Fic: Another Chance: Talk (1/1)

[inell@xxxxxxx]

Title: Talk
Author: Inell
Email: Inell@xxxxxxx
Disclaimer: Joss owns them all
Distribution: Kiss or Kill. Permission-take. Otherwise, ask
Rating: R
Pairing: Willow/Faith and Willow/Buffy
Follows No Easy Answers in Another Chance Series


TALK (1/1)


Willow entered the dorm room, her eyes automatically looking at Buffy's side 
of the room. The bed was still unmade, the closet still closed. She sighed, 
moving to sit in her desk chair. She had gone to see Giles, easily seeing 
that the watcher had no idea that Buffy was gone much less the knowledge of 
her exact whereabouts. She had seen Riley while walking in the commons but he 
had ignored her, too intent in flirting with some freshman girl. She had felt 
anger at him for flirting when he was involved with Buffy. Didn't he know 
what he was risking losing with such a stupid act? She had been tempted to 
walk over and knock him out, but decided it wasn't any of her business. 
Instead, she had gone back to the dorm, hoping the slayer had come home.

Willow reached over and turned on the radio, hearing yet another nameless boy 
band singing about heartache. She made a face and flipped the station, 
finally finding a classic rock station that was currently playing a twelve 
song Doors marathon. She began to hum along with Hello, I love you as she 
stood and moved to her closet to change. She stripped to her underwear, 
pulling out an old pair of sweats and a T-shirt that was emblazoned with the 
name of her high school. It had been much washed, but it was one of the most 
comfortable pieces of clothing she owned. She finished dressing as the 
strains of Riders in the Storm began. Grabbing the small carrier that held 
her lotions and such, she headed towards the bathroom. She washed her face 
and brushed her teeth, deciding that she would probably stay in for the 
remainder of the night. Wasn't like she had anything else to do.

After using the bathroom, she washed her hands and headed back to her room. 
She was delayed in the hallway by one of the girls in her Lit class who gave 
her the information she had missed while skipping class that day. Thanking 
her, Willow finally made it to her room. She opened the door, shutting it 
behind her as she moved towards her desk. She set the carrier down, not 
paying any attention to anything except the new song playing. She paused when 
she heard a husky chuckle, a sound that had been plaguing her dreams lately. 
She turned, eyes widening when she saw Faith, the real Faith, laying casually 
across Buffy's bed, dark eyes watching her intently.

"What about it, Red?" Faith drawled, trying to ignore the fear and the joy 
she felt at seeing Willow again. She gave Willow a leer as she said, "Want to 
light my fire?"

"Faith!" Buffy exclaimed in disgust, "Just shut up."

"What, B? You brought me here to talk, remember?" Faith reminded the blonde 
that was sitting at her desk, hazel eyes watching the situation with fear and 
concern.

"Where have you been?" Willow said finally finding her voice. She ignored 
Faith and Faith's invitation as she glared at her best friend. "You've been 
gone more than two days, Buffy! Did you not think I'd worry?"

"I assumed you'd be relieved since it would mean you no longer had to avoid 
me," Buffy said sharply, knowing it was silly to feel guilty.

Willow flinched at the accuracy of her friend's words. "Relieved when I have 
no idea where my best friend is? I didn't know if you were alive or dead."

"I'm sorry, Wills," Buffy said softly. "I didn't want you to worry. I just 
had to get away."

"You always run," Willow said, looking up at her friend. "Back when you 
almost died? You ran to your father. After everything that happened with 
Angel? You run away to LA. When are you going to stop running when things get 
tough?"

"I didn't run," Buffy said. "You did. You retreated inside yourself, shutting 
me out. How was I supposed to help when you wouldn't talk to me?"

"You're the damn slayer. You should have made me talk!" Willow said, glaring 
at the blonde before turning to look at Faith. "What's she doing here? Hasn't 
she created enough trouble?"

"I brought her here," Buffy said, sighing as she saw the way Willow was 
trying not to look at Faith and the way Faith was not looking at Willow. She 
had lost her. "For you. To talk."

"Trust me, I'd rather be anywhere but," Faith said, staring daggers at the 
colorful bedspread that covered Buffy's bed.

"Is it a slayer thing?" Willow asked. "You know, running away from situations 
you can't handle? Not facing up to what you've done."

"I know what I did, little girl, and I'd do it again," Faith said, glancing 
up suddenly and catching Willow's eyes. "I wouldn't hesitate to pull those 
sweats down and fuck you with my hands, my tongue, my face. I bet I could 
make you cry out even louder than you did last time, only this time you'd be 
screaming for me instead of her."

"Everything can't be solved with violence or sex, Faith," Willow said 
quietly, trying to ignore the images Faith's words painted on her mind. "I'd 
have thought you'd have realized that by now."

"And I'd have thought that you knew some things just can't be solved, Red," 
Faith said with a small smile.

"Where are you going?" Willow asked suddenly, looking away from Faith's 
penetrating gaze and staring at Buffy. "You can't leave me here alone."

"I don't need to be here right now," Buffy said tightly, staring at the door. 
She had seen the looks passing between Willow and Faith. She knew that what 
little chance she may have had with her friend had disappeared the minute 
Faith had switched bodies with her. She had lost the one bright spot in her 
life. She guessed that in the end Faith had won the only thing that was 
important to her. "I need some air."

"Sit down," Willow said sharply, not knowing what Buffy's problem was. She 
looked at Faith and saw the brunette slayer watching the blonde slayer with a 
look of understanding and sadness. What was going on?

"Yeah, B, sit down. If anyone leaves, it's me," Faith said, knowing that 
Willow deserved so much more than she could ever give her. She couldn't stand 
Buffy, but maybe the blonde was what Willow needed. For Willow's happiness, 
she'd walk away right there and never look back, except maybe in her memories.

"No one is leaving!" Willow said as she glared at them both. She sat on her 
bed, "Argh! You both make me so mad! Quit running and deal with this. It 
isn't going to go away. It happened."

"Faith, I'll go," Buffy said, turning to face her nemesis. Her eyes pleaded 
with the brunette to let her leave with some of her dignity intact. She had 
no intention of losing Willow as a friend. She couldn't live if that 
happened. "You stay."

"Buffy, sit," Willow said in a tone that made Buffy immediately sit down in 
her desk chair. The slayer looked at the quite redhead in surprise. "Now, you 
two are going to tell me what's going on here and we are going to deal with 
what happened last week. Got it?"

"Yes," Buffy said with a slight nod, not sure if she could do this.

"Yeah, whatever," Faith said, sitting up on the bed and squirming as she 
realized she was going to have to be honest not only to Willow but to herself 
too.

"Now," Willow sat back on her bed, green eyes watching the slayers, "Talk."