can see that she's secretly pleased.
"Yeah, fucking amazing. If I didn't see it with my own eyes I'd say you bitches cheated."
Is this...bad? Faith turns her head and laughs.
"Don't be a fuckin' sore loser."
And then they do one of those complicated fist bumpy things. I guess all is well between us.
"I'm Faith. This is Buffy and that's Ramsey."
"Prophet," She gestures to the women on either side of her, "Shonda and Big T."
Big T being the one that plowed into me. She still looks a little stunned but I offer her up a smile anyway. She gives me a dazed grin back. Okay. So were not going to get shanked in the yard anytime soon. Good.
"Anytime you want a rematch you come find me...we out." I watch them laugh and joke as the crowd disperses and it suddenly makes me miss my family. Faith must sense it because she puts an arm around me casually.
"C'mon, lets keep a low pro in the library." The library. Our safe haven even in the middle of hell.
"Are you planning on playing the naughty librarian?"
Faith laughs hard at that and shakes her head.
"Why, B? Ya hopin' for a spankin' for late books?"
Okay, my blood just picked up a slow burn and is sizzling its way right to my clit.
"Evil."
"That's me."
Chapter 11
"Faith?"
I grunt at the sound of my name. One eye opens slowly to find Buffy starin' at me. I open both my eyes an' blink ta focus them.
"I have to tell you something."
I always hate when people say shit like that. It's like a death sentence on whatever is goin' on between the two people that hafta talk. I groan an' try to sit up but Buffy holds me down with an arm around my middle.
"Don't get up. Please?"
How can I say no to that? I give her a slow nod but readjust so that were still tangled together on her bunk.
"So...what's up?" Yeah, I'm nervous. I shouldn't be but I am.
"I think I know how this whole thing happened to me."
Oh. I blink a few more times then roll over on to my side so I can look down at her.
"I didn't even think about it until yesterday.
"So...how'd it happen? Inquiring minds wanna know."
"About the time you dropped off of my radar, I ,um...started seeing someone."
Yeah, I know. I mean I'm not keepin' tabs on her or anything. It's just that it came up in not so casual conversation with Giles once. Or twice.
"Yeah?"
She lets out a breath, rests her head against my chest and sighs heavily. I wouldn't tell anyone this but when she's all snuggled up ta me like this I kinda feel like time just stops. Without my permission my hands reach out an' stroke her hair comfortingly.
"I met Jamie on patrol. He was assigned to a group of Slayers working their term on the road, closing small Hellmouths. I should have known something was off but...he just fit in with everyone so easily. We all liked him."
Yeah, that's the fuckin' problem with the Scoobs. They always open-arm the bad guys an' shun the good ones. I roll my eyes, damn glad that she can't see me.
"He and Xander even started getting close. They came up with some new patrol schedules that really seemed fix all of our coverage problems."
Coverage problems? With all the Slayers they have there shouldn't be any coverage problems. Hell, B held down the fort in Sunnydale mostly on her own for a long time. Help comes an' goes but when it comes down to it, this is a Slayer's job.
"What kinda coverage problems?"
"The kind that only come about when people aren't where they should be."
Her voice gets steely at that an' I pull my head back a lil bit to look at her.
"Yeah. I didn't put it together at the time, didn't think that our own people could be paid off to take a break from destiny. And when he got there he just seemed to have all the answers. To everything."
I know what she means. He was there an' she was lonely an' he said all the right things ta worm his way in ta her bed.
"He still at HQ?"
I'm just a lil concerned about gettin' him the fuck away from our people. Yeah I said it. Our people. Xander an' Willow. Giles. Even Satsu. Those are ours. An' I don't take kindly ta people fuckin' with what's mine.
"I'm...not sure. There's no reason for him not to be."
Okay well that's gotta change.
"We have to tell them, Faith. They have to be warned."
I nod at that. No shit they gotta be warned. I wish Xander had gotten back ta me already on gettin' a line up to them. It's gonna hafta wait a few days.
