Chapter Three

The three women left Willow's office and walked along to the library, which also served as their research room.

The room was large and spacious and decorated in dark, rich colours. The deep red carpet was thick and soft under foot. A stone fireplace was set into one wall, keeping the room warm during the cold winter months. Comfortable wing-back chairs and a matching sofa had been placed strategically near the fire, while a chaise longue stood over by the bay window.

In the middle of the room stood a Black Forest antique table, with six matching chairs. The bookcases lined the walls and held a number of books that helped them in their fight against evil, though many useful and ancient texts had been lost when the council had been blown up and when Sunnydale had fallen.

The library was Willow's favourite room, the redhead often being found curled up in one of the wing-back chairs reading, as the popping of burning logs broke the silence.

While Willow searched the bookcases for what she hoped would be helpful books, Buffy curled up in one of the wing-back chairs and watched Faith sprawl out on the sofa.

Green eyes trailed down the brunette's gorgeous body, which she'd seen every inch of, to hands that had touched her tenderly, that had brought such pleasure to her feverous body, to the strong thighs that....

"Buffy?" Willow called out to get her friend's attention. "Buffy, are you sure you're all right?"

"Huh?" Buffy blinked, looking up at the redhead standing next to her chair. A blush coloured her cheeks at being caught ogling Faith. "Oh. I'm fine, Will. Really." She chanced a glance over at Faith and saw her smirking. Great, she's aware that I was looking at her.

"Do you want to research where you are, or move over to the table?" Willow asked, arms full of books.

"I'm good right here," Buffy answered, flustered and trying to act normally.

"Okay," Willow nodded, glancing over at Faith, who was studying her fingernails. Buffy's acting odd. Everything was fine until last night. Or rather, until this morning. But Faith's the same as usual. She looked back at her best friend and smiled. "That's good," she said, handing over a couple of books to the blonde. "We'll use the table for books we've already looked through. That way, we won't go over the same ones."

Buffy smiled. "Good thinking, Will." Opening the book on the top of her pile, she peeked over at Faith again as Willow moved away from her, quickly ducking her head, cheeks burning, when the brunette winked at her.

I guess that attack by those demons really shook Buffy up, Willow concluded, taking a seat.

Reading, or rather, flicking through book after book in search of the demon she had faced the previous night, held Faith's attention for close to twenty minutes before she lost interest. Bored and frustrated, she threw down the book she held and growled in annoyance. She never had been one for research. She was a Slayer. Put the big bad in front of her and she would happily fight. But this, looking through book after book after book, no, this wasn't her at all.

Closing her eyes, she stretched to get rid of the ache that had set in. Throwing her arms up behind her head, she groaned happily as her shoulders popped. She was frustrated, the little kitchen incident with Buffy had got her all worked up, with no payoff. She wondered if Buffy would be willing to sneak away for some alone time.

As brown eyes opened on Buffy, she smirked as she found the blonde staring openly at her, the blonde's green eyes darkened with arousal as she drank Faith in. With an audience, Faith put on a bit of a show, her body arching, hips lifting up off the sofa. Another groan, this one more sensual, escaping her parted lips.

Buffy moaned softly as she watched Faith, the younger woman's body and little lusty sounds making her react. She frowned as she realised she was ogling Faith again. It's a damn spell! It has to be! she thought, usually having more control over herself. Her eyes drifted up to Faith's face, finding brown eyes on her. Damn it, she's caught me again!

Faith winked, before jumping to her feet. Looking over at Willow, who looked up from the book she was looking through, she smiled. "As much as I would love to stay here and research this lost cause, I have a mentoring session to get to. I'll drop back in later if you haven't found anything before I'm done."

Buffy watched Faith walking towards the closed doors, not wanting to watch the beautiful brunette's swaying backside, but unable to look away. Stupid eyes!

Faith paused at the door, turning back to face the two seated women. "Uhm... Red?"

Willow looked up again, a questioning look on her face. "Yes, Faith?"

