Blood of my Blood

by Subversive Theatre

Exclusive to Oralfxatn.com and Oralfxatns Yahoo! group.

Rating: NC-17
A/N: This one is for Frass who suckered me in with her vampbuffy. Thanks for the inspiration during a really inspirationless time for me, and thank you for the awesome work that kicked my muse in the ass. And to TBC...who happily cheered me along. Even when I limped along like a hooker with one leg and no wheelchair. exesandohs.

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Chapter One

I got the call too late. Damnit. I kneel at the fringes of the massacre an'check for a pulse even though I know I won't find one. Poor fuckin'kid. My breath comes out in a harsh sigh when I see the bite marks and smears of blood on her lips. I let my connection stretch across the wreckage of the burnt out building, checkin'for other Slayers.

Damnit. Goddamnit. I stand and pull the katana from the sheath on my back. This is the part I hate. This is where the heroes fall. Can't give it thought, can't hold them in contempt because they chose to turn instead of die with honor. I bring my sword down slicing head from body in one controlled swing. "You're dyin'with honor now lil sis." I can hear the body snap and crackle as whoever she was goes up in flames behind me.

No time ta mourn her ‘cause she's just the first. My steps are heavy as they crunch glass an'debris on the walk through the safe house. The sigh an'slice thing is almost routine by the time I find her. I bring my sword up, blade gleaming dully above my shoulder. Goddamnit Buffy. Goddamn you. Why'd ya do it? Why the FUCK did you give in? I grip the hilt tighter an' scream out my anger as I bring it down with enough force to split one of the fallen support beams.

I don't even feel the ground as I drop to my knees by her body. Can't say that I even notice the rain until it's washin' away blood and grit from that perfect brow. My hero has fallen. Now I know why I got the call so late. Giles knew she was gone. Knew they were all gone. I was the clean up crew. That motherfucker used me. I stroke the pale blonde hair in apology. She'll never forgive me. Never. None of them will.

But it doesn't matter ‘cause she's mine now. I pick up Buffy's body leaving my sword stuck where it is. I'm done and when G sees that he'll know it. "It's okay baby, I got a plan." With Buffy slung over my shoulder I pull out the transmitter I was given before I left. Just hit the button when the job is done and they'll come pick me up. I hit the button an' let it drop to the ground by my sword before I disappear in to the dark.

"You bring the devil in my house, girl!" Shit. I knew she was gonna act like this. I duck a flyin' clay dish and hold up my hands in a placating gesture. "Don't you be saying a thing! You got you a snakes tongue on you. I should have known! Get out! Out and take that thing with you!"

Thing. It sends a shiver down my spine even as a I glance down at Buffy. I know...she's not Buffy. But I just can't think of her as a thing. Not her. "Danni, please just hear me out yeah?" I back up quickly when she takes a swing at me with her Granny's walkin'stick. "Yo! Watch that shit..." I'm backin'up so fast that I trip over Buffy, landin'hard on my ass.

I'm laying across her body before Danni can bring that stick down. Dunno why. B's dead, she wouldn't feel it but...I guess it's some stupid instinct in me. "Get off of it."

"Fuck you. We'll leave." I'm not gonna let her destroy Buffy. If anyone is gonna finish her it's gonna be me. I can tell that Danni is thinkin'about givin'me a good whack or two just for the trouble.

"What you doin'girl? Who that there eh?" Shit. The old lady is up. Danni's face goes pale as we both look over to the blind old woman standing at the foot of the steps. "Oh it's you then Faithless, is it?" I dunno how she always knows it's me but she does. "It's the stink of death on you." And she can read minds. Probably.

"It's not just Faith, Ama. She brought the undead in to this house." Why does she gotta cock block me like that? The old lady mighta been willing to hear me out before that. I scoot back, pulling B along with me as Danni's grandmother makes her way closer, sniffing at the air. "She won't let it be finished."

Damn right I won't let it be finished. It'll never be finished between me and Buffy. I don't care how dead one of us might be. "I know girl now hush." My muscles twitch under my skin as she kneels next to us an'sniffs the air. "So." Yeah. So. "You bring the dead in to the wolf's den. What you want hmm?"

That would be the question of the day wouldn't it? I sigh heavily for the millionth time tonight. "I need ta make sure we can't be found." This time it's Ama that sighs.

"You know what you ask of me?" Yeah I really do. I give her a nod still holdin'tight ta Buffy's cold hand. "You bring death on an entire pack if this all goes wrong." I know it. I swallow hard an'nod.

"I know, Ama. But...there's something here. Inside of her. I can feel it, an'I can't put the spark out until I know for sure she's really gone." And for that I need time. Because Giles is gonna be crawlin'all up my ass any minute now.

"Mmm. I can see that." Ha. Funny old bitch. "Danni!" Danni jumps a lil at bein'called. "Bring me my tools." I don't even know who ta thank at this point. My dumb fuckin'luck or some goddamned deity. "You can start by thanking me." Right.

"Sorry. Thanks Ama. I owe ya one." She pauses when Danni places a bag at her left hand and opens a large leather bound book.

"When the Faithless find faith there can be no debt." Huh? What the fuck does that even mean? I glance up to Danni who shrugs her confusion right back at me. "This thing I do, I do for the world. Not you Slayer." Yeah it's always about the rest of the world. I don't mind so much that it happens to go hand in hand with what I want.

I'm not really payin'much attention to what she's doing to me and Buffy. I'm more focused on the pale blue of Buffy's lips. I'm so fuckin'sorry B. So sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me. I wipe away a tear from her lips with my thumb. She's so cold. But I wasn't lyin' when I said I felt somethin'inside of her. I felt that warmth that's all Buffy.

I felt the part of her that always owned me. The shimmer of green light around us startles me in to looking up, but when I do it's gone. "Is...did you do it?" I don't even know what ‘it'is but I know somethin'just happened. Ama nods slowly at me.

"You can't block magic like your Coven's for long. But you can confuse the people that wield the power." I raise my brows and glance at Danni for a better explanation.

"They're looking for a vampire and a Slayer not two werewolves." Huh. Now that's what I call pullin'a fast one. My lips twitch in a smirk. "Now get out before she wakes up." You don't gotta tell me twice. Still. I reach out and rest my hand on Ama's tanned, weathered one an'give it a squeeze.

"Thank you. Both of ya." I know Danni doesn't agree but she helped an'that's more than I deserve from her. She rolls her eyes at me while helpin'her Gram up from the floor. Buffy's body is somehow lighter to me now as I lift her carefully and trudge out the back door. I don't think I'm gonna be able to come back here for a long time. Can't run the risk of anyone connecting me to a pack of magic usin'werewolves.

Can't run the risk of being connected to anyone. But I'd burn any bridge happily so long as it's me an'B on the other side together. It'll be light soon an'I gotta find us a place that's safe for now. Safe for me anyway.

Drums. That's the first thing I notice. Drumbeats so loud, so...brazen, I can barely think. They're calling me I think. In some strange secret drum language each beat is calling my name. No, I don't think that's right. It's not my name, it's the name she gave me. But who is she? And why are her drums calling me?

Boom. Ba Boom. Again and again and I'm so...hungry. I bet those deep bass drums are red and sweet. I could just bite in to those juicy drums and I won't be hungry anymore. She wants me to. I can –feel- it. I can feel her. Under my skin, whispering in my head with her drums. I can almost make my fingers twitch to rhythm if I try hard enough. It's just so...hard.

Hard to think. I'm weak. I just need something to eat. Boom. Ba Boom. Drums. This time my fingers do twitch. I can feel the skin of them stretching taut like dry leather. Weird. Boom. Ba... Boom Boom Boom Ba Boom. Boom. Ba Boom. My eyes open at the sudden change in her call. I feel my body move ways it didn't before. Or did it? I can't remember. And I don't care I just want my drums.

"Hey B."

Faith. It would be her wouldn't it? I glance around at the cage I'm so obviously in. So. It happened afterall. My stomach cramps nearly doubling me over, reminding me that I'm still hungry.

"Faith. Tell me you aren't getting off on this." I give her a little smirk and lean against door. I'm so not prepared for it to swing open but it does. Faith is a tricky girl, it can't be this easy. I back up a step and eye her warily from inside the cage.

"Maybe a lil bit." Oh I'm sure. She jumps off her perch on a tall shipping box and fondles her stake nervously. Tsk tsk. Always a softy at heart. Boom. Ba Boom. A heart I could eat. "So here's the deal B, you and I both know this could be epic. So ya gotta choose. Be good an' we can fix this before any more good Slayers get killed. Or." 

