Faith was the queen of fucking up people's lives.
Buffy had decided that from the moment she had found out that the brunette Slayer was awake. She had thought that that part of her life was over with, she had thought that with Faith out of commission and Angel gone she would be starting a new life, leaving the old one behind. And she had, she had a new boyfriend and was in college and had moved on from both of them.
She'd nearly killed one friend for another and had, ironically, moved on with her life without either of them in it.
And now she couldn't do anything but watch as her happy world crumbled before her eyes. Because of her sister Slayer--the girl she had tried to kill for her dying lover--she was trapped in a different body and wanted by the police, the Watcher's Council, and her own friends. She had no proof that she was really Buffy and that Faith was running around claiming to be her. She hadn't even realized it until she had looked up from their locked hands, startled to be staring at her face. And then Faith had knocked her out and the next thing she remembered was waking up in a police car.
A police car that now sat on the side of the road, one door hanging open and the two officers slumped over, unconscious. She had kicked the grate that separated the backseat from the front in again, surprised at Faith's strength. She'd managed to wriggled her hand out of the handcuff, and the metal hung off her right wrist like a bracelet.
The radio in the car crackled to life and she jumped, bringing a hand up to her chest when she realized it was only that. The officers groaned and she knew they'd be waking up soon. Without looking back, she took off down to road, mentally thanking Faith that she had worn leather and not a skirt.
The tears finally came as she raced down the block, darting down the street that lead to the highway. She didn't know what to do, she only knew that she couldn't stay in Sunnydale. She had to go somewhere safe, somewhere she could figure out what she was going to without worrying about the police or the Council. Buffy refused to let Faith win, and it was that stubborn pride that was keeping her from keeling over and crying hysterically on the side of the road. The renegade Slayer would NOT get the better of her and she wouldn't keep her body, not after what Buffy had just learned.
She just prayed Faith didn't figure it out.
A car whizzed by as she trekked onto the highway and her head shot up in surprise. It slowed about a hundred feet ahead of her and backed up, bringing Buffy face to face with a handsome man around the age of thirty. He looked her up and down and smiled, rolling down the window.
"What's a gorgeous girl like you doing walking all by her lonesome?" he asked. Buffy tried to suppress the urge to knock that cocky smirk off his face and forced herself to smile.
"Waiting for someone like you to pick me up," she replied hotly.
"Where you headed?" he asked, his hand hovering over the unlock button.
Buffy made a split-second decision. "Los Angeles," she said, leaning over and peering into the car. His eyes fixated on her low-cut tank top and she resisted the shudder that ran through her. She didn't know why Faith did this, enjoyed men ogling her all the time. Attention was nice, but this was disgusting.
But she had it now, and she needed a lift. If flaunting her--no, *Faith's* body would get her one, she could deal. "You're in luck, little lady," he said, unlocking the door. "I'm headed there myself. Hop in."
Buffy did, closing the door and slumping against the seat. She was relieved when she looked in the side-view mirror and saw that her tears had stopped and her face seemed fine. Thank God for water-proof mascara.
"I'm Jason," he said when they had gotten onto the road again.
"Buffy," she said without a moment's hesitation. It would be better if she used her name and not Faith's, the police would have a harder time tracing her. Before he could say anything she flipped on the radio to her favorite alternative station and leaned back, staring out the window, her thoughts roaming to Angel.
Angel was the only one who could help her now, and as much as it hurt to have to go and see him, she knew that was her only choice. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she sank deep into the seat of the Jetta and wondered how she was going to convince Angel that she wasn't really Faith.
*~*
Angel turned the page in his book, trying very hard to concentrate on the words before him. Something wasn't right, he could feel it. Thunder broke the quiet in the office, making the vampire jump in his chair. He looked at the window to see it begin to pour, lightning dancing across the darkened sky.
Angel took an unnecessary breath and picked up the book, which had fallen in the commotion. He found his spot again and switched on the light by his head, leaning back into his chair and propping his feet up on the desk. The storm was raging outside but he focused on his book, fighting down the sense of anxiety that was slowly creeping into his system.
The soft click of the door to the office disengaging caught his attention, and he looked through the glass windows into the other room, expecting to see Cordelia and Wesley. There was no one in the outer reception area. He shrugged to himself and went back to reading, his vampiric senses honing in on the room.
A creak made him look up again. There was someone in the other room, he could feel it. Angel swung his legs off the desk and carefully set his book down, marking his spot. He was about to rise when a voice stopped him.
"Don't bother, I'm not that important."
