Chapter Twenty-Three: Unrestrained

(Buffy's POV)

I give Will a nod, giving her the go ahead. We all know the parts we play, so we don't need words. I watch as she mutters under her breath in Latin for a long space of time and then she lifts her head and a light shines from her as several shouts rend the air. I look back towards the warehouse in time to see the guards going up in flames.

I check to see that the coast is clear and then I step out from the shadows of the other warehouses. I glance over the sixty-three girls that follow me and give them a smile. The predatory glints that sparkle in each and every set of eyes there tell me we all feel the same need. I don't see any reason to delay anyone's gratification.

I jerk my head at Will and seconds later the fence gate goes flying. I nod at Ken, she returns it, and then she walks away. Half our force splits off to go with her to back of the warehouse and await the signal. Another gesture from me and a group breaks off to spread out the length of the gate entrance. Ken all ready knows to set up guards at the back when she gets there.

I lead them towards the warehouse and Will mumbles another spell. A loud explosion makes my ears ring and debris flies overhead. The spell left a gaping, jagged hole in the building where the doorway used to be.

I share another look with Will, telling her to give Ken the word. She nods in reply and now it's time for the second phase of Faith's plan.

Those of us on the frontlines of our advancing groups have to clear the way for the rest as we enter the warehouse. We're staking vampires left and right just so we can all get inside. The air grows thick with heat and dust and breathing is nearly impossible.

I feel someone come up on my left and I take a glance to see Wes fighting shoulder to shoulder with me. I grin at the concentrated look on his face and jerk my attention back to the fight just in time to duck a right-cross from a vampire. I return the punch with one of my own, stake him, and then move through his drifting ashes to the next one.

I wasn't surprised that my friends came through for me. They usually do. Unfortunately, we realized that there was no way Angel and Spike could help this time. Daylight isn't exactly their best friend. I think they were angrier about that than Faith's bite mark.

I dust another fashion disaster and I'm abruptly given a clear view straight to the center of the warehouse. What I see makes my heart slam against my ribcage. Faith is facing off against Joaquin.

The really scary part? I've never seen her move this fast before. She's a blur amid the scrambling vampires and demons surrounding us. Every movement is full of an unrestrained violence ten times more intense than usual for her.

Suddenly, she looks up and our gazes lock for a brief second. From where I'm standing, the fierce joy glowing in her black eyes is obvious. She gives me a grin and winks at me. Then she's moving again and my view is blocked as more of the enemy move in front of me. I reluctantly return to the fight, trying to resist the urge to go to her side.

I flip over a vampire's head and kick him in the back before I land. I turn to see him scrambling to get up and I reach down and grab his arm, forcing him wide open as I move in for the kill. I go on to the next, feeling the familiar wild energy pumping through my veins.

Faith was never alone in finding enjoyment in what we do. I just never wanted to own up to it 'cause I was too busy whining about wanting a normal life. Admitting I enjoy it would've been admitting that I didn't have as much a problem with being a Slayer as I pretended.

Thing is? The adrenaline, the power, the victory, and the need—they make all the pain and tears worth it. I toss a vamp into the air, stake him, and he comes back down in a shower of dust. Hungry and horny? Oh yeah, I'll feel it, F.

(Faith's POV)

I like a cat with a mouse right now. I could end it at anytime, I just don't wanna. I'm just playin' with him 'cause I ain't ready for this fight to be over with yet. I'll eventually have to let it come to an end though 'cause there're plenty of others to start.

He's gettin' so frustrated that he's making more mistakes. Out of all the blows I've landed on him, he's maybe gotten a couple in on me. God, this is wicked.

"C'mon, lover, put some effort into it why don't ya?"

His eyes flash angrily and he throws a wild punch. I duck under his arm and grab it, pullin' it up behind him. I let the motion follow through, usin' his momentum to flip him. He lands on his back and I straddle him, grabbin' a fistful of his shirt. I give him a wicked grin.

"Brings back memories, huh?"

He tries to buck me off and I tighten my thighs 'round his hips and ride it out. I end his struggle with a strike to his solar plexus that makes him freeze for a sec. I jerk him up by his shirt and let loose with a few vicious punches to his face 'fore I release him again. I let him drop back to the floor and then I roll off him.

I turn my back on him and glance around, findin' a Slayer fightin' nearby. I give it brief consideration and then I stroll over to her. I wait 'til she stakes the vamp she's fightin' and then tap her shoulder. She spins, stake held ready and I pluck it out of her hand.

"'Scuse me, I need this for a sec."

She just gapes at me in response and I snicker. Then I turn back around to find Joaquin chargin' at me. I tuck the stake into the back of my pants, shrug and then meet him halfway.

I negligently block the first few blows and then I catch his fist in my hand. He tries to hit me with the other and I duck the blow. Then I twist his arm up behind him again, 'cept this time I grab his shoulder to keep him from flippin' and I don't stop 'til I feel his shoulder pop out the joint. I hear a muted pop and he screams.

I sweep his legs from under him, force him to his belly and pull the stake. I flip him, catch his gaze and then start to bring it down to his chest. Somethin' big hits me from behind and I fly over Joaquin's head to land on my belly a few feet away. A heavy weight pins me to the ground and I flex my muscles as I arch up, tossin' it off.

I roll to my back, flip to my feet and find Dionne climbin' to his feet. Fuck yeah, this is gonna be fun. I flip the stake in my hand and return it to my waistband. I ain't gonna need that just yet.

Dionne charges at me and I duck away. Ain't no way in hell I'm lettin' him get his hands on me. I ain't got a death wish.

He comes at me again and I slam a fist into his ribcage before I slip away out of reach. Another blow comes at me from a different side and I spin 'round to find Joaquin back on his feet. Ah, shit. Now I gotta deal with both of these fuckers.

