Eleven: Nightmares

Tears welled up in Buffy's eyes as she sat on her bed, a pillow clutched to her chest.

Angel had left her.

They had stopped the Ascension and Angel had gone. He said that he couldn't be around her everyday and not have her the way he wants to, and even though he said he was ok with it, the thought of Faith being able to give Buffy what she so desperately wanted with him, was not something he could deal with anymore even though Faith was now out of the picture.

He had stayed to help Buffy defeat the Mayor and save the school and all of it's pupils but then he'd turned around and walked out of Buffy's life. For good this time.

The blonde looked to the window which was open a little and sighed.

He wouldn't be coming through there to see her anytime soon and neither would Faith. She missed them both.

She wondered that if Faith wasn't in that coma, would she be here with Buffy? Would she be holding her and telling her that it would be ok, that she was there for her, no matter what?

The day that she had almost killed Faith, haunted her.

Plunging the knife into Faith's gut and watching as she fell from the roof and then seeing her again in the same hospital.

She regretted it. It hadn't done any good anyway.

Angel was still gone and Faith was in a coma.

She had been in that coma for eight months now.

Buffy sometimes went to see her, to check and make sure that she was...well, not ok exactly because she wasn't ok but just to feel closer to her somehow.

Buffy shook her head when she realised that she couldn't even explain it to herself.

She cried a little more, burying her face into the pillow to muffle the sound...

Eight Months Later

Y'know, for a moment there I thought she might have feelings for me.

I was wrong about that, wasn't I? Even I didn't think that Little Miss Perfect would take to killing me so easily but then what did I expect? No, really, what did I expect? It was Angel's life or whatever on the line and she wasn't gonna sacrifice him for nobody.

I see that now, and to think at some stage that B might change and start seeing things from my perspective...well now I know that's never gonna happen.

She won't change. I won't change.

I swear the minute I get outta here, I'm gonna head for her and her little friends and rip them all a new one.

I wonder how Angel's doing. She wouldn't let him die. She'd give herself to him before she let that happen but then what if it was taken out of her hands?

What if Giles had her taken away somewhere and they all left Angel to die?

Oh so many possibilities!

I'm not gonna lie, being in a coma sucks, big time. I can hear people. I still dream, God do I dream! Well, they're nightmares really but same diff, and they're always the same.

I'm in a park,it's a beautiful sunny day and the Mayor is sitting with me.

Then she appears and guts him like a fish, then she comes after me. She's holding that same knife and even though she just cut the Mayor, I'm wondering if that's my blood on the blade instead of his. Did she ever clean it? Or is my blood staining the metal?

I know the Ascenison was stopped. I can hear everything people are sayin'.

The school got blown to shit, a few people died and that included the Mayor.

She killed him too. She killed me and then she killed him. I dunno, maybe that's what the nightmares are telling me. That she'll come after me when I wake up.

Angel knew about us, maybe she's scared I'll blab to one of her friends.

As if! That's not the way to get back at somebody.

I only told Angel because I got angry and I wanted to hurt him.

No, when I get outta here, I'll kill her before she kills me. I'll make her feel the pain I felt. I'll make her feel worthless and like nobody cares if she lives or dies because they know a new slayer will be called so they'll always be safe.

I'm gonna make her feel like I've felt all my goddamn life.

The machine's beeping got louder and quicker as Faith's eyes opened.

She was awake.

She sat up slowly, wincing at how weak she felt and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

No doctors, no nurses showed up, nothin'.

Faith frowned and ripped the wires from herself. She didn't need them anymore.

Everything felt strange; the floor beneath her bare feet felt cold and hard, the smell of antiseptic was too strong and the voices she could hear were louder than before.

"Are you alright? Do you need me to get someone?" A voice asked her.

Faith turned and looked at the girl who stood in front of her.

She had clothes, probably some money too.

Faith forced a weak smile.

"Yeah, I think you could help me out." ...

Faith pulled on the hoodie and fanned her hair out over the hood.

She left the hospital and started walking the streets of Sunnydale.

People were walking around as though they had nothing to fear, a gang of boys walked straight past her as though she were invisible.

Faith folded her arms, feeling a little cold and headed in the direction of Buffy's home.

She could track the other slayer from there.

It wasn't hard, the slayer in Faith had only been dormant, not dead and she found she could track the blonde slayer easily enough.

It lead her to a small house just near the campus of UC Sunnydale.

Faith crept quietly to the window and peered inside.

She could see Giles, Willow, Xander and...there she was. Buffy.

Faith frowned. Where was Angel?

Buffy turned as someone else came into the room.

A new player? Faith wondered as he smiled and lent down to kiss Buffy.

Faith's eyes narrowed.

Who the hell was he? Where was Angel? Why was Buffy wrapped around this jerk?

The dark haired slayer shook her head and walked away from the house.

Buffy was so gonna pay for what she had done.

Faith went back to the Mayor's office and found it empty.

Guess no one had wanted to take over just yet and who could blame them when the last guy got charred?

Faith poked around the in the draws, finding a letter opener and then she stopped, her brow creasing as she found an envelope and ripped it open.

There was a letter and some strange, metal thingy.

She read the letter quickly.

Faith,

If you're reading this then it means I am dead. Most movies do this so that information can be passed on easily. That was my attempt at humor.

Anywho, inside this package, you'll find something that will give you another chance at life, at someone else's life.

Now...let me tell you how to use it...

Faith continued to read as she glanced at the metal object.

Buffy walked through campus with Willow at her side.

They had been told that Faith was awake and that she had gone missing.

"Do you think she's still in Sunnydale?" Willow asked a little nervously.