Or? Her fondling becomes more sure and definitely making a point. As much as I hate to admit it, I know she could take me. At least right now. I'm hungry afterall and weak. Too weak to take on a seasoned Slayer like her. Even if I do know all of her best moves. Well. Maybe not all of them. I smile at her knowing full well that I'm not at my prettiest. "I'm guessing the ‘or'portion of the statement includes you and me and forever does it?"

Faith's whole body strums with energy and she kicks the door to my little cell closed. "Sorry B. My Ma always said some deals were too good to trust. I'm feelin'a lil low on the trust if ya know what I mean." She has a point. I could just eat her and not bother to turn her. But that's not the important part of her statement.

The important part is that she would never let me turn her. That's not Faith. "Mmm. Never thought you'd be caution girl Faith but I have to say it suits you. So. I guess my only option is to play nice. For now."

But what happens after our little deal is done? And how exactly does she plan on keeping a deal with a vampire? And where the hell are we? I smell...fish. Ugh. If the smell doesn't get me the slight heaving under my legs will. Wait. I look around again. Great. We're stuck on a tanker. I give her a look of serious annoyance.

"Just in case ya wanted ta fuck me over. Precautions." That's a pretty good idea. I wonder why I never liked the way she thought before? Maybe I just couldn't appreciate her necessity for the extreme before.

"I'm less horrified than you would think. But that could just be the hunger talking." Because it is. Talking that is. Feed me Seymour, feed me! Faith takes a few steps to the door of the cage and rolls up her sleeve. What the hell is she doing?

"Yeah. Kinda figured you might start gettin'the blood jones. One time only offer B, fresh Slayer's blood straight up." I don't even bother to see if she's messing with me. The temptation is just too much. The muscles in her forearm cord under my hands and I look to her questioningly.

"Why?" Why is she feeding me? Why didn't she make sure I didn't come back? Why are we here? Why...everything?

Faith pulls a long knife from the small of her back and slices a deep gash in her arm. Every cell in my body goes on high alert making me want to keen with need. "I'm the only food around." Who cares? I clamp my mouth down on the bleeding wound. Oh God. Some part of me kicks in, making me yank my head away from her. This isn't right. Is it?

I don't know. But I'm so hungry. So damn hungry. "Get away from me Faith." I can't do this if she's just hanging her arm out there letting all that good blood go to waste. I don't really want her to go but I have to make her. The smell of her coppery blood is too much to resist.

"Eat Buffy." I don't want to! Yes. Yes I do. I cringe as another cramp takes me by surprise. "Do it!!" One time only right? This time I can't hold myself back and I shiver as her warm blood slides down my throat. I'm revolted by myself but I'm so hungry I can't seem to care.

God, her little hisses are driving me crazy. Crazy wet. Crazy with need. All kinds of needs. God I hate her.

Chapter Two

It makes me fuckin'sick knowin'I fed a monster. Until I remember that monster is Buffy. Then it doesn't make me sick so much as ya know...annoyed. Maybe because it kinda turned me on a lil bit. The thing is, it ain't happenin'again. I look down at the still healing wound on my arm and sigh. After awhile she wouldn't stop, I had ta use a cross on her.

Oh well. An arm for an arm or somethin'right? "How's that burn feelin'B?" I don't get too close to the cage in case she feels grabby. Buffy is sitting in the corner just staring at her hands. Flexing ‘em and rubbing her thumbs over her knuckles like she's never seen her own hands before.

"It'd heal faster if you let me out to hunt." Ha. Funny. She and I both know she's not gettin'out of this cage anytime soon. Once she's out she's in the wind and I'll have a bitch of a time trackin'her. "You could of course just feed me yourself. That was..." I shiver at the look on her face when she finally does look up at me.

I've only ever seen someone look at me like that once before. And it was the last time I let him touch me. I shake my head tryin'not to let her get ta me. "I brought ya a snack instead." This gets her attention like I thought it might.

"I don't smell blood." She wouldn't ‘cause I was careful not to break skin. "But I hear a heartbeat that's not yours. Oh Faith...I think I could love a girl like you." Yeah right. I reach behind some big blue fifty gallon drums an'drag the body of a man out. The second he sees the cage he starts tryin'ta scream past the gag.

"Thought ya might like ‘im. Sorry about the smell." He smells like a fuckin'brewery. ‘Cause he works in one. Buffy's pale arms reach from between the bars of the cage. Her fingers practically wrigglin' in anticipation. She's hungrier than most newbies that's for damn sure. I'm not sure if I like what that could mean.

She gives me a considering look when I don't hand over her grub just yet. "Why the livestock?" See? I knew my girl was in there somewhere. She's not just blind for the blood. Almost. But she's still thinkin'.

"He's got information I want. He gives it to me I'll be nice. He doesn't...you get ta eat him." All I really want is for her to be scary like a motherfucker. Buffy hisses like a cat and flashes fangs at me in anger.

"Bitch. Why are you taunting me? You were always like this before. Just dangling these temptations in front of me. Flaunting them..." She's startin'ta zone out on me here. Then I realize where she's lookin'. Figures. Buffy likes boobs. I snap my fingers at her impatiently.

"Hey. Eyes on the prize B." I grab the back of his jacket an'haul him up easily to dangle in front of her eyes. How's that for a tempting? "Now. Talk." I pull the gag out of his mouth but he just shakes his head.

"I can't. They'll kill me." They? Buffy gives a bored sigh knowin'that he's just bein'lame.

"Not to put too fine a point on your situation here buddy but if you don't tell her what she wants...I'm going to kill you. Which reminds me that I'm on your side. So. Good job guy!" God, I wanna laugh so bad.

"You don't know what they'd do to me! Please!" Please. I've heard that word a lot. Always just before I do somethin'bad. I just sigh an'push him over to a table that has my breakfast plate and mug still on it.

"You just don't get it do ya? Lemme make it real fuckin'clear what's gonna happen here." I sweep the dishes off the table an' bring his bound hands up, forcin'the fingers flat before bringin'out my knife. "You have information I want." Hello baby. I give my knife a loving look before I put the cold, sharp edge against the skin of his pinky. "And you're gonna tell me everythin'you know." I don't give him an option to keep the finger.

I just push down, lettin'my girl sever the tendons and crush the bone. He screams an'something crashes hard against the bars in the cage. I look back at Buffy who's just smilin'at me. I toss her the finger. "Ooh appetizers." Well. I did say I wanted her ta be scary.

"Now. Talk." He twists away from the sight of Buffy suckin'the blood out of his finger. I don't blame him it's kinda nasty.

"I was just supposed to make a call when they showed up! I swear I don't know anything else." Yeah right. He's just makin'a call to the wind? I call bullshit. I glance at Buffy who doesn't seem ta be payin'attention but I know she is. I want her ta know everything I know. I want her to see how it all went down. Maybe it'll help me understand why she gave up.

"Who did ya call?" His breath is comin'out in short pants. He keeps it up he's gonna hyperventilate and then it won't matter what I threaten him with. He'll be passed the fuck out and won't care. Hrm. "Breathe asshole. You pass out I'm just gonna toss ya in the cage an'let her gnaw on ya like she did me."

His eyes track to my arm an'the chunks of flesh missing an'chewed ta hell. Like I said. B got a lil carried away. His eyes go wide an'start ta roll back in his head so I give him a slap. It brings his focus back to me. I'm waitin'but my patience is wearin'thin. "Cut him again Faith. The fear has got to taste as good as it smells..." Her tongue flicks out along her lip in a slow sexy glide.

The way she's watchin'me work reminds me that she's not who she used ta be. The other Buffy wouldn't be grinding herself against the bars of the cage in anticipation. I look at the blood on my hand and bring it to my lips for a taste. A low deep snarl rumbles out of my chest as a jolt of recognition hits me. I know this taste. This scent. Fear.

Buffy's eyes fade from green to gold with hunger and lust so strong I can feel it against my skin. "Oh god." It's enough to snap the tension between me an'Buffy. I glance at the man I forgot was even here. "Please I'll tell you anything just let me go. Please."

Please please please. There's that word again. "Who?" He swallows hard and glances between me an'Buffy. I understand the gesture. He doesn't know who the biggest threat to him is right now. The monster in the cage or the monster out of it.

"The Bowery Boys. They had me staking the place out for days. I was just supposed to call the bar I swear to God...please please just let me go."

"It's a little to late for that boyo. Sorry." He can scream all he wants but it won't make a difference. No one will hear him but me an'the dead. I don't bother ta look at him as I toss him to the floor and grab a foot so I can drag him to Buffy.

He tries kickin'and scrabblin'away but I don't even take note of it. This is pushin'the line I know but a girl has ta eat right? Plus he's not exactly a shining example of humanity. This fucker caused a lot of death. Slayer death. "You said...please don't let her. No! NOO! NOOOOO!" The rest of the screams are incoherent as I unlock the door the cell.