I see Dionne runnin' at me out of the corner of my eye and I put Joaquin out of my mind. I'll worry about him later. I shrug, bow slightly and charge forward to catch Dionne in the gut with my shoulder and he goes flyin' back a few feet into a concrete pillar. His head bounces off the concrete and I start to go after him, only to feel a sucker punch right in the kidney.

I stiffen in response and slowly turn back to Joaquin. I sneer and shake my head as I retrieve my stake.

"Oh, this is it, motherfucker."

I reach out and grab a handful of his hair, forcin' his head back and exposin' his throat as he bends backwards. His hands clutch at my arm, leavin' his chest unprotected and I go in for the kill. My stake pierces his heart and I'm grabbed from behind just as he bites the dust. Thickly muscled arms wrap 'round my waist and I'm dragged backwards.

'Fore I can get away, Dionne turns me 'round and slams me onto the table. The small of my back hits the edge with all my weight behind it, but the pain doesn't register. I'm frozen as he looms over me and my mind slips off to another time, another place.

"You're mine, Slayer," He hissed.

Oh, God, my mind cried out as I gazed up from the floor. Dane's dark eyes gazed back at me, a dangerous light shinin' in the depths. I knew I was in trouble, but before I could move, he grabbed my shirt and hauled me up.

A fiery pain lances up my spine, pullin' me back to the here and now. Dionne's pullin' me to him by my shirt and I grip his arms as I force myself to move. Despite the agony it causes, I wrap my legs 'round his waist and tense, preparin' to toss him over my head. Then suddenly his eyes go wide and his gaze drops from mine.

"Oh fuck me."

I follow his line of sight to find the very tip of a stake protrudin' from his chest right where his heart is. His eyes meet mine again and then he explodes, showerin' me with dust. I let my legs fall, my feet hittin' the floor, and another jolt of pain jars my spine. I wince and look up, findin' myself lookin' into a pair of hazel eyes.

B smirks at me and shakes her head as she holds a hand out to me. "You know, I could get a complex if you keep getting into positions like that."

I accept her help, grabbin' her hand, and she pulls me to my feet. I'm clenchin' my jaw to keep from screamin' as the pain in my spine returns with a vengeance. It starts to fade quickly and a wave of relief floods me. I open my mouth to speak and then I just shut it with a shake of my head.

"Ah, fuck it," I mutter and jerk her to me by our still joined hands.

Her hands fly to my shoulders in startled response and I grab her hair with my free hand. I pull her mouth to mine and kiss her, hard and fast. Words just couldn't have described just how grateful I'm feelin' right fuckin' now.

Chapter Twenty-Four: An Old Friend in Me

(Buffy's POV)

The kiss breaks just as abruptly as it began and I'm left standing there as she walks off. All I can do is blink and stare after her, dumfounded. The flow of blood is having a hard time rerouting back to my brain after the sudden southern trip it took.

Finally, she looks back over her shoulder at me. Her gaze drifts over me and then she gives me an amused look.

"Comin', B?"

Oh, but don't I wish. I'm still having trouble so it takes me a few seconds to get any words out.

"Huh?"

Okay, so it was more of a grunt than anything. But don't I get points for trying?

She shakes her head and laughs. With one last look, she snorts and then throws herself back into the fight. She stakes a vampire and moves on to the next.

"Better come after me, B. Never know when I'll need ya to guard my ass again."

I only just hear her words above the din in the warehouse. But they serve their purpose and I follow her into the thick of it. It's not long before we're shoulder-to-shoulder in the middle of the warehouse, surrounded by vampires and Slayers.

Four vamps come after us, two on each side and familiar hands grab mine. Faith's momentum turns us around and I leap up into a spin-kick. They stumble back and my arms cross with Faith's as I land. I continue the maneuver, turning as Faith completes it with a spin-kick of her own. We end up back where we started at and share a laugh as we return to the fight.

The cacophony of sounds sets a familiar rhythm that my body is starting to respond to. Without hesitation, I give myself into it. My moves gain a natural fluidity that Faith's easily matches. A smirk plays over my lips in answer to the one on hers.

And we have synchronized Slayage, ladies and gentleman. I chuckle and duck, letting her take out the vamp trying to sneak up behind me. We slap hands in a high-five as she moves behind me to guard my back.

Back-to-back, we continue the fight. Everything else starts to fade from my awareness, until the only things that exist for me are her presence and the opponents around us. Not even the other Slayers register in my consciousness now.

I've fought at the side of hundreds of Slayers by now, a few humans, and even some demons. But none of them could ever, ever match up to what it's like fighting with her by my side. It's like we become an extension of each other. The way we move is magic.

I just wish it hadn't taken me so long to accept it. Things could've been so different if I hadn't kept rejecting our connection. I decided when she agreed to help us this time that I wouldn't keep fighting it. Even with everything that's happened I still feel the same way.

We have a lot of stuff we need to deal with, but there's hope for us yet. I throw a punch at a green-skinned demon that's just come at me. He growls and grabs for me, only to receive a knife in his lung by way of an arm reaching around me. I look over my shoulder at Faith, discontented.

"Sorry," She says with a grin, obviously not even a little apologetic.

She jerks the knife from his ribcage and he grabs at the wound as he collapses with a gurgling sound. I reach down to snap his neck before I move on. I find myself face-to-face with a vampire with one too many piercings in odd places and I grimace.

"You know, I've never really seen the point in getting that part of your nose pierced."

I duck a sloppy swipe at my head and grab her arm, flipping her onto the ground with her own momentum. She clambers to her feet and comes at me again. I shrug as I duck around her.

"I mean, really. Is it even hygienic?"

She punches me in the side and I roll my eyes as I grab her arm. I catch her gaze with a wry look.

"You hit like a girl."

She looks at me in confusion as I pull her to me, and then I slam my fist repeatedly into her gut. I kick her legs out from under her and follow her to the ground, staking her when she hits. I straighten and look for my next opponent.

