Buffy POV

I hold my breath as the telephone rings and fiddle anxiously with the international calling card in my hand. The glass of the phone booth is slightly dingy, but I can still see Sookie sitting in the passenger seat of Bill's car. She gives me a reassuring smile and I force a tight grin in return. With each telephone ring, I feel my stomach tighten. I really hope someone's there to answer. I really hope nothing bad has happened to them, too. I've done a horrible time of protecting the people around me lately.

When I hear the telltale click, my breath hitches in my throat.

"Hello?" The voice on the other line sounds slightly muffled.

"Hello?" I respond; I don't immediately recognize the voice.

"What do ya want?" comes the annoyed response.

"Kennedy?" I guess, trying to put a face with the voice on the other end of the phone.

"Yeah?" This time her voice is clearer, and I can tell it's Willow bratty half.

I can hear strange noises in the background, but it could just be the muffled international connection. "What's going on?" I ask, immediately suspicious. My eyebrows rise. And why does Kennedy have this phone? I told Willow not to let the prepaid phone out of her sight. Without magic to rely on, it's Faith and my only connection to everyone back in Tibet.

"You're interrupting pizza time," Kennedy deadpans, not masking the annoyance in her tone.

"Pizza time?" I repeat in shock. How do we have the budget for a pizza party? Did someone steal the Taj Mahal? I don't even know if that's near Oz's place, or if it's even steal-able, but I'm pretty sure we all vowed not to steal things anymore to fund our slaying. Plus, do they even have pizzain that part of the world?

"Yeah," she mumbles, after taking yet another obvious bite of food.

"Could you stop that?" I grumble. "I don't have a lot of time left on this calling card."

"Fine," Kennedy huffs, her voice pizza-free this time. "What do you want?"

"This is Buffy."

"Well, duh." She sounds bored.

"I need to talk to Willow," I say, quickly growing impatient with the trajectory of this conversation.

"She's busy," the girl tells me flatly.

I let out a frustrated sigh. "Well, can't you get her unbusy?" God this brat is so…so…bratty. "This is pretty important, Ken."

"Fine," the brunette slayer grumbles. "Let me see if I can track her down."

I can hear her setting the phone down. The mouthpiece gets rammed into something and I pull my own ear away from the telephone when it makes a loud, obnoxious noise.

My rehearsed speech runs through my mind as I wait for Kennedy to find my best friend. I don't know how much time I have left on this calling card, so I need to be thorough, but brief. And I need to make sure I don't reveal that I'm in Bon Temps or where Willow and the gang are either. Twilight and his goons probably still have no idea where Faith and I are headed, but I don't want to take any chances. I've been reckless enough this past week.

After what feels like an eternity, I can hear the phone being picked up again. I hope to God it's not Kennedy with some excuse about not being able to find Willow.

"Buffy?"

I immediately recognize the voice of my best friend. "Will!" I exclaim. "Where were you? Why didn't you have the phone with you?"

"I, uh, was helping give Oz's baby a bath," she sheepishly admits.

"Oh no, Wills," I playfully groan. "Don't tell me your biological clock is ticking?"

She laughs. "It's more like a Doomsday Countdown. But I'm pretty sure Kennedy's not ready for that."

"Yeah," I easily agree. "Especially since she just learned how to use the Big Girl Potty not too long ago."

"Buffy!" my long-time friend gasps in mock horror. "Why are you always so mean to her?"

"Sorry, Will," I chuckle. "She just makes it too easy."

To be honest, I've never felt entirely comfortable around Willow's girlfriend. It has nothing to do with the Gay Thing though. I adored Tara, and, well, hello, it's not like I've been on the straight-and-narrow myself lately.

But ever since Willow revealed to me that she had partially blamed me for Tara's death and had wanted to keep Kennedy away from me – away from danger – I've been on edge around the former boarding school brat.

She's right though. Willow, that is. People around me have a bad habit of dying or getting hurt. Or going evil.

"So…pizza party?" I have to ask.

"Well…" she hesitates, "the girls have to eat, don't they?"

"And where did all this pizza come from?" I dare ask. For some reason I've got visions of Andrew going on a dramatic excursion to Italy, foraging for food.

Willow snorts quietly. "It's not like no one over here knows how to cook, Buffy."