"My bed broke. I need a new one. Who do I talk to about that?"

Willow blinked in surprise, not having expected that question. "Uhh... come by my office later, we'll see about ordering you a new one."

"Great," Faith smiled brightly, seeing Buffy was blushing again. "Thanks, Red." With that, she left the library whistling happily.

* * * *

Faith sat in her office, feet up on her desk, waiting for her first troubled teen to turn up for a session.

At the school, Willow was the acting head teacher, the only one in the group who was willing to do actual paperwork and keep everything running smoothly. Buffy was a counsellor to girls who wanted to talk, a role she was familiar with and had experience in, as well as a teacher. And Faith was the new counsellor specifically for the more troubled girls, as well as having teaching responsibilities.

She had never imagined herself in such a serious role and was afraid of messing the girls up further, but Buffy and Willow had talked her into giving the job a go, so she was happy to try, at least for the mean time.

Her office wasn't an official work space like Willow's or even Buffy's were. Faith had a basketball hoop above her rubbish bin to make throwing away rubbish more fun, as well as a couple of arcade machines and a pin-ball machine lined up against one wall and a dartboard hanging from another.

A black leather couch provided comfortable seating, and a mini fridge held water or soft drinks for refreshment. Only the desk and top-of-the-range computer gave away the fact work actually went on. She had wanted a space where the girls could chill and relax.

"Come in," Faith called out in response to the knock on the closed door, smiling at the raven-haired teen who walked in. "Monica?" The girl nodded, blue eyes wary as they took in Faith and the office. "Monica Hillyer?"

"Yeah."

"So, what's it gonna be?" Faith asked, standing up. "Shoot 'em up arcade game, the pin-ball machine, or a game of darts?"

"What?" the teen asked in confusion, having expected a lecture of some sort.

"Look, the way I figure it, Red... I mean Miss Rosenberg, or maybe even Buffy, sent you to me because they think you need help or guidance that they can't provide. That don't mean you want help or guidance. So, until you're ready to talk to me or ask for help with whatever issues you've got goin' on, I'm not gonna waste my breath tryin' to talk to you. So, which will it be?"

Looking at the dark-haired woman she had heard many whispers about, Monica tried to work out if Faith was serious, sure that this was some sort of trick. "You don't want to know what I'm thinking? Feeling? My childhood traumas?"

Faith smirked, understanding the girl's distrust. "I'm here to listen if you wanna talk about all that, but I'm not gonna force it out of you."

"The pin-ball machine."

"Good choice." Faith led the way over to the machine. "You go first, a practice run, before tryin' to beat my top score," she said, smiling. "Though there ain't no way that's happenin'!"

"You the pin-ball wizard or something?"

"I been playing this a lot since it arrived."

Standing in front of the pin-ball machine, Monica pulled back the lever that would put the ball in play. She didn't want to talk about her feelings, her worries, or concerns. She didn't want to be here at all. Like Faith had said, she'd been sent. Half concentrating on the game, she glanced at the brunette standing beside her every now and then. She'd heard rumours and plenty of gossip about the dark Slayer, though was fairly sure half of it wasn't true, just tales to make the younger girls afraid.

"How you likin' the school?" Faith asked, generally curious as to what the younger Slayers thought of the place.

"Thought we weren't going to talk until I was ready?" Monica retorted, her slightly relaxed walls slamming back up as she was questioned.

Faith snorted. "You're a tough one, huh? I was just curious. Never had this when me and B were the only Slayers. I look around this place and wonder if things would've turned out different for me, if we'd had somethin' like this."

Realising the other woman was genuinely curious, Monica relaxed a little. "It's all right, I guess. Gotta share a room with three other girls, but hey, could be worse." She watched the ball go out of play and moved aside to let Faith take over.

"Never had to share before?" Faith asked, sending the ball into play. "No siblings?"

"Just me."

"I get that," Faith nodded. "I never had siblings. It was just me and my mother. I guess that's why I prefer my own company, I've never known different."