"Don't worry, B, we'll give 'em the heads up. A lil more time won't hurt anything."
She pushes against my chest an' narrows her eyes at me. Uh oh. What'd I say?
"He's using us." She means the group as a whole. "I don't like that."
My lips curl into a grin. She may not like it, but I love the determined look on her face. My baby's back.
"Oh, we're gonna do somethin about it, baby. I got plans for him."
At the end of my knife. What? It's part of my job ta get information outta people. An' I'm really fuckin' good at it. Buffy gets real still in my arms at that.
"Are you going to hurt him?"
Well. Duh. I'll probably end up killin' him. He fucked my girl. An' then fucked her up.
"Yeah. Real bad."
Wha? I'm not gonna lie about it. She'd know if I was an she'd never forgive me. But I figure if I'm honest about it now she won't be as pissed when he turns up dead later.
I'm kinda surprised when she nods her head and goes back ta restin' against my chest.
"Good. Two months of good sex doesn't cover the time I've spent in prison hating myself."
An' gettin the shit beat out of her. I hate that she let it get that way but it wasn't her fault.
"I think he put the whammy on me, somehow."
Yeah. Probably.
"Wha? Like a magic STD ta make ya forget you're the shit?" Her laugh makes me grin too.
"Maybe. I don't know." God her laugh makes me all warm inside. "I think...we should talk to someone in the coven about it." I notice the hesitation. She's not quite ready ta face them alone I guess. I give our connection a lil push an' grip her tighter to my chest.
"Okay."
She's gonna kill me when she finds out what I've done. But for right now she doesn't need ta know. Just as I open my mouth ta tell her everything is gonna be okay, footsteps sound along the corridor. We're not doin' anything wrong, but I don't wanna be caught off guard if it's somethin' bad. Buffy rolls over closer to the wall so I can slip off the bunk. I rest my forearms against the cold metal bars of the open door. Shit. I pull my head back in an' give Buffy a look.
"We got a problem."
Her bright green eyes meet mine just as the cat calls start up. Buffy is off the bunk in a flash an' just in time ta see the guards lead another Slayer right past us. Pale gray eyes flash in our direction then away.
"Its not just us is it?" I shake my head. "He can't kill us all, so he'll just find a way to lock us all up."
Yeah. I don't like it. We need ta get out of this place. "Motherfucker...."
"Word."
I take her hand and grip it once. "Whatever Ramsey is workin' on she's gonna hafta hurry the fuck up."
Buffy nods an' tugs my hand to get my attention.
"You should go check on her."
Her who? The Slayer? That's so not my deal. I open my mouth ta tell B so, but she cuts me off.
"I mean Ramsey. You should go talk to her about it. I think...I should go...you know."
Oh. I lean down an' give B a light kiss on the lips. She's pickin' up the reins again, slowly but surely.
"My hero."
I give her a wink before heading out of the cell. If I give her time ta respond to that she'll pinch me. Or smack me one. Though if she's gonna do any smackin' I prefer it be when we're naked as they day we were born. I hang a right at the end of the corridor, noddin' here and there to a few inmates that look up at my passin'. Most of them belong ta Prophet. Not in the property sense like most crews in prison. More like a family.
She even calls some of them her daughters. I rap on the bars to her cell as I pass and she tosses me a toothy grin. She'd have made one fuck of a Slayer. Ramsey is waitin' for me in her cell. I can tell because she already had her bookmark in place. I glance at what she's readin' and raise a brow.
"The Koran?"
"I enjoy many spiritual works."
Uh huh. Whatever. I nod then grab a seat on her bunk without waitin for an invite.
"Have you read it?"
I shake my head at that.
"In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. I swear by the night when it draws a veil, and the day when it shines in brightness...that's about all I remember."
She eyes me silently for a long time before noddin'. I think she doesn't believe me.
"You read enough to get that far in to it."
She's got me at that one. I nod.
"What can I do for you, Faith?"
It's the way she says it that almost makes me break an' start talkin' about something other than what I came here for.