Buffy and I stare at each other across the empty space while he twists and squeals like a pig in my grip. I tighten my fist to make sure he can't get away and feel the bones of his ankle grind together. Another pleading scream but I don't hear it. I only hear Buffy's hunger clear as a fuckin'bell.

"Walking that line again aren't we Faith?" Yeah we are but I think that's been our deal since the very start. "You're giving a human over to the enemy. Slayers don't do that." No they don't. I drop my gaze from hers because she knows I can't hold it. Fuck it. I toss her the body and leave the cage in the same silence I entered it in. When the door finally clicks shut I shrug on my jacket.

Somethin'is happening to me. That much is sure. I glance at the sticky blood on my hand and clench it in to a fist as Buffy gets down to her grubbin'. My mouth waters and I shake my head. I need to get the fuck out of here before I do anything more questionable than I already have.

I don't understand. This doesn't taste right. I give him another nudge with my toe but all he does is groan. Humans. So fragile. You'd think he'd get over a little nibble faster than that. It's not as if I even took that much from him. Why doesn't he taste right? "Not that I don't have an eternity to wait but I'm just not that patient. So I hope you wake up soon."

He moans again and I sigh. Something that's weird to do when you don't have air in your lungs. I wonder what kinds of neat things I can do with that little ability. Huh. Undead head. I think I might actually get the appeal of that now. His eyes flicker open and I smile. Oh goody. Of course once he notices me watching him he nearly passes out again. "Hey hey hey none of that. I'm here in my space and you're there. See?"

I intentionally left him in the corner opposite of me. I may be a vampire but I do know that you can get more bees with honey. Or is flies? Flies. I look to his and consider the undead head thing. Just to try. "What do you want?" Oh. Right. Business first.

"You taste different. Why?" He gives me a nice confused look. Great. I guess I should ask better questions if I intend to get better answers. "Not that you aren't...tasty. You just don't have the same kick."

"As...as what?" No. Not what. Who. He doesn't taste like Faith. Though I know logically he wouldn't but he's lacking something else. It could be the Slayer blood. God that gave me a kick in the clit. The power of it was enough to make me drunk. Drunk in a way I've never been as a human.

"Her." I flick my eyes up to Faith standing on the catwalk above us. She cleaned up, wherever she went. I don't know how long she's been standing up there but she's been watching for awhile now. Probably wondering why he's still alive. His eyes go up to catch her dark eyed glare. It makes him afraid.

I look up at her then him. He's more afraid of her than me. My lips curl in a smile. God that's sexy. I wonder if she can smell his fear like I can. I know she can taste it. I saw it in her face, behind her eyes when she tasted his blood. "I don't know...because I'm not psycho?" Hrm. Hadn't thought of that.

I stretch out my legs with a little pacing. "That could be it. But I don't think that's entirely right." Her particular brand of crazy is like a spice on the back of my tongue. I can identify it in her blood. But it's not what makes her blood better.

He's watching me move. He can't help himself, I would be watching me too. Faith's watching too. She was never able to keep herself from watching me and I knew it. I felt her eyes on me, could practically feel her touching me. Especially when I was dancing. This is kind of like a dance. If I play it right. I kneel down and slink toward whatever his name is. "Uh...what are you...spaces?"

Right. I did promise him his space. I stop short of touching him. "Maybe it's because I've always wanted to fuck her. Lust can change a lot of things." His gaze goes from me to Faith and back again.

"Why are you telling me this?" Why? I don't know. He happens to be here and I like talking things through. I touch his ankle, careful to stay away from the deep bruising.

"Things change when you become a vampire. Some things just aren't as important anymore. Like. Shame. I used to be ashamed to say what I wanted." Pity. I could have had amazing sex if I just learned how to speak up. No matter. I can change that all right now. "And right now I want you."

He starts to breathe much faster, turning a really unhealthy shade of pale. If he passes out I won't get what I want. "I thought you weren't gonna eat me." Eat him? I blink and laugh seductively as I pull his legs closer to me.

"I'm not hungry for blood at the moment. I want something else. Something...hard." I'm surprised that with the blood loss he can even get there but there is definitely a bulge growing in his pants. I cup it and lean in to give him a searing kiss.

I knew she couldn't resist watching this. I wonder how long it will take for her to walk out on me. I give her a slight wink before I work his pants open with a pant of pleasure. "I...we shouldn't...you're..." Oh how sweet. He's saying no.

Too bad I don't understand that word anymore. I give his cock a few firm strokes, cutting off his protests with more kisses. His pulse throbs along the shaft in my hand, making me grip him just a little tighter. Not too tight. No. Just enough to get him to bite his lip and thrust back. Mm. His body is warm against my skin.

I like that. Faith's breath catches and her heartbeat thunders wildly when I lower my head to his cock. She wants to be down here with me. And if she doesn't I'm going to make her wish she did. Huh. No gag reflex. Awesome. I give his head a flick with the tip of my tongue before swallowing him whole again. I'm letting it build up slowly, just barely teasing him with the edge of a fang.

Letting him know I could hurt him so badly. But I won't. Not right now. I lick along his belly contemplating ditching my plan and biting in to the soft flesh there but it won't be nearly as satisfying as torturing Faith a little more. I look up at the catwalk surprised when she's not there.

My frantic search ends when our eyes meet through the bars of the door. Her head tips to the side like a lost puppy and I snap at the air playfully. She doesn't know if she wants to stop me or not and I like that. I like making her feel unbalanced. Turnabout is fair play afterall right?

I lower my head again, keeping my eyes on hers as I suck and tug and tease him to the edge. Her hands grip the bars tightly, making them creak. I smile around him before I decide that no matter what I do to him he'll never be her. Never taste like her. So why bother saving his life?

My fang slices a neat line through the sensitive flesh. Blood fills my mouth and I suck it down greedily. The combination of pain, fear and lust is heady but it's just not enough to get me off. I suck harder before I pull back and wipe my chin with the back of my hand. He'll die soon. I give his twitching body a disinterested look before I crawl to Faith. "You want this?"

I know she does. She knows she does. I laugh when she reaches between the bars and brings my face against them hard. Love taps. But I don't think anyone is more surprised than she is when she licks the blood from my face before pushing me away hard. Oh I'm going to like this game. "Fuck off." 

I lick my fingers as I move back to my cot in the corner. "Don't you want to be the one to do that? That's why you came to me in the first place isn't it?"

Faith sits heavily in a folding chair while she contemplates how she's going to answer that. We both know anything else but yes would be a lie. "You're not the one I would have given it up for. So don't even try it."

Oooh. I learned something new. "You loved me didn't you Faith?" Her head drops and she crosses her arms over her chest.

"Old news B. But ya up and died on me so...ya know how it goes. Time ta move on." Really. If she's so moved on why am I here and why does she still want to fuck me? I just smirk and lay down.

"Sun is coming up." She grunts her agreement with that statement. MY eyes drift close almost happily. Despite my momentary confusion of right and wrong I think I'm going to really like being a vampire. It gives me the advantage that Faith has always had over me before.

Want. Take. Have. She's more demon than she ever realized and I'm going to show her that. Then I'm going to make her see that she's always going to belong to me. And then! Well then I'll make her mine. And we can fuck and fight forever. I give myself a happy caress at the thought. Soon. I'll make her mine soon.

Chapter Three

I don't know what the fuck is wrong with me. I wasn't like this before Buffy got turned. I mean sure I was me, not really anything different there. Slow and steady wins the race to salvation right? But I dunno. Ever since the night I found Buffy I've been changin'.  Not just inside either. My body is changing. I noticed this morning when B finally went to sleep that my gums were bleedin'.

At first I thought it was nothin'. Me gettin' blood in my mouth from lickin'off my hands. Licking it off Buffy's face. I can't even explain why that happened. One minute I was fine. Well. Pissed. But not psychotic. Next thing I know I'm trapped, watchin'Buffy blow some poor son of a bitch before bleedin'him dry. Couldn't even tell ya what fucked me up more. Watchin'her with someone else or wishin'I could feed too. But the blood I got off that little encounter was nothin'like the blood seepin'outta my sore gums.

That's when I noticed the teeth. I'm no doctor but they shouldn't still be growin'like this right? I raise the bottle of  Jose Cuervo to my lips and take another long sip that stings like a motherfucker. I swish a little then spit on the floor at my feet. Wha? It's not my fuckin'tanker. And if it was I probably wouldn't care much more than I do now. "That's so disgusting. Something you should take note of considering a corpse is saying it."

My head rolls on my neck as I try to work out the kinks. "Says the vampire that keeps playin'with her food." I glance at the second body tossed unceremoniously on top of the first. I'm gonna hafta get rid of them soon. They're startin'ta stink up the place.

"I'd keep a tidier house if I could." Our eyes meet and we smile at each other in an almost familiar gesture.

