VISITORS SERIES
MAYBE
"Faith?"
I roll my eyes before turning around. "Yo."
New prison warder: it figures. I didn't recognise the voice. Like all the new ones, she's young and pretty and undressing
me with her eyes. You don't get straight women volunteer to work in women's prisons. There's no need when there are
so many gay ones stepping up. "Visitor for you."
"Another one? You gals are really pushin' the boat out. Is this my reward for bein' so damn pretty?"
She laughs. "I guess so. You go on now."
I walk past her and for a second I think she's going to slap me on the butt, although - praise be - she doesn't. So I push
past the usual throng staring inside Dorsley's cell - I'll explain about her later - and into the visitors area. It's Angel.
I suspected it would be. I sit down and pick up the phone. "Hey, stranger."
"Hello, Faith." He smiles. He fits in well with this place, all black and gloomy. God only knows how he got here in the
sunshine, but I don't ask any questions. "How are you doing?"
"Better. What're you doin' here?"
"Visiting you."
I snort derisively and push my hair back from my face. "Everyone loves a wise guy. Not. I mean what are you doin' here
visitin' me? Your good deed for the day?"
"Something like that." Wow, he's coming on in leaps and bounds. That's the first time he's actually admitted I'm the case
that allows his social worker streak to come out and play. "I felt bad about not seeing you in a while. So I thought I
would." It's then he spots the bruise under my eye. "Tell me you slipped and hit your face."
"I slipped and hit my face."
"Liar. What the hell happened?" He puts his hand on the glass, like there's not really a bruise there, just a dirty mark
that he can rub away. "Faith. You've been fighting."
Jesus. You'd never guess he was intelligent. "She started it. Buffy came the other week. You send her?"
"No." His face falls. "Did she..."
"Her mom, yeah, guilt trip all the way. Didn't get why I wasn't all choked up about Mommy. Guess she finds it hard to
believe anyone's life doesn't revolve around her problems. But enough 'bout me. Where you been, stranger?"
"You know how it is. I'm sorry I didn't come sooner." He's looking at the bruise again. Damn, and I thought I lured him
off that subject. "Who did that to you?"
"No one. You should see the other girl."
"Faith."
"What are you gonna do? Send her bad vibes? Seriously. In case you didn't notice, I can look after myself." We glare at
each other for a moment - well, I glare, he just kind of broods - until I break off and look away. "There's nothin' you can
do so just forget about it. The problem's bein' solved."
"Your way."
"Well, duh."
He shakes his head. "Just tell me who she is."
"Why?"
"Because I want to know. Like you said. There's nothin' I can do. So just tell me."
"I can't." That should get him. He looks at me in confusion.
"You can't."
I grin wickedly. "I can tell you who she was."
"Vampire?"
"Correct. Polly Dorsley. Ex-inmate of the Big House. She swung for me: I fixed her. The way it works." I smile for a
second, proud of myself. I did good. "Guess even inside I can get a little action on the Slaying front."
"Faith, shush. Someone might hear." We simultaneously look up at the clock. "I'm glad you staked her," he says quietly.
"I wouldn't want anyone plaguing you while I can't protect you."
"Cram it, Broody," I retort. "I don't need you lookin' after me wherever I am, you got that? And besides." I pause,
drawing little circles on the Formica with my finger. "I din't stake her as such."
He raises an eyebrow. "But she is dead?"
"Oh yeah, yeah, she's dead, no problem. Just not staked." I grin. "I burned her as it happens. They put it down to that
spontaneous human shit? Should see the inside of her cell. Looks like an arson attack. They got so many gals goin' down
there to look at it the corridor's blocked. Practically a fire hazard." We both laugh and then the bell rings. I'm actually
kind of sorry he has to go. It's back to solitude for me, but I can deal.
"I better go." He takes his hand from the glass and stands up. "I won't leave it so long next time."
"Free country." I stand up too, still clutching the telephone. "See ya."
"Bye. Faith?"
I turn back. "Yuh?"
"You are going to be careful, aren't you?"
I smile wickedly.
"Maybe."