Oh…right…I guess not all pizza is delivered.

"So, what's up?" my redheaded friend asks, snapping me back to the real reason I called her. "I thought we agreed just to use this phone for emergencies?" she asks. "Is everything okay?"

It had been so easy to fall into a light banter and idle chat with Willow, I'd nearly forgotten the reason for the phone call. I flash a brief, guilty look toward Sookie and Bill who still wait in the dark sedan. I hope she hasn't been reading my thoughts. She might not believe I really want to save Faith. But I do. Right?

And she does need saving. Right?

She didn't choose to betray me and her calling again. Right?

I sigh deeply and idly rub my left temple. "Wills, I need you and the gang to do some research for me. What do you know about a god named Dionysis?"

"If memory serves me right," she immediately responds, "he was the Greek god of wine and parties….Why?"

A brief memory of MaryAnn's orgiastic pool parties floods my mind. Yeah, that sounds about right.

"I'm pretty sure we're dealing with a demon or something supernatural that's connected to him," I tell her. "This woman, she…she eats hearts and makes human sacrifices to him."

"And you're sure this person's a demon or something and not just a chick doing sacrifices to make sure she's got the raging-est kegger in the neighborhood?" Willow astutely asks.

"No, I'm definitely sure she's not some manic sorority girl," I say with conviction. "She makes my Spidey-senses all tingly and she's somehow possessed like half the townspeople here. They have these creepy blacked-out eyes, and they really, really like sex."

"But are you guys okay? You've got your powers back, but how is Faith?" Willow worries aloud.

I chew on my bottom lip. "This woman, Willow," I begin, "she…she wants to feed my heart to her god. And…she's got Faith."

I hear Willow take a deep breath.

I swallow hard and reflexively tighten my grip on the phone. "Willow, it's bad. Really bad. I need you to get as much information on this woman and this Dionysis guy as fast as you can."

"I'll get everyone researching this. Call me in a couple of hours and I'll let you know what we've found. Don't worry, Buffy," my friend tries to reassure me. "We'll figure this out. And we'll save Faith."

I thank Willow, say my goodbyes, and hang up the phone. As I push out the telephone booth and walk briskly toward Bill's parked car, I can only hope that she's right. And I really hope that Faith does need my help.

When we drive back to Sookie's house, I'm instantly alarmed by the sight of the front door ajar. The three of us climb out of Bill's car and cautiously stalk up the stairs to the front porch.

"Stay here," I tell Bill and Sookie in a low tone. "I'll make sure no one's in there that shouldn't be."

I can see Bill bristle at my orders. "With all due respect, Buffy," he drawls, "I cannot allow you to go in there alone."

I release a disgruntled sigh. I know enough about Bill to realize I could argue with him about this until I'm blue in the face. Vampire or not, Bill's a Southern gentlemen first, and there's no way he's letting me go in there by myself.

"Fine." I point at Sookie. "But you need to stay out here."

"Hey!" the blonde protests. I can nearly see her feathers ruffling where she stands.

"Sookie." Bill's voice is stern and his eyes flash dark against his pale features. "Do not test me. I have a hard enough time keeping you safe without you jumping head-first into danger."

I'm just now noticing how very, very white the vampire is. Bill is in serious need of a bronzer. It can't just be a vampire thing because Angel was never that pale; Spike was, but it kind of went with the whole bleach blond thing he had going on.

Kind of like a marble statue you'd see in a museum. Chiseled and hard all over. And when I say all over…

"For Pete's sake, Buffy. Could you keep it in your pants long enough to find out if anyone's in there?" Sookie protests.

I blush immediately. God, I hate that party trick of hers.

Sookie starts toward the slightly opened door. "It's probably just Jason and he didn't bother to close the door behind him," she blusters.

Faster than I can react, Bill is at her side, one hand clenched around her upper arm. "Well, if it's just Jason in there," he calmly reasons, "you won't mind if Buffy and I go say hi to him first."

The waitress looks cross, but she knows this is a battle she's not going to win. If it had just been her and Bill, she might have been able to convince her boyfriend to let her go inside. But with me here too, she can't pout and get her way this time – even if it is an adorable pout. I cock my head and admire the fullness of Sookie's lower lip. I normally go for the dark and dangerous types, but this Southerner is certainly not without her charms.