"Bet ya would too. I'm goin'out. You gonna be okay?" Why the fuck am I asking her that? It's not like she can croak it easy like anymore. And who the fuck is gonna wander in to a locked cage anyhow? No one that's who.

"Planning on bringing me lunch again?" I dunno yet. So far she's been pretty fuckin'annoying with her food. I narrow my eyes at her. "Because I'd like to be able to order something different than sheep shagger." Oh now she's just pickin'on me ‘cause she can.

"Yeah? Funny thing us sheep shaggers. Ya keep tryin'ta fuck us." Because I wasn't the only black Irish in her life. Angel boy was straight up off the isle back in his day. Buffy hisses at me but it's just our usual banter now.

"Jealous?" Am I? Fuck yeah I'm fuckin'jealous. The first one she blows the second she rides until she breaks him. An'still she's not satisfied. Maybe I should bring her somethin'different this time. Just ta see. Wait a second. What the FUCK am I sayin'? I want ta be the one to satisfy her.

"Not really. I mean maybe a lil bit if you were actually gettin'off but…well we both know those two pump chumps couldn't handle a girl like you." Why am I flirtin'with her? Buffy's pale eyes blink a few times before she crawls across her cot like a cat.

"Not like you could Faith. We could always give it the old college try…" Her fingers curl around the bars as she peers out at me. Fuck. I take another long sip and fumble around for a cigarette. "I know you want to. I can smell you from here. Smell your pussy getting wet for me just like it always used to."

I could lie about it. I should lie about it. But I don't. I just stretch out my legs, proppin'them on the table. "Thing about it is, B, all the best fuckin'in the world ain't gonna tempt me enough ta let ya get within biting distance anytime soon. So. Yeah. I want ya. Bad. But you're dead an'I'm still alive."

Buffy's head tilts uncertainly almost givin'me the impression that she's not a soulless demon, she's just Buffy. But she's not and when she slides her hand in to her pants it reminds me of that little fact. Jesus. She's gonna fuckin'kill me. "Pity. I was hoping it'd be you touching me this morning."

I can't watch this shit. I take a long drag as she laughs at me and falls back on to her cot. Her hips jerk up as she moans out with each stroke. Fuck it. I need out. I cap my bottle an'leave it on the table. "Gonna get supplies." I hope she can't get off. It's some stupid lil selfish thing but I fuckin'hope she's as frustrated as I am. I slam the heavy steel door behind me an'twist the wheel on it to lock it. Just in case she finds a way out of the cage, she won't find a way out of the cargo hold.

By the time I get to the top deck I'm sweatin' and shakin'. It's not the jolt of lust from bein'around Buffy. It's more. It's like my body is rebellin'against me. I stagger a lil and lean against the cool metal of the phone booth. I don't wanna be doing this. Callin'them. But I think something is really wrong with me. 
 
"Hey baby…you look lost. Let me give you a ride." Jesus. I turn slowly to eye the greasy dockhand. His dark beanie covers most of his brow but it can't cover the long jagged scar down his face. Or the bright blue of his eyes. "We could have a good time girlie."

I watch him lean his arm up imposingly on the glass. He's not a threat. Not even a lil bit. I sneeze at the scent of oil, fish, and sweat. "Think I'm gonna take a pass on that. Now take off before ya get hurt." Stupid asshole just laughs at me. He has no idea who he's fuckin' with right now.

"Before –I- get hurt? Oh baby you can hurt me all night long." I can, can I?  My lips pull back in a feral smile before I hang up the phone an'open the door to the booth. "Yeah thought you'd see it my way baby." I straight clock his ass the second he leans in for a kiss. He stumbles away from me in confusion and anger before he lunges. Stupid.

I trip him up as he comes at me clumsy. Big guys are like that. All power and no grace. My fingers twitch quickly as he passes pullin'his hair an'yankin'him down to his back hard. The wind goes out of him and I kneel on his chest with one knee. "You made a mistake but it's okay. It'll be your last one."

Stupid fucker passes out, savin'me the trouble of knockin'him out. I just sling him over my shoulder and hope ta god I get him on the ship before I do somethin'Buffy would bust a nut over.  I could just let him go. Put him down along the wall of one of these warehouses, an'let him come to and go on his merry. Then again. He's seen me. Seen my face. He'll see me again and eventually someone is gonna get curious.

Okay so it's a fuckin'rationalization. I open the door to the hold impatiently and chuck his body on to the catwalk. Buffy blinks up at me from her prison an'smiles. He's not for her. He's mine. My lips pull back and a warning growl tumbles out before I can stop it. Her laugh makes me back away quickly. She sees me. Sees what's happenin'to me and she knows it scares me. I lock the door quickly and make my way back to the dock.

Can't run the risk of someone else stoppin'me before I can find out what's wrong so I hoof it out of the district. Normally I'd take a bus to get to Danni's but I don't think I should be wastin'time. Besides. I needa pick up some things on the way back. I pass a sweet as Beemer but keep on walkin'. Too high profile an'it probably has an alarm. Now this is more like it. My steps take me past the older light duty work truck.

No one up the street from me. No one from the direction I came from either. I light up my cigarette an'lean against a wall to look up at the windows above me as I smoke. Only two apartments have their lights on. Good enough. Whoever owns it must figure that no one is gonna steal a beater like that, they left the window open. Whatever. I flick away my cigarette and move in to the truck like I own it.

The steering console cracks when I put a lil pressure near the ignition switch. Red ta red, spark then twist. The five second hotwire. My Da would be proud. I put the truck in gear an'pull away like nothing is wrong. That's the thing about crime. If you look like you're commitin'one, you're sure ta get popped for it. It doesn't take me long me long to get where I'm goin'but just to be on the safe side I didn't take any main roads.

My hands grip the steering wheel tightly when I park in front of Ama's house. I can't help shake the feelin'that she's expectin'me. That she's been waitin'for me. Wary steps take me to the door that swings open the second I raise my hand to knock. "You took your sweet time getting here. Ama is waiting in the kitchen."

Kitchen. My nostrils twitch and I follow the scent to the small open area in the back of the house. God I'm fuckin'hungry. And the big steak on a plate in the middle of the table is just beggin'me to eat it. I start to reach out but stop myself not sure why I did that. "Hungry?" Ama. I sigh and pull out a chair, slinking down in to it and not looking at the food.

"Little bit. I'm guessin'you're about ta tell me why."

She slides the plate toward me staring sightlessly at me until I start to eat it. Hey she fuckin'offered. "When you came to us you wished to not be found. I gave you your wish but all magic comes with a price." My jaws slow their chewing as I focus on her.

"What's that mean exactly? What price?" Is that what's happenin'to me?

Her bony shoulders come up in a shrug. "You can't make one thing in to another without some transference." Huh? Transference? "To make you seem like wolves I marked you with one." The fork and knife drop from my numb fingers with a clatter.

"You made me…in to a WEREWOLF?!?" The only thing keepin'me in this seat is the strong unwavering feelin'that she could take me down and hard. Yeah she's an old lady but she's been a werewolf all her life. Old or not I don't think I could handle her.

"No. I marked you with a wolf. It is not the same." My breathing is coming in fast short pants and the meat in my belly is sittin'like a lead weight. "You might have some of our more…feral characteristics but you're no wolf." 

"And Buffy? She some kind of vampire-werewolf thing?" Because I know for a fact that I can't handle that shit. I can't even imagine her havin'that much power at her disposal.

"Tsk. Of course not. She doesn't have a soul for a wolf to bind to. Not fully." I knew it. She's in there. Sorta. Right? My brows come up and Ama shakes her head slowly. "I don't need eyes to see the hope in you Faithless."

"So that's it? She's…gone for real?" If that's the truth then I gotta finish her. Somethin'I don't know if I can do just yet.

"No. But nor is she here. In order to keep her cloaked she must share a soul. Yours as it were." Mine?

Yeah, we're fucked.

Faith is being unreasonably quiet right now. Ever since she came back she's been ignoring me. Usually there's a ‘hey B'or a ‘shut the fuck up bitch'but today. Nothing. She couldn't possibly still be upset about earlier. I've been trying to get under her skin for a couple of days now and surprisingly she's been holding it together. But she's close to breaking. A fact that I have taken note of.

I don't quite understand what's happening right now though. "Move away from the door Buffy."

"Oh so now you want talk to me. Too bad I don't feel like moving right now Faith." I probably would have moved if she hadn't told me to and expected me to obey. So instead I lean forward in to the bars, wiggling suggestively against them. It doesn't get much of a reaction from her. Not like I was hoping for anyway. Fine. I'll try this a different way. "So where's my lunch?"

She snorts at that and leans in to the bars too. The heat of her body is so intense that it warms my skin like fresh blood. Oh that feels good. "That all ya think about anymore B?" No. Not by a long shot.