Angel looked up, startled, to see Faith leaning against the doorframe, her arms crossed over her chest. He leapt to his feet, ignoring the tingling in his soul. That was the feeling he got when Buffy was near, and she obviously wasn't right now.
"You're in a coma," Angel said, his voice bordering on disbelief.
"The funny thing about comas? You can wake up at any time," she snapped, her dark eyes boring into his. Buffy was using Faith's appearance as her shield, allowing her anger to surface. And she was angry, she was angry that he looked so at home here and that he didn't look like he missed her as much as she missed him.
But he did. She looked into his eyes, really looked, and saw the pain and guilt that she knew were present in hers as well. She forced herself to meet his gaze, keeping up her charade as Faith.
"Does Buffy know?" he asked, mentally calculating the distance between them and inching over to the plant where he had hidden a dagger months ago.
"B? Oh, yeah, she knows. Probably out looking for me right now," she replied, unconsciously tightening her arms around her chest and speaking again, speaking to hurt him. "Our little perfect Slayer. Did you know she's multi-talented too? She can go out with the little Scooby Gang and search for me, pretend that she's happy, *and* suck her new boyfriend off, all at once. That's just sheer brilliance."
Buffy didn't know why she said, or how she could be so cruel, but she did and she was. And she saw that it hurt, hurt him deeply when her words hit home. Hurt him to know that he had been replaced, that she had moved on. And a part of her relished in the knowledge of his pain, feeling as though they were even somehow. He had broken her heart, she had just broken his.
"She always was," Angel said tightly, his fists clenching and his eyes changing briefly to gold before he controlled the anger he suddenly felt.
"Good at sucking?" Buffy repeated, allowing Faith's lips to turn up in a smirk.
"Multi-talented," he clarified. "What do you want, Faith?"
"A roomful of gorgeous, naked men and a mother who loves me," she shot back. Angel arched an eyebrow.
"So why'd you come here?" Angel asked, stepping casually over to the plant.
"What, I can't come and check up on old friends? Everyone's so touchy these days. I mean, I know I didn't call or write for eight months, but your little bitch kinda prevented me from doing that," she said, resting her head against the doorframe.
Angel's hand shot out and grabbed the dagger at that moment. He was in front of her in a second, the cool tip of the metal pressing into her throat. She gazed at him with wide eyes.
"What do you want, Faith?" he repeated slowly, staring at her with menacing eyes.
"Angel," Buffy whispered desperately, dropping her act. It had been getting her nowhere, and while it had felt good to attack him, she couldn't take it anymore. Crumbling, she looked up at him. "I'm not Faith."
"You're not Faith," he said flatly. "Right, and I'm not still madly in love with Buffy."
Tears welled in her eyes and her throat constricted with emotion as she fought hard not to cry. "Angel, I'm serious! Faith woke up and she somehow switched bodies with me."
"I'm not in the mood for your games, Faith," he told her, his voice harsh.
"Don't call me that, dammit!" Buffy cried. "My name is Buffy!"
"Stop!" Angel growled. "Don't you dare say her name."
"Angel," she whimpered, her hand closing into a fist. With surprising power she punched him hard, catching his right cheek. His head whipped back in shock and she ducked and rolled, coming up to face him. The dagger stuck out of the doorframe where her throat had been moments before.
"I had forgotten you liked it rough," Angel said, his face shifting and his teeth elongating into sharp fangs, the same fangs that had branded her as his...
She stared at him helplessly, not sure what to do. "Angel, I'm sorry. But it's me, Buffy," she pleaded. He growled and launched himself at her, punching her hard. She stared at him for a moment in shock before aiming a sharp high-kick at him. He blocked it and knocked her down. Buffy hit the ground hard and fought to breath, trying to get up. Angel quickly straddled her waist and pinned her wrists above her head. She struggled against him, her body twisting under him to try and throw him off.
"We end this now," he told her. She stared up at him with tears hiding in her big lashes, biting her lip hard to keep it from trembling. He didn't believe her. The one person she had thought would be able to tell... Buffy closed her eyes.
Suddenly the pressure on her wrists lessened. She opened her eyes hesitantly to see Angel's golden ones staring back at her. She let everything that made her herself--her love for him, her hurt, her confusion--shine through, hoping it would be enough for him to realize.
"Buffy?" he whispered, his voice raw. She let out the breath she hadn't even realized she had been holding and nodded once, not trusting herself to speak. Angel let her up immediately, helping her stand. "What's going on?"
She just stared at him, a single tear tracing the gentle curve of her cheek before running down to the place all tears go. She felt it trace down her throat and settle in the hollow of her collarbone but made no move to wipe it away. Angel stared at her, ignoring the face she wore and the fact that her eyes were chocolate instead of the hazel he knew. He could see into her soul, and he knew in an instant that it was his beloved.
