Early Evening
Crawford Mansion
Coming down the stairs from the side of the mansion that led straight into the garden, Faith pulled the stake from her back pocket and held it tightly in her hand.
An eerie cool air hung in the air and made everything very still.
Entering the mansion from the darkness, Faith paused with surprise to see Buffy already sitting on the couch facing the roaring fireplace. It appeared as if she had been already anticipating the Vampire's Slayer's arrival.
Buffy sat casually on the couch in a way that almost made her appear human. Her leg hung crossed over her knee and her chest moved up and down as if she had breath. She held a mug with hot blood in her hands.
Slowly, Buffy ripped her transfixed gaze from the dancing flames to Faith standing in the entryway from the courtyard garden.
A soft smile appeared on Buffy's face.
"Where's your boyfriend?" asked Faith, tossed her dark eyes around the seemingly empty mansion in search of Buffy's lover.
"He's running an errand for me. What brings you by, Faith?" A saucy grin brightened her entire face. "A little late night hanky-panky?" The scowl on Faith's face only amused the vampiress. Buffy mockingly pouted. "Oh, sorry to disappoint you but that ship has sailed. Once was quite enough." She said, sipping the hot blood in her hands.
"This can't be you," said Faith, entering further into the mansion.
For days her only thoughts had been on Buffy. She was terrified of what the vicious demon would do next. Would she come after her? Or worse, the people she cared most about?
Buffy was unpredictable. The way she tormented and killed her prey all depended on her emotions.
Even after everything Buffy had put herself and her friends through, Faith couldn't stop loving her. Sometime during those two years with souled Buffy working closely with the Scoobies, Faith had fallen in love. There was a fire in the vampiress that was magnetic... intoxicating.
Since their one night together in the cemetery, Faith replayed those few precious hours over and over in her head. Her taste was still on Faith's tongue. The scent of her skin and her luscious golden hair still lingered in her nostrils. The small whimpering moans that escaped those perfect heart-shaped lips echoed in her brain. The feel of her hands caressing Buffy's slender and fearlessly strong body still tingled her fingertips.
But even now as Faith stared at the soulless vampiress, she was still in love with her and determined to somehow find that piece of good Buffy that brought her to life.
Snarkily, Buffy rolled her eyes and sipped the blood in the mug. "Stop trying to see me, Faith."
Faith took another few steps into the mansion, coming closer to the vampire. "B, there must be some part of you inside that still remembers who you are."
Buffy exhaled a heavy sigh and looked at Faith, wearing a serious look on her face. "I've never forgotten who I am. I've been around for a long time. I've had so many lives. I'm like a cat." She laughed and turned her eyes to the fireplace.
Faith watched her carefully.
"Who knows what would've become of me if I wasn't changed that night. Perhaps, I would've been married to Lord Thurman and I'd eventually be the Duchess of Dickinson. I would've had a place at court as one of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting. But in secret, I'd be just another whore to the King of England."
Stepping around the couch, Faith sat down beside the blonde and listened, hoping that she would open herself up to say something meaningful.
"I might've had three maybe four kids." Buffy's brows slowly pinched together. "But one of them didn't look quite like the others. That child wouldn't've bore any resemblance to their blond haired father." Buffy smiled and turned her eyes to Faith. "Or I could've had a much worse fate. Childbirth was a dangerous business back then. Or… the plague… Who knows."
Faith studied Buffy's profile, wondering what was going to happen next.
"When you've been in the world as long as I've had, you'd see so many wonderful changes. And… you'll also see the absolute worst in humanity. What you people do to one another is far worse than anything I could've ever done."
"I doubt that." Faith frowned.
The smile settled on Buffy's face widened into a short laugh.
"What's so funny?" asked Faith.
"I was just thinking…" Buffy looked at Faith. "How in the hell did we get here?"
"What'd you mean?" she asked.
The corners of Buffy's mouth turned upwards. "I mean, how did we get here?"
Slowly nodding her head, Faith shrugged and rested a book on the edge of the coffee table in front of them. "I dunno, B. There's a lot of bullshit between us."
