((Back at uni and so updates might be a bit more spaced out because I have a lot of other things that I need to attend to.))
Faith blinked as she stared at the puddle of water surrounding her feet, amazed that her brown hair was so lanky, her brown eyes enhanced by bags that dark. "What the hell's happened to me?" she asked, looking up to find herself in the middle of a deserted dirt road. Just like the one that had led to the lake by the quarry when she was growing up. When she glanced back down at the puddle, to see if maybe her eyes had been playing a trick on her, she was surprised to find that the water had gone from being clear and reflective to a muddy brown that matched the surrounding road.
The crack of a stick caused her to whirl around, her eyes widening in fear when she saw Buffy standing not five feet away, the knife that the Mayor had given Faith held loosely in her hand. "Hey there, Faith," Buffy said, tossing the knife to her other hand. "What are you doing all the way out here?" Faith shook her head and took a step back, the puddle seeming to grow larger as she did. "Oh, I know. Going back to the one place that's kinda like home. Not that you ever had much of one, that's why you turned out the way you did."
Faith shook her head again, the muddy water up to her knees. "I didn't come out here," she stated, completely confused. But even her confusion wasn't enough to mask the fear that she felt when she saw that knife clutched in Buffy's hand. "I was... in my apartment, listening to music. Waiting for the Ascension." Part of her was starting to grow angry with her actions, she never acted like a frightened child! Especially not when Buffy was involved. Buffy was her enemy right now, plain and simple, no matter what she felt for the other Slayer.
"That coma really knocked you out of, all loopy like," Buffy stated, taking the first step into the muddy puddle. "But at least you don't remember what I did to you." The blonde made a quick thrust with the knife, and if Faith had been several feet closer than the knife would have gone into her stomach. She clasped her hand over her stomach as a sharp pain shot through.
"Blood?" she whispered, eyes wide at the red liquid that had started to stain her shirt and hand. "I'm... ow."
"You asked for it, Faith-y," Buffy said, sheathing the now blood-stained knife. "Come on now, you don't think that I was going to let you get away with taking out Angel? Now get over here and let me take your blood to him."
"No!" Faith cried, pressing her hands against the wound. "Please, B, you don't know why-"
"I don't care why," Buffy grated. "Did once, don't now."
"You have to. Let me say something!" The pain in her stomach was fading, like the wound was healing as quickly as it had been made.
Buffy gave her head a violent shake. "I don't want to hear anything you have to say, Faith! Never again, all that comes out of that pretty mouth of yours is lies. Don't wanna hear them anymore. Got a guy now who doesn't do that, well, not on such an insane scale."
Hearing those words somehow managed to hurt Faith even more than the wound in her stomach. "Dating someone?"
"Yeah, yeah I am," Buffy said, crossing her arms across her chest. "But what do you care? First, you're dead to the world and second, you don't give a rat's ass about me. As proven by you going all dark-Slayer on me and trying to take out one of my biggest allies! Oh yeah, and all of Sunnydale on top of that!"
Faith tried to step forward this time, to grab Buffy's shoulders and make her listen, but the thick mud at the bottom of the brown puddle had sucked her feet in. "He made me feel like his daughter, like I mattered to him. No one else has ever made me feel like that!"
"Right," Buffy said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Because I never accepted you, I never did anything for you, I never loved you!" Her green eyes widened in shock and she clasped a hand over her mouth, as though she had revealed something that she hadn't meant to. For her part, Faith was trying not to stare in awe or smirk to try to throw the blonde Slayer off of her game for a moment or two. "I didn't mean... just go back to sleep!"
"I-" But Faith's words got lost in her throat as the mud started to suck her down. She squirmed and thrashed, stretching her hands out towards where Buffy stood with an expressionless face. "B, help me!" The brown water was at her chest and she kept sinking further.
"Why would I help you?" Buffy asked, her voice completely dead. She knelt down in the puddle, though the water that was now lapping about Faith's neck didn't seem to touch her, and leaned in so that her nose was practically touching Faith's. "I killed you once, remember? Why not do it again..." But instead of standing, like Faith expected, the blonde leaned even closer and kissed Faith roughly, nipping her lip hard enough to leave the coppery taste of blood. "To remember," she explained, wiping her mouth as she stood and turned away.
"Buffy!" Faith screamed, the muddy water pouring into her mouth.
In the hospital room that had been silent for the past months, minus the footsteps of the nurse who checked on her, Faith's eyes snapped open and she began to sob, loud heaving cries that shook her entire body. "B..."
------
Faith saw the familiar window of Giles' apartment and smiled, crossing the street to peer inside of it. Sure enough, the familiar group that she had spent far too much time with was gathered inside. Her smile faded a little at the sight of a guy she didn't know, one who was entirely too close to Buffy, who was getting looks of adoration from the other Slayer that Faith clearly remembered getting shot her way several times.
She could vaguely make out the conversation taking part on the other side of the pane of glass, but she didn't pay much attention to it. Her eyes were all for Buffy and whoever the hell the new guy was. Then, to Faith's everlasting shock, horror, and disgust, Buffy actually kissed him! "Okay, blondie," Faith growled, her hands clenching into fists. "I was considering apologizing and lettin' you off the hook for trying to gut me, but this just changes everything."
Then the phone rang and Buffy went to get it. Faith very nearly smirked at the expressions that played across the other Slayer's face. No doubt that call was about her. Well I ain't just gonna stand here and let you get me that quick, Faith thought, shoving her hands in her pockets as she strode off. After that display of yours, we're meeting on my terms. And no matter how many months she had spent in the coma, very nearly a year as she figured it, she was just as strong and agile as ever. This time it wasn't going to be her with a knife hilt sticking out of her gut.
