Additional: This chapter turned out VERY different from how I planned it. In fact, this entire story is doing that to me. Warnings about this chapter are that it gets very dark and deals in some sex-related things that are definitely not for children. This chapter is rated R, and should be treated as such.

Queen Of Darkness

Chapter Six: Rules

            She opened her eyes slowly, green orbs taking in her surroundings with a cold intensity. After a minute of scrutiny she closed them again and opened her mouth for a deep sigh that had nothing to do with breathing and everything to do with force of habit. "Fuck," she said. "Still here," she sat up, letting the covers fall from her body. "Still Los Angeles, still puppy's bed, still fuzzy-me's damn universe," she let out another sigh. "Still got a soul," she cocked her head to the side, listening. "Not hearing voices, that's a plus," she said, then opened her eyes and looked down at herself. "Not wearing clothes, either," she remarked.

She could not remember stripping for bed after spike had led her back to the Hyperion, but she hadn't been in the most coherent state of mind then. She glanced at the chair which had her leather outfit sprawled over it and shuddered. She had been wearing that entirely too much lately. She flung off the covers and made her way to the closet. After searching for a while she came up with a pair of sweatpants with just enough elastic to keep them up on her thin waist and a T-shirt small enough for her. She looked down at herself, using the innate sense of self-appearance that all Vampires possessed, even if some chose to ignore it, to determine if she was suitable for going out in public. The thought brought a small smile to her lips. In life she hadn't cared one whit about what she wore or how she looked, not unless someone was teasing her about it, but in death fashion had become so much more important to her. She wondered if fuzzy-her had woken up to the world of looking good, and a nagging feeling at the back of her mind said yes.

            She headed for the door, a quick look at the clock telling her that it was 7:30; the sun had been down for nearly an hour. She wondered if everyone would be in the hotel lobby, reading their books and making their plans. She hoped so, any chance to learn more about just what her situation was would be welcomed. First, however, she would have to satisfy the gnawing ache in her veins. Her Demon needed blood and she wasn't going to deny it, not after it had been nice enough not to come out in the hospital. She only wished that she wasn't limited to the disgusting animal plasma Angel kept in his fridge.

            She made her way down the main stairway and was surprised to find the lobby empty. A brown satchel bag that she distinctly remembered not being there when she had come in earlier was the only thing to show that anyone had been through at all. A sound from the kitchen area caught her attention, notifying her that there was someone else in the building after all. She sniffed the air quietly, trying to determine if it was someone she knew. A moment later a vicious grin spread across her face, and she began to stroll towards the kitchen area. Her bare feet made no sound as she moved, and her posture was one that spoke of barely contained violence, she was in full predator mode.

            She came to the dividing wall between the lobby and the kitchen area and stretched herself out along its edge, her eyes focusing on the sole occupant of the room, who was facing away from her. For a moment her face shifted silently to its Demonic form, and she saw with the eyes of a Vampire. The woman in the kitchen had just finished pouring herself a glass of orange juice; she set the carton to the side and ran a deceptively delicate hand through dark hair as she lifted the glass to her lips and drank deeply. Willow felt small shivers run through her body with that motion, as the woman's hair was momentarily pulled away from her neck, where the Vampire could see the subtle play of a healthy pulse under the skin.

            "Take a picture, it'll last longer," the woman said, setting the glass down on the counter nearly hard enough to shatter the glass.

            "Can't, no camera," Willow purred, sliding herself along the wall until she was fully inside the kitchen area as her face resumed its human guise. "You noticed me. You're the first to ever notice me when I snuck up on them," she said, her mental estimation of the Slayer's abilities going up a notch.

            "I don't like getting surprised," Faith said as she turned around. The look of undiluted loathing which she aimed at Willow made the Vampire's smile widen. "So you're up. Don't suppose you know where everyone else is?"

            Willow casually shook her head. "Nope. Last I knew of them they were all over at the hospital with Cordelia," she nearly hissed the name. "Spike brought me back here, but he didn't say he'd be staying."

            "So the bitch-queen finally woke up, huh," Faith said her unfriendly gaze locked on the red-haired Vampire. "That'll ease off some of the tension around here at least."

            "Hmm, not all of it though," Willow said, her grin seeming to compact itself, pulling back into a mischievous smile which lost none of its intense glee. "And sometimes tension is a good thing."