"I've killed a lot of Slayer's in the past. There wasn't anything special with them. It's strange." Buffy thoughtfully gazed into the fire. "Hunting them and then killing them didn't feel like a… like a challenge. But you..." Buffy tore her eyes from the fire to look at the Vampire Slayer beside her. "You've given me a run for my money." Faith began to roll her eyes. "I mean it. Faith, I've never met a Slayer like you before."
Faith stared at the blonde wondering if this was just another rouse Buffy had created in order for her fall into some trap. But the glimmer in her green eyes, Faith recognised that glimmer.
Buffy continued, "Because unlike all of the girl's in the past, they were alone. I was fighting one person. One Slayer. And with you... I'm not just fighting you… No, I'm fighting Giles and Willow and Xander, and all of your friends. The Slayer's before you didn't have that."
For what felt like an eternity, Buffy's eyes lingered on Faith. A tender smile crossed her lightly glossed lips. Buffy then leaned forward putting the crystal glass on the coffee table and stood, moving towards the darkened hallway.
"Where're you going?" asked Faith, standing from the couch.
Facing Faith from the dark entrance leading into the dark hallway, Buffy held out her hand. "Come with me, Faith." She said with a soft, inviting voice that was irresistible.
"Where?" There was hesitance in Faith's voice.
"To my favourite room of this obnoxiously big mansion." replied Buffy, wearing a charming half-smile. "Will you come with me? I promise, I come in peace." She said half heartedly.
Wearily, Faith slowly walks over to Buffy and takes her extended hand into her own.
Buffy smiled playfully, tugging the Slayer closer.
The air in Faith's lungs evaporated by the close proximity she was to Buffy. Buffy affectionately tucked a piece of Faith's hair behind her ear and slid the back of her finger down the line of her jaw to her chin.
Her teeth clenched together, desperate to keep composure but Faith's desire was overwhelming. She crushed her mouth against Buffy's, kissing her deeply. She forced her tongue between Buffy's lips and finally fulfilled her craving for the vampire's kiss.
Buffy grinned into the kiss and let the Vampire Slayer take control of their passionate kiss.
The kiss lasted until Faith became desperate for air. Breaking the kiss with a pant, Faith rested her forehead on Buffy's and tangled her fingers into Buffy's hair.
Opening her eyes, Buffy's green eyes held emotion. "Come with me, Faith."
Faith nodded, letting Buffy take her hand and lead her into a long dark hallway which led down a winding stairway, which was lit by candles.
They walked into the cool damp hall until reaching a heavy wooden door.
Taking a large silver skeleton key from a hook nailed into the stone wall, Buffy unlocked the wine cellar door and opened it, gesturing for Faith to enter first. "It's okay," smiled Buffy, sensing Faith's hesitence. "It's just a wine cellar."
Entering into the very dark wine cellar. The only light was coming from a small window high up the stone wall.
Faith shivered, holding her arms around her body. "It's freezin' in here, B."
"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry." Buffy said apologetically. "The wine needs a certain temperature. A lot of these bottles are as old as me…"
"Is there a light?" Faith looked around for a lightswitch as she walked over to the tall racks of wine bottles.
She picked one of them up and wiped the thick coat of dust off with her hand and read the torn and fragile label. "Seventeen seventy-five." Faith whistled and placed the wine bottle carefully back in its place on the rack.
Standing in the darkness, Buffy watched Faith slowly move around the wine cellar, carefully not to bump into anything since there wasn't a light.
Lowering her eyes to her feet, Buffy smirked and began to talk in order to mask the rattle of the thick chain Buffy bent down to pick up. "I'm glad you're here, Faith."
"Aren't you worried about your boyfriend comin' home and maybe findin' us?" asked Faith, moving between the long alise of wine racks.
"Oh, I'm not worried about Angel," said Buffy. "There is very little that he can do to me. He couldn't kill me two hundred years ago, what makes him any different now?"
Faith squinted, trying to see her way through the darkness and bumped into a cobwebbed chair. "Yo, B, where's the light?" She slowly walked back towards the entrance of the winery when a cold shiver shot straight down her spine at the touch of Buffy's hand sliding down her back.
Turning her head to Buffy, Faith could hardly make out her beautiful features. There was a small light in Buffy's eyes. "What'd yo—" Buffy suddenly wrapped the chain in her hand around Faith's neck and twisted it around, flinging the Slayer to the ground.