Buffy frowned and shook her head.

"I don't think so. If I were her, I would've got out of town fast. Especially with the police crawling all over the place looking for her."

"Police never bothered me much. I thought you knew that."

Buffy stopped and turned around, coming face to face with Faith.

"Faith..."

"Hey, B. Long time, no see."

"How are you-"

"Feelin'? Five by five but see there's this blonde chick I've meaning to see. You don't know her do you? Walks around, holier than thou, thinks she's better than everybody else and what else was it? Oh yeah, she carries a big fucking knife!"

Buffy ducked as Faith lashed out.

"Faith, it doesn't have to be this way." Buffy said as she stood back, out of the other slayer's reach.

"How do you think it should be then, B? You tried to gut me, it's not like I can forgive that or put it down to a mistake. You knew what you were doin'."

Buffy looked down.

"That's true, I did but I don't want to fight you."

Faith grinned and cocked her head to one side.

"That's real funny, B, Cause' I really wanna fight you."

Willow circled around Faith, holding her backpack at the ready.

Faith turned to Willow.

"I don't think that's wise, do you? I mean, come on, Red. Be serious."

Buffy looked at Willow and the red head backed off.

Faith then turned back to look at Buffy.

"So now that we're here, what do you wanna do?" She asked, licking her lips suggestively. With Faith, that could mean either mean fight or fuck.

Buffy clenched her teeth, picking the second option.

"The time for that has been and gone."

Faith quirked an eyebrow at the blonde slayer.

"Oh honey you don't get over this. Once you had a piece of this pie, you want the whole damn thing and then seconds." She said, her voice becoming a low purr.

Buffy looked at Willow.

"Willow, go inside. I can handle her."

Willow frowned and Faith glanced back at the red head.

"It's true, She does know how to handle me. In more ways than one." She said with a wink.

Buffy could've kicked Faith.

If Willow saw through all her sexual innuendos, they were screwed. Well, Buffy would be the one with a red face, Faith clearly didn't care who knew what she was up to and with who.

Willow looked undecided about leaving her best friend but Buffy gave her a smile.

"Really, it's ok. She's not gonna do anything with a campus full of witnesses."

Willow finally nodded and Buffy waited until she was out of sight before looking at the other slayer.

"What do you want, Faith?" Buffy snapped.

"I wanted to see you, B. It's been a while."

Buffy looked around before speaking again.

"I visited the hospital."

Faith nodded and the cocky smile slipped from her face.

"I know...I heard you talking to me."

Buffy looked surprised.

"You did?"

Faith nodded and then folded her arms.

"But I didn't come here to make nice, darlin'. See, here's the thing I don't get and I was wondering if you could help me out; You tried to kill me to save your lover. Now imagine my surprise when I wake up, come over to what I'm guessing is Giles' place, and see you with some sweet looking thing that is definitely not Angel. Can you explain that to me? Cause' I tell ya, I got nothin'."

Buffy swallowed and licked her suddenly dry lips.

"Angel left me, Faith. I healed him, we stopped the Ascension and then...he left.

Then I met Riley. He's kind and loving, it's so new...so normal." She explained with a warm smile.

Faith gave her a tight smile in return.

"That's just great...no really, I'm pleased for you. You screwed me, dated Angel. Tried to kill me, Angel left and now you've gone and got yourself a new boy toy."

Buffy shook her head.

"Faiht, it wasn't like that-"

"No, see I think it's exactly like that, You use people, B. You used me and then you tried to kill me!"

"You almost killed Angel!"

"He left anyway! What does that tell you, B?! He can't be around you. You pushed him away, you pushed me away."

"You're not exactly Miss warm and affectionate though, are you?"

Faith shrugged.

"And would it have made any difference to us if I was? Would you come running to me instead of him when shit got real? Face it, B. You fucked up by trying to kill me and now you're trying to justify it by making me the bad guy."

"You are the bad guy! You killed a man!"

Faith smirked.

"You're never gonna let me forget that, are you?"

Buffy paused and looked down.

"You need to turn yourself in, Faith."

Faith shook her head.

"Nah, I don't think so."

Buffy took a threatening step towards the other slayer.

"Then I'll have to make you."

Faith grinned.

"You're gonna have to catch me first."

She then took off running and Buffy chased after her.

She wasn't letting Faith get away this time.

Faith was fast, even after eight months of being in a coma.

She pushed students out of the way as she ran and Buffy watched as Faith ran towards a wall.

She then vaulted over it and Buffy stopped as she climbed half way up it.

She was gone.

Or so she thought.

A strong hand grabbed her, pulling her over the wall.

Buffy rolled but Faith had her pinned beneath her.

Buffy started to struggle when Faith chuckled darkly.

"Go on, struggle. It only brings back memories for me and I know it does it for you too."

Bufy glared up at her.

"The thought of you touching me, disgusts me."

Faith didn't buy it.

"Really? So that wasn't you screaming out my name that time?"

Buffy tried to move Faith off of her and brought her hand up to hit Faith under the chin and propell her backwards but as she brought her hand up, Faith grabbed it and Buffy felt cold metal between their palms.

Faith grinned.

"See ya on the other side."

A shock of power surged through the both of them and they both fell backwards.

Faith's eyes widened as she stood, looking down at Buffy's body.

"What...what the hell have you done?" Buffy asked but it was Faith's voice that spoke the words.

Faith stood and grinned.

"Looks like a body swap. Look I hate to run but I got things to do. This is gonna be fun though. Catch you later, lover."

Buffy watched as Faith took Buffy's body and ran.

Now what?