            "What the hell are you talking about?" Faith snarled, her hands gripping the edge of the counter so hard that Willow heard the wood begin to crack. "You know what? I don't care. You just don't talk to me or look at me, and we'll get along fine."

            Willow shook her head. "No. Not gonna happen Faithy."

            "Shut up," Faith said, and a piece of the counter broke off in her right hand.

          Willow couldn't suppress a giggle at that. "Well, seems like someone's still sore from last night. What's wrong, Faith? Didn't get enough sleep? Or did I strike a nerve?"

            "I am not in the mood for your bullshit right now," Faith growled out. "So you can just take your garbage and shove it!"

            "Or what?" Willow tempted. "You'll stake me?" Her gaze dropped to the wooden shard clutched tightly in the Slayer's hand. "Don't think that's part of the plan. Apparently I'm important to the continued survival of this planet. I imagine puppy would be rather angry with you if I ended up double-dead," she looked once more into Faith's eyes, and discerned there a truth that took her by surprise. "No," she said, her smile widening only slightly. "Angel's not the one you're worried about. You don't need his approval. Who is it then?"

            "Didn't I tell you to shut up?" Faith growled. She looked at the wooden shard in her hand. She could feel the splinters digging into her skin, almost to the point of drawing blood. She ached to launch herself at the red-haired Vampire and beat the knowing smirk right off of her face, but she knew that she wouldn't, knew that she couldn't even dare. She dropped the shard, watching as it fell to the ground. When she looked up again, the Vampire Willow was barely inches from her face, green eyes staring into her own. She tried to take a step back, but the splintered counter barred her way, and all she managed to do was lean her head back from the Vampire.

            Willow just leaned in, bracing herself on the counter and all but trapping the Slayer beneath her. "Told ya you wouldn't stake me," she whispered.

Faith paused for a moment. She had always known that Vampires didn't breathe, but it had never truly hit home with her until now. With Willow so close, she should have been able to feel the Vampire's breath, but there was nothing, not even when Willow had spoken. The reality of being right there, hearing Willow breath, feeling Willow breath, but knowing with absolute certainty that there was no air moving in and out of her dead lungs. It was hypnotic. Faith shook off the thoughts, snarling at the red head. "Get off of me."

            "No," Willow answered. "I like playing games, I really do. But it's no fun if you don't know the rules. Do you know the rules, Faithy?"

            "Get the fuck off of me!" Faith screamed in Willow's face. The Vampire, for her part, didn't even flinch.

            "No, I don't think you do," Willow continued, pressing herself even closer to the Slayer. Faith shoved outwards, trying to throw the Vampire off of her, but Willow had been ready for it, and she slammed Faith into the counter, knocking the breath out of the Slayer. "No, no, no, no, no," she scolded, her smile becoming a wide grin once more. "Rule number three is that the violence doesn't start until everybody's ready," she pressed herself even closer to Faith, the Slayer trying to get as far away from the Vampire as possible and succeeding not at all. Willow stared deeply into Faith's dark eyes, meeting a wall of sheer hatred in the Slayer's gaze. She broke eye contact and moved her head down so that her mouth was by Faith's right ear. "Rules are important, Faith. They provide boundaries that even creatures of chaos like you and I need. Without rules, the criminals would be helping little old ladies to cross the street while the knights in shining armor were off raping and pillaging the countryside. Without rules we start to forget who and what we are. We forget what our purpose is, and that can lead to paths from which we may never escape."

            Faith shook. She hated this creature with every fiber of her being, but for some reason she was frozen, unable to do anything more than tremble in hopeless fury. She hated Willow for what she was, for what she represented. She hated her for the way she seemed to be a living reminder of her own dark past. She hated her for somehow knowing all the right buttons to push. She hated her most of all because, deep down in Faith's tarnished soul, the words of this Vampire were striking a chord.

            "You're a rule breaker, Faith," Willow continued, her voice a whisper in Faith's ear. "You live for the thrill of traveling a road not meant for you. Even now, while striving so valiantly for the light, you ache to feel the darkness cover you again. Me, well, I'm not a rule breaker. Never was when I was alive, and I'm not now. But, still, I wonder what it would be like to leave the path once in a while. To see what I could make of myself when I'm doing everything in my power to control my own fate. Would I end up like you? Sad and alone, hating myself more than anything else and lashing out at everyone and everything around me just so that, for one violent moment, I can forget the pain," she snorted. "I don't think so. I'd probably just stake myself and be done with it. Still, there is a part of me that wants to be you. And I can tell that there's a part of you that's desperately wanting to be me," she chuckled lightly and dragged herself down Faith's body so that her chin now rested on the Slayer's shoulder.