Buffy fought hard to keep the tears firmly checked, but it was too hard and she was too tired. She let out a ragged sob, never tearing her gaze from his. She raised her hands to her face abruptly, the handcuffs that were still around her right wrist hitting her gently in the chest, hiding from him as she cried. She suddenly didn't want him to look at her in this body and see all the things it represented, all the things he hated.
Without thinking, Angel pulled her to him, crushing her against his chest and wrapping his arms around her as she cried. She wept against his chest, partly for her situation and partly from the fact that she was home again, in his arms and safe and loved. She ached for him, she ached for his security and his strength and his love. Angel kissed her hair soothingly, whispering comforting words in her ear. He rocked her gently, waiting for her sobs to quiet.
The door burst open suddenly, startling Buffy and Angel. They looked over to see Cordelia and Wesley staring in shock at the scene, their mouths hanging open in shock.
"What's the psycho doing here?" Cordelia demanded.
"She's not Faith. It's Buffy," Angel said. Her brow furrowed.
"Angel, I know you miss our favorite Slayer and all, but that's Faith. When did you become so delusional?" she replied, looking a bit nervous. Buffy didn't blame her, seeing Angel with Faith must have been trippy. *Being* Faith was trippy.
"She switched bodies with me," Buffy said, her voice sounding shaky to her ears. Angel wrapped his arm around her shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly, and she leaned into him gratefully. Buffy ignored the pain and the longing and was just glad that he was there for her when she needed him.
"Switched bodies? How?" Wesley asked, perking up.
"She...she had this metal thing that she put on her hand. She grabbed mine and the next thing I knew I was staring back at myself. And then she knocked me out," Buffy said softly, staring at the floor. She suddenly felt like she was intruding. Angel had built a whole new life without her, had a business and employees and looked happier in general. She felt a stab of heartache, but before she could continue with her thoughts, Cordelia spoke.
"So it was like looking in the mirror, only not," she said, confusion on her face. Buffy quirked an eyebrow.
"Umm...I guess," she replied. "And then I woke up and was sitting in some police car--"
"Hence the handcuffs?" Angel asked, gently taking her right hand in his and holding it up to emphasis his point. She smiled slightly at him.
"I thought maybe you guys had switched while Faith was screwing some guy or something," Cordelia said. Buffy's eyes widened at the thought, as Cordelia's darkened with suspicion. "Wait, how do we know that you aren't tricking us?"
"Look at her eyes," Angel said. Cordelia shot him a strange look, then rolled her eyes and stepped forward hesitantly. She squinted and stared at Buffy, making her squirm slightly.
"Oh, yeah, it's her. She's got that whole 'tortured-love' thing going on too," Cordelia announced. Buffy smiled at her sadly. Thank God for that look...
"I hate to interrupt this little moment you all seem to be having, but what were you planning to do?" Wesley called from his spot by the door. Buffy turned to look at him.
"Wesley, what in the world are you doing here?" she asked. His chest puffed out slightly as he straightened up.
"I'm a rogue demon hunter," he said, a note of pride in his voice. Buffy nodded, then quirked her eyebrow in disbelief.
"Yeah, complete with the leather pants and motorcycle," Cordelia muttered under her breath. The Slayer burst out laughing.
"Wesley? In leather pants? Were you killing demons or just scaring them to death?" she giggled.
His stance got defensive immediately. "I'll have you know that I've assisted Angel many a time during--"
"So you work here too?" she interrupted. He nodded proudly.
"Buffy? What *are* you going to do? I mean, you can't walk around as Miss Skank of America for the rest of your life," Cordelia said. Buffy sighed and brushed a piece of brown hair out of her eyes. It was so weird, she had brown hair and was taller and...well, she was little more *endowed* now.
"Well, first we have to get Faith and make sure she doesn't do too much damage in my body," Buffy said, turning to look at Angel. She noticed that his arm was still around her protectively, and she snuggled up against him a little more. "We should call Giles."
He nodded thoughtfully. "They could somehow bring her here and then we can figure out how to switch you back." Angel turned to Wesley and Cordelia, holding Buffy's gaze a moment longer than necessary. "I want you two to call Giles and tell him what's happened. See if they can somehow capture Faith and bring her here. In the meantime, Buffy and I will start looking for spells to try and fix this."
He guided her to the elevator. Cordelia called after him, and he stopped and turned back around to face her. "Are you gonna be okay?" she asked, her eyebrow arched suggestively. "I mean, the last time you guys were