My fingers glide over her scarred knuckles but she doesn't move. Doesn't back away. "I think about a lot of things these days Faith. I think about all the times we were this close to each other." I raise myself on my tip toes, forcing more contact between us. "I think about all the nights I spent wanting to fuck you or strangle you. I think about the way you make this body feel alive…"

"But you're dead."

Yes I am. "And it's all your fault too." Faith is too startled to move away from me when I drop my lips to her hands and nibble those strong fingers. No fangs of course.

"I…" I don't care what she really has to say about it because I wouldn't have it any other way now. "I'm sorry." Ugh.

"Buzzkill." Faith blinks at me and I move away from the door to flop on to my cot. "You spend years trying to teach me to find the fun and when I have all you can do is apologize. Who broke you?"

Her hands grip the cage tightly again but this time she manages to hold back the growl just bubbling to her lips. I know she's vicious, I can work with that. I want that. But she's just too…good. Wow. Not something I'd ever have thought I'd say before but we'll go with it.

"No one ‘broke'me Buffy. I just learned a better way." A better way? I laugh a full deep rumble as she unlocks the cage and grabs the feet of the nearest body.

"Is that why you won't let me have that one?" I point up to the man chained to the foot of the catwalk stairs. She wanted to make sure I couldn't convince him to play with me. "Is that your better way Faith?" Because it's two bodies too late already.

Faith's head turns halfway as she looks at him for a second. "He's mine." That's curious. She's not a vampire. She can't eat him. So what the hell does she want him for? My eyes narrow and I chuckle derisively at her as she locks the door after she's done removing the leftovers. "You think that's funny?"

"I think –you're- funny." She ignores that and opens the lid to one of the empty drums. "You really think that you're better now?" This makes her pause and look at me. No she doesn't think that at all. That's…interesting. I tip my head so I can see her face fully in the space between bars. She's…afraid.

"Better than a Slayer that gave up. Yeah." Oooh. Burn. I roll my eyes at that and shrug.

"Not better than any Slayer. Slayers don't feed vampires." Unless your name is Buffy Summers. And then you feed them sometimes. But I never killed for them. Faith places no value on the lives I'm taking. Which makes them her kills as much as mine. "You're no better than you always were Faith. Even I can see that."

She doesn't answer. In fact I think she's pretty much tuned me out so she can shove the bodies in to barrels and fill them with quickcrete. Smart. No one will bother looking at the bottom of the ocean for them. Faith seals the drums shut with a deliberateness that should warn me.

"Nah B. I'm not better. I'm just more."

The flash of her white teeth makes me grin in response. I probably wouldn't have grinned back if I had know that she was going to turn the tables on me. But. What can I do? I'm in a fucking cage. I'm just stuck here watching as she yanks my food up by the hair and pushes him against the steel wall of the cargo hold.

Fucking bitch. Her capacity to inflict annoyance hasn't changed I see. "Are we playing monkey see monkey do now?" How dare he put his hands on her. He doesn't even deserve to be that close to something so…perfect. Yes. Exactly. Well. Except for that pesky little soul problem she's damn near perfect. If we can get rid of that she'd be a fucking goddess.

Faith's head rears back from his chest. We stare at each other before she shakes her head and strikes. The guy doesn't stand a chance. He's never seen anyone move so fast and he never will again. I quiver with excitement at seeing her rip in to the firm skin pulling back muscle and flesh in one bite. The tang of blood makes this all the more satisfying. And the screaming.

The screaming makes me wet. Faith is giving eat your heart out a new meaning and I fucking love it. I barely notice that I'm moaning out in time to her frantic feeding, getting hotter and closer to coming with each tearing bite. And when she turns to look up at me from the mess, the look is pure fucking hate. And I come all over, harder than I ever could before. She hates me for what I'm doing to her but she can't stop either.

Who cares about a soul when it's as black as hers?

Chapter Four

The air out here is nice. Cool an' breezy, whippin' away the scent of blood and death all over me. I lean over the railing on the deck and hurl in to the dark watered bay below. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK! I know deep down that I did what I hadda do. Couldn't leave a witness but more importantly I had ta make a point.

I can't keep Buffy in a cage the rest of her unlife. We have shit ta do and I'll need her out there. I can't run the risk of her bailin' on me once she's out. I have to...make her want me. Not just want me, she has to think there's a good reason to stick around without wanting to turn me.

Not that I think she won't try it. It's Buffy as a vampire. She's gonna try it. She won't be able to resist it. I just hope there's enough of me left in here ta resist her. I hurl again from deep in my gut hopin' that eventually I won't remember the taste of flesh in my mouth. Or the fact that a part of me liked it. Craved it.

This time when I puke it's like my whole body is tryin' to pull itself inside out. My head tips back and I howl out in pain and maybe a lil bit of fear. Fucking wolf. Never used ta howl before. I fight back against the brush of lava hot power, pushin' it down and away.

Ama never said it'd be like this. But then I guess I didn't really ask. My body slides down an' I rest my back against the cold steel of the ship. It feels good, an' it's helpin' keep my overheated body from startin' ta shake. My thoughts stray to Buffy an' how disappointed she'd be if she saw me now.

After my little performance she's all set ta trust me. Well. As much as she trusts anyone right now. I swipe at my mouth with the back of my sleeve but it was a mistake to do. There's blood soakin' right through the cloth and when I bring it across my face the scent nearly makes me chuck again. I rip the button up off my shoulders an' chuck it over the side. I need to get cleaned up before I go back down there.

Before I have to face her. Buffy was so goddamned thrilled at what I did. I could see it in her face when she finally got off. Now I'll be honest. I've thought about B givin' me a show like that for a long time but when I got it...

It was too damn much. Too fuckin' painful knowin' that it was never for me. That it'll never really be mine. Buffy an' me will never happen. The real Buffy not this...animal wearin' her body. Animal. I snort at myself because now I gotta wonder who the real animal is. Me or her.

My legs feel like lead as I climb down the stairs and along the catwalk to the captain's quarters. I push the door in an' lean over the small metal sink so that I can clean up. The water runs pink for awhile but by the time it runs clear again I'm just about back to normal. Almost. I check my teeth out in the mirror an' sigh.

Damn. Oh well. All part of the cause right? There's a bucket I keep in here so I can refill it easily. Even Vamp Buffy likes ta keep tidy. The weight of it doesn't even slow me down as I head back down in to the cargo area.

Probably I should have cleaned up my mess. My eyes go cold as I step over the body and unlock the cage. Buffy looks up at me with a questioning look when I leave the door open an' slump in my chair.

"You're not afraid I'll make a run for it are you?" My shoulders roll in an awkward shrug while I light a cigarette. The scent of the smoke settles my stomach down even more an' I remember that I was born to be this way. Born to handle this shit. So I need to get my ass over it and deal.

"You wanna leave? Then go. I'm tired of takin' care of your ass." That's serious bullshit right there. But I gotta make this work. For her. Because I owe her at least this one thing. I need ta be better for her ‘cause she can't be right now. So even if I have to walk that dark line...I'll fuckin' do it. For Buffy.

She dips her hands in to the water of the bucket and starts cleanin' off the sweat and grime that's built up since yesterday. She's takin' her time. Tryin' ta figure me out.

"A few days ago you were pretty set on keeping me here and now not so much. This wouldn't have anything to do with your little friend over there would it?" She doesn't have to jerk her head in his direction for my eyes to go to him. I shrug.

"Let's just say our boy there helped me see some things I was tryin' not ta see." That's a true enough statement right there. For a second, starin' at B across his body everything was so fuckin' clear. I'm the last fuckin' person to be sharin' a soul with anyone. But it's my soul, fucked or not I'm keepin' it as long as I can.

"And that means what exactly?" She already knows what it means but she wants ta hear me say. Because when I say it, it makes it real.

"It's not doin' any good ta keep ya locked up. We have better things to do." Buffy stops what she's doin' and stalks to the door of her cell, leanin' against it casually. But we both know she's tight as a wire right now. I can feel the energy around her practically sparking.

"We?" She moves out of the cell entirely for the first time and doesn't even give it a second glance.

"Yeah. We. You an' me B. Just like we agreed on." I hate ta admit it but I'm kinda in love with the way she smiles at me now. So fuckin' predatory. "Or did ya already forget that we gotta save the world again."

This gets her to laugh. "I'm not in the business of saving the world anymore Faith. Sorry." No she's not. She's not sorry at all.

"Liar." Her grin widens an' she picks up the bottle of tequila to take a long swig of it.

"Mmm. Benefits of being a vamp. No more guilt. At least not all the time now." Hrm. Vampires don't feel guilt at all unless they have a soul. So I guess that's proof positive that she's not entirely outta the game. "So lying is really not an issue anymore."