            "Get off me," Faith breathed, still paralyzed by the rage screaming through her. She sensed a new emotion entering the mix of loathing and hatred swirling around her brain, an insistent, nagging emotion that she found extremely disturbing.

            "What say we let those parts get a good taste of what they want?" Willow hissed, slowly, ever so gently running her tongue along the Slayer's neck. Faith whimpered quietly, wishing fervently that she could do something, anything, to get out of this situation. Willow sniffed at the air, and her head came back up so that she could look into Faith's eyes again, a look of incredulous amusement on the Vampire's face. "Faith," she said in mock disbelief. "Is this actually turning you on?"

            "What?" Faith squeaked, finding it hard to breathe with Willow pressed so close.

            Willow brought a hand up to Faith's face, caressing it softly while the Vampire stared intently into the Slayer's eyes. Then, without warning, the hand shot downwards, slipping between the two women and then pushing itself into Faith's pants, into her underwear. Faith gasped, her eyes bulging as Willow giggled. "You are one sick girl; do you know that, Faithy?" The Vampire asked. Faith tried to snarl a response, but was cut off when Willow's probing fingers caused her to gasp again. "You know, my parents had plenty of friends who dealt with sexual deviants, if they're still alive in this dimension, I could probably get a good reference for you."

            "Get out of me!" Faith growled, trying desperately to move, but finding herself completely unable to shift anything below her neck.

            "Tsk, tsk," Willow said. "You didn't say the magic word," she punctuated this with a movement that left Faith panting for breath again.

            "Fuck you!" Faith snarled.

            Willow frowned at that. "Okay, so that was the magic word. But I really don't feel like stopping now. I mean, we were just beginning to bond!" She lowered her voice conspiratorially. "I've never actually done this before," she said. "Well, at least not to someone other than myself. I wasn't allowed to do anything like this, the Master thought that once I got started, I wouldn't be able to stop, and he wanted me pure. You know what? I think he was right!" She laughed happily. "I was intending a little exchange of bodily fluids anyway, nothing fatal, mind you, just so we could get a taste of each other. But this! Oh, this is so much more interesting."

            Faith pulled her head back, closing her eyes tightly as she fought the different sensations clouding her mind. Then, with all her strength she slammed her head into Willow's. The force of the blow sent the Vampire sprawling to the floor, the violent withdrawal making Faith go to her knees as the paralysis vanished. Faith gulped air for a few moments, trying desperately to keep her wits about her. She looked up to find Willow propped up on one elbow, grinning at her. "Don't ever touch me again," Faith said simply. Using the counter to help her along, the Slayer pulled herself to her feet and stalked out of the room, running for the stairs that would take her to her room as soon as she had left the kitchen area.

            Willow watched her go, and then held up one hand to her face. The wetness that covered it reflected the fluorescent lights of the room. "I think I like her," Willow said to no one in particular, and began to lick her hand clean.

* * *

            Faith hit the punching bag as hard as possible. The chain that held the bag to it's mount snapped from the pressure and the sand-filled, extra-durable, extra-heavy sack went flying across the room. Faith screamed in rage, rushing after the bag to pick it up and throw it to the other end of the long training room. She jumped on top of it again and began to slam her fists into it, over and over, ignoring the pain that came with the crushing force she used on the unyielding sack.

            "Faith," a voice called out to her from the doorway.

            She stopped to look up at the tall, dark haired Vampire who was looking at her with deep concern in his eyes. "Go away, Angel," she said, suddenly feeling very weary.

            "Faith, what happened. We get back and Willow's sitting in the kitchen, looking like the cat that ate the canary. Someone's punched a bunch of holes in the walls upstairs, and the door to your room is broken in half. Then I come down here to find you abusing the punching bag."

            "That all?" Faith said, hands falling to her sides and head drooping to her chest.

            "No," Angel said. "It's Willow she's," he paused, not sure of how to go on. "She's got your scent on her. Big time. What happened, Faith? Please tell me."

            "Why don't you ask miss savior?" Faith snarled, but there wasn't much effort behind it. "She'd probably be happy to tell you every little sordid detail."

            "I want to hear it from you, Faith. Not her. I want your side of the story before I have to do something about it," Angel walked over to where she sat on the bag and crouched in front of her. "Whatever it was, tell me. You know that you can't keep this stuff bottled inside any more. Not if you truly want to help make a difference."