"How's it goin' on bustin' us out of this joint?" This time she places the book to the side and sighs.
"Slowly but we are almost ready. Perhaps another day or two." Her eyes darken to the color of spiced honey. "Is everything alright?" It's hard not ta trust her. I want to dislike her but I can't seem to.
"Another Slayer just showed up." Her brows furrow. "An' not for a visit." Ramsey nods and paces the small cell. "You don't seem overly surprised by this lil news."
She stops and stares at the wall for a long second before turnin' to look at me.
"I had hoped it would not be this way."
So she knew this might happen? An she didn't fuckin' tell us? I knew she was holdin' somethin' close to the chest. I fuckin' knew it.
"Tonight. It must be tonight."
Yeah the sooner the better. I nod at it an' lean forward so that I can rest my elbows on my knees.
"You knew."
"Not exactly. I suspected. It would be easier to separate and incarcerate Slayers than attempt to hunt and kill them all."
Yeah I hadn't thought of it that way before but I can see where that would be a better idea.
"Do you have any idea how many of your people are in prison?"
Not a fuckin' clue.
"Not sure yet. I'd put in a call but it's too dangerous. I don't want the mucky mucks ta figure out we got help on the outside."
Right now they think me an' B are just solitary figures in the system. If they knew we were just bidin' time, they'd shove us apart as fast as they can. An' I ain't havin' that shit.
"I am sure that Vikrant can smuggle in some kind of device."
Contraband. If they found that shit on me or in my cell I'd be fucked. But. If I don't have it then we're both fucked. Hrm.
"Good ta know. I'll get back ta you on that." I start ta leave when she calls my name.
"Faith..." We stand there just lookin' at each other for a minute. "Well need a distraction."
Uh huh. Kinda figured that much. I give her a wicked lookin' grin before disappearing out of her cell.
"Scary."
You're damn right I'm scary.
"Yo, Proph." Half a dozen steps later an' I'm right in front of her cell. She hasn't invited me in an I'm not about ta bust in on her pad. "Got a second?"
When she looks up I can see that she knows I'm about ta call in my favor.
"Got about 25 years worth of 'em. Have a seat."
I snicker at that and settle down.
"So what's up, White She Devil?" Man, I think I might love this chick.
"Time ta call it in."
She doesn't hesitate she just leans back against the wall. "You don't waste time do you?"
Me? Nah.
"What do you need?"
"Distraction."
The second it's out of my mouth she gets up and paces in front of the door to her cell. I think she's checkin' it out. When she's sure it's clear she moves in real close.
"Only one reason people need a distraction in this place."
That's not true.
"Lotsa reasons for a distraction, Prophet. Maybe I just want a little alone time with my girl."
She snorts her disbelief of that.
"You never need alone time with the Princess. You get a kick out of rubbin' our faces in the fact that you're rubbin your face in it."
Heh. Fuck yeah I do. Wha? Buffy's fuckin' fine as hell. You think I'm not gonna be proud that I'm the one fuckin' her?
"You want out."
Who fuckin' doesn't? I don't say it though. "You gonna help me out, or go back on our deal?"
An' if she does I'm gonna put it out all over that she can't be trusted. It'll fuck up her whole rotation if I do.
"How big of a distraction we talking 'bout here?"
Well...
"Damn. That big?"
I nod.
"When?"
Uh..."Tonight."
She goes a lil pale.
"You a crazy bitch you know that?"
Yeah. I do.
"Faith...this could go South on you, and then what?"
Well, I gotta smirk at that.
"Well, then you'll see me outside tomorrow at the free weights."
I get up and give her a good clout on the shoulder. "You just worry about bringin' the rowdy. You let me worry about the rest."
"Peace."
I flash her my backhanded peace sign an' bail. I'm feelin' kinda restless so I take the steps double time to the library. Tonight is the night. Tonight B and I are goin' home. Together.