Freeing herself from the heavy chain, Faith jumped up to her feet and pushed Buffy to the ground.
Grinning wildly, Buffy gets back to her feet and swung a right hook aimed at Faith's head. Faith ducked under Buffy's arm and jabbed her fist into Buffy's side.
Buffy snap kicks the Slayer across the cellar. Her back hit the stone wall stomping the air from her longs. She fell to the ground.
Buffy picked up the chain and spun it like a handrail. "You never learn, do you, Faith? You really need to have every square inch of your ass kicked before you get it." She whipped the end of the chain, hitting Faith across the body with it.
Faith yelped in pain. Holding her side, she slid back down the wall.
"All I have to do is bat my eyes and play the tortured puppy," laughed Buffy. "It's a neat trick if the girls thick enough to buy it. And you fall for it every single time! Even still, all you can do is follow me around making moon eyes." Buffy whipped the end of the chain at Faith again with more force behind the hit.
Covering her head from getting hit, Faith cried out in pain at every hit of the chain when it made wicked contact to her body.
"You're in love with the pain. Admit it." Buffy grabbed Faith by her hair and lifted her from the ground, pinning to the wall. "You like me... because you enjoy getting beat down."
Faith put her hand on Buffy's face and shoved her away.
Buffy staggers backwards, but remains on her feet. She begins to spin the chain again. "What is it with you? Did you think I magically regained my soul in the last hour or that you and I were going to be prancing in the daisies going 'tra-la-la'?" Buffy whipped the chain against Faith's body. "You're a toy, Faith. A stupid, idiotic toy." She whipped the chain again and again into Faith's body, until the Vampire Slayer laid hurled on the ground and soon passed out from the pain from the relentless chains maiming her body.
Unknown Amount Of Time Later
Waking up with a pounding migraine, Faith's eyes slowly opened.
The swinging flickering light bulb hanging over her head felt piercing. Faith let out a breath, feeling sick to her stomach from the throbbing pain that was wrapped around her entire body.
Squeezing her eyes closed and gritting her teeth, Faith tilted her head up to see the thick chain of the handcuffs was anchored into the stone wall. Faith gasped and anxiously tugged at her bonds.
The anchored bolt would not budge an inch.
Faith heart raced in her chest. She continued to tug on the chains, but her body was weak. The beating from the whipping chain had taken much of her powerful strength.
Darting her eyes around the room she was in, Faith realised that she was still in the wine cellar. Her eyes dropped to the puddle of blood at her feet from where she had been beaten.
"Hi, Faith."
Faith snapped her head up and winced with painful irritation feeling a jolt of dizzy nausea. Her vision focused on Buffy standing before her, arms crossed over her chest, wearing an eerie smug and serious look on her face.
"I wasn't sure you were gonna wake up. You had me worried." said Buffy, picking up a damp washcloth hanging on the rim of a washbowl. She took a step forward to gently dab the dry blood and dirt from Faith's forehead.
Faith tried to maneuver her head from Buffy's reach but failed. Instead, she spat the blood that had formed in her mouth at Buffy's designer shoes.
Seemingly unbothered by the act of aggression, the smile on Buffy's face widened. "Now, now, Faith-y, don't be like that. Our budding relationship is really progressing I think." Buffy began to slide her hand down Faith's torso and seductively playfully toyed with the rim of Faith's jeans. "I was really hoping to chain you up. It's been a long time since I've last got to chain up a Slayer." Buffy bit her bottom lip.
Appearing behind Buffy, Angelus circled his arms around her slender waist and rested his chin over her shoulder, planting a kiss at the column of her neck.
Buffy turned her chin and accepted his incoming kiss with a smile. Faith turned away with disgust.
The affection the vampires displayed for one another was deceivingly human. One would think these two beautiful demons were in fact alive, soulful, and absolutely in love.
"No, no, Faith," said Angelus, slapping his hand across Faith's face, forcing her to watch himself and Buffy. He tightly held her chin in his hand, keeping her head still. "Don't look away. Eyes here. I want you to see who my beloved belongs to." He smugly smiled as his free hand that was around Buffy's waist began to drift upwards and over her breasts.