Monica watched Faith in silence for a moment. She got the feeling that if she did open up to the older woman, Faith really would understand. "So... can I ask you a question?" she finally asked, eyes on the flashing lights.

"Sure. I guess it wouldn't be fair of me to ask you to spill your guts without me puttin' somethin' in. What d'ya wanna know?"

Monica wet her lips, thinking over all she had heard. "It true you killed a guy?"

Faith nodded. "Yep. Not just one either."

The teenager's eyes widened in surprise. "The... rumours are true?"

"Some of them, I guess. I can't be sure what you've heard." Faith sighed, not liking that her past had come up.

"Who was the first? Why did you kill him or her?"

As the ball went out of play, Faith moved aside. "The first guy... me and B were off to face this big bad, right?"

"B is... Miss Summers?"

Faith nodded. "Yeah, that's right. So, we're makin' our way down this dark alley and vamps start droppin' and poppin' out of the darkness at us. It was tense, exciting, everything a Slayer wants while out patrollin' and we were buzzin'. Buffy would throw one into my path to be staked, then I'd return the favour. Then suddenly, this guy comes out of nowhere. B throws him at me and I staked him."

She swallowed hard as the night in question played in her head. "He wasn't a vamp, though. He was the Mayor's assistant. Who knows what he was doin' there. It was an accident, pure and simple, but... things went to shit quickly afterward."

"What happened?" Monica asked quietly. "You said you killed someone else, so you obviously didn't go to prison."

"Would've been the best place for me," Faith muttered, eyes on the pin-ball machine. "But no, I didn't go to prison. I ended up goin' to the Mayor of Sunnyhell, who was a big bad. I switched sides, becomin' one of the bad guys, fightin' against B and her Scoobies. I killed this guy who was doin' some deal with the boss, I mean... the Mayor, and then later on, this professor, who dug around in the dirt or somethin'. Not long after that, I ended up in a coma," she finished, not really wanting to go into too much detail, or through the whole messy story.

Listening intently to Faith's story, Monica's ball went out of play and she moved aside to let the older woman take over. "Some of the girls have said you were in prison," she said, eyes on Faith. "Is... is that true?"

Faith nodded. "Yeah. Woke up from my coma, hadn't learnt a thing. After... some stuff went down, I skipped town and went to LA and eventually handed myself in."

"Wow!"

"Yeah," Faith chuckled. "That's why they have me doin' this mentoring gig. They figure I've been down the rocky path and can relate. If I can stop you girls from goin' off the deep end like I did, then it's all good."

"Why? Why did you go off the deep end? What made you switch over to the bad side?"

Faith sighed and reached up a hand to brush back her hair. She moved away from the pin-ball machine and walked over to the leather couch. "I guess... there were plenty of reasons," she said finally, as she took a seat. "Oh, hey, do you wanna drink?" she asked, as Monica moved towards her. "Grab me a water from that fridge and somethin' for you if you want."

Monica grabbed a couple of drinks for them, then walked over to the couch. "What reasons?"

"I had a tough childhood," Faith continued her story. "Arrivin' in Sunnydale, I thought it was my fresh start, just what I needed to get some good goin' in my life. At first it was okay, I met the infamous Buffy Summers and her little band of friends, I... I wasn't the only Slayer, there was someone who understood, someone who could relate, but... but I didn't fit in with them. I was nothin' like 'em and they had never met anyone like me before. It all just went to hell, like everything in my life."

"That's it?" Monica asked in disbelief. "Because they didn't accept you? You went off the rails and killed people because you didn't fit in?"

"Love," Faith murmured quietly. "Or maybe lust is a better word. The... person I wanted wasn't interested and it... it drove me nuts, literally."

Monica fiddled with the lid of her drink, relating to Faith's story. "I get that," she admitted quietly, eyes darting up to meet Faith's.