He finds me. A bigger version of the green-skinned demon Faith took care of tackles me from the side. I hit the ground with a grunt and shove him off me, or at least I try to. He pins me to the ground, surprisingly strong considering how weak the other one was.

I struggle fruitlessly against the hold he has on me. His arm lifts and my eyes widen as a thin, jagged spike slides out of his wrist. Oh fuck—

(Faith's POV)

Fuck me! I quickly stake the vamp I'm fightin' and take off towards B. She's just a few feet away, but I gotta shove a few idiots out of my way to get to her. Shit, I think one of 'em was a Slayer.

Oh, well. She'll get over it. I grab one of the metal foldin' chairs away from the table pull it apart. The metal screeches in protest as the seat of the chair tears down the middle, leavin' a jagged edge. I toss the bigger half and close the distance between us.

I catch the demon's arm in my hand, stoppin' his spike less than an inch from B's head. The demon jerks his head up to look at me in surprise and I give him a smirk. I bring the chair piece up across his throat, the edge slicin' through it and sendin' blood flyin'. I look down at B and raise an eyebrow.

She grimaces and shoves his corpse from her. She wipes at the blood and slowly sits up. She looks back up at me.

"Gee, thanks."

"Anytime," I wink.

I toss my makeshift weapon so I can grab her hand and then jerk her to her feet. I smack her on the ass and get back into the fight. I'm comforted by the heat of her when she gets back-to-back with me. I prefer it when she's right there so I can keep an eye on her – she gets into too much trouble otherwise.

It doesn't take us long to find the rhythm once again. I sidestep a knife swipe and grab the vamp's arm, bringin' it down on my bent knee and revelin' in the snap of the bone. I stake the vamp and move on.

A fist catches my jaw and I roll with the punch. My mouth fills with blood from where my teeth cut into my cheek and I slowly lift my eyes to the vamp responsible for it. I lick my lips and then spit the blood into his face.

"You motherfucker," I snarl.

I grab his throat and ram him back against a support post. I bring my knee up into his nuts and he bowls over with a shrill cry. I take the opportunity to grab a fistful of his hair and slam his face down against my knee. I pull him up by his hair and ram my stake home.

I turn 'round, grabbin' B's shoulders and flippin' over her to kick her opponent in the head. He stumbles back as I land and I grab him, pullin' him right into my stake. He bursts into dust and I blow a speck of it off my nose.

I drop to my back on the floor to do a scissor-kick, sendin' two vamps flyin' as I leap back to my feet. If life after death as a Slayer doesn't work out, I'm sure I could find a job as a break dancer. I snort and slam my stake into an unsuspectin' vamp's chest.

I turn and somethin' hits my shoulder and slides down across my chest, but I'm so far in the zone it doesn't matter right now. A sword slices through the air towards me and I bring my hands up, clappin' 'em over the flat of the blade and stoppin' it abruptly. I let go and grab the vamp's wrist, twistin' 'til the bone snaps and breaks through skin. The sword drops from suddenly nerveless fingers and hits the ground.

I kick the sword aside and release him to slam the base of my palm into his face, breaking the bridge of his nose. Blood gushes from the injury but I don't give him time to get pissed. I stake him and walk through a shower of his ashes to reach the next contestant.

The hair on the back of my neck stands on end and I find myself lookin' into blood red eyes. The fucker in front of me looks wicked. He's shorter than me, probably about 5'3, but he's wider than a Mack truck and his skin matches the color of his eyes. His lips curl up into a sneer, revealin' razor sharp teeth.

A hand bigger than both of mine put together clips me in the ribs. The pain doesn't register but I dimly recognize the feelin' of my ribs crackin'. He catches me in the gut with another punch and the wind rushes out of me. I double over in reaction to the pain that suddenly pierces the adrenaline surgin' through me.

I straighten quickly, only to have a familiar sound drop me to my knees. I look up and a fine mist of blood rains down on me as the sword in B's hand takes the demon's head off. I stand, laughin' as I lick the blood from my mouth.

B's eyebrows furrow and her gaze drops. I watch as her hand lifts and she gently touches my upper chest. Her fingers brush aside the remnants of my shredded tank top to reveal a wicked gash runnin' from my shoulder down across my chest, endin' just at the rise of my left breast. I wince as the throbbin' pain makes itself known.

"Fuck, that's gonna be a bitch to heal."

She laughs disbelievingly and mutters, "Only you, Faith."

My eyebrows furrow. "What the fuck's that supposed to mean?"

She shakes her head and covers the wound back up. "Most people would freak 'cause they were that close to dying. But you, you're worried it's going to take a while to heal."

I shrug. "What's your point?"

She doesn't answer me and I jerk my head up, to find her gazin' over my shoulder. Suddenly, I'm aware of the loud silence surroundin' us. I look up, confused to find that the only ones standin' are ours. And they're all starin' at me and B, wide-eyed.

"What?" I snarl, taken off-guard.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Predatory

Fuck, I'm so glad that shit's over with. 'Course, I'm even happier now that B's sent her little troops off to do their own things. One more second of them starin' at us like we're Messiahs and I'd have had to put the smack-down on some-fuckin'-body. I get that me and B are hot as fuck, and seein' us fight's a mind-fuck and a half, but Jesus!

I'd be ecstatic if she'd make 'em all leave. There are plenty of things I can think of that I'd like to be doin' and none of 'em involve sittin' in a dark corner in a dusty warehouse. But the only thing my mind is willin' to supply me with at the moment are some wickedly inventive images of me and B.

My libido's on overdrive and I'm goin' nuts just sittin' here but there's nothin' else for me to do. I can't go much further than where I am 'cause the sun's high enough to shine inside the entrance now. All I can do is sit and watch the Scoobies and the Slayers doin' their thing. And I'm stuck here 'til they're ready to go.

