"You're way off base."

"Tell me that if you don't get in a good slay after a while you just start itching for some vamp to show up so you can give 'em a good uhh!" The motioning with her arms and expression on her face made the comment seem almost sexual somehow.

Buffy looked her up and down in a second and grimaced her face up. "Again with the grunting. You realize I'm not comfortable with this?"

Faith wasn't sure if she was serious or joking. Not comfortable with what?

Faith shook herself out of the flashback that had ripped through her mind. It made more sense now. I might not have a stick up my ass, but I was just kiddin'. Jeez, B. I thought it was funny to mess with you, you'd get so uptight. Guess I know why now.

She gave an evil smirk. "So Red's rubbin off on ya." She slipped off the counter and very close up to Buffy. "Gotta say, B, didn't think ya were the type."

Buffy's eyes widened and she was so embarrassed she wanted to cry. "I'm not-"

"Gay?" Faith offered tauntingly. She noticed how upset Buffy looked and tried to tone the teasing down, not wanting to genuinely upset the girl.

"Just forget it." The blonde quickly turned around and began to rush out of the room before Faith caught her by the arm and pulled her back, accidentally pulling a little too hard and Buffy got flung flush up to her.

She softened her voice and expression. "Chill. What's goin on?"

Buffy looked like a deer in headlights. She opened her mouth but the words froze in her throat and refused to come out.

Faith took a good long look at her, finally realizing just how serious the blonde was. "When?"

Buffy looked down at her feet. "I don't know."

"That's bull." Faith challenged.

Buffy glared up at her angrily. "I always sorta thought you were different, and then when I stabbed you and I saw you the second before you fell, it was like I just lost everything. And then I got mad, blamed it on you, made it worse, thought as long as you were away- stayed in jail I could ignore it. Maybe if I ignored it long enough it'd go away."

Faith's hard look melted and she loosened her grip on Buffy's arm. She had no idea what to say to something like that.

"And I know I just ruined everything because you're straight and so was I- I thought. I just…I don't-" by the time she got there she was crying. She couldn't imagine any moment ever being worse than this.

Faith reached out and wiped the tears running down her cheek with the back of her hand and tried her best to be soothing. It wasn't something she was good at. "Well, you know me, I ain't picky."

Buffy stared at her incredulously and let out a loud sob, becoming more upset and Faith instantly regretted her choice of words.

"No, that came out wrong! I mean, I always thought you were amazing. I wanted you, B. I shrugged it off, thought it was just the slayer thing…"

Buffy looked up at her, surprised and relieved. She had never thought about it like that. "Maybe it is. Maybe that's why."

Faith pulled out a big suggestive grin. The blonde headed out of the bathroom once again, but when the next words fell out of Faith's mouth she whipped back around in shock. "Does it matter?"

"Of course it matters! How could it not matter?"

Faith shook her head and rolled her eyes, she's got the stick back up her ass. Well, I can fix that. She walked up to her until they were only inches from touching with a challenging look in her eye. She put her hands at Buffy's shoulders and pulled her in, kissing her and daring Buffy to stop it if it was so wrong. Personally she didn't much care one way or another about the whole gay thing. She had never tried it before though, surprisingly enough. But things with Buffy were different then with other girls. She felt a need to be close to her, always had. Her hands gripped Buffy's shoulders, pulling her in tighter, harder, faster and at first Buffy had protested but within seconds she had given up trying not to like it and surrendered. She began responding, putting a hand at the back of the brunette's head and holding her close to her as they continued.

Faith was the most aggressive person she had ever kissed and she rose to challenge her back, instantly thinking of hundreds of ways that their equal strength could really come in handy. She never had to worry about hurting Faith, at least no more so than Faith had to worry about hurting her, which wasn't much, she noticed. Their kiss had quickly became hard and intense enough to bruise any normal person. Angel had always put her on a pedestal and been really gentle with her, no matter what they were doing. Faith was the exact polar opposite. She was challenging Buffy to let loose, to screw it all and just do what she felt and not think of anything else. Buffy finally broke away with the thought though, that had always been Faith's undoing. She backed up and tried to catch her breath. Oh my God, what did I just do?

She looked over to Faith, also catching her breath and staring at her in surprise. "We…I…need to find out where everyone went." Buffy quickly let out before either of them had a chance to really process what was going on between them. She turned and finally left the bathroom, walking downstairs to use the phone, which thankfully was still there and working. She dialed Willow's number, wondering if she was still at the hospital. It rung twice before a perky voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Will?" Buffy asked, unable to imagine why she sounded so happy after she had been shot in the butt only a few hours ago.

