FIC: Prison Talk 1/?

["Selenay" <selenay@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi guys,

Heh, I promised myself I wouldn't start a new series before I tied up my
other ones but...you can thank Pat Kelly for inspiring this one. Hope y'all
like it.


Title: Prison Talk 1/?
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: I really must have something for Buffy vs. Dracula. This is set a
couple of days after, so there's a couple of minor ones.
Distribution: My site, http://www.selenayhaven.com. and 'A Slayer A Hacker.
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


Buffy closed the front door behind her tiredly. Although Dracula was
probably long gone, she had felt duty bound to check out the castle, or the
spot where the castle had sat, to make sure. < Sure, and it had nothing to
do with you not wanting to deal with Riley right now, did it? > a snide
voice asked her.

She did not deign that comment with a reply, instead making her way into the
kitchen to get a snack. The telephone began ringing as she passed it and she
quickly picked it up, not wanting the noise to wake her mother or sister.

"Hello?"

At the other end there was only silence. Buffy could not even hear anyone
breathing.

"Hello? Is anyone there? Look, if you don't answer in two seconds I'll-"

"B?"

Faith's voice stopped her dead. It sounded so hesitant, not at all like the
brash young girl she had known.

"B?" Faith repeated.

"F-Faith?" Buffy asked, incredulously.

"Yeah, it's me. Look, I know I'm probably the last person you want to talk
to right now - God knows I made sure of that - but..."

"H-how...why...why are they letting you call so late?" Buffy asked,
concentrating on something mundane while she tried to organise her scattered
thoughts.

"I'm being a good girl now - it has its perks."

"Oh."

"Yeah. I've got this counsellor hanging around, trying to sort out my life
for me. This is one of her lessons - try to make amends for what I did. So,
I'm trying."

"Oh," Buffy said again.

There was silence as the blonde Slayer tried convince herself that putting
the telephone down would be the best thing for everyone. For some reason,
something was stopping her. Curiosity perhaps. < Sadomasochism, more like, >
she thought ruefully.

"B? You still there?"

"I'm still here."

There was more silence.

"I thought you'd have hung up on me by now," Faith said uncertainly.

"I'm not sure why I haven't." Buffy sighed. "How are you?"

"I'm just swimming along," Faith said with false cheer. After a beat she
added, "It's hard, you know?"

"No, I don't."

"This counsellor woman, she wants me to talk about my life and work out why
everything went so wrong. She'd lock me up for sure if I told her."

Buffy frowned. "Is that why you called me?"

"No. If I need to talk about our world, I can talk to Angel. He's really
cool about it."

"That's why I took you to him in the first place."

Buffy heard Faith let out a pain-filled sigh. "I know that now. It's
just...when you did that, I thought you were abandoning me. And then the
Watchers came and I was sure you'd set it up. I screwed everything up
because I'm so..."

"Hot-headed?"

"Stupid was the word I was gonna go with, but yours is much nicer."

Buffy grinned and then forced it away. "I can think of lots of other words
as well."

"I know you can."

"Why am I still talking to you?"

"I don't know."

The conversation lapsed into silence again.

"Are you sorry?" Buffy asked slowly.

There was silence on the telephone, apart from a sudden intake of breath,
and the blonde Slayer was almost afraid that Faith was not going to answer.

"I think so, yeah," Faith said quietly. "I'm sorry I hurt so many people. I'
m sorry I caused so much mess. I'm sorry...I'm sorry I hurt you."

"Oh."

"Betcha never thought you'd hear that from me." She paused. "I'm-"

She cut off as Buffy heard a bell ring somewhere.

"I've gotta go," Faith told her quickly. "Lights out, time for bed and all."

"Ok."

"Look, thanks for not hanging up on me."

"I'm not sure why I didn't," Buffy admitted.

"Whatever, I'm glad."

"Take care."

"You too."

The low buzz of the disconnect tone sounded in Buffy's ear and she stared at
the telephone for a long time before putting it back on the cradle. It
probably ranked as one of her oddest conversations ever and she felt a
strange sense of restlessness. < I wonder... >

To be continued...
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Ones get lonely...
AIM: selenay936