My gaze keeps strayin' to where B's standin' across the room. She's talkin' to Red and Ken and gesturin' with her hands. Every so often, a word or two drifts to where I'm sittin' but it's just like so much fuckin' Greek to me. I sigh and my gaze drifts down.

I tilt my head slightly and my eyes narrow. I smirk. Her body's vibratin' with tension and she looks like she's 'bout to pop. I can feel the energy comin' off her from here.

Suddenly, her stance shifts and I glance up to find her lookin' back at me. Her mouth is parted and her tongue quickly darts out to swipe at her bottom lip. I give her a dangerous smile and she shivers.

(Buffy's POV)

She's looking at me like she wants to eat me. I bite my lip to stifle a moan. Oh, God, I want that too.

Buffy?"

I jerk my gaze back to Will and blush. I scrub at my face and shake my head.

"I—I'm sorry, Will. What was that?"

Kennedy clears her throat to cover a laugh and I glare. She quickly holds up a hand to placate me.

"Sorry. I was just telling you that everything checked out. We took care of the ones we found hiding on the other floors. I sent a bunch of the uninjured Slayers upstairs to go through everything and they're going to let us know if they find anything noteworthy."

I sigh. "Well, I guess all that remains for me to do is to check on the injured."

Kennedy shakes her head. "Nope, all ready did that too. Wes brought the MV around and he's making sure they're taken care of."

Thank God, or Giles, for the medical van. It's an RV filled with medical equipment, but some of the Slayers started calling it an MV and that's where it all went wrong. But odd names aside, it's pretty useful in our line of work. Even more helpful is that we usually have at least three Slayers with medical training on hand.

I groan. "Is there anything left that I can do?"

"You mean other than grunt work?" Kennedy quips and then she shrugs. "Well, yeah. There is something you can do."

"What?" I ask warily.

I don't like that look. It usually means she's about to be true to her bratty nature.

Deadpan, she replies, "You can get Faith to stop scaring the other Slayers."

"Huh?" I ask, confused.

She points and I look in the direction she's indicating. I meet Faith's gaze again and I'm trapped.

"I've seen more than a couple of Slayers take a glance at her and scamper off like they were afraid she was getting ready to pounce."

I blink and jerk my head around to glare at Ken again. "She isn't any danger to anyone here. Tell them they need to calm down. She's just a little... tense right now."

"Um, I dunno, Buff," Willow says contemplatively, a slight grin tugging at one corner of her mouth. "I'm actually a little worried for your safety right now."

"What?" I ask sharply.

Please, Will. I plead silently. I'm a little on edge myself right now. This isn't the greatest time for someone to start in on Faith.

"She looks like she's going to eat you alive," Willow explains, unable to hide her smile any longer.

"Oh, God, Will," I groan and cover my eyes with one hand as I point at her with the other. "You're evil!"

"You didn't see the way she was looking at Faith, babe," Kennedy interrupts. "I think it's actually Faith we should be worried for."

I slam my eyes shut and shake my head as I blush hotly. I try to ignore the chuckles coming from my supposed friends. I reopen my eyes and shake my head at them.

"You're both evil. I swear if you don't leave me alone, you'll both be on kitchen duty for the next two weeks."

Kennedy shudders and bites her lip, trying to calm down. A snort escapes and she claps a hand over her mouth.

I throw my hands up and walk off. "Maybe I will go talk to her. At least she won't pick on me."

"No, she'll just pick at you," Kennedy calls after me.

I dodge a group of Slayers cleaning up demon corpses and make my way over to where Faith is. As I near her, my body temperature rises and I tremble in reaction to the primal energy she's putting off. My eyes narrow and I take a deep breath as I stop in front of the chair she's sitting in.

(Faith's POV)

Eyes half-lidded, I tilt my head back to gaze up at B. I give her a lazy smile in response to the heated look she's givin' me.

"Somethin' I can do for ya, B?"

I watch her take a deep, shudderin' breath and then she shakes her head with a laugh. She absently rubs her thumb over a cut on her forearm.

"Why do I have a feeling anything you say right now's going to sound like a come-on?"

I shrug. "I dunno—maybe 'cause it is?"

I know we need to get our issues outta the way 'fore we let things go further than they all ready have, but my body ain't listenin' to reason. Apparently my mouth ain't either.

"How much longer we gotta stay here?"

She shrugs. "I think we can get out of here soon. I just have to do one more check and then go pull my car up to the door."

A voice interrupts my reply, "Hey, Buffy!"

We break our gaze and look up to see Ken comin' towards us with a file in one hand. She winces under our scrutiny and shrugs.

"I didn't want to interrupt, but one of the younger Slayers found something I thought you guys should see."

She holds a folder out and Buffy snatches it away. She flips it open and a piece of paper drifts out, flashes of color catchin' my attention. I snatch it outta the air and flip it over. I blink in reaction to seein' my own mug shot lookin' back at me.

My lip curls up in a sneer in unconscious reaction. Jesus, I look fucked up in that pic. It's one of the ones they took when I first turned myself in. I was pretty beat up and kinda dead on my feet at the time.

'Course, I've taken the phrase "dead on my feet" to a whole new level, but enough with my morbid sense of humor. I hand the picture to B and shrug.

"Don't know why they had that shitty thing."

"It doesn't look that bad," B replies absently and then waves the folder in her hand at me. "They've got all kinds of info on you up until you disappeared, Faith."

Heh, what world is she livin' in? That pic has to be the worst one I've ever seen of myself, with the exception of one that my ex, Kenny has. Then again, there ain't much worse than a picture of me fucked up on God knows what and drunk as a dog.

"Guess that's how they found out who I was," I mutter.

"What?" Buffy asks in confusion.

Oh yeah, that's right. With everything that's happened, I ain't had the chance to tell her 'bout that.

"They came after me just a little bit before we were set to attack. He had me brought in and was wicked pissed." I smirk. "'course, me bein' me, I just kept makin' it worse."

Buffy taps the file with one fingertip. "So I guess now we have to find out where the info came from."