I watch her move in close to me, straddlin' my legs slowly. "You're still gonna do it."

Buffy's skin is so cool an' smooth against mine where her hands flutter down my arms. "Or what? You're going to stake me?" There's an edge to her voice that I've never heard before. An edge that makes me look to her eyes quickly. Quick enough that she can't hide the almost hopeful look on her face.

"Nah B. I'm not gonna threaten ya. I'm gonna make you an offer." Can't threaten someone as scary as you. It never works out right. Besides she knows I don't really wanna hurt her. I mean. I will. If I hafta. But I don't wanna. I take the bottle from the table an' tip my head back to take a sip.

She's watchin' me do it too. Buffy could strike right now and I wouldn't be able to stop her. But she doesn't. "You don't have anything I want. Makes your offer a little weak doesn't it?"

A drip of Cuervo slides from the corner of my mouth and down my chin. Buffy licks it clean with the tip of her tongue, makin' sure she grinds down on me as she does it.

"I think I got somethin' ya want B. I think I'm all ya want." Because lets face it here, she wants me as bad as I want her. She always has.

"Are you going to let me turn you or just fuck you?" She's actin' like she's more in to brushin' her body against mine than the conversation but I know better. I can see the bright-eyed glances from beneath her heavy lashes. Watchin' me for signs of lyin' or attack.

My arms come up around her, hands slidin' up her back. Buffy practically fuckin' purrs at the contact, arching her back out to press back in to my touch. The bottle of booze balancing between us presses hard in to my gut when she leans in close for a kiss.

This isn't her game. It's mine. I growl and lunge up, topplin' the bottle to crash against the floor. In one fast move I have her pinned under me, hands trapped over her head on the tabletop. "You manage ta actually fuck me an' well talk about the turning thing later."

Her eyes go from green to gold at the shock of my weight on hers, but they fade back to that pale shade of jade almost instantly.

"Next time maybe."

And then she head butts me. Motherfucker!

Not that the idea wasn't incredibly tempting but I just couldn't let her distract me so easily. Oh and it was easy too. All she had to do was sit there with her arm slung over the back of the chair and her cigarette dangling from her lips.

Such kissable, bitable lips. And the heat off of her. God it's amazing. I want to put her skin on like a coat and walk around with her scent and heat surrounding me like that. But if I did.

If I let that happen I'd be lost. She doesn't know that and I'm not planning on telling her. It's bad enough that she knew exactly what buttons to push to get me to forget what a dangerous little wild thing she is. I watch Faith stagger away from me but she recovers much more quickly than I would have guessed.

Too quick. She's changing much faster than I thought she was. "Tricky girl. You're hiding things from me again aren't you?" Faith just smiles past the bleeding, busted lip and shrugs. It's more eloquent than an answer.

"C'mon B, don't be like that. I bet you're keepin' all kinds of things from me." She's right but she doesn't need to know that she's right. I shrug slightly and keep a wary distance between us. She's riding right on the edges of my personal bubble, making me feel just as trapped as I did in that stupid cage.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

I really hate how much I love the perfection of her smile. Hate that she can still get under my skin even when I'm the one clearly in charge here. And not to be too Brokeback Mountain here but, I just don't know how to quit her.

"You never stopped ta wonder why your BFF's aren't huntin' you down?" Hrm. No. I really hadn't. Mostly because I just didn't remember them. Not clearly. Not faces even. Just this general feeling of...love. Disgusting, putrid love. Ugh. Just the thought almost makes me hurl. Especially when I think about Dawn.

Poor little Dawnie crying her eyes out over her dead again sister. Fuck her. Fuck them all. I hiss at Faith in defiance. "You killed them..." That has to be it. "Without me? Bitch."

She snorts loudly and spits a glob of blood on the floor between us. I follow it with my eyes but when I glance back up Faith has closed the distance between us. And here I was thinking I had the upper hand all this time. She's playing me.

"They're not dead." Is she out of her fucking mind? As soon as they realize she's gone rogue and let me live they'll be after us. After me. Unless. Unless I get to them first. "An' you're not gonna kill ‘em either."

I give her a pout for that. "Why not? It's not like they ever treated you so great." She doesn't even flinch. "And hello? You let me live. They'll kill you for that you know. I say we just deal with it now and get back to torturing each other."

She's thinking about it. Faith doesn't want me to know that she's thinking about it but I can read the tiny twitches across her face better than she thinks I can. "No. They're chasin' their tails right now. I say we leave ‘em to it. They think we're werewolves, not ya know...you an' me."

Huh. Well that kind of explains some things. "And what are we supposed to be doing while they're chasing your tail?" Because they won't be chasing mine. I refuse to become the hunted. She can do whatever she wants. You know. As long as I get to watch her do it. The truth is, Faith is a hell of a lot more fun to be around than anyone else I know.

And being able to appreciate that quality is worth the loss of a heartbeat. "We're gonna be takin' out the Bowery Boys." Oh them. I sigh and roll my eyes at that. I don't think I'll ever get the hang of not trying to breathe.

"Who cares? So they have a thing for Slayers. Who doesn't?" She shakes her head sending her long dark hair tumbling over her shoulder.

"Dunno about you B, but I don't like competition. Pretty soon you're not gonna be the only Slayer turned Fangface. And then what? Turf war? Fuck that. I want it done now, I want it clean an' quick."

No. Not clean and definitely not quick. But I will have to agree on something with her. I don't like the idea of more fanged Slayers. They aren't a threat really. I just hate having to share the special. I always have to share and I'm not going to do that anymore.

I'm not sharing this new life with anyone but Faith. "Does that mean we can get sweaty and bloody together?"

Her throat convulses and I watch it. The pulse point in her neck jumps wildly at the thought of us. Oooh. I like that. I wonder what else it can do if I say something else. "You gonna play my game?"

I'll play any game she wants me to. My body moves back to take her former place in the chair. "Not yet. I'm still waiting to find out what's wrong with you."

Faith's jaw clenches and that pretty little bump bump bump at her neck picks up the pace impressively. "I had ta make a choice B. Dust ya or..." She shrugs slightly and gestures to the man she murdered. "I wasn't ready for you to be gone Buffy. If that's the price I gotta pay then it's paid."

How...oddly honorable. And lame. I shake my head at her. "Do you think I'd do the same for you Faith?" Because I wouldn't. If I were the person I used to be, I would have cut her head from her body and not even blinked. Until I was alone in my room. Then I would have cried like the miserable little bitch I was.

I'm no longer miserable but I am still a bitch. Faith doesn't flinch she just shrugs again. "Doesn't matter what I think you'd do. Wasn't your call." True. Asshole. I'm sure the old me would be furious with her for letting me live. But the old me is...dead. Huh. That's so weird to think about. I don't feel dead. I feel more alive than I did any other time in my life. "Your turn, why'd ya let it happen? You knew those girls would go if you went. Why'd ya do it?"

Oh. That. That's what she wants to know? I give her a mild look. "I knew you'd be along to clean up the mess." I love the way she gets that puzzled little frown. "Oh Faith. So...innocent. You don't think that Giles called you on his own did you?"

I watch her lips tighten and thin in annoyance and laugh at it. "You wanted me to be the one to find you? You knew you'd give in like that?"

Yup. Pretty smart huh? I wish I had thought about her crazy obsesh with me. It might have changed things. "I had to make sure someone could stop me if I rose again." And who better to kill me than the only person who could ever really hurt me? My smile must be less than comforting because she backs up a step with a deep whoosh of air. "I didn't think you'd actually take me with you."

Are we even now? Done with this little share and share alike conversation? Faith grunts at me and shakes her head again like she can't believe it. I don't know why this is so hard for her to get. "Told ya. I wasn't ready for you to be gone yet." That says a lot more than I think she's really willing to admit.

"And when you are?" Is this going to be a fight to the death? Again?

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it yeah?" That's probably a good idea. A better idea is food. I look at my stomach then her and raise my brows.

"In the meantime? Am I allowed to hunt?" Her sour look turns in to a grin. Why do I think I'm going to like this?

"Only the bad guys. But I'll make it worth your while." A shiver slinks down my spine in anticipation.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." We stare at each other for a beat over that. I don't know why that came out but it's true enough at the moment either way.

Chapter Five

"That one?" I look down at the small figure struttin' along the sidewalk, chattin' up drivers stuck at the stoplight. My eyes track to Buffy leaning over the edge of the building an' lickin' her lips. "I haven't had a girl yet."

"No." Buffy turns to look at me.

"She's a criminal." But she shouldn't be. I shake my head at her and point out a couple gettin' rowdy with each other on the patio of a bar.

"So is he the way he's slappin' his girl around. You gonna feed on him too?" She stops to consider it and shrugs lightly.