Sensing the girl wasn't yet ready to have a deep, meaningful conversation, Faith tapped her shoulder playfully. "Yeah, well, that story will have to wait for our next meetin', 'cause we're nearly out of time. But... any time you wanna talk, Monica, just come find me."

She stood up and walked over to her desk to grab a piece of paper. "Time and day of our next appointment," she said, as she scribbled down the details. "No pressure. This is just so you don't forget. And hey, this will get you out of any class you have."

"Cool." Monica stood up and reached out for the piece of paper. "And uhm... thanks."

"No worries, it's what I'm here for."

"No, seriously. Sometimes people... they tell me I don't have to talk, then try and make me talk. You... you didn't do that, you were true to your word."

Faith frowned at the teen. "You mean like professional head shrinks?"

Monica nodded. "Yeah, I... I've seen a few."

"Well, I ain't nothin' like them, never will be." She smiled at the younger girl. "I'll see you on Thursday." She walked Monica over to the door. "Try to stay out of trouble. You'll get yourself taken off patrol duty if you keep up the bad behaviour," she said, opening the door.

"I'll try to remember that."

"Faith," Buffy greeted, approaching the brunette's office.

Brown eyes landed on Buffy, then switched back to Monica. "Uh-oh, better split, kid. I could be in trouble."

"Okay. See you, Faith."

Buffy stopped in front of Faith, both of them watching Monica wander away. "How did your first ever session go?"

"You checkin' up on me, B?"

"No. No, that's..." Buffy scowled. "You were worried. Last night, you told me you weren't sure, so, I was just..." she shook her head. "Never mind. I was looking for you because..."

Faith delighted in watching the blonde, feeling that low down tickle return. "You wanna sneak off to somewhere private and..."

"No!" Buffy interrupted. "God, is that all you think about?"

"You tellin' me it ain't crossed your mind at least once today?" She moved closer to the blonde, seeing the want in green eyes, and reached up to caress Buffy's cheek.

"Look, Faith. It's a spell or... something," Buffy said quietly, relishing the brunette's touch. "Those demons did something to me, to us. Why can't you see that?"

"Because I wanted you before last night. And you wanted me. How many times did we hook up when we had free time?"

"You've never had a relationship and I've never had a successful relationship. For all I know this is just sex to you!"

"If it was just about the sex, why would I ask you when we're gonna tell everyone about us?" Faith questioned, hurt by Buffy's wish to deny what they had.

Parting her lips, Buffy ran her tongue across her bottom lip, not meaning to look seductive, but unintentionally revving Faith's motor a little. She watched Faith watching her tongue and felt her own body heat up with desire. She saw the look of lust and desire in expressive brown eyes and knew this situation could quickly get out of hand.

Closing the small space between them, Faith busied herself with kissing and nibbling on Buffy's neck. Buffy moaned and tangled her hands in brown locks, lifting a leg to hook around Faith, looking for contact on sensitive spots that ached for attention.

Faith released Buffy as the blonde shoved at her shoulders, voices nearby startling the blonde back to reality.

"I... I have to go," Buffy said, flustered from the intense moment. She started moving away, not meeting Faith's eyes.

Faith grabbed a trailing hand, pulling the older woman to a sudden stop. "Meet me at lunch."

"Don't forget we're patrolling tonight," Buffy said, ignoring the request. She yanked her hand free and hurried off.

Watching Buffy until she disappeared out of sight, Faith sighed as she slumped back against the wall. "Damn it!" She ran a hand through her loose hair. "Wish she'd do somethin' about that damn stick stuck up her arse!" Deciding she needed a cigarette before getting back to the library for more research, she headed for the back doors, smoking not allowed inside the school.

* * * *

"Heard you could use a hand looking up a new big bad," Kennedy said, walking into the library with Vi beside her. She took a seat next to Willow on the sofa. "Though, research really isn't my thing."

"It must be a Slayer thing," Willow said thoughtfully, Buffy and Faith hating research as well. "We could use all the help we can get," she told her girlfriend. "We don't have a lot to go on."

