Chapter 3: Cellmate Confessions

*****Back in the Prison*****

Natasha watched Faith, trying to figure her out. This was her second day in prison with the fallen slayer. After morning chores, Faith led her to the rec room where there were a few board games. They were currently playing a game of chess—a game that Natasha excelled at. It was a surprise to discover that Faith was also very good at the game.

"You're quite good," Natasha said, moving a piece. "Been playing long?"

"Not really. Never played at all before I got here. Strategy was never my thing. It was B's. I'm all about the moment," Faith said with a shrug. "My old cellmate taught me the moves to this game, and we played a few times."

Natasha was impressed. She was a master at all games of strategy and yet—

"Check," Faith said with a grin.

Natasha moved her rook. Then Faith moved her knight.

"That's check mate," Faith said smugly.

"I'm impressed. I've been playing this game with very good opponents since I was a child. I'm rarely beat," Natasha said. "Never so quickly." In fact, Natasha could count on one hand the number of times she'd been beaten.

"Lucky game. No biggie," Faith said with a shrug.

"So who is this Bee?" Natasha asked, as they put up the pieces.

"This girl I used to know. B stands for her name, Buffy. She tried to be my friend, and I betrayed her in every way possible," Faith said grimly.

"Maybe if you get out of here, you can make it up to her," Natasha said with a bright smile.

Faith snorted. "Not likely. Not only am I in here for like twenty years, but I poisoned her boyfriend. Then we threw down, and she put me in a coma. Then I slept with her new boyfriend," Faith said, looking shamefaced. "Not my finest moment."

"Oh, wow!" Natasha as Natalie said. "That's pretty intense."

"Yea," Faith said, putting the top on the game. "There's some things a person can't undo. Some sins that can never be atoned for."

"But what if you could? Would you want to?" Natalie asked her.

Faith looked at her a long moment. Then she nodded. "Yea, I would," she said. "You know that boyfriend I said I poisoned?" Natalie nodded. "Well, he's the reason I'm here."

"He turned you in?" Natalie asked.

"No. Angel—that's his name—saved my soul and my life," Faith said. "He became the best friend I ever had—ironically enough. He even visits me here. The only one that gives a damn about me."

"Really? That's amazing. So he forgave you?"

"He not only forgave me, he wasn't even mad," Faith said in bemusement. "He's that kind of guy. He says he has more sins than I do to atone for. He gets it. Ironic, huh? The one guy B loved enough to kill me over is the same guy who saved me."

Natasha had a short history of the vampire with a soul. The slayer's friends talked a hell of lot. Clint wrote it all down. She would like to meet this Angel guy someday. She could sense the deep impact he'd had on Faith. Was it enough?

"Do you think your former friend could ever forgive you?"

"Not likely. She died a few months ago," Faith said, a look of real regret on her face.

Natasha considered things as they walked back to their cell. Once they were inside, she sat down in the lone chair. "Have a seat, Faith. I need to talk to you about something," she said, coming to a decision.

Faith sat on the bottom bunk and gave her cellmate a curious look. "This seems serious. I don't know if you've been here long enough to give me a serious talking to," Faith said with a snicker.

"Yeah, well, the thing is, I'm not really a prisoner here," Natasha said. "And my name isn't Natalie. It's Natasha. I work for a government agency that's in charge of national security. I'm here undercover to check you out and determine your stability and a few other things."

Faith immediately lost her friendly smile and gave Natasha a cold look as she stood up. "What the hell kind of game are you playing at?" she demanded, automatically going into a fighting stance.

"No game. I'm here to see if you could be useful back in Sunnydale, fulfilling your calling," Natasha said frankly.

Faith was more than surprised. "You know about things that go bump in the night?" she asked.

Natasha nodded. "I do. I'm Russian. Not much surprises me, but I was surprised to learn that my partner and best friend has two sisters. Girls you know. Buffy and Dawn Summers," she said.

"No shitting?"

"No shitting."

"So you know about slaying and B and me?"

"I do. More importantly, you need to know that Buffy isn't dead any longer," she shared.

Faith sat back down. This was too much to process. "Wait, you're joking? How is Buffy alive? She died back in May. It's almost November," she said.

"Her witch friend Willow raised her from the dead," Natasha shared.

"Red did that? Wow! I can't believe that Angel hasn't told me," she said in disgust. "I can't believe I didn't dream about it."

Natasha looked surprised. "You have prophetic dreams?"

"Sometimes. It's part of the slayer package," Faith said. "Slayers are all connected on a mystical level." It bothered her that she hadn't felt Buffy's resurrection. She sure as hell had felt her death. There connection seemed to be severed for real. It saddened her to think that Buffy's resurrection hadn't reconnected them.

"Don't be mad at your Angel friend. Buffy's only been back a few days. I don't even know if he's aware yet," Natasha added. "I was sent here as soon as my boss got briefed fully on the hellmouth and what's been going on. Buffy died saving her sister from a hellgod named Glory."

"This is just so incredible. How did Red do it?" Faith asked.

"I have no idea. I just know that Clint, Buffy's brother, is pissed and removed Willow from Sunnydale until he feels she's no longer a threat. And he took his sisters home with him," she shared.