"Yeah. He's a bastard. Why not?" Hrm. That didn't work out the way I thought it would. Maybe I should try a different tactic here.

"Look. Neither of them are the most shining example of humanity but they're...ya know...not evil." Buffy rests her chin on her hand and keeps focused on the street below us. I don't think she has anything ta add until she speaks up.

"Evil. Not evil. Don't you think the determination is a bit arbitrary?" I blink at her blankly for a second. "I mean, that guy, the one you ate, was he evil? Or just a bad example of a human?"

Damnit. I hate when she fucks up my rock solid beliefs like this. But maybe I can use somethin' she said earlier. "He wasn't so bad. Dirtball yeah, but I don't think he was evil. I'll carry that on my soul the rest of my life." 

Buffy recoils away from me at the thought. Her face twists in a grimace and she shakes her head. "It doesn't have to be that way Faith. We can be who we are. Together."

She's really pushin' for this. She wants to turn me an' make me hers. Until she gets sick of my ass an' fucks me over for some other douche bag ‘boyfriend'. "Until I piss ya off. Let's face it B, you an' me as vampires would destroy the world in our personal war."

This makes her think about it before she shrugs. "Yeah but can you imagine how hot the sex would be?"

And people think I have a one-track mind. It makes me chuckle, relaxing me enough to reach out and slide my arm around her waist. Buffy doesn't tense up like she always used to. Instead she leans back in to my body with a soft hum. "Been imagin' that for a long time now B. Maybe not the part where we're both dead but...you, me..."

My hand drifts over her stomach an' down between her legs, cupping firmly. Buffy grinds against my hand with a sigh an' I smile. It should have always been like this.  "It could be like this Faith. All the time. We could be together forever."

God, it's fuckin' tempting as all hell. But the more I push, the more I touch her an' hold her close the more aware I am of the fact that she's not really Buffy. She's so much more. I sigh at it and pull back away from her to point down at someone leavin' out the side door of strip club. "Him."

Buffy gives me an annoyed look but glances where I'm pointin' anyway. "Why him? He doesn't look particularly evil to me."

Nah he doesn't. But those are always the kind aren't they? We watch him move in to the shadow to lean against the wall and light up. "He works for the Bowery Boys. He's a real piece of shit but he's not evil."

"So he's off the menu? Why are we here again?" I shrug. Maybe I should be more honest with myself here. We're doin' as much research as hunting I suppose.

"We need jobs. There. He's gonna give ‘em to us too." The frown on her face shifts from a slight smirk to a smug lookin' grin. I should be afraid of that look but I can't help but grin right back. "We'll find ya food soon enough. If...you can wait for it."

"They own it don't they? The club?" I nod. Yeah it's pretty much a front but we need a way to get close. "So...what's the plan, Boss?"

I have ta look at her when she calls me that. "The plan is for you ta make nice with the dumbass an' get a job takin' your clothes off."

Buffy waits for a minute before she decides to pipe up. "If I'm stripping what are you going to be doing?"

"Watchin'." She gives me a knowing look before nodding at me.

"And the hunt?"

Yeah that. I shrug lightly again. "Bound ta be someone you can snack on in there."

"You know your rule about who I can eat is slowly going to just fade away don't you? Eventually you either won't care who I bleed or you'll be feeding with me."

It's stuff like that, right there, that make me queasy. Mostly ‘cause I think she's right. "You might be right. Means we gotta work fast."

"Why are you fighting this so hard, Faith?"

It's an honest enough question so I guess it deserves an honest enough answer. "Because, you don't deserve what I did ta ya. And if I let it all happen your way then I'm turnin' my back on ya. I swore I wouldn't do that to you again."

I can't tell what she's thinkin'. Everything about Buffy is shuttered an' cold now. "Even if it's what I want? What I've always wanted?"

She makes it sound so simple ya know? I could just fall in ta her, let her take me an' make me hers. She makes it seem so fuckin' reasonable. "Wish I could believe ya." Fuck. Do I ever wish I could believe her.

"I wish you could too." I watch her leap over the edge of the low railing. A deep painful breath whooshes out of my lungs as I watch her land gracefully on the ground. If I don't keep up with her I'm likely ta lose her.

My feet land heavily on the ground even though I didn't make a sound. Buffy's already chattin' up our boy. Flirtin' with him, with coy eyes an' gestures. I step out from under the glow of the streetlight and tuck my hands in my back pockets. "What'cha got there B?"

Buffy gives me a half glance and giggles all cute like she's had a lil too much to drink. I watch the man respond just like every other normal guy would. His eyes get shiny with the idea of havin' B suck him off. For all I know she offered it already.

"A new friend. Tommy this is my...lover. Right F?" I roll my eyes at that and nod.

"Yeah. Lover. Nice ta meet ya Tommy-boy." He flicks wary eyes over to me not sure what this all means. Of course once he gets a good look at me all that caution goes out the window. Some guys are too predictable ya know?

"You know what Tommy told me? He said that he's the guy that gives the interviews. You know. For the dancers." She plays drunk pretty well. I smile an' shake my head at her little game. "He said he could get me a job if I interview real well."

Her half smile covers the narrowed-eyed look she's giving him. Good ta see that even Vamp Buffy is disgusted with the way he runs the show here. "Oh yeah?" I turn my gaze on ole Tommy an' pin him with it. He squirms uncomfortably. I bend my head to bring a cigarette to my lips and light up.

"Yeah, and he said if I had a friend that maybe we could work something out. You're my friend right lover?" Yeah. Best fuckin' friends.

"Dunno if dancin' is my thing B." Tommy finally finds his balls and his tongue.

"Aw c'mon. Two pretty things like yerselves could make a good wage up there. Do it like a team and all." Who do we look like? Janine and Julia Ann? Buffy opens her mouth, probably ta say somethin' just like that but I cut her a look. I'll handle this.

"Yeah a lot of money might come in, but how much are we gonna get?" I know how it works. Buffy raises a questioning brow but I shrug. "Wha? Like you're so fuckin' surprised."

She doesn't answer but Tommy does. "I'll give ye 40 percent of what you make." Nah that's not gonna work for me. Sure I'm not really in it for the money but we're gonna need it sooner or later.

"C'mon B, lets get the fuck out of here." Before I can even turn around fully he reaches out an' snags my arm. Buffy's tiny hand wraps around his wrist tightly causin' him to gasp.

"Now that wasn't very nice of you Mr. Grabby Hands. She's. MINE." Tsk tsk. Guess she really means it when she says she wants me around forever. At least. She means it now. Tomorrow night, the next after, who knows. But for right now she means it. Every word.

I give Tom a punch in the mouth to keep him from screamin' in pain. "Well he's not gonna give us a job now, Buffy." She shrugs and jerks his arm hard bringing him down to his knees before her.

"But I'm hungry now. And anyway he might not be evil, evil but he's pretty scummy. Doesn't that count for anything?"

I roll my eyes an' check around the corner ta make sure we're in the clear. "Well hurry up if you're gonna kill ‘im."

Right about then Tommy comes to an' realizes he's not in good shape. Could be the fangs and the bumpy forehead. "Wait wait wait! I didn't know you were vamps. I'm sorry! You can have whatever you want just don't...don't kill me." Buffy sighs heavily and pushes him back against the wall so she can lick along his neck.

"Fine. Everything we make, we keep. And! I want blood. I'll pick him you bring him to me. Deal?"

"You're a demon when it comes to makin' your point ya know that?" I smile almost gently at Faith and nudge her playfully with my elbow.

"You say the sweetest things sometimes." Her laugh is as warm as her skin and just as rich as her scent. We're in a good place for now. She's trying to get me to trust her as much as I'm trying to get her to trust me.

We both know that we don't really trust each other fully. I'm a vampire. She's a Slayer. No matter how far from human she might be right now with her wolf problem...she still can't see past my fangs.

And let's be honest here shall we? I'm having a little bit of trouble getting past the pointy end of her stake. I know her. I know that no matter how far across the line I drag her she'll always go back to the right side of things. And then where will I be?

I'm not exactly looking forward to being a pile of dust. Which is why it's vitally important that I don't fully trust Faith. When this thing is over with, we'll be having words again. "You know we can't let ‘im live now right?"

Oh I know. There's no way that Tommy should be allowed to live to tell his bosses what we are. I say we because we all know Faith is as much a demon as I am at the moment. "He's has his uses for now." She gives me a mild look but shrugs and flicks the ash of her cigarette to the floor. God. It's not as if our table doesn't have an ashtray.

"He's gonna rat us out eventually." Not if he's skimming the profits from his new main act. I think he will. I would have. I shrug and sip from the heavy black mug I was given. The blood is fresh if a little too cool. Faith watches me with dark, calculating eyes.

