Title: Inevitable
Rating: R - Language
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story. They belong to Mutant Enemy, Fox, etc.
Author: Kegcider gkegroup@ntlworld.com
Summary: Buffy's been putting it off for a long time, but she finally goes to see Faith. Follows on from The Late Letter, spoilers up to The Body.
Archives: Anyone that wants it. Just let me know
"What the fuck are you doing here B?"
'Things never change', Buffy thought to herself. "I wanted to see how prison life was suiting you."
"Oh it's great," Faith answered sarcastically. "Three squares a day, a quick beating from a guard, dodge Big Bertha in the showers. It's everything I could ever want."
"Regret the choice?"
"What choice? I seem to remember machine guns and helicopters and then what do you know, another psychotic bitch out for a killing."
Buffy's eyes immediately went hard. "I'm not a psychotic bitch."
"Sure looked it from where I was stood."
"What did you expect? You can't go around stealing peoples lives, murdering people, trying to feed an entire town to a demon and generally trying to make everyone's life Hell without it catching up with you."
"Why not? It hasn't caught up with you. What's that word the lawyer used again? Oh yeah. Accessory."
"You can't play that with me. I haven't murdered anyone."
"You were there when it happened. And let's not forget when you went for it for yourself. You certainly tried hard enough to murder someone, guess you're just a failure."
"You're the one in prison."
Faith looked around the room on her side of the glass before tapping the glass with her finger. "You can't get me in here B. You're out there any you'll always know that I hurt you, your friends and your family and you can't do anything about it because I'm in here. You've really got to love justice haven't you."
"Fuck you Faith. You're not going to be in here forever."
"Long enough. I'm going to be safe in here, while you're out there getting your butt kicked by the next demon that wants to bag a Slayer. By the time I get out of here I don't think I'll have to worry about you."
"I've had enough. YOU DESERVE TO ROT IN HERE!"
Faith smirked back. "Cool isn't it?"
Buffy slammed the handset down and stormed out of the visiting room.
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"What the Hell just happened?" Buffy asked herself out loud as stood outside the prison. She'd gone there determined to apologise for her behaviour last time she was in LA and to try and work out some sort of cease fire, but all the old anger had risen up straight away and Faith had just been, well, Faith.
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Faith sat down on her cot heavily. With a sigh she slumped forwards and held her head in her hands. It had been so long since she'd seen Buffy. She'd spent so many days thinking about what she would say, how she would act when the time came again, but all that had happened had been an immediate slip back into the old patterns. All those months in jail had achieved absolutely nothing.
"Fuck!" she swore to herself loudly.
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Buffy turned and looked back at the prison. If she left now, she knew it would probably be another year or more before she'd force herself to visit Faith again. She couldn't leave things as they were for that long. Taking a deep breath she turned back towards the gates.
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"Wilkins! Visitor!" the guard bellowed jarring Faith from her recriminations. She looked around in surprise, wondering who it could be. The most likely person was Buffy, but she wouldn't have come back, would she?
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"B", Faith said cautiously. She was determined not to start the arguments this time.
"Please Faith, just listen for a couple of minutes. This is important."
Faith nodded silently.
"Mom didn't get your letter, she's dead. She died almost two weeks ago. She always liked you, and when that letter arrived. Well I figured you should know."
"Jesus B, I'm sorry..." Faith said before she caught herself, "er... I mean.... I didn't mean..."
Buffy shook her head. "It's alright. That's another thing, Mom didn't say anything to me, but I know she wanted us to try and make things right. She thought that you could be a good guy again, that you just got lost on the way. I'm not sure about that. But I do know that I was out of line at Angel's. I know the time's past, but if you want to apologise, I won't hurt you."
"Would it really make any difference?"
"I just want the fighting to stop, you know?"
"I stopped fighting over a year ago," Faith said softly.
Buffy didn't answer and the silence stretched between them for a couple of minutes.
Eventually Faith spoke. "Your Mom, did she suffer?"
"No. The doctor said it would be painless."
"Doctor? It wasn't vampires?"
"No. Operation for a brain tumor when wrong. We thought everything was okay for a few days after the operation, but a blood vessel burst."
"Jesus."
"I found her, she was just laying on the couch."
"Are you alright?" Faith was surprised the question came out, but not nearly as surprised as Buffy when she heard the sincerity in Faith's voice.
"No. But I'm getting there."
"How's Dawn?"
"It's hit her really hard, but I think she'll be okay."
"She's a tough kid."
"Yeah she is."
Silence settled over the conversation again.
This time it was Buffy that spoke up. "I supposed I'd better be going."
"Right," Faith nodded. "Look B, I'm... er... thank you for coming back again. I didn't mean to say those things... it's just..."
"I know. We just fell into old routine again. I didn't mean to say what I said either."
"Didn't mean it, or didn't mean to say it?" Faith asked. Before Buffy could say anything, she carried on. "It's okay. I know it'll take a long time, but I just want things to be better."
"So do I."
"Will you come back?"
"Yes, but probably not for a while. I've been busy since Mom died, and there's another end of the world thing coming."
"B," Faith looked away for a moment nervously. "If you need any help, I can..."
"No Faith. Don't break out of prison, it would sort of ruin things."
"I didn't mean that. The Mayor sorted things. I can be out by the end of the week, all legal."
Buffy's mouth dropped open in shock as she stared at Faith.
"You could have got out anytime?"
Faith nodded.
"Why didn't you?"
"It would have made things worse, wouldn't it? I've been able to get a lot of thinking done this year, without worrying about things."
"Me," Buffy stated plainly.
Faith nodded. "And others."
Buffy sat back in her chair, a thoughtful expression on her face. Faith just watched her, waiting for a reaction.
"This changes things," Buffy finally said.
Faith nodded again, but didn't say anything.
"I can't... I mean... I'll have to think about this."
"There's no rush, B. I'm used to it in here now. I know having me around might make things worse, not better. But if you do want an extra pair of hands, just tell me."
"I will, I'll send a letter in a few days. You can write to me you know."
"Will do."
"TWO MINUTES," came the guard's voice over the loudspeaker.
"I've got to go," Buffy annouced.
"Look after yourself."
"You too Faith. Bye."
"Bye Buffy."
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As she drove back to Sunnydale, Buffy found herself in a surprisingly optimistic mood. She wasn't totally sure about Faith, but it was beginning to look like Faith was genuinely trying. It would be hard though, their first meeting showed that, but it was a hopeful sign and Buffy had seen few enough of those recently.
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As soon as Faith got back to her cell, she grabbed a sheet of paper, and a pen. She'd thought about writing before, but she'd been worried about Buffy's reaction. Now it was worth the risk. There was so much she wanted to say, things that she'd never have the guts to say face to face, things that had been put off long enough.