I really don't know why I didn't just ask Faith to do this part. I think a small part of me felt like I should step up and take back wha'ts been taken away from me. But the more I think about it, the more I realize nothing was really taken from me. I let it all go. I walked away from it all. So now I have to fix it. And by fixing it, I mean talking to my Slayer.
Yeah. She's mine. Mine and Faith's. I hate to think of us as having property in the form of people, but if this girl hopes to remain unmolested here she's just going to have to go along with it. The guards give her a push into the cell with rough hands and she goes stumbling in. When she turns to look at them the defiant expression I expect is gone. In its place an almost pitiful sorrow. Oh god.
I wait for the guards to go before I walk up to her door. It's closed but not locked. I don't go in. Instead I just curl my hands on the bars and whisper, "You don't belong here."
Her head comes up with a snap and she blinks at me.
"I...you don't know."
Yes. Yes I do.
"I killed him."
Oh boy.
"Can I come in?"
She shrugs and I'll just take that as a yes. I don't shut the door behind me because I really am starting to hate the dull clank of the lock clicking into place. "Do you know me?" I ask.
Okay I'm not trying to be vain or anything. It's just that...well...I'm kind of the figurehead of the organization. And I hope she does know me so I don't have to explain it.
"You're Her."
Her? Like with a capital H? Huh. I Don't know how I feel about that.
"Buffy."
"Yup. You got it in one."
She almost tries for a smile but it crumbles off her face as tears brim over and spill down her cheeks.
"Hey hey hey...easy..." I pull her against me in an effortless hug and let her get it out.
"I'm so s-s-sorry. I didn't see him! I swear I never meant to hurt him."
I have a sick feeling in the pit of my gut. Please don't let this be what I think it is. Please.
"Who sweetie? Who didn't you see?"
"The boy! I didn't see him until it was too late and then I..I killed him. And there was so much blood. Too much..."
"What boy?" I know the answer. I just need the confirmation.
"The boy. The little boy with the Spider Man T-shirt." A weight in my gut roils and I hold her tightly.
"Shhh shhh it's okay. Its going to be okay."
I shoot out a pulse of alarm down the connection. I can feel the echo of Faith's sudden attention a second before I feel her here with me. Not here here. But here in my body with me. There's a slightly confused feeling that settles when I speak.
"I know right now you don't believe me, but you didn't do anything wrong. I promise you that."
It's all she needs to withdraw. I know I'll hear her footsteps soon enough. The girl in my arms shudders with wracking sobs. God. Guilt is such a bitch. I don't know what to do here. I wasn't the one that brought me out of my funk, Faith was. How do I reach her when someone had to reach me first?
"Hey, B."
Oh thank god. I turn to Faith and give her a gentle smile.
"Hi, Stud. This is..."
Wait. I don't even know who she is. I turn back to the girl and brush some of the hair out of her face. "Hey...what's your name?"
"Corina. Well. Cori."
Cori. Alright. I nod and point to Faith who's doing her best not to loom like a bodyguard. She's so cute.
"Okay Cori. You're going to be okay, you hear me?"
She nods warily and I glance back to Faith, unsure how to do what I want to do.
"We'll take care of you. Right, Faith?"
"Right."
I watch Faith kneel down near the girl an' flash her that smile that usually makes me want to peel my clothes off and drag my body all along Faith's.
"Its kinda scary right now, but it'll get better. I promise. But before it can, ya gotta pull it together. You're a Slayer."
She wasn't that nice to me when she was trying to comfort me. But I guess I needed more than just a pat on the shoulder and the reassurance that someone would be there. I needed more than that.
"I didn't mean to...I swear to God I didn't mean to hurt him..."
Faiths eyes narrow and she grunts.
"Nah. Neither did B. But shit happens."
The girl looks at me in puzzlement.
"Wha? Ya thought we just drove a stolen car through a bank ta get tossed in here?"
Why does the sound of that make me want to glare at Faith?
"Well..."
Faith cuts her off with a shrug. "Okay, so I did. But that's only cause B needed me here an wouldn't ask for help."
What???
I open my mouth but her grin keeps me from getting pissed.