"Well, I can help until lunch," Vi said, picking up the book Faith had discarded earlier in the day and sitting down in the wing-back chair. "I'm on lunch duty."

"What are we looking for?" Kennedy asked Buffy.

"Demon. Big build, turquoise in colour. Possible magic abilities," Buffy told her. "They jumped us out of nowhere."

"They? More than one, but less than...?" Vi questioned.

"There were two. I killed one. As far as I know at this stage, there's only one left. But, it's possible there's a lair full of them," Buffy shrugged.

"Saw Faith's all bandaged up," Kennedy said to Buffy. "Did you get hurt as well?"

Willow frowned at Kennedy. "Faith was hurt? She told me she was five by five?"

"It was a gash, Will," Buffy told her best friend. "On her arm. It should be healing nicely as we speak. I cleaned it up and bandaged it last night." She looked at Kennedy. "I'm fine, just bruises."

"So... there'll be patrolling tonight, right?" Kennedy asked in excitement, reaching out for Willow's hand and threading their fingers together. "If I find anything in one of these books, I get dibs on going, right?"

"We'll see," Buffy muttered, not sure she wanted to spend an evening in the younger woman's company.

"I was supposed to go out last night," Kennedy protested. "But you bumped me. It's only fair I get to go out tonight!"

"We'll see, Kennedy."

"Where is Faith? She should be here helping us research," Willow spoke up, trying to ease the sudden tension in the room.

"She was heading over to the pool house to use the gym," Kennedy told her girlfriend. "She seemed... tense."

Buffy shifted upon hearing that, knowing exactly why Faith was tense.

"She can't slack off," Willow said. "It's only her and Buffy who can identify these demons."

"Uhh, I'm here, Will. Any questions, or pictures, just ask," Buffy said.

"So, if there's a new big bad roaming around, how come you didn't call a meeting, Willow?" Vi asked.

"I don't think it's that serious a problem..."

"It is," Buffy interrupted. "These demons were super strong, Will. I don't want the younger girls going out and facing them."

"What are you saying, Buffy?" Kennedy asked in confusion. "Patrol's cancelled?"

"Not cancelled, just... carefully rearranged. I'll give it some thought before tonight rolls around."

"I suppose you and Faith will be out there?" Kennedy said, unhappily.

"We have faced the demon before, we know what to expect. And we are the most senior Slayers."

"Vi and me are pretty senior as well," the dark-haired woman replied. "We were there in Sunnydale."

"Uhh... I'm not on the roster for tonight," Vi spoke up. "I was out the night before." She shrugged apologetically at Kennedy, who scowled at her. "Sorry, Ken."

"Look, I don't know who's going out yet," Buffy said, irritated she was being confronted, yet again, by Kennedy, who never seemed to stop pushing her buttons. "I'll let you know closer to the time."

"You're not going out unless Carly gives you the all clear, Buffy," Willow said sternly.

"But..."

"No buts, and don't pout at me. We can't have one rule for the students and one rule for you. If anyone gets injured, they're checked out by the doctors, you know that."

"Willow, I've been slaying for years! I've always just got on with it!"

"That was in the past when there was only you to depend on. That's not the case any more. Get checked out by Carly and if you're fit enough, you can go out." She pointed at her best friend. "And don't think I won't check in with her to make sure you've done as I've asked, Buffy Anne Summers."

Buffy pouted. "Bossy witch," she muttered unhappily. "Just 'cause you run the school." She sank down into her seat.

* * * *

Making her way to the medical area, Buffy found Doctor Carly Lovell treating Julie Amplas, one of the students. "What happened?" she asked, wincing at the bloody cut beneath the teenager's eye.

"Someone got a little zealous during hand-to-hand combat," Carly replied. "Accidents will happen."

"She did it on purpose," Julie insisted. "She's always saying something about me, taunting me..."

"Who?" Buffy asked, wondering if they had a serious problem on their hands.

"Zara Van Ryan! Just 'cause she comes from money and daddy buys her anything she wants, she thinks she's better than us."