"No skin off my back if we don't," I answer easily. "I just wanna get outta this place."

"We need to figure out where their captives are at first," Kennedy says quietly.

I frown in response and then my expression clears. "I heard one of the other vamps say somethin' 'bout 'em keepin' the pets in another warehouse nearby."

"Okay," Ken answers. "I'll take a group and the MV and head out to find them. Why don't the two of you get out of here?"

"But—"

"Ah! Don't argue," Ken interrupts. "The two of you together put off more energy than the rest of our force combined. Frankly, you're driving us all insane with it."

B opens her mouth to object and then snaps it shut. She glances at me and I shrug. Don't look at me, B. I ain't gonna deny it.

She gives me a look that I'm sure is supposed to be irritated, but all it spells to me is "frustrated". I give her a little grin, darin' her to say anything. Come on, B. Y'know I'll just embarrass ya.

She curls her lip into a tiny sneer and rolls her eyes. "Okay, we'll go. I've got a blanket in the backseat that you can cover up with."

I lift my eyebrow. "Thanks, I appreciate it."

She turns to go and then freezes. She hesitantly turns back to face us with an odd look. She opens her mouth, snaps it shut, and then a blush crawls up her cheeks.

Amused, I drawl, "Somethin' wrong?"

She licks her lips and then she asks shakily, "Your place or mine?"

I just about fall outta my chair and Ken slides down the wall holdin' her belly, laughin'. I bite my bottom lip as I struggle to regain my composure. Fuck, she's adorable. When I finally look up, B's lookin' at me like she wants to kill me.

"Yours," I just barely manage to choke out.

Chapter Twenty-Six: Alcohol, Blood, and Sweat I

I run a hand through my hair absently as I look around the room I'm standin' in. It just screams "Buffy". Pastels and light oak furniture make up the décor of her apartment. I ain't really surprised. I'm actually kinda fond of it, truthfully.

A whimper catches my attention and I look down at the three month old crème colored Labrador puppy dancin' 'round my legs. She leaps up and paws at my thigh, then falls back onto all fours. I smile wryly and shake my head as I kneel down.

"Hey there, Lee," I murmur.

I run my hand over the soft fur and the pup eats it up. She's pressin' into my fingers like she just can't get enough of it. I lean back when she tries to leap up and lick my face, laughin' at her disappointed whine.

"Hey," B calls softly.

I jerk my head up, startled and embarrassed, to find B standin' right next to me. Our eyes lock for the first time since we got here and my pussy clenches in response. A softer version of the lust I'm used to seein' in others is reflected back at me.

I want her, but we need to talk first, damn it! I remind myself. With that in mind, I stand, intendin' to tell her that.

She reaches out towards me, offerin' me a wine glass. I accept it and look, startled to find that it's blood. I glance back up at her questioningly.

"I keep it here for when Spike or Angel drop by," She explains quietly.

Tryin' to pretend that doesn't bother me, I nod and take a sip, my eyes widenin' in response to the taste. She spiked my drink. I lick my lips and raise an eyebrow.

She holds up her wine glass, this one shades lighter than mine. "I didn't want to be drinking alone, so I added some of my wine to your drink."

"Okay," I say slowly.

Somethin' is goin' on here. If I didn't know better, I'd say she's tryin' to seduce me. My breathin' quickens at the thought.

B's eyes lower and she takes a sip from her glass. My eyes track the movement and I notice a slight tremor in her hand. My gaze darts back to hers and she lowers her glass.

"So, um," She clears her throat. "Do you want to talk?"

No. I clamp my jaw shut to keep the answer from slippin' out. Oh, fuck. I may just be fucked here—in more ways than one.

I drain my glass in two swallows and hand it to B. I shrug at her surprised expression.

"I was thirsty. But um, yeah, we probably should, y'know— talk." My voice breaks.

"Oh fuck it."

The words startle me and I watch, confused as B sets her glass down on the coffee table. She reaches out and takes mine from me, settin' it aside as well. She comes towards me and I back up. If she gets her hands on me, I'm done for.

"I—I thought we were gonna talk," I stammer.

B follows me 'til I'm up against the wall and grabs my tank top, jerkin' me to her. The throbbin' between my thighs intensifies as she presses her body into mine. Her hands flatten against my belly and she insinuates a knee between my thighs. I whimper.

I'm fucked. She's got my libido by the clit and I'm startin' not to give a fuck about anything else. I swallow hard and look down into her eyes.

She bites her bottom lip and looks up at me from beneath her lashes. I'm experiencin' déjà-vu for a sec. She releases her lip and leans further into me.

"I know there's a lot we need to deal with," She murmurs hoarsely. "But right now I need you so much, Faith."

Fuck, if that ain't the one thing I've always wanted to hear her say. I close my eyes for a brief sec and then let myself go for the second time in one day. I open my eyes to look into hers again. There was never a chance of me resistin' her anyway.

This thing that's between her and me? It's as inevitable as a stake findin' a home in a vamp's chest. It's unavoidable and it's been buildin' since day one. Maybe even before.

Her hands run up the front of my ruined tank top, slidin' over my tits to pause on my upper chest. My nipples tighten and I shudder as I clasp her hips, pullin' her closer. I lick my bottom lip and lower my mouth to hers. Our lips brush against each other, once, twice and a third time.

Her tongue darts out to tease my bottom lip and it becomes somethin' more. My tongue slips out to tangle with hers and one hand rises to tangle in soft blonde hair. I grab her thigh with the other and bring it up, lettin' it wrap 'round my hip. Her arms slide 'round my neck and she groans against my mouth.

The sound makes me ache for more. I stumble back and turn, pressin' her up against the wall. I grind my hips into hers and she mimics me. I break the kiss and arch back, starin' down at the sight of our clothed bodies writhin' together. Oh fuck, that's hot—makes me wanna see it sans clothin'.