"Ass."
"That's me."
Beyond all reasoning Cori laughs. And I sigh with relief. Intense relief.
"Look kid, things are kinda complicated ,but I need ya to hold it together. We'll explain it all to ya when we get home."
"Home?" God. She sounds so hopeful.
"Home. Where we all belong."
Me included. I give Faith a loving look and cup her face. I think our little friend is just about to pass out when I give Faith a light kiss.
"Hang tight, Cori. We'll come by later to take you down to the mess hall. Okay?"
I get up when she nods her understanding. Faith winks at her and pulls me out of the cell. I know she wants to say something, but were still in Slayer hearing range.
"Same story as yours huh?"
"Yeah. Demons aren't really known for originality."
That gets her to laugh a little.
"Yeah. Well I never though Spike was all that original."
Hey! He was way original. Sort of.
"I refuse to comment on that," She grins and wraps an arm around my shoulders, "So what happened with Ramsey?"
"Told her about the kid. She wasn't surprised."
Well I guess that answers that question. Though I know that she's probably hiding more things than that.
"We leave tonight."
Tonight? But. I just gave Cori our word that we would be here for her. "Can Ramsey get all five of us out?"
She shrugs. "Not sure but she said she needed a distraction."
Great. A distraction. "How do we do that?"
Faith's smile breaks like the sun from behind thunder clouds.
"Already done babe. We just gotta wait for it."
"Prophet?"
"Oh yeah." Her wild eyed enthusiasm sparks my interest.
"I want you." Well. I'm learning to ask for what I want these days. Faith slows her walk and looks at me.
"Gettin' mouthy ain't ya?" Oh she loves it. "I love that ya know?" I just grin at her and tug her hand to lead her to the library.
"Yeah? Oh you're going to love what's about to come out of my mouth next."
Faith rumbles out a lusty grunt that sets my thighs to quivering.
"It better be 'fuck me harder, Faith'." Ungh. Huh. Now I know why she grunts like that.
"Unless you move faster you're not going to find out."
I had to open my mouth didn't I?
"Wait!"
Goddamnit. Now I have to chase her to the library.
Chapter 12
Time. Everything about bein' in prison is about time. We're the world's best timekeepers. I breathe in Buffy's scent an' let it calm me. It's almost time.
"C'mon B, we gotta swing by GP for Cori."
This new kid. Damn. She's young. Yeah, I know she's older than Buffy and I were when we first got Called but she just seems so innocent. Vulnerable. An' worst of all broken. Just like B was.
"Yeah. The sooner the better. She looked terrified."
With good reason. The kid probably never even had a parking ticket before.
"God I can't wait to get home. Where real shampoo lives."
I chuckle at that. We both know she wants out of here as much as I do. I just know that she's a lil afraid to get out too. She hurt a lot of people when she left.
"Dawn is going to pass out when we show up."
I groan. Dawn is gonna kick my ass. I jacked fifty bucks from her the last time we saw each other. Wha? I was short an' I had ta get out of town before Buffy saw me.
"Yeah, about that...can't I just, ya know, wait in your room?"
The look she gives me is worse than the look Giles gave me when he caught me eatin' some barely legal Slayer pussy.
"Okay okay...no need ta get pissy," I raise my hands in what I'm hopin' is a placating gesture, "Sheesh."
Buffy smacks my ass hard as we leave the library. God, I love her. I got a grin the whole way ta Cori's cell. She's huddled in a corner just like we left her. I sigh an' let the smile fade from my face.
"You came back..."
Buffy looks at me when she catches the heavy relief in the girl's voice. Yeah. We gotta get her outta here. And any other Slayer that's locked up.
"Yeah, kiddo. Now get your ass up."
She scrambles up off the floor an' out the door. Buffy smiles over my attitude, an' puts her arm around Cori. I give her a look an' she hooks a finger in the pocket of my jumper as we walk.