            "I don't know if I want that any more," she said.

            "What are you talking about?"

            "I don't know if I can handle being the good guy any more. Angel, I thought I could do it, I know that with any other situation I could. But her! I hate her so much, Angel. I hate her so much that I want to kill her, more, I want to kill everyone. She brings out the worst side of me like it's the easiest thing in the world for her. Damn it! I never got along with our Willow, but this one is so much worse. I," she trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

            "I don't know exactly what you're going through," Angel said. "And I won't pretend to understand why you react like this to Willow. Sometimes facing a darkness like the one we harbor can make us want to lash out, to deny that what we see has a reflection within us. Maybe the evil in Willow feels too closely like the evil you have. I don't know what it is. I do know that this Willow is like nothing any of us expected her to be. 'Lorne said that there were two souls and her Demon fighting for dominance of her mind. Maybe that's what's causing all these problems. I hope so, whatever that Other is, 'Lorne made it sound like something I really don't want to get to know."

            He cut off, noticing that Faith wasn't really listening to him talk. Instead she had wrapped her arms about herself tightly, her body trembling with the sobs that she was trying unsuccessfully to quiet. He did nothing but stare for a long moment, the only time he had ever seen her close to this emotional was when she had begged him to kill her in a rainy alleyway so many years ago. He could see the glistening drops of tears as they slid from her nose to fall on the punching bag.

            "Faith," he said, in as comforting a voice as he could manage, not sure whether to get any closer to her or not. "You can tell me. Please. What happened?"

            Faith looked up at him, her face so very different without its normal expression of casual confidence and unfeeling killer instinct. "She tried to rape me, Angel," she said. His eyes widened, but he kept quiet, waiting for her to continue. "The things she said, the things she did, the things she was going to do! And I couldn't do anything. I couldn't move a damn inch, no matter how hard I tried. I was trapped, and helpless. She was violating me and making me feel like the monster! And the worst thing, Angel, the worst thing was that there was a part of me that liked it. A part of me that wanted more."

            They sat in silence for several long minutes as she regained her composure. "What can I do?" He finally asked.

            She shook her head. "Nothing. We need her, that's what the Powers said. And they know what they're doing. What am I against the world, right?"

            He nodded. "You're right, we do need her. But that doesn't mean that you have to be around her any more. Spike and I will handle the training, if there needs to be any. You don't have to be any closer to her than you want to be."

            "No," Faith said firmly. "We need to know how she'll fare against a Slayer, not just other Vampires. I won't run and hide from this, Angel. I've done enough of that in my life, and it's about time I stopped. I'll help train her. Hell, I'll hold her hand through a damn amusement park if that's what it takes. We are going to save this world. I am going to help, and no damn Vampire bitch is going to get in my way."

            "Are you sure?" Angel asked. "You do not have to do this."

            Faith nodded, getting up and brushing herself off. "It's okay. I can deal," she said. "Just, could ya do me one favor?"

            "What?"

            "Could you keep Wes off of my back for a little while?"

            "Sure. If you're ready, you should get this place prepared to test Willow's combat skills. Wesley said we won't start that until after eleven, he wants to try out some sort of detection spell first, and since I'm the best spellcaster we've got right now, I've been nominated to do the honors."

            "Good luck," Faith said absently as she kicked at the fallen punching bag.

            "Thanks," Angel said as he moved towards the door. "If 'Lorne's reaction was any indication, I think I might need it," he stepped into the doorway, then looked back at the rogue Slayer. "Are you sure you're alright?"

            She looked up at him. "No," she said calmly. "But it's the best I can do. And I'm going to do it."

Author's Note: Sorry for the exceedingly long delay in getting this chapter out, no excuses from me. I should be doing more writing soon, but as I say on my profile page, I am a SLOW writer, so don't be expecting anything too soon.

Also, I want opinions on how this story seems to be progressing. I no longer know how to end this sucker, though I do know what will take place up to a certain point. I need some good feedback as to what people think is happening. Good feedback, bad feedback, it's all for the best, just make sure you have a point to make and it would help if you cited specific examples. Thanks a bunch.

And an extra note: This story WILL be completed; I will not drop it for love nor money. But it might take a very long time in getting there, my apologies and gratitude to my faithful readers. I couldn't do this without you.

-Aeliar