Faith didn't care.

Like, really, didn't care at all. Whatever! She'd only ever tracked down the Doctor because she wanted to sleep with him. And it wasn't like she'd even known that Buffy failed to mention anything to him about the Watchers Council wanting his head on a platter. And… and… even if she had known… then what did that matter?

It wasn't like she cared that they'd just shot him in cold blood.

They'd done her a favor, right? He was the only one who knew who she really was. If he was dead, then that was good for her. He couldn't tell them that Buffy wasn't really Buffy.

And she tried to ignore the nagging voice, inside, that reminded her that… he'd never have told them, anyways. Because the Watchers Council Elite Squad wanted her dead, and… and…

And what? What would he care if she was dead? He didn't know her! For him, she was just… the creep who stole Buffy's body! It wasn't like…

(He could have killed her. Used that virus to kill off everything inside Buffy's body that was "Faith". It would have been so easy. And… he hadn't.)

"Yeah, well, they wouldn't have killed him, anyways!" Faith told herself.

It had to be shoot to wound, right? The Watchers' Council might be totally fine with killing her, but they wanted him alive. For… whatever they were doing to him…

No!

No! She didn't care! Not at all! The Doctor was just like Buffy. Worse! He'd preached at her, right? About how she was better than this, and he knew she wasn't a killer, and all that stupid 'let's give Faith a chance' thing that B was really into, and…

Except he hadn't.

Hadn't tried to prove his point at all. Just told her she was wrong. And let her… save the world…

Faith hadn't been paying attention to where she was walking. Not until she looked up and realized… she'd looped back, again. Looped around, to that warehouse, where the Doctor had been shot.

There were voices, echoing through a nearby window. Voices talking, discussing things.

Faith still didn't care.

But she did listen.

"—canceled the kill?" said an English-sounding voice.

"Can't take any chances," said a deeper English voice. "Not with someone like him."

"He wasn't armed," said an American accent. "Wasn't threatening us, or fighting against us. And… and that girl! She could have killed me, and she didn't!"

"Doctor seems harmless enough," said high English. "I still say we should take out the girl."

"The Doctor's benign, at the moment," said deep English. "Benign — not harmless. Never harmless. If provoked, he could be a lot more dangerous than the girl. By a long shot."

"More dangerous than—?" American asked.

"Oh, yeah," said deep English. He gave a small laugh. "Two of a kind, they are. No wonder they like each other. Different planet of origin — same sob story. The outcast, the renegade, the 'not popular' one. Next thing you know, they're running around trying to kill everyone who's ever thrown them out." A pause. "Difference is, Doctor actually went through with it."

"No," said the American.

"He was exiled here in the 70's," said deep English. "Cast out by his own people. Shows up, now, and… guess what? Entire home planet's gone. Only one survivor. It's not hard to work out what happened."

Faith froze.

"Should've let me kill him, then," said high English.

"Council wants him alive," said deep English. "Wouldn't worry. He seems to like the Earth. Like humanity. Saves the world all the time. Like I said. Useful." A pause. Then, in a slightly lower voice, "Probably better for him if we did kill him."

"Why?" asked American. "What do they want with him?"

"Heard of 'slavery'?" said deep English. "Something like that. Maybe worse. Not human — so anything's acceptable."

"Not our place to judge," said high English. "We're just here to do a job."

"We ship 'em out the moment the Council gives clearance," said deep English. "If either of them gives us too much trouble, we kill them both. Then torch the building."

Faith crept away, as quietly as she could.

Okay. Okay! So… that answered that. The Doctor was alive. So now Faith didn't have to be all guilt-trip about how she'd let him walk right into the middle of a massive ambush, when he'd been saving her life, and…

Take your new life, Faith. Make better choices than you did in your old one.

Faith took out the passport she'd stolen from Buffy. The passport that she'd use to get out of here, go somewhere else, get herself a new life. A new chance.

Then looked back up at the warehouse.

And made a choice.


Willow found the Doctor's coat, and the sonic buzzing away inside one of the pockets, outside. Along with a nice little note, telling her what setting she needed to use to unlock doors and padlocks.

She'd kind of been expecting that.

What Willow hadn't beenexpecting was the petite blond girl, flipping and kicking and fighting her way past the Watchers' Council Elite Squad, trying to force her way through to the van, determination and anger in her every move.

"Look, I don't care if you put a hole in Faith's head!" Faith — in Buffy's body — shouted. "The only person I'm interested in is the Doctor."

"You know, I knew Faith liked trying to steal Buffy's boyfriends," said Xander, "but… I had no idea it went this far."

"At least this makes our job easier," Willow whispered.

The Watchers Council Elite Squad was obviously distracted, which meant that Willow, Giles, Tara, and Xander could sneak in and get to the van. Which they did, easily.

And Willow unlocked both van doors with the sonic, undoing the padlock to reveal…

Faith — no, wait, Buffy in Faith's body — and the Doctor, who was extremely shirtless and looked like he'd been patched up and bandaged across his chest.

Buffy's eyes widened the moment she saw Willow. She tugged at her handcuffs, gesturing for her to let her out. Then Buffy noticed the fight going on behind Willow.

"What?" Buffy whispered, as the handcuffs snapped off.

The only person who didn't seem at all surprised about Faith showing up to beat up the Watchers' Council was the Doctor. He was just grinning like he'd worked this all out ahead of time.

"She's here for Boyfriendish," Xander told Buffy, as he and the others helped Buffy and the Doctor out of the van. "Before you get any ideas."