Jesus. It's like I'm leadin' ducklings. I grab three trays and hand two ta B. Proph catches my eye an' gives me a nod. Good. Buffy lets out a breath an' nudges me. Vicky-boy is givin' his sister a good shove toward the door. It's a signal. Time.
"When I say go, take the kid an' haul it to the door."
I don't wait for Buffy to agree before I head towards Big T an' Shonda with a wink.
"Go."
An' that's when all hell breaks loose. Prophet is a good strategist. Pockets of her crew were all over rather than in one group as usual. Fights spark up at every table with every racial group. Goddamn, Devil take me, I fuckin' love the chaos. I grab a table an' yank it right out of its bolts to fling it across the room at the rush of riot geared guards. It's almost like bowlin'.
A tray whizzes by my head just a lil too close for comfort. I look in the direction it came from an' snarl. Ditto. Time ta get dirty. A surge of anger from Buffy gives me an extra boost as I lunge hard and low to take her legs out. We go down in a confused mess of legs an' arms an' it takes a minute of tight short jabs an wrasslin' before we break it up and get our feet again.
"Oh, I'm gonna love fuckin' you up."
"Think so, Slayer?"
I fucking knew it!
"Now is that fair? You know what I am but I'm still tryin' ta figure out what the fuck you are."
She laughs low an' deep. Course bristles sprout around a long nose that's growing by the second. Bodies shove an' push around us as the fights turn in to an outright brawl. I take a second ta grab the back of someone's jumper and toss them into Dittos bulky body. I don't have time for this shit.
I duck a fist, land a hard right, and shove someone else. It's gettin hairy in here and guards are startin' ta get past the first row of fights. Won't be long before the door Vikrant is keeping clear gets locked. I watch as Proph goes down with the leader of the Aryans. Ditto's growl over my left shoulder warns me ta duck as a chunk of twisted bench goes flyin'. Fuck. No fuckin' shit she's a were. A were-pig. Not the cute kind like Babe, the real nasty ugly wild boar lookin' kind.
Wet, slobbery snot drips off her snout an' tusks. No fuckin' wonder her breath smells like shit. I gag an it's enough lead-in for her to charge me. Fuck.
"DOWN!"
I don't even hesitate cause I know it's B at my back. I close my eyes an' tuck my head under an arm and drop down to the ground as a heavy shadow ruffles the hair on my head as it passes.
Ditto must not have quite made it all the way past me before Buffy dropped her, cause her legs land on me, trappin' me under their weight for a few seconds. Goddamnit.
"You okay?"
I grab Buffy's hand an' grin up at her as she pulls me to my feet.
"Am now."
Ditto is out cold, an' I know why too. Buffy holds up the twisted metal of one of the trays. Damn. Right in the face.
"Time ta go?"
Buffy nods and we bolt out the door. Can't worry about Prophet now. Just gotta hope she got the upper hand and beat the fuck outta that Nazi bitch.
"Go! To the laundry room!"
Buzzers are goin' off left an' right and the doors lock automatically behind us. It bought us some time but not much. Eventually they'll get it all settled back there. We're just keepin' ahead of the door locks as they go down the line. Someone must have hit the auto mechanism in the control room.
The door to the laundry room up ahead of us is swingin' closed, an' I know we're not gonna make it in time. If it closes we're fucked because we won't make it outta here. At least not tonight. Buffy stumbles ahead of me and I plow right inta her. Fuck. We're done. I barely notice Vicky's grunt of effort as the door hits the strike plate. The magnetic lock will seal now. Or. Ya know. It would. If there wasn't a long red tail curled around the handle. A tail that's attached to the demon I used ta think was tail-less. Shut the fuck up. He's got a fuckin' tail.
I can't be the only one seein' this.
"Dude...you have a goddamned tail!"
He looks embarrassed as he gives a tug an' pulls the door open with said tail.
"Yes. Well. It's not very long yet, but..."
Buffy drags me up and shoves me through the door of the laundry, letting it lock behind the three of us.
"Flirt on your own time...with someone else's girlfriend."