B lunges forward and our mouths crash together. The tang of her blood fills my mouth, mixin' with mine and the taste of the wine and I groan as I kiss her harder. My hand leaves her hair, trailin' down her neck and over her shoulder to her t-shirt covered chest. My palm slips over her nipple and she gasps against my mouth.

She leans into my hand and sucks on my tongue, makin' me grind against her harder. She whimpers and I chuckle against her mouth as I slide my hand further south. My fingertips brush her lower belly and she pulls her mouth away, gaspin' for air.

"We—we should go to bed," She stammers.

"Go to bed?" I ask, archin' an eyebrow at her. "But, baby, I ain't got any plans to sleep anytime soon."

B giggles, buryin' her face in my neck. Her voice comes out muffled, "You know what I meant, F."

I smirk. "Aw, c'mon, B. It's aight to have sex someplace other than the bedroom, y'know."

She lifts her head and glares. "I know, but I don't want our first time to be against the living room wall."

"Well, that's good," I answer slowly, "Seein' as how our first time was actually on a pile of pillows in front of a big ass group of vamps."

She smacks my arm and untangles herself from me. She shoves me back and goes around me. I turn to see her walkin' away.

I furrow my eyebrows and only just stop from smackin' myself in the forehead. I don't even see that as our first time, so how could she? It was dry humpin'.

I call, "Hey, where ya goin', B? I didn't mean anything by it."

She pauses in the archway to the hall and looks back over her shoulder. She smirks.

"If you want to continue what we were just doing, F, you'll follow me."

She abruptly disappears down the hall and I blink, surprised. Then I roll my eyes and start off after her, pausin' to kick my boots off. I continue down the hall, jerkin' my tank top up over my head and off. I let it fall to the floor as I enter the bedroom at the end of the hall.

I look around in confusion and then the door slams shut. I turn and find Buffy standin' behind me. She takes in the fact that I've lost my tank top somewhere and then lifts her eyes back to mine, the heat of her gaze so intense it nearly scorches me. I watch, spellbound, as she grasps the hem of her T-shirt and whips it off.

She lets the shirt fall to the floor and her hands drift to the buttons on her jeans. I don't think I've even blinked durin' this entire time. I can see why. I'm perfectly happy to just keep starin' at her.

She pops the button on her jeans and lowers the zipper, givin' me a teasin' look. She bends at the waist, wigglin' her hips to slide her skintight jeans off. I catch a glimpse of a tiny pair of black panties and whimper. God, is it wrong to wish I was standin' behind her instead of here? My gaze falls on her black satin clad breasts and I lick my lips, decidin' I'll be fine right where I am.

She steps out of her jeans and drops 'em on the floor. She looks up at me and straightens slowly, lettin' me take her in. Jesus, she's beautiful.

Golden tan skin that I know feels like silk hides lithe muscles that are twitchin' from leftover adrenaline right now. Her body's a story of an active lifestyle and it makes her that much more appealin' to me 'cause I know she can take me as I am. She looks delicate, but I know what that body can do. The thought that I'll be able to get my hands on her makes my body heat up.

I lift my gaze back to hers, lettin' her see just what she's doin' to me. She saunters toward me and I'm positive the grin she's givin' me would probably frighten anyone else. Not too many are able to handle a Slayer on the prowl.

But they ain't me. I'll just give her a look of my own and things will be just fuckin' perfect in my world. She reaches me and it rapidly becomes obvious that my world can become so much better.

Her hands slide up my arms 'til they reach my neck and she tangles her fingers in the hair at my nape. I lift my hands and slide 'em over the soft skin of her hips, tuggin' her closer as she pulls my head down. Our bellies brush against each other as our mouths meet again and I moan at the skin-on-skin contact.

We stand there just kissin' for the longest time, but it ain't nearly enough. I run one hand up her back 'til I reach her bra clasp and pop it open with a twist of my wrist. I smooth my hands over her sides and up to her shoulders where I grasp the thin straps, slowly guidin' 'em down her arms.

I let her bra drift to the floor as I wrap an arm 'round her waist, closin' the short distance between us. Our breasts brush against each other and someone moans. I ain't sure, but I have a sneaky suspicion that it was me.

I glide my left hand over the skin of her stomach, the light fuzz on her belly ticklin' me. My fingertips bump the underside of her breast and I cup it, feelin' her hard nipple brush my palm. She gasps against my mouth and I break away to look down. The contrast of my pale olive-toned skin against her darker complexion makes me wanna see more.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Alcohol, Blood, and Sweat II

(Buffy's POV)

Her lips capture mine again and I sigh into it. Her hand leaves my breast and I whimper against her mouth in response. She pulls away and gives me a determined look.

"Clothes have gotta go."

She steps back and I sit down on the bed. I slide up to the top and settle back against my pillows to watch. Faith smirks and reaches down to unbuckle her belt one-handed. I lick my lips and arch an eyebrow as I lean up on my elbows for a better view.

There's just something so sexy about watching her right now—bare-chested, bruises and cuts scattered over her skin. Strong hands work the latch on her belt, scraped knuckles catching my eyes. She pops the row of buttons on her jeans open and wiggles her brows at me as she bends to slip them off. My gaze is immediately drawn to the firm breasts swinging gently with the movement.

Instead of straightening, Faith climbs onto the mattress and crawls towards me with predatory grace. A moan catches in my throat when I realize she hadn't been wearing underwear, the glimpse of neatly trimmed dark curls making my mouth go dry. This woman is going to be the death of me. She reaches me and I come to the conclusion that at least I'll die happy.

(Faith's POV)

I crawl up the bed towards her, keepin' eye contact as I go. I don't stop 'til my face is hoverin' over hers and then I drape my body over hers. I sigh as the contours of her body mold to mine. She leans up to capture my lips and I meet her halfway, pressin' her back into the pillows as I lick at her bottom lip.

