Ten: Blood

Buffy called everyone together and told them the truth. She told them everything. Well, everything apart from the fact that she had been sleeping with Faith.

Giles was angry that Buffy had kept him in the dark about this, Xander was annoyed that it seemed to be a secret that Buffy and the newly re-ensouled Angel seemed to have between them and Willow was trying to understand why Buffy would keep something like this from her best friend while Cordelia...well Cordelia couldn't care less.

They did some research and came up with a few things but Angel was getting weaker by the minute.

Giles took Buffy to one side.

"Buffy, there's no good way to say this... Angel doesn't have long, and Willow and I have been reading up on the poison that was used. Buffy the only thing that can cure Angel...is the blood of a slayer."

Buffy stared at Giles and then looked over at where Angel lay feverish on the bed.

She wouldn't lose him again. She couldn't.

"He needs the blood of a slayer?... then I'll get him one."

She then grabbed her jacket and headed out to find Angel's antidote.

Faith turned as Buffy kicked the door to Faith's apartment open.

"Hey, B!" Faith said brightly, a big smile on her face.

"You shot Angel." Buffy said, a growl to her voice.

"I did. He was getting in the way of things but hey, not my choice, babe. This comes from higher up."

"The Mayor." Buffy said knowingly.

Faith only folded her arms.

"So I guess you're here to beat me to a bloody pulp for shooting your boy toy full of poison."

Buffy shook her head and stalked towards Faith.

"No...I'm here to kill you."

"Bit brash, B. Killing me won't save your beloved Angel."

"Actually...it will. The blood of a slayer is the antidote and since I need to be alive to stop the Ascension, I'm gonna give him yours'."

Faith shrugged.

"You gotta get it first."

Faith threw the first punch which Buffy blocked and came back with one of her own, snapping Faith's head back.

Faith kicked out, knocking Buffy's legs out from underneath her and Faith straddled her, pinning Buffy's arms above her head.

She grinned down at the other slayer.

"How you like it, B. Remember?"

Buffy bucked her hips and threw Faith off.

"Guess not." Faith muttered as she got to her feet.

Buffy came forward again, landing blow after blow, kick after kick.

Faith blocked a few punches but one connected with her jaw and she tasted blood.

She grinned at Buffy, her teeth stained with her own blood.

"You really got it bad for the vamp, don't cha, B? I think it's pathetic."

Buffy circled the other slayer.

"Why's that, Faith? Still sore I won't love you?"

Faith landed a punch of her own but Buffy ducked under her arm.

"I don't need you to love me, B. I just like screwin' you."

Buffy kicked out but Faith jumped over her leg.

"Well I hope you remember our last time well because it won't be happening again."

Faith grinned.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that, princess."

Buffy lashed out and both herself and Faith tumbled through a window and onto the roof.

Glass shards splintered their hands and backs and Faith groaned as she stood awkwardly.

They were both breathing hard as they stared each other down.

"Well, you gotta give me a little somethin' to remember you by." Faith said.

Buffy lowered her guard and took a few steps towards Faith.

"Fine. How about a kiss?"

Faith shrugged.

"Works for me."

This is how it was with Buffy and Faith. They fought, they screwed then they fought again. It was this never ending cycle but Faith would never admit to loving it as much as she did and neither would little Miss Perfect.

Buffy came forward and wrapped a hand gently around the back of Faith's neck as she pulled her close.

Buffy's lips touched her's and Faith moaned despite herself and all that was happening.

That girl could still have that affect on her.

Buffy deepened the kiss and Faith used her teeth to tug gently on her lower lip.

"Hmm, I could die happy like this." Faith whispered against the other slayer's mouth.

Buffy's eyes watered as she plunged a knife into Faith's stomach.

"Wish granted..." She said through tears.

Faith staggered back and put her hand to where the knife was protruding from a blood soaked wound.

"You killed me..." She said in shock but one corner of her lips quirked into a half smile.

"I didn't...I didn't think you could do it..."

Buffy shook her head as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"You left me no choice, Faith. I had to..."

Faith backed up to the edge of the roof.

"You killed me." Faith said again, then she looked down as a truck approached her building.

She then grinned back at Buffy.

"That's my girl."

She then fell from the roof.

Buffy ran to stop her but was too late and Faith fell hard into the back of the truck, that knife still sticking out of her.

Buffy closed her eyes and turned away.

...

Buffy told everyone to leave her alone with Angel. She wanted to say goodbye properly. Well, that's what she had told them anyway.

Once they had gone, Buffy dragged Angel out of bed and made him face her.

"I'm not giving you a choice here, Angel. You have to take my blood."

Angel shook his head and stumbled away from her.

"No. I won't."

"You have to." Buffy growled.

"I won't lose you, I can't. Just drink. I can take it."

Angel still refused.

"I won't be able to stop. Buffy, you can't ask me to do this."

Buffy hit him again and again, taunting him until he turned, his face in full vampire effect.

Buffy ripped the shoulder of her top to expose her neck and Angel bit savagely into her.

Buffy had been bitten before but it was never like this.

With Angel, it felt...she felt ashamed to admit it but she got such a rush from it.

His teeth sliding into her sensitive flesh as his strong arms held her, it was euphoric.

They fell to the floor with Angel still feeding off of her.

Keep going. Don't stop. She silently begged.

He didn't. He fed until she felt weak, powerless and finally, she passed out.

...

Buffy woke in the hospital, a blood tranfusion tube taped to her hand as a stream of thick, red liquid drained into her.

She frowned as she blinked a few times.

She felt better. Stronger.

She stood, ripping the tube from her hand, along with a few other wires and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

A couple of nurses walked past her room and she heard them talking;

"I don't think she's going to wake up. I mean, she had a knife sticking out of her. There was too much blood."

Buffy frowned.

Faith.

She walked out of her room and down the corridor, where the nurses had come from and found another room.

She pushed gently on the door and found Faith laying in a hospital bed. She was hooked up to a few machines which were beeping, letting them know that she was still alive just not concious.

Buffy sighed as she looked at the other slayer and closed the door behind her.

Faith looked so weak, so vulnerable and Buffy had done this to her.

Any minute now, she expected her to open her eyes and when Buffy would ask how she was feeling, the other slayer would respond with the usual 'five by five'.

Buffy smiled a little.

She felt something for Faith, she just didn't know what that was exactly.

But things would never be the same between them ever again. She had tried to kill Faith, you couldn't come back from something like that.

She lent down and gave Faith a light kiss on her head before she walked back out to her own room and grabbed her clothes.

It was time to stop this Ascension.

Author's Note- The next chapter jumps to Faith waking up. No Ascension faliure included since she's not around for that.

Hope you're still enjoying this one. Reviews are appreciated x