I bite my lip at the horrified look on his face at Buffy's comments. Aw. He's shy.
"Are you three quite done?"
Yeah yeah. I give Ramsey a shrug.
"You couldn't resist, could you?"
"Someone had ta buy a little time from the guards for it to get really outta control." I'm not gonna apologize for that cause it was all part of my plan. The one that no one knew about but me. Heh. Buffy sends me a reprovin' glance and I hang my head a bit.
"Whatever. Let's just get the hell out of here."
Ramsey and her brother move into place near some kind of altar they must have set up before the riot. Cori moves up close ta B an' me. So far she's doin' as she's told, but she hasn't started ta fight back yet. I don't like that. She's gotta break her funk or she's no good to us. Whatever. I turn my attention back ta the ritual. Which...as far as I can tell is about takin' your shirt off an' smearin' somethin' that smells coppery like blood on their skin. I'd think it was blood, 'cept for it's silvery an' shimmery. Maybe it's unicorn blood. Nah. That's only in Harry Potter.
Right?
"I hope that's not unicorn blood."
See? I'm not the only one that thinks that. I raise my brows at Buffy but she smiles. She's just fuckin' with me. Asshole. I bite at the air in front of her nose with a growl. It does nothin' to intimidate her. I don't know if I'm happy about that or annoyed. I don't really have time ta think about it when somethin' slams itself against the door to the prison. Hard.
"What the fuck is that?"
She shrugs.
"It's got to be Ditto. She got out of the mess somehow."
Guards. The bad kind. I nod an' snap my fingers at Ramsey to make her pick up the pace.
"Now would be good, ya know."
Ditto slams against the door again and again before the click of the magnets shutting off. I look back to see Ramsey pullin' a tear in the air. Her brother is tryin' ta get his fingers into the breach to help her pull but it's resisting.
"They've warded the prison! We can't open it!"
The door flies open an' dozens of guards spill into the room. Ditto laughs an' kicks the door shut behind her, lockin' us all in. I look at B an' she tightens her fists getting' ready for the throw down. We can try ta buy Vikrant an' Ramsey some time.
"You ready, kiddo?"
Cori looks at the guards warily before givin' me a pleadin' look.
"You don't ever go down without a fight. Hear me?"
She nods and raises her fists. Good.
"Keep workin on it!" I call that last over my shoulder before I rush right inta the heart of the guards, knockin' a few of them over and one of them into another.
Buffy yells behind me an' I feel her push into my body, fillin' me an' holdin' on tight. I can even feel the faint tingle of Cori at the other end. I think...I think Buffy's linked us. I let her have the lead an' move into her right, because I just know that's where she needs me. A guard swings his baton in a deadly arc an' I catch it an' twist, pushin' him back before I duck Cori's fist.
It lands, crunchin' into a guards pleximask. It shatters an' he goes down like a sack of potatoes. Damn. I've never felt anythin' like this. It's like we're one person. Only. More. A thrill goes through the connection from the kid. She's findin' herself. Good. I glance over to check on the breach. It's bigger but it's still only fist-sized. Not for lack of tryin', Vicky-boy an' Ramsey are sweatin', tails flickin' out in frustration as they pull an' tug with everything they got.
I'm so busy watchin' them that I miss Ditto's charge. One of her tusks gouges me in the shoulder, takin' out a chunk of flesh. OW! It fuckin' hurts like a bitch! I go down to a knee in too much shock ta fight her off when she takes a swing. The only thing savin' me is five feet an' change of pissed-off blonde wielding a guard's baton. She gets Ditto to back up in confusion an I drag myself to my feet.
"You are in so much trouble now..."
B is gonna kick her ass! An' I fuckin' love it.
"You're gonna let your bitch fight your battles now too?"
Ha. If she only knew what was up, she'd know I've been B's bitch for years.
"In case you don't remember, I've fucked her up plenty before."
"B?"
She glances at me before frowning.
"Who are you?" Confusion clouds her eyes, "C'mon, Buffy. Who the fuck are you?"