Oh God. What's wrong with me?

I flick my eyes in Sookie's direction, fearful that she may have just read my mind again. Luckily, however, she's still steaming in Bill's direction.

I point at the porch swing. "Sookie," I say in commanding voice. "Sit. We'll be right back if the coast is clear."

She narrows her eyes slightly and huffs, but obeys me.

I cautiously push open the front door with the toe of my shoe. I'm amazed that the aged and worn wooden door doesn't shriek on its hinges, announcing our arrival. The living room is empty, so I silently sweep toward the back of the house. Everything is completely silent. All I can hear is the sound of a grandfather clock ticking somewhere in the vicinity.

But even though the house is silent, I'm honestly not that surprised when I find MaryAnn and Faith seated at the kitchen table.

I step into the room, holding my hands in a defensive position. "This can't end well," I mutter to myself.

Faith's eyes are still as dark and cold as ever, like hunks of black charcoal lodged inside her eye sockets. When she notices my presence, she stands up from the table and grins wildly at me. "Welcome home, lover," she growls.

I can feel Bill's presence behind me. I hope he has enough sense not to attack. In this confined space, we might have an advantage. Even if my sister-Slayer has her powers back, she's no match for both myself and a super strong vampire. But then again, I have no idea what kind of powers MaryAnn has.

A shrill shrieking noise makes me jump slightly. I hear a sound near my side like a knife slicing through the air. Bill's fangs have snapped out, but his grave face remains smooth.

And Faith remains standing rigidly like a guard dog protecting its owner.

MaryAnn looks unalarmed by the face-off and stands from her seat at Sookie's kitchen table. She walks over to the gas range and pulls the kettle from the flame. The shrieking of the hot water is instantly silenced. The crazed woman slides around the room without a care, finding a ceramic mug and a plastic bottle of honey. She seems to instinctively know where the Southern girl keeps things.

"I hope you don't mind," MaryAnn purrs in that mirthful tone I've come to despise. "It's a little damp out, so I thought some hot tea would be nice." Why do I feel like her voice is always mocking me?

She sits down with the mug between cupped hands and blows gently across the top of the steaming tea. "Where's the other girl?" she asks, looking back and forth between Bill and myself. The woman takes a tentative sip. "Ohhh," she coos. "That's good." She smiles and sets the cup down on the round kitchen table.

"You will not lay a hand on her," Bill growls, his muscles tensing and flexing with restrained anger.

MaryAnn waves a hand and laughs. "She's of no concern to me, Vampire," she chuckles. She looks pointedly at me. "I've got more powerful fish to fry."

"What do you think you're doing here?" I demand sternly.

Although I hope it doesn't show, her presence here has rattled me. This isn't how the Bad Guys behave. They don't infiltrate your headquarters and then makes themselves herbal tea. I don't know what to make of this woman. She's not playing by the rules.

I glance briefly at Faith. She's like a statue. No biting, sexual comments. Not even a sarcastic death threat. This woman must have her under her control. I've never seen her like this before, even when she was working for the Mayor.

"I told you before, Slayer. I want your heart." MaryAnn looks at me and bats her long eyelashes.

I don't know what to say to this woman. For the first time in a long time, I have no comeback. What do you say to someone who wants to eat your heart?

No thanks, I kind of need it?

Go ahead. I hope it gives you heartburn?

Ugh. I used to be so good at this.

"You don't honestly think you can just walk in and out of this house without consequences, do you?" Bill grunts when it's clear I can't seem to find my voice. Even if this woman didn't want to kill me, I can tell he would still be upset by this woman's lack of decorum.

"I have no quarrel with you or your woman, Vampire," MaryAnn starts. "Why get yourself involved in these matters?"

"Innocent people in my town have died because of you, woman," Bill growls. "And I make that my concern."

MayAnn laughs pleasantly. It's like the tinkling of bells. "As if you've never killed an innocent," she scoffs.

MaryAnn stands up suddenly. She clucks her tongue against the roof of her tongue and chuckles quietly. "I have to admit…I do admire your spunk. But you cannot win this time. I will come and go as I please," she notes. "And I will kill whomever I please."

Her dark eyes narrow slightly and her features become hard. "I will have my sacrifice to my Lord at the next full moon. And if I can't have your heart, Slayer…." MaryAnn's words trail off and she gives a lingering look in the direction of Faith. "…It would seem as if I already have another."

My body tenses when MaryAnn idly walks toward the sink and pulls a large kitchen knife from a stack of dirty dishes. With the weapon held loosely in her hand, the dark-haired woman glides next to Faith. "You need to see this, Hero," she murmurs.

I can only watch as she brings the knife up to Faith's neck and lightly presses the blade against her flawless skin. To my amazement, Faith doesn't flinch. If anything, her smile only becomes wider. She's completely at this crazy woman's mercy.

MaryAnn pulls the blade away from Faith's neck and trails the sharp point just beneath her exposed collarbone. I faint line of crimson blood appears in its wake. And again, my sister-slayer shows no reaction.

I can feel Bill twitch beside me. Even though Sookie's promised me that the only human blood he drinks anymore is hers when they're, uh…you know….I'm sure all that Japanese synthetic blood can't compare to the real thing. Especially when it's Slayer blood.

"As you can see," MaryAnn states as though giving a presentation. "She is mine. There is no fear when one serves my Lord."

Her fingers go up to the thin line of blood on Faith's breastplate. She trails her fingertips along the red liquid, swiping at it as though she were scooping icing from the top of a cake. I can see the blood on her fingers and she brings them up to her mouth. She sucks her digits into her mouth and quietly moans as though Faith's blood is an aphrodisiac.

Taking her fingers from her mouth, MaryAnn wets her lips. "I have to admit though...it would be a shame to sacrifice her. I'm starting to become quite attached."

I watch as the dark-haired demon rakes her fingernails down Faith's neck. My sister-Slayer's eyes flutter close, and I swear I hear a quiet purr from her. Turning her back to me, MaryAnn embraces Faith, their bodies melting together. She presses her red lips against Faith's mouth and my stomach lurches as they share a far-too-erotic kiss. Even from where I stand, I can see their pink tongues caressing each other.

I clench my fists into balls, my nails biting into my palms. This woman must pay. Bill gently, but assertively grabs my elbow, grounding me. I'm sure he doesn't need to use our emotional connection to tell I'm ready to tear into this bitch.

After what feels like an eternity, MaryAnn finally pulls away from Faith's mouth. "You need to ask yourself, Slayer," she murmurs, still gazing at Faith and not me. "Whose life is more valuable? Yours? Or hers?"

I speak for the first time since entering the room: "I won't let you get away with this." Nice, Buffy. Very original.

Her head snaps to gaze at me. "You have until the full moon. The decision is yours. But know this. One of you will die."

I feel sick to my stomach. I need to break something. I want to scream at the top of my lungs.

"How could you just let them leave like that?" I yell at Bill.

After our confrontation, both MaryAnn and Faith had waltzed out of Sookie's home without so much as a scratch or good-old-fashioned hair pulling. Bill had made sure of that. Bill now sits at the kitchen table where MaryAnn had been seated just a few minutes before. The Southern vampire fiddles with the paper label on his bottle of synthetic True Blood.

"This was neither the time or the place for a physical confrontation," he states gravely. "You know that better than I, Buffy."

Sookie stands at the kitchen sink, scrubbing furiously at the dirty dishes. "I can't believe that woman just walked in and out of my Gran's home like she owned the place!" she bitterly complains. "Hasn't this house had enough murderers in it for one year?"

She flicks her eyes apologetically toward her boyfriend, as if suddenly remembering. He tips his glass bottle in her direction to show her there's no hard feelings.

I sit down at the kitchen table across from Bill and hold my tired head in my hands.

"What time is it?" I ask wearily, staring at the linoleum floor.

"It is nearly dawn," Bill says with a small sigh, "which means I must retire soon until the sun sets."

"And what do we do in the meantime?" Sookie demands, shaking the wet suds from her hands. "Just hang out here until she breaks into my house again?"

Bill shakes his head. "I do not believe she will attack again. She's let us know what it is that she wants. She's played her pieces." He pauses and looks pointedly at me. "And to use chess vernacular, she has your Queen. The next move is ours."

TBC