"I'll have a word with her," Buffy promised.

"You can't!" Julie exclaimed. "She'll know I said something and she'll get worse!"

"She won't know it was you, I won't mention any names," Buffy assured the teen. "If she's going around upsetting everyone, it could be any one of you who complained." The teenager looked unsure. "Trust me, Julie," Buffy smiled, reaching out to rub the girl's shoulder. "You're here to learn and become better Slayers, you're here so you're not alone with your destiny. I won't have anyone making others feel inadequate. That's not what this place is about."

Julie smiled brightly. "Thanks, Buffy."

"No problem."

"There, all done," Carly said, taping a small bit of padding over the cut. "Leave that on for today, then it should be okay to come off by tomorrow."

"Okay. Thanks, Doctor Lovell." Julie jumped down off the examination table and left.

Carly removed her latex gloves and smiled at Buffy. "Now, what can I do for you?"

Buffy returned the smile and took a seat on the end of the table. "I got knocked out last night and Willow says I can't go out unless you clear me for duty."

Taking out her pocket light, Carly examined Buffy's eyes. "How long were you out for?"

"Not very. Maybe... five minutes."

"Any dizziness? Headaches?"

Buffy shook her head. "Nothing. I feel fine. I am fine. Willow's just putting her foot down because she can!"

Carly slipped the small light back into her pocket. "Your eyes look clear, no sign of concussion. I think you should take tonight off, just to be on the safe side..."

"I can't. I've got a demon to track down. But if I come over all funny, you'll be the first to know, Carly." Buffy jumped off the table. "So, I'm all clear, right?"

Carly nodded. "I can't see anything wrong with you, so yes, you have the all clear."

"Great," Buffy smiled. "Thanks, Carly. See you later." She reached the door before hesitating. "Has Faith been by to see you?"

"Faith? No. Why?"

"She got a cut on her arm. It wasn't serious, but... I just wondered if she'd come to see you about it."

"I'd imagine it's well on its way to healing by now."

Buffy nodded. "That's what I thought as well." She waved. "See you."

* * * *

Buffy walked into her classroom and scowled as she found Faith laughing and joking around with her students. "What are you doing here?" she asked, getting their attention. "I heard you were in the gym working off some... frustration."

"Hey, B," Faith grinned, dimples coming on display. "Thought you might need a hand." She wiggled her fingers and watched Buffy blush.

"I've got it under control, thanks."

"You weren't here, B. I was holdin' down the fort."

Buffy rolled her eyes as she made her way to the front of the classroom. "Well, I'm here now, so you can go."

Faith sat on the edge of the desk and folded her arms. "I don't mind stickin' around."

"I don't need you to stick around." Buffy was very aware that their whole conversation was being keenly listened to.

"Got nowhere else to be," Faith shrugged.

"Willow could use some help researching. She doesn't know what she's looking for."

"Research isn't really my thing. Maybe I'll go along later. You going?"

Buffy glanced around at the girls and smiled, deciding to just ignore Faith and get on with things.

"Buffy," Nina Samstat called out. "Is it true you and Faith got taken out by a demon last night?"

The blonde glared at Faith, who shrugged.

"Didn't say a word, B. Rumours are all over the school about what went down last night. And you just mentioned Red researchin'."

"We didn't get taken out," Buffy told the teenager. "Obviously, 'cause we're standing right here. We did get jumped though. Which is why I want to talk to you about patrolling today."

"Did you slay the demon?" Zara Van Ryan asked.

"One of them. Another got away," Faith replied.

"When you go out on patrol, you don't go out alone like I used to. You patrol in groups. You have people there to watch your back and help you out. But this can be a disadvantage." Buffy started walking up and down the aisles between the desks. "Some girls stop paying attention to their surroundings, some girls get sloppy in their fighting. Can anyone tell me why it's a disadvantage?"

She looked over at the brown-haired girl who put up her hand. "Yes, Zara?"

