FIC: Prison Talk 3/?

["Selenay" <selenay@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Title: Prison Talk 2/?
Author: Selenay
E-mail: selenay@xxxxxxxxxx
Summary: Inspired by a suggestion from Pat Kelley (thanks!) here's the first
part in a Conversations-esque Buffy/Faith series. And despite the title,
there's no Bad Girls style kinkiness (yet...)
Spoilers: This is set post-'Real Me' so expect a few plot give-aways
Distribution: My site, http://www.selenayhaven.com and 'Exquisite
Coalescence'. Anyone else please ask first.
Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy and her friends. It all belongs to Joss
Whedon, Mutant Enemy et al. I'm only playing, and sadly make nothing from
this.
Feedback: Gratefully received


The room was filled with the low buzz of people trying to hold private
conversations, despite being separated by sheets of plate glass. Faith
walked slowly out of the corridor into the small, stuffy area behind the
glass, aware of the glares the guards were giving her. The only unoccupied
seat was half way down the row and she smiled faintly when she saw who sat
on the other side of the divider. She picked up the handset as she sat, and
grinned.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"How's it going?"

"Oh, the usual." Faith grimaced. "Bad food, worse guards and people who
think it would be a great plan to get me in trouble with them. Sometimes I
wish..."

"Yeah?"

She shrugged. "Nothing. I wouldn't want to go back to what I was, not now,
but sometimes it's just so tempting to say 'screw this, I'm getting outta
here'."

"The road back is never easy."

The dark Slayer nodded. "Is it worth it?"

"It can be."

"I managed to talk the guards into letting me make some phone calls," Faith
said, smiling.

Angel returned her smile. "Can I guess who you called first?"

"She didn't hang up on me."

"No, she wouldn't."

"She hates me though."

"She doesn't hate you," Angel tried to reassure her. "You hurt her a lot and
it's going to take more than a couple of phone calls to make that up. Give
her time."

Faith let some of her hope and amazement show in her eyes, surprised by how
easy it was becoming to let her emotions out. "We talked, not deep or
anything, and it was weird how easy it was. She didn't even yell - I think
she's working up to it. I'm not looking forward to that but she'll feel
better for it so..."

"You really have changed," Angel said wonderingly.

"I guess I have." Faith paused to consider. "I still get mad, and sometimes
I really, really wish I could just...but I know I can't now. And I know why
I can't. Before, when you were all trying to help me and I was..."

"Rejecting it?"

"I was gonna go with 'trying to kill you all' but that works too. Anyway,
before...I couldn't see why you wanted me to change." She smiled sadly. "I
couldn't understand why anyone could want to let go of the rush once they'd
tasted it. I couldn't see why you were all making such a big deal about my
life and what I'd done. I mean, hell, I'd saved hundreds of people! I
figured I was owed a few."

Angel sighed. "It's an easy thought to have."

"Yeah."

There was silence for a moment and then Angel looked at her curiously. "What
made you change?"

"Truth?"

He nodded.

"Buffy."

She stared at the desk in front of her and began tracing patterns on the
wood with her fingers.

"Buffy?"

"Yeah."

He thought for a moment. "I can understand that. She's very..."

Faith nodded.

"You don't want to talk about it?"

"Not yet."

"When you do..."

"I know where you are." Faith shook herself and grinned through the glass.
"So, how are the new offices working out?"

"They're...working," Angel said with a grimace.

"Let me guess - Miss High School Cheerleader is not impressed by them."

"Something like that." Angel rubbed his eyes and sighed. "I'll work it out."

"Wanna talk about it?" Faith asked. "That counsellor keeps telling me that
anything looks better when you've talked about it. Can't hurt to try her
out."

"It's...complicated."

"Life always is. So, what's going on? Sounds more serious than a bad case of
sixties wallpaper."

The vampire paused for a moment and looked at her, weighing everything up.
If he told her, would she think he was going insane? But maybe she would
understand. "Did Buffy ever tell you about Darla?"

To be continued...

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