"I'm Buffy Summers."
That's right. You're Buffy Summers.
"I'm Buffy Fucking Summers, and I'm reallllly pissed off."
Just hearin' it makes me wet.
"You're damn right, you are."
"And I'm nobody's bitch!"
Goddamn. I think I just fell in love with her all over again. She doesn't even give Ditto time ta think before she starts in on her like a mad woman. I could die happy right here, right now.
I am Buffy Summers. I was born a Slayer. I have saved lives and I have lost friends, but I am a Slayer. This is what I am. This is who I am.
I just forgot for a minute.
But that's different now. I'm different. And Ditto knows it. She knows it when she looks in my eyes and sees the victim no longer lives here. Okay maybe she knew it when I started punching her face in a lot. But she knows it because of the eye thing too.
A kick to my gut sends me back a few steps. Ouch.
"Oh, you are so going to die."
She rushes me in an attempt to catch me off guard, but it's not going to work. I just sidestep and use her own momentum to send her flying past me and into the wall. The fact that she lands in a heap is really kind of disappointing. I was hoping for a little more than that for retribution. But. Hey. Guards. So I guess it's not so bad.
A laugh to my left reminds me that I am not alone. Cori has a guard head-locked between her thighs and another pinned under her arm. Huh. She's pretty flexible. I give her an encouraging push against the connection we're bound to, and move onto another guard that's just getting up from the ground where Faith tossed him. It was her laugh that I heard. Of course it was.
Faith loves a good fight. I love watching her in a good fight. Just as the guard shakes the cobwebs out I smile and land a punch that knocks him out.
"Nitey night," God it's good to be back, "Faith!"
It's all the time I have for a warning but she feels it and reacts, ducking forward and kicking out behind her at the guard that was trying to bash her head in from behind. She flashes me a smile that sets my skin on fire. A warning jangles discordantly through the connection ,but not with enough time for me to get out of the way. Something connects against the side of my skull and I go down.
I'm not out, but I'm dazed. Faith yells but I can't make out exactly what she's saying. Maybe nothing. She collapses, her outstretched hand inches from mine. It twitches and I realize now that they're shocking her. Faith yells out again and flops around on the floor. Oh god. I glance back to see where Cori is when a boot comes down on my head. Everything goes black for a second but I shake it off and try to roll onto my back.
Cori is pinned down with a knee in her back, a booted foot holding her head down on the ground. Ramsey... A guard kicks me over onto my belly and puts me in the same position Cori was in. What's happening? We were winning! When my hearing comes back I can hear a roar of anger and the dull thud of bodies hitting solid walls. Vikrant is on the floor, bleeding from a wound on the back of his head. His beautiful gold eyes, glazed-over and lifeless. Oh god.
Sorrow fills me and I start when Ramsey's unconscious body drops in front of my face. She still has a grimace on her face. Oh god.
"Take them to solitary!"
"BUFFY!"
"It's okay, Cori! Don't fight it."
She'll be safe there for the most part. Unless they plan to punish us. I stretch the feeling in my connection searching for anything from Faith. I can't see her but I know she's alive. Just out for the count. Hard plastic digs into my wrists and ankles as they zip-tie me. Cuffs would have been so much easier. I don't have enough room for leverage to break these. I think they know that. Shit.
I cry out when they nearly yank my arms out of the sockets pulling me up to my feet. Faith and Ramsey are hog-tied. Vikrant is dead. I give Cori a look and a nod pushing as much calm as I can spare down the line. We're dragged unceremoniously down to solitary. I have no idea how long we'll be in there. Or even what's waiting for us once we get there. But I know one thing. I will not go down with out a fight.
I am Buffy Summers.
My zip ties are cut and I'm pushed into a small dark cell. I can hear the other doors down the line as my Slayers and Ramsey get locked up too. Well at least I'm not too terribly alone. Faith is going to be so pissed-off when she wakes up. It looks like the only thing I can do is wait.
And make friends with the roaches. Ew.
I want to go home.