This close, the heat comin' off her is almost unbearable. I can feel the blood pumpin' through her veins, the sound of her poundin' heart fills my ears along with her elevated breathin'. The slight tremblin' of nervousness moves through her body to mine as one of her hands comes to rest on my ass and the other clasps the back of my head.

My lips leave hers, trailin' kisses over her jaw to her neck. I nuzzle my face into her skin, the scent of the battle fillin' my head and makin' my body shake with hunger. Beneath the smell of blood, sweat, lust, and ashes I can still detect the lavender body wash she uses and somethin' salty/sweet that's uniquely her.

I shift most of my weight onto one elbow, bringin' my free hand up to her breast. I tease the dusky pink nipple between my thumb and forefinger, pinchin' it just enough to draw a gasp from B. I nip at her neck playfully and her nails dig into my scalp as she guides my mouth closer to her artery. I trail my tongue over the skin teasingly and pull back, givin' her a naughty grin.

"Gonna have to work for it, Slayer."

She gives me a low growl and pulls my mouth to hers, kissin' me with bruisin' force. Her other hand leaves my ass, her nails trailin' a fiery path up my back. Then she moves her hand to cup my right tit and now I don't care about the blood tricklin' down my back. Her nails flick over my nipple and it's my turn to growl.

I swing a leg over hers to straddle her leg and slip a little further up so that my thigh's pressin' up between hers. I grind down into her, trails of wetness coatin' our skin as our pussies slide against each other's thigh. I break away from her mouth to toss my head back and let out a low, long groan to relieve the pressure startin' to build in my belly.

My sudden action forced her hand to let go of my hair and her fingers trail down my neck and over my chest, tracin' the healin' wound there. Her other hand leaves my breast and slips up over my shoulder, her fingers tanglin' in my hair again.

I look down between us, greeted by the sight of our bodies writhin' together. My earlier thoughts come back and I smirk. Sometimes wishes do come true. A slightly painful tug of my hair brings my attention back to B.

I give her a feral grin and duck my head, suckin' a nipple into my mouth. I work it over with my teeth and tongue, drawin' all sorts of interestin' noises from her. I let the tip of a fang scrape over it, threatenin' to pierce the flesh.

"Oh f—fuck," She rasps, her voice breakin'.

Oh, I like that. I release her nipple and blow a stream of hot air across it. She cries out and I switch to the other one. I wrap my lips 'round it and move my hand from her breast. My fingers trail over her belly, startin' a purposeful path down between us.

Her reaction is immediate. She leaves the wound on my chest alone and gets a handful of hair in both of her hands, pullin' my head away from her breast. My lips release her nipple with a wet pop and I willingly follow where she's leadin'. Her tongue invades my mouth and I suck on it harshly.

My fingers brush her damp pubes and slip between her lips, slidin' over and around her swollen clit. A renewed flood of wetness drenches my hand and I take a deep breath, strugglin' not to rush. Then two things happen at once. My fingers find her cunt and I hear the sweetest thing I've ever heard.

"Faith, please," She begs, her lips tremblin' against mine. "I need you."

My name in that hoarse, desperate tone drives me wild. Still tryin' to keep things slow, I glide two fingers inside her. Wet heat surrounds me and her walls grasp at my fingers, tryin' to pull me in further as she cries out. My hand starts up a slow, easy rhythm, and I use the pressure of my own hips to keep her from increasin' the contact.

She pulls her mouth away from mine to groan, "Harder, baby."

I shake my head and give her an enticin' grin. "C'mon, baby. It'll be so much fuckin' better if we keep it slow."

"Fuck slow," She snaps.

I arch an eyebrow at her and lean in to capture her lips again. I murmur against her mouth, "That's the point."

Usually, I'd be all for fuckin' hard and fast. But this is B, and I want more than that with her even though my libido's screamin' at me. I don't know how much longer I'll stay in control though, 'cause my body's been in overdrive since Dionne and his boys busted in. But here's me givin' it my damndest.

Frustrated, B growls and sucks my bottom lip into her mouth. Her teeth scrape over it, once, twice and then she bites. I gasp and my body jerks as it registers the pain as pleasure. Blood dribbles down my chin and fills my mouth from the mark she left.

I feel her body surge against me as she uses my distraction to flip us over. She looms above me, her expression as wild and untamed as I've ever seen it. I gaze up at her, my free hand movin' to clasp her waist as my fingers start to slip from inside her. She captures my wrist, holdin' my fingers in place.

"Let me show you how it's done, F," She snarls.

Her hips start up a relentless, drivin' rhythm as she rides my hand. All I can do is watch, captivated by this aspect of her personality. This is her inner Slayer comin' out full force. Her eyebrow lifts, eyes issuin' a challenge and my control breaks.

I sit up, bringin' myself face to face with B. I tense my forearm muscles and start meetin' her thrust for thrust. I lean in to capture her lips and she grabs a handful of my hair, stoppin' me from reachin' my goal. I groan in frustration and she chuckles.

She pulls my head back, exposin' my throat. She ducks her head, trailin' the tip of her tongue from the hollow at the base of my throat to the cleft in my chin. She lets her mouth hover over mine, catchin' my eyes from close up. She smirks.

"Think you got the hang of it, yet, F?"

"Why don't you be the judge of it, B?" I rasp.

I wrap my arm 'round her waist and tug her so that our chests are brushin' against each other. I slam my fingers up into her harder, usin' my entire arm to put force into it. Her hips meet my thrust and she chuckles again.

"I think you're g—getting the hang of it," She says, her voice breakin'.

She closes the distance between our mouths and teases my lips with her tongue. One of her hands slips from my hair and I lose track of it. All of my senses are focusin' on her tongue, her lips, and her pussy. But I don't lose track of it for long.

Her fingertips slip through my pubes, findin' my achin' clit with unerrin' precision. She pinches it between her index and middle fingers, twists, and a loud cry tears from my throat. I collapse back onto the bed, bringin' her with me. She lifts up onto one elbow, her legs straddlin' my thighs as we continue to drive each other closer to the edge.