"Whose this?"

"It's Buffy, listen, where is everyone?"

"That's a mean thing to say! Who is this? Why are you harassing me?"

"I'm not! Willow, what's going on? It's Buffy? I'm at the house and I can't find anyone. All the potentials, even Spike is missing."

"How dare you prank someone like that! Who is this? I don't know how you sound so much like Buffy, but she's been dead for years and you know it! Don't you have any respect for the dead?"

"What do you mean dead? Willow, what's going on? I'm not dead!"

She heard a click on the other side of the line and then only a dial tone. Exponentially more confused now, she put the phone down and turned to see Faith coming back up from the basement.

"Well, house's definitely empty. Got any help?"

She just stared at the younger slayer. "Come on." She grabbed Faith's hand and pulled her out the door. They walked over to Xander's old house and rang the bell.

Xander had his own apartment now, but if things were different, maybe he would still be here? It's a much quicker walk. Sure enough, he answered the door, looking somewhat different.

He had a long gash scar running down the side of his face and looked much more buff and unhappy.

But as soon as he saw them he fainted to the floor. He couldn't have changed too much then, Faith smiled. They drug him back inside and onto the couch.

"Great, now what are we gonna do?" Buffy asked unhappily.

Faith smirked and climbed on top of him, straddling his waist. "Don't worry, B, I think I know how to wake him up." She lent down on top of him sensually until her face was only inches away from him and then slapped him hard across the face. He jumped up to find Faith sitting on top of him and suddenly looked as if he'd seen a ghost.

"Faith?"

"Nawh, it's Shirley Temple." She teased, beginning to get off of him only to be suddenly pulled back and hugged tightly by him as if it he were holding on for dear life.

"Xander? Xander?" Buffy leaned over the couch, wishing he would let go of the brunette and back away a little. Seeing Buffy's face snapped him out of it again and he let go of her, letting her climb off of him and go back to stand beside Buffy.

He pointed a half disbelieving, half accusing finger at her. "Y-you're dead! You're not real!"

She rolled her eyes. "That's the popular theory around here."

"Why is she dead?" Faith asked, confused.

Realization came to his face and he relaxed a little before teasing up again. "Are you from an alternate reality or something?"

"Maybe," Faith answered "we just woke up in some run down house and everything's different. What's going on?"

Xander continued to stare in slightly confused disbelief and pointed to Buffy. "You died." He looked to Faith. "And you, you're dead too…I thought."

The two girl exchanged confused glances. "Why are there vampires walking around in broad daylight?"

"The mayor, he did something to them after the ascension. They've wiped out almost the whole town."

"But I killed the mayor."

Xander let out a sour laugh. "I don't know what reality you came from, but in this one you didn't."

"Well what happened in this reality?"

"You killed Faith. We fought the mayor and lost, and he uh…ate you." He looked at Faith. "So are you like, non psychotic in your reality?"

Buffy smiled and patted Faith's shoulder lightly. "She's good."

Faith looked at the blonde and smirked. Xander nodded. "Went differently where you come from, I guess?"

"I didn't kill her…she was in a coma and told me how to beat him. Guess that made all the difference. We won."

Xander looked at them both suspiciously until Buffy gently lifted up the bottom of Faith's shirt enough to display the scar for proof and it seemed to convince Xander.

"Where's Will?"

The boy smiled sadly. "Got away from the hell hole. Transferred to Yale."

He stood up from his seat on the couch and both girls noticed the not so slight limp in his step as he walked over to the phone.

"Are you calling Giles?" Buffy asked expectantly and Xander shook his head.

"He's dead too, along with Cordy and Wesley. I was just lucky to get out."

Buffy thought for a moment. "Then call Angel, maybe he'll know what to do."

Xander gave her an apologetic look. "Oh, sorry Buff…the poison…"

"But I saved him, he drank my blood, he was ok, I didn't need Faith to do that."

He shook his head. "No, you were in the hospital. Faith called an ambulance to get you and we found her just outside of Angel's the next day. She bled to death walking there...stab wound." He pointed to the scar Buffy had shown him a moment earlier.

Buffy plopped down in a chair. And I thought it was bad where I came from. "So what do we do now?"