Buffy looked down at the Doctor, a new thunderous anger in her eyes. "You said you made out with her… how many times, again?"

The Doctor cringed. "Would it help if I told you she was rubbish at it?"

They were interrupted by the sound of a gun cocking.

The gun was aimed at Tara, who was now trembling, and in the hands of the Watchers' Council Elite Squad member known as Weathersby.

"Put down Faith and the Doctor," said Weathersby, "or I shoot."

They all went very still.

"You can't," Giles said, very calmly, trying not to provoke them. "Tara doesn't fall under the jurisdiction of the Watchers' Council."

"You're right," Weathersby admitted. Then shifted his aim to the Doctor. "But he does."

Buffy clung to the Doctor a little more. "You want him alive."

"They want him delivered alive," said Weathersby. "But I can kill him several times before that becomes a problem."

Buffy stepped in front of him. "Don't you dare."

Weathersby looked vaguely amused. "Don't think that's going to dissuade me from pulling the trigger, Faith."

"For heaven's sakes, man!" shouted Giles. "Don't you understand?" He pointed at Buffy. "That isn't Faith! It's Buffy!"

"Heard it all before," said Weathersby.

"No, really, it's true," Willow insisted. "Their bodies got switched using a Draconian Katra. We're trying to switch them back. Using this." She opened up the box, to show the conjured Draconian Katra.

Weathersby hesitated. His gun falling, just a little, in his hands…

Then, with a grunt, he was kicked backwards through the air, revealing a petite blond girl standing behind, anger and murder in her eyes, her body ready to spring.

"Faith," said Buffy, her voice low and biting.

Faith flicked her eyes around at the group. Then turned, and ran.

Buffy flew at her, and tackled her to the ground. Faith quickly shoved her away, then sprung to her feet. But Buffy was back on her feet, too.

And they launched at each other. Blow after blow. Ducking and dodging and lunging for one another, fury about them.

"You can't win this," Buffy warned, jumping across a kick.

"Shut up!" Faith screamed. She punched at Buffy's head, but Buffy blocked. "You think I'm afraid of you? You're nothing!"

Giles and the Scoobies looked on, a little unsure what to do.

The Doctor launched himself at them, trying to break up the fight. But groaned, and dropped, hand over the bullet wound.

His groan distracted Buffy, who glanced over her shoulder. Faith took advantage, grabbing Buffy up and slamming her against the cement. Faith surged at her, beating her savagely, banging her head against the ground.

"You're disgusting!" Faith screamed. "A useless, murderous bitch!"

Around them, the Watchers' Council Elite Squad was beginning to stir. Emerge from their unconsciousness.

Buffy grabbed Faith by the hand, and the moment the hands met…

They glowed. A jolt passed through both Buffy and Faith, as the Katra undid the damage. Returned them to their correct bodies. And for a moment, they just sat there, eyes locked, unable to say a word.

Then Faith rolled out of Buffy's grasp, grabbed up one of the Council's guns, and darted over to the Doctor. Jerking him towards her.

"One step closer," Faith warned everyone there, "and I kill him."

The Scoobies, who'd begun advancing, stopped. And froze in place.

"Then kill him," said Collins, with a shrug.

"No, wait!" said Buffy, holding out a hand to keep the others back. Then, to Faith — "What do you want?"

"Well, funny thing," said Faith, her head tilted to the side. "Looks like I took a shine to your… what do you call him? Boyfriend-ish?" She grinned. "Maybe it's the telepathic sex thing that did it for me. That was a pretty neat trick."

Buffy's face went red with anger. She looked like she was on the verge of shouting at the Doctor, but managed to hold it back. "He thought you were me."

"Guess again," said Faith, with a grin.

Buffy's entire posture tensed, anger flooding through her. Her eyes turned to the Doctor.

"Faith," the Doctor said, in a low, calm voice. "It's over."

"Don't think so," said Faith, as she hoisted him up over her shoulder, hitting the gunshot wound as she did, so that he groaned and wavered. Then turned, and ran out the door.

Buffy raced after her, but Faith was already hopping into the van and hotwiring it into life. The engine spluttered, and it raced forwards, squealing tires on the asphalt as it rushed into the night.

Buffy stopped. Staring out at the disappearing van.

Not quite believing what had just happened.


"Listen, Faith, what happened between us — it didn't mean anything," the Doctor said. He was squirming in the seat, obviously trying to work out some way out of this. "It was a distraction. A way to get inside your mind without you noticing. I was worried about Elizabeth, terrified even, and I thought she was…"

Faith slammed the brakes on.

And turned to him.

"I don't do this kind of thing," she warned him. "And I shouldn't be doing it, now. I'm a bad person. You get that? A murderer. A killer." Her hands tensed on the wheel. "Now shut up. And get out of the car."

The Doctor stared at her. Then glanced around, and realized. "They can trace the van. And they think I'm with you."

Faith didn't answer him.

"Faith, you don't have to—" the Doctor said.

"Get out," Faith gritted at him. "Before I change my mind."

The Doctor hesitated. Then climbed out of the car. "Take care, Faith," he said, as he closed the door.

She didn't answer. Didn't say a single word in reply.

While the Watchers' Council Elite Squad thought she had the Doctor, they'd chase her. By the time she got far enough away, she could ditch the van and run like hell.

Because she could.

He was stuck here. With little Miss Righteous — who was lying to him big time — and his broken TARDIS. He couldn't leave. Couldn't get away from B. But now, at least, he wouldn't have to worry about the Watchers' Council knowing where he was.

She floored the accelerator, and took off.