I watch back as she drinks her beer unsatisfactorily. She wants what I have, I know it. She's just as thirsty as I am. Just as hungry. Just as fucking needy as I am. I'm just smart enough to give in to it. "Thirsty lover?"

Faith snarls at me and purposely turns her head so that she can watch the girls dancing and swinging from poles. They aren't bad. Not great but not bad either.  We could do better. Mmm. Faith on a pole. "I'm good B." I shrug and take another sip of my drink.

"I don't think there's any real competition for us here Faith." I watch her flick her eyes around the room, the stage, the bar. I love how quickly she can assess threat levels. It's instinctual for her. I'm guessing that has a lot more to do with how she grew up than what she grew up to be.

I was talking about the dancers of course but if she wants to waste the time I'll let her. "Looks like there are only two doors to this place. Doesn't seem right, there's gotta be another room somewhere."

Boy is that all work and no play thing a real drag. "If I was half as boring as you are now it's no wonder you punched me in the face so many times." Faith turns to look at me but I smile sweetly at her. Her growl makes me tingle and I mock shiver at her. "Oooh growly."

If I keep it up she's going to bite me. Now that's a happy thought I might want to hold on to for later. "I know you're all...Happy go Vampy now Buffy but this shit is important." Her hand clamps down on my forearm and it's so hot that I think my skin will blacken and curl.

My eyes narrow as I watch her carefully. Sweat has beaded on her upper lip and there's a fine trembling that she's trying to hide. This is an effort for her. She's trying to fight the wolf inside of her right now. I wonder what exactly it is that's gotten her all frustrated. "Why?"

Faith blinks at me, her eyes losing focus before flicking away from me and back again. I don't think anything of it until it happens again and I realize that it's lust. Lust is driving her fucking insane right now. "What do you mean why? You know why."

Right. I know it would be mega dangerous to have Slayervamps running around. But why is it so important to her? So important that she's willing to fight her basic nature, me, and the whole Slayer empire. "Don't be stupid Faith. You know what I'm talking about. Why do you want this so badly?"

I move in closer to her with each word, forcing her to focus on me and not the woman flashing her pussy over my shoulder. Faith's eyes snap to my face and travel down to my chest. I push air in to my lungs, hoping I remember how to breathe just right to make my cleavage heave slightly. "They took away the only thing I ever loved. I. Want. Them. Dead."

Love. If I wasn't so turned on by the violence seething under the surface of her skin I'd be horrified. Love is a disease. I loved Angel and look what he did to me. I loved Riley, I think. In some twisted needy way I loved him. And I let him use that to keep me close. Keep me in his bed, where I felt safe and protected.

I never needed protecting from him. And the idea that I ever craved it before is laughable now. Now hate is something else entirely. I hated Spike with every fiber of my being. I hated his touch on my body, or the way he could get in to my head so easily. But goddamn could he fuck. Eventually his stupid soul made me have feelings for him that I didn't want. It made it easy for me to pretend that there was love there. He had a soul didn't he? Wasn't that my biggest requirement?

"Careful there Faith. We wouldn't want anyone to turn you in to a vengeance demon." Her face would be ruined. Honestly I don't know why vampires say they aren't bothered by demons. I'm a vampire but at least I have some standards here. I keep my voice intentionally low and soothing but I know something is missing from it. Some kind of warmth. Some kind of...humanity.

Faith lets me straddle her and run my fingers through her hair. I've always wanted to do that. Of course I've always wanted to pull her hair too but I'm not going to try that. "You're tryin' ta distract me aren't ya?" Maybe a little.

I shrug at it. "We're not that different Faith. We want the same things. You want revenge on them for taking me away, and I want revenge on the world for taking everything away from me." We can work together on this. I'll even behave if I have to. I lean in to her body, lips grazing the shell of her ear as I whisper. "There's a room under us. I can feel them moving, and smell the scent of blood and fear and stale sex. If we play our game right, we won't have to break in, they'll invite us in."

Oooh I like the rumble of approval in her chest. My laugh bubbles out when she grips my hips tightly, bringing me harder against her. "Oh you're gettin' a special treat tonight for that one baby." I kind of like it when she calls me baby.

"Is it sweet and red? Or is it wet and pink?" Faith's hands grip convulsively making me laugh harder.

"Depends on you I guess." Oh now that's interesting. I match her troublemaker grin and slide off her lap. "You up for it B?"

I hold out a hand for her and I'm beyond pleased when she takes it. I might not have to wait so long for Faith to lose herself and I'd happily follow her in to oblivion. She leads me out in to the dark of night with just the faintest hint of a swagger to her steps.

"Where are we going?" Not that it really matters I'm just curious. We aren't headed back to the tanker, I know that much.

Faith stays quiet for a little while longer until we enter one of the many warehouses in this area. "To a friend's place." A friend? Hrm. I wasn't aware that Faith had any friends.

I follow her down a hall and in to what looks to be a kitchen of sorts. Or it used be a kitchen. Faith stops at a large steel door and knocks a few times before it slides open. I'm so not surprised that a demon is waiting on the other side. Nor am I really surprised when he smiles widely at Faith and bows her in like a VIP.

"Thanks Gus. The Lady in?" I can tell by his gravelly laugh that she must not leave. Ever. And exactly who is this lady anyway? I'm intrigued enough to follow Faith's ass down a set of concrete stairs. Oh. Crap.

"You brought me to a whore house?" Faith drops herself on to a crimson chaise lounge with a sprawl.

"Yeah I did. Got a problem with that?" Do I? I glance around at the overly opulent decorations and the clusters of scantily clad men and women, milling around making come hither eyes at us. My lip curls when I catch the taint of demon scent in the air.

Not all of them are demons, one or two of them are humans. Not a few are something else all together but I'm not interested in them. I'm interested in the way Faith's eyes flick over the faces discounting them too quick and easily. No one strikes her fancy I guess.

I don't suffer from that problem. I see who I want and I almost start toward her until the sea of bodies part. And then I'm rooted to the spot as a vampire so old she makes my bones hurt stalks toward Faith. I bristle at the sexy, lazy way she drapes herself over the back of the lounge Faith is on.

She wants Faith. "Who's your friend Faith?" Even though she's asking about me it's clearly dismissive. A fact of which I am none to thrilled about. But Faith isn't showing her much interest. Instead she's watching me with fire in her eyes. Hot, molten, lava just watching me, waiting for me to choose.

"Her name is Buffy. The Vampire Slayer." A few of the men raise their heads in interest. Some of the women too.

But the most interesting reaction comes from our Hostess. She nearly falls off the chaise when she hears who I am. "But...I heard...I thought she was dead."

Faith snags a handful of grapes from a bowl on the coffee table and munches them in amusement. "She is." All eyes are on me as that sinks in. "And she's hungry."

The vampire eyes me up and down before giving Faith a slow nod. I have to wonder how she knows about this place and what she comes here for. I mean. Obviously sex. But I wonder what her kink is that she can only find in a place like this. "Well then...the rest of you scatter."

Everyone not human turns to leave through various doors and curtains. I look to Faith who's busy playing with the tassels on a plump pillow. "Can I have anyone I want? Any way I want?" Faith's jaw clenches not exactly happy with my question.

The Lady gives me an amused smile and a nod. "Of course. We maintain a lenient rule structure. If you want to kill you'll have to pay extra. A cleaning fee if you prefer to call it that."

I don't want to kill. I want to feed. And fuck. And I want Faith to watch me. My steps bring me around the room, taking in every face and every inch of exposed flesh. Mmm. I know what I want, and I know how I want her. The girl is young, and despite the dull gleam of an old soul in her eyes, there's also excitement. And fear.

I can smell her getting wet and when Faith turns her head to look at her too I know she can smell it as well. She smells so tasty that I by pass the introduction and kiss her deeply. A faint whimper whines against my mouth when I cut her tongue on a fang. Mmm. Sweet. Like dewy grass on a sunny morning.

She takes me by the hand and I look back at Faith. In a show of how frustrating her stubborn streak is she stays on the lounge watching me walk away with my playmate.

For about three seconds.

I don't turn around but I smirk anyway when I hear her behind us following us in to a low-lit room. As the door closes behind the three of us I take a minute to really let this sink in. I'm going to fuck a whore. And feed from her. While Faith sits by and watches me. Faith and I meet eyes over the shoulder of the woman pressing back against me.

The bed is just a few steps away but she doesn't go for it. She just settles in to the chair in the corner and undoes her pants to wait for us. I'd give her credit for her willpower if I wasn't about to blow it to shit.

"Keep your eyes open lover, it's going to be one hell of a show." Faith's hand slips in to her pants and it's all the start I need. She's mine tonight. As much as she'll let herself be mine anyway. But I'll take it.

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