Faith was even more surprised. "Buffy left the hellmouth?" she asked.

Natasha nodded. "Her friends didn't pull her out of hell. They jerked her out of heaven, and she's a bit messed up," Natasha shared.

The hits kept coming, and Faith was speechless. Then she started pacing. "Oh, God! That's some fucked up shit. I can't believe it! Wow! Poor B! I bet she was pissed. I'd be pissed," she said.

"I don't think she was. Clint said she knew that her friends' hearts were in the right place. I guess a few of the others helped her work the spell," Natasha said.

"Not Giles. There's no way in hell that Giles would be on board with that," she said.

"No. He was in England. He's back in the states meeting with my boss today—or will be," Natasha shared. Normally, she wouldn't be so open. However, she sensed that this slayer would be able to tell if she was holding back. Natasha needed her trust. Things would just be easier if she had it.

"So what happens next? Without Buffy in Sunnydale or Willow, things will get grim," Faith said.

"That depends on you. For now, Captain America and a small team are there. Iron Man will be there at times. Now that SHIELD and my boss know about the threat the place poses, we won't be leaving it strictly to a few untrained civilians," she said.

Faith snorted. "Like the military knows what to do with vampires and demons," she said.

"Maybe not. But there's not much the Avengers can't handle," she said pointedly.

Faith sat up straight as something occurred to her. "That's who you are? You're an Avenger! The female member—the Black Widow! Fucking A! I can't believe it!" she exclaimed.

"Keep your voice down!" Natasha admonished.

"So the superheroes are going to take over the hellmouth? I guess you can do it," she said.

"Probably. But that's a huge commitment, and we have other things to focus on. We need to be free to handle global threats," Natasha said. "It would be better if a slayer like yourself was there."

Faith was genuinely surprised. "Me? But I'm here! I've got like two decades for murder, remember?"

"That's the thing, Faith. You being here isn't the best use of your talents," Natasha said. "Don't you think guarding the hellmouth, fulfilling your calling is a better use of your time?"

"Probably," Faith said, playing it cool. Her mind was having trouble processing all the changes that were happening in the past twenty minutes. Buffy was alive. Willow pulled her out of heaven. Willow was taken from the hellmouth as a form of punishment. Buffy's brother was an Avenger. An Avenger was her cellmate. She could be free. For a full minute, hope blossomed inside of her. Then it died.

She was nothing but a screw up. She'd betrayed her calling, hurt people who were good to her. Joined the bad guys. Tortured Wesley.

"God, I'm not good for anything!" she said, standing and turning away from Natasha. The weight of her sins had never felt heavier.

Natasha was surprised by the slayers abrupt turn. She expected the girl to try to convince Natasha she was the only one who could handle the job.

"Why do you think that? You're obviously good at killing," she said.

"A slayer isn't a killer! At least she's not supposed to be," Faith said bitterly. "I killed a man on accident the first time—mistook him for a vampire."

"Death by friendly fire is way too common in war," Natasha said. "It's understandable."

"It messed me up. First, I tried to blame it on Buffy. Then the Council tried to arrest me and take me back to England over one bloody mistake. It broke something inside of me," Faith said. "I actually thought going to the Mayor was a good idea. I killed a man for him. A decent man who didn't have to be killed. I just had to take something he had. But I was in such a dark place. It was like I wanted to see how bad I could be. When I woke up from my coma and stole Buffy's body and slept with her boyfriend, I got a taste of what it was like to be loved. For just a short time, everyone in her life really believed I was she. Her boyfriend didn't want to just fuck her. He wanted to hold her. Her amazing mother—it was all too much. I realized how much I came up short even in her body. I can never be her."

"I don't think anyone expects you to be," Natasha said, not unkindly. She had heard from Clint how amazing his sister was, the things she could do. In comparison, Natasha would probably come up short herself. "From what I've heard, Buffy Summers has no equal. Don't try to be her. Be the best version of yourself you can be."

"I tortured my Watcher! Wesley tried to help me in L. A. He wanted to make amends for sucking as my Watcher in Sunnydale. I tortured him! What kind of monster does that?" Faith asked, stricken by the memory.

"A pretty messed up one," Natasha said. "The fact that you feel real remorse proves you aren't a sociopath. You won't be alone there. It won't be all up to you. You'll be monitored. Have the support you need. Every day that you go out and prove that you are willing to fulfill your calling is a day that shows my boss you can be trusted. Eventually, you'll earn your freedom in a lot less than twenty years."

Faith considered her words. Then she thought about Buffy. If Buffy was messed up over her death and resurrection, she didn't need to be called back to the hellmouth. Faith should do what she could to help keep Buffy's burden light—it was the least she could.

"Okay," she said. "I'll do it."

"Good," Natasha said. "You'll have a life again."

"I'm not doing it for that. I don't deserve much," Faith said. "But if I can help ease B's burden by doing this, I will. I owe her that."

Natasha respected that. She pulled her sock down and peeled back the fake skin that covered it. Then she pulled out Tony's transmitter. "I'll let me boss know," she told Faith as she pushed the tiny bottom to set it off.

Faith looked incredulous. She had a feeling that things in Sunnydale would be very different.

*****Chapter End*****

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