Her fingers slide further past my clit, findin' my drippin' slit easily and she wastes no time. Three fingers drill inside me, stretchin' me wide open. My eyes slam shut and I spread my legs wider, tryin' to get her further inside as my hips hump against her hand. My own fingers falter inside her, but I pick the pace back up quickly.

Oh, fuck. This feels so Goddamn amazin'. My arm leaves her waist and I reach down to grab a handful of her ass. My nails dig into the soft flesh, breakin' the skin. She breaks our kiss, a hiss escapin' her lips.

Wetness coats my fingertips and the scent of fresh blood reaches my nose. I feel my face start to vamp out and I clench my jaw, tryin' to fight it. Our eyes lock and she gives me a teasin' grin. Oh, God, B. Don't fuckin' play with me right now.

Ignorin' the plea in my eyes, she tosses her head back to expose her neck, her sweat-dampened blonde hair fallin' in waves down her back. She leans forward to nuzzle my ear and a warm rush of air washes across it.

"Don't fight it," She chokes out.

I look down at the elegant neck bein' offered to me and my eyes zero in on my mark. I can see the blood racin' beneath the scarred tissue, beggin' for me to drink. I close my eyes and give in, lettin' my fangs sink into her. More of her wetness floods my hand and I let my uncertainties go.

I can still taste a hint of the wine she drank earlier. The lust burnin' in her blood makes it that much richer. Her hips gain a jerky, uncoordinated rhythm, and a faint spicy taste taints her blood, tellin' me that she's close. I return my arm 'round her waist, pullin' her close again as I grind my palm up into her clit.

The sweat and cum liberally coverin' our bodies makes us slide against each other slickly. Over the sound of her thunderin' heart, I can dimly hear soft grunts and low growls reminiscent of sounds from our earlier battle. I suck harder at her neck and she stiffens, a low, whinin' sound rendin' the air and remindin' me that this ain't that.

Her inner walls clamp down on my fingers painfully and she's comin', hard. She jerks and I barely have the sense of mind to retract my fangs 'fore she can hurt herself. Her hips snap against me and her head flies back. Over and over, she calls my name.

Her palm grinds against my clit and her fingers slam home deep within me, hittin' my sweet spot and sendin' me spiralin' as my eyes slam shut. Heat suffuses my body and I'm gaspin' for breath as I arch up, the memory of life flarin' through me bittersweet. A sound like thunder fills my ears, drownin' everything else out as I'm set adrift.

(Buffy's POV)

I hold onto Faith tightly, trying to regain my bearings. My heart is pounding so hard that I'm a little worried it might explode. I've never felt anything as intense as what just happened. I can't find the right words to even begin to describe it.

My ears are ringing and there's a lingering soreness in my throat. My breathing slows and sets into a more normal rhythm and I take a deep breath, smiling as the heavy mixture of blood, sweat, and arousal fills my senses. A soft sound catches my attention and I look up, suddenly aware of the tension in the body I'm sprawled on. I'm surprised and deeply concerned by what I see.

Faith has her game face on and tears are streaming down her face. Her fists are clutching the crème colored quilt so tightly that her knuckles have gone bone white. I scramble off her and move up the bed so that I'm face-to-face with her. Her eyes are wide open and looking at something I can't see.

My brows furrow and I hesitantly cup her cheek. She blinks and our gazes lock as her face reverts to human. Her haunted expression fades to an aching tenderness that makes my heart clench. She gives me a sad smile and lifts her head, catching my lips in the softest kiss I've ever felt. Her tongue slips past my lips and the taste of blood and tears floods my mouth.

She guides me onto my back and covers my body with hers. Her hands glide over my skin and I'm stunned to feel my body responding again so soon. Her fingers brush my nipples and I moan softly against her mouth. Then the softness disappears as her kiss becomes hard, her touch growing determined and relentless.

Her fingers tease my opening and she pauses, pulling back from me. The expression on her face tells me she's giving me one chance to back out. My eyes flutter shut and my hips surge against her, driving down on her fingers. My still sensitized body objects and I freeze, trying to give my body time to adjust.

She isn't having any of that. Her fingers plunge in and out of me, her forearm tensing and relaxing convulsively with the movement. It doesn't take long for my body to turn the pain into pleasure. Straddling my leg once again, she grinds her center against the tensed muscles of my thigh, the fresh coat of wetness making my insides quiver.

Wanting to help, I go to lift my hands to clasp her hips and find my wrists quickly trapped in a firm grip. She shakes her head and stretches out over me, bringing my arms up above my head. She looks down into my eyes and sneers.

"Keep 'em there."

Oh, God. A mini-orgasm makes my pussy contract painfully around her still moving fingers. Before the tremors fade, she searches out my g-spot and sends me back over the edge. I cry out and slam my eyes shut, deciding that as of right now she can do whatever the Hell she wants.

I feel her fingers slip from my pussy and I cry out, objecting to the loss. She gives me a predatory smile, arches her eyebrow in warning, and releases my wrists. She starts crawling backwards toward the foot of the bed, licking her lips slowly. I furrow my eyebrows in confusion and then my eyes widen as understanding dawns.

"Open wide, B," She murmurs.

I spread my legs and she settles down between them, gliding her hands up my calves. She grasps my thighs and lifts them over her shoulders, circling them with her arms and clasping my hips. She lets her gaze drop to the apex of my thighs and a low, rumbling growl escapes her as she lowers her head.

Her mouth nuzzles me and I cry out as her tongue laps at my heated flesh. She wraps her lips around my clit and I clench my hands, trying not to grab for her head as she sucks hard. Her tongue bats at my clit and I clamp my hands around the bars of the headboard. I tighten my grip and call her name, offering myself up for whatever her need drives her to take from me.

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