All characters from the Dune Universe are property of the Frank Herbert Estate. All characters from the Buffyverse are Property of Joss Whedon. Everything else belongs to me.

"Are you the bad Slayer now? Am I the good Slayer now?"

Faith Lehane

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

S07E18: Dirty Girls

Captain Wilma Plankton slumped in her command chair as a war raged in her mind. She could feel competing forces struggle for dominance in her consciousness. Her body reacted to each psychic onslaught as if it was a physical sensation. She could feel her legs go numb and then a burning pain along the side of her body. No sooner had the agony began to fade she would feel an unbounded joy and an unfettered release which would cause a welcome peace to settle upon her soul. Captain Wilma Plankton groaned with the weight of untold suffering and sighed with unbounded joy. Worried looks passed between members of the bridge crew. The Xander Harris was nearing the bright and burning hell that was Tailos Three.

She chased the demon through the field of years that were the memories of Wilma Plankton. Through gardens of experience, past rows of preborn memories, over shrubs of dreams she chased it until finally she cornered it by the tree of Wilma's life.

"l say dear girl there's no need for us to struggle like this. There's plenty of room in this mind for the both of us." Baron Harkonnen said to Faith. "I know your kind." He said with a low and seductive tone. "You just want to belong." The Baron approached her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I would love to be your Father, and you can be my very special little girl."

Faith stabbed him in the belly with a curved knife. "How do you like my Gom Jabbar?" Faith asked as the Baron dropped first to his knees and then flat on his back. "You should have learned from Alia at your first death." Faith spoke to the Barons dying image.

During her pursuit of the baron in Wilma's mind Faith had noticed the arrangement of physiology around her. Wilma was unique among all of the Slayers. She was the common descendent of both Willow Rosenberg and Faith Lehane. The Baron Harkonnen was one of her ancestors as well but Wilma should not have had access to the memory of him. That was why the Baron had to be defeated. He didn't belong. His presence here was unnatural.

"This is no place for a good Irish girl from south Boston." The memory of Faith thought. Around her the mental landscape began to change. The imagined trees and grass melted into sand. The sky turned from blue to pink. Faith Lehane stood alone on a dune.

"You are not alone daughter." A kind female voice behind her said. "You can become one of us and join us on the Hajj.

Faith turned to see a tall tanned woman wrapped in aba robes. "Who are you?" she asked her tone defiant. "I'm in no mood for another freak show."

The woman lowered her hood to revel a kind round face with dark leathery skin tanned by the desert heat and wind.

"I am Lady Jessica Atreides, Mistress of House Atreides, Supreme Reverend Mother of the Fremen Tribes of Arrakis and Mother of Paul Maud' dib. We can offer you refuge, companionship and a place to belong." She said in a soft even tone with no trace of the Voice.

"We?" Faith asked. "Who is this "we" lady?"

Lady Jessica gave the sign. Around her, human figures rose up from the sand. Some of them only inches from Faith. None of the hidden Fremen had reveled their presence beforehand. Faith was amazed. These were excellent warriors.

"Sure, why not." Faith said to Jessica. "I don't want to be alone."

Out of the desert came a huge sandworm large enough to block most of the desert sky. One by one the Fremen mounted the sandworm. Finally Faith mounted and then Jessica. From the top of the sandworm Faith could see sand and space stretching out for what must have been a form of eternity.

"We have all of Wilma's memories here. But we shall tread lightly disturbing nothing. Over time she will forget the pains of this moment. My daughter will be well and whole." Jessica said to Faith as they rode into the sunset.

Captain Wilma Plankton opened her eyes as peace settled upon her. She wiped the sweat from her face and sat upright. Wilma smiled. Her crew relaxed. She was alright. Everything was alright with the exception of the huge burning planet that covered half of the view screens.