We both walk away.
MAYBE
"Faith?"
I roll my eyes before turning around. "Yo."
New prison warder: it figures. I didn't recognise the voice. Like all the new ones, she's young and pretty and undressing
me with her eyes. You don't get straight women volunteer to work in women's prisons. There's no need when there are
so many gay ones stepping up. "Visitor for you."
"Another one? You gals are really pushin' the boat out. Is this my reward for bein' so damn pretty?"
She laughs. "I guess so. You go on now."
I walk past her and for a second I think she's going to slap me on the butt, although - praise be - she doesn't. So I push
past the usual throng staring inside Dorsley's cell - I'll explain about her later - and into the visitors area. It's Angel.
I suspected it would be. I sit down and pick up the phone. "Hey, stranger."
"Hello, Faith." He smiles. He fits in well with this place, all black and gloomy. God only knows how he got here in the
sunshine, but I don't ask any questions. "How are you doing?"
"Better. What're you doin' here?"
"Visiting you."
I snort derisively and push my hair back from my face. "Everyone loves a wise guy. Not. I mean what are you doin' here
visitin' me? Your good deed for the day?"
"Something like that." Wow, he's coming on in leaps and bounds. That's the first time he's actually admitted I'm the case
that allows his social worker streak to come out and play. "I felt bad about not seeing you in a while. So I thought I
would." It's then he spots the bruise under my eye. "Tell me you slipped and hit your face."
"I slipped and hit my face."
"Liar. What the hell happened?" He puts his hand on the glass, like there's not really a bruise there, just a dirty mark
that he can rub away. "Faith. You've been fighting."
Jesus. You'd never guess he was intelligent. "She started it. Buffy came the other week. You send her?"
"No." His face falls. "Did she..."
"Her mom, yeah, guilt trip all the way. Didn't get why I wasn't all choked up about Mommy. Guess she finds it hard to
believe anyone's life doesn't revolve around her problems. But enough 'bout me. Where you been, stranger?"
"You know how it is. I'm sorry I didn't come sooner." He's looking at the bruise again. Damn, and I thought I lured him
off that subject. "Who did that to you?"
"No one. You should see the other girl."
"Faith."
"What are you gonna do? Send her bad vibes? Seriously. In case you didn't notice, I can look after myself." We glare at
each other for a moment - well, I glare, he just kind of broods - until I break off and look away. "There's nothin' you can
do so just forget about it. The problem's bein' solved."
"Your way."
"Well, duh."
He shakes his head. "Just tell me who she is."
"Why?"
"Because I want to know. Like you said. There's nothin' I can do. So just tell me."
"I can't." That should get him. He looks at me in confusion.
"You can't."
I grin wickedly. "I can tell you who she was."
"Vampire?"
"Correct. Polly Dorsley. Ex-inmate of the Big House. She swung for me: I fixed her. The way it works." I smile for a
second, proud of myself. I did good. "Guess even inside I can get a little action on the Slaying front."
"Faith, shush. Someone might hear." We simultaneously look up at the clock. "I'm glad you staked her," he says quietly.
"I wouldn't want anyone plaguing you while I can't protect you."
"Cram it, Broody," I retort. "I don't need you lookin' after me wherever I am, you got that? And besides." I pause,
drawing little circles on the Formica with my finger. "I din't stake her as such."
He raises an eyebrow. "But she is dead?"
"Oh yeah, yeah, she's dead, no problem. Just not staked." I grin. "I burned her as it happens. They put it down to that
spontaneous human shit? Should see the inside of her cell. Looks like an arson attack. They got so many gals goin' down
there to look at it the corridor's blocked. Practically a fire hazard." We both laugh and then the bell rings. I'm actually
kind of sorry he has to go. It's back to solitude for me, but I can deal.
"I better go." He takes his hand from the glass and stands up. "I won't leave it so long next time."
"Free country." I stand up too, still clutching the telephone. "See ya."
"Bye. Faith?"
I turn back. "Yuh?"
"You are going to be careful, aren't you?"
I smile wickedly.
"Maybe."
We both walk away.