"We won't hear anything approaching us."

Buffy nodded. "You have to be alert at all times. Hearing something approaching is sometimes the only heads up you get. Anyone else? Yes, Fenella?"

"If you slack off 'cause you think someone else will save your arse, you could all get hurt," the Irish teen said.

"Right. You all need to be at your best, you all need to give your best, otherwise people get hurt." Reaching the front of the classroom, Buffy avoided looking at Faith and deliberately stood in front of the brunette, her back to her. "The best advice I can give you..."

"Don't drink coffee before goin' out on patrol," Faith interrupted.

"Hey!" Buffy protested, turning to pout at the brunette. "One time!"

"I thought we were here to teach?"

Scowling, Buffy looked at the class of amused girls. "She has a point," she admitted sheepishly. "Anything with caffeine in it should be avoided until after patrol. Caffeine makes the Slayer all... jittery."

"The Slayer?" Nina asked. "You make it sound like a whole other person."

"For me, that's what the Slayer is. Another part of me, who comes out when evil is around. She hunts at night, taking out evil and protecting the innocent."

Faith nodded. "B's right. The Slayer is separate from who you are."

"Okay, our lesson is about patrol and an advantage you have is our library. Willow went out of her way to stock up on helpful books that are full of demons you need to know about, as well as other stuff like apocalypses, which is a whole other subject. Today, we're gonna go along to the library and help with research because research is an important part of our job."

"Free labour, nicely done, B," Faith complimented.

Buffy grinned. "If they spend an hour looking up our demon, it's an hour I don't have to. Everyone head for the library, I'll fill you in on what we're looking for once we're there." She watched her students stand up and shuffle their way towards the door, before glancing back at Faith. "Are you coming?"

"Not yet."

Buffy rolled her eyes and started walking. She was stopped from getting too far by a hand on her wrist.

"How about we... hang back?" Faith suggested, stepping up behind Buffy.

Buffy's eyes slid shut as Faith's hands slipped beneath her top and roamed freely up her sides. "Faith!"

"I can't think of anything but you, B," Faith murmured. "From the moment I woke up this morning..." She pressed in close to the blonde's back, her hands cupping Buffy's bra-covered breasts.

Buffy moaned aloud and thrust her buttocks back against Faith, hot desire flooding from her to dampen her underwear. Her clit was throbbing painfully, demanding attention. With a groan, she forced herself to move away. "I already told you... this has something to do with those demons."

"You can't keep pushing me away, Buffy!" Faith growled in frustration. "You think you're superior! You act superior! Because you're the Slayer, the Chosen One, strong, fast, better than most. But you're forgetting that I'm a Slayer, too. I was chosen. You're not better than me, Buffy. We're the same."

"I don't think I'm superior. What does this have to do with you suddenly wanting me because of those demons?"

Faith growled and threw her hands up in the air. "Who says what we're feeling has anything to do with those demons? Only you're saying that!" She took a deep breath and counted to ten. "Look," she started softly. "I know a lot about sex," she confessed. "But... maybe it's time I learnt something about love, 'cause I feel like... I love you, Buffy." She shook her head. "No, that's wrong. I do love you. I love you so much. Always have. Way back to the Sunnydale days."

"What do you know about love?" Buffy scoffed, feeling herself getting defensive, feeling the need to protect herself from this woman who had the power to hurt her so deeply. "You've never had a relationship that lasted longer than a night!"

Faith sighed heavily. "I know what love is," she whispered. "As for the relationship thing, I'm asking you to take a chance on me, B. Give me a chance, give us a chance."

Buffy was shaking her head before Faith had even finished talking. "This is insane! It's crazy! Do you hear what you're saying?" She laughed, a nervous, scared laugh. "I can't believe you don't think what we're feeling has anything to do with those demons! This... this love stuff, this desire for a relationship, it's a spell or something. Willow will find out, we'll find the cure, Faith. Just... stay a good distance away from me until we do." She hurried out of the classroom without looking back.

Continued....