Buffy tucked Faith's hair behind her ear. "Oh, Faith," she pouted, "you look scared. I think I know what will turn that frown upside down." She stepped out from Angelus' arms and dripped the washcloth into the bowl of warm water. "Did you ever hear the story about Hatshepsut, the fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt?" she asked, wringing the excess water from the washcloth.
Faith stared at Buffy.
"Unlike the pharaoh's that came before her, Hatshepsut understood what it meant to have power. She understood what it was to be feared."
Buffy gently dapped the stains of dirt from over Faith's brow.
"The slaves…" continued Buffy, "... They never feared a pharaoh quite like her. Pharaoh's had the power to kill. But Hatshepsut was different. A man commits a crime, he should know better. We have him killed and we feel pretty good about it. Or we kill him ourselves and we feel even better. Hatshepsut knew that wasn't real power, but justice."
Faith tightly clenched her jaw as Buffy hung the washcloth over the side of the rim of the bowl.
"Power is when you have every justification to kill—and you don't. A man stole something, he's brought in before the pharaoh, he throws himself down on the floor and begs for mercy, and he knows he's going to die... and Hatshepsut would pardon him. This worthless man. A slave. Dirt. She lets him go. That's power." Buffy lifts her hand, and gestures grandly over Faith. "I pardon you."
Buffy reached out her hand to touch Faith. Faith jerked her head back, out of Buffy's reach and looked to the left to find a starved vampire. Her face warped and tattered from years of relentless abuse. Wearing her vampiric features, Darla tried to swing herself in the chains to get closer to Faith, her tongue wagging, desperate for a taste of blood.
With the minimal space she had, Faith tried to keep herself from Darla reach.
Angelus picked up a scalpel and examined it carefully as Buffy affectionately ran a hand from his shoulder and down his arm.
"Are you comparing yourself to Hatshepsut?" he mused with a small smile.
Buffy sheepishly shrugged. "We're a lot alike actually."
Angelus raised a brow. "What have you built that compares to Djeser-Djeseru?"
Buffy held out her hand, gesturing to the stone wall with her victims chained and bound.
"Oh, yes, of course." Angelus rolled his eyes and placed the scalpel in Buffy's hands.
Faith watched the vampires and turned her eyes to the anchor bolt keeping her chained to the wall. She tightly gripped the thick chains and pulled on it with all of her might, but it did not budge.
Weak and panting for breath, Faith turned her gaze to the right. Her heart nearly stopped in her chest at the sight of her friends—her best friends that have been supported her and loved her for the last four years also lifelessly dangling from the wall. Their wrists bound by the chains.
"What the fuck did you do to them?" Tears sprung into Faith's eyes. "I'm gonna fuckin' kill you! Fuckin' bitch!" Faith yelled with unbridled rage.
On the side of Willow, Giles, Xander, Anya, and Tara's neck were violent fanged bite marks. Blood smeared their white skin and stained their clothing.
"Guys! Wake up! Wake up!" cried Faith in a panic.
Buffy frowned and stepped over to the Slayer's friends and examined them carefully.
"Get away from them, bitch!" Screamed Faith in a fury. "I'm goin' to kill you!"
Ignoring the Slayer, Buffy leaned in close, hovering her ear over their chest to listen for a heartbeat. "Well, gee, I think they're dead," said Buffy, turning to Faith.
"I fuckin' hate you." Faith said through gritted teeth.
Angelus growled and backhanded the Vampire Slayer then tightly grabbed her chin, forcing Faith to look at him. "Watch your tongue."
Faith forcibly pulled her head from his grasp and kicked Angelus in the knee.
Grunting from the blow, Angelus punched the Vampire Slayer into the nose, cracking it.
A smug smile slung across Buffy's face as she exhaled a deep breath. "None of that children," she said, choosing between the torture devices carefully lined on the rolling cart. "I may have pardoned your life but that doesn't mean I'm not going to torture you."
"Don't fuckin' touch me!" Commanded Faith as Buffy reached for the Slayer's hand above their heads.
Wrapping her hand around Faith's middle finger, Buffy began to slowly bend it backwards. "Faith," began Buffy, her voice deceivingly soft and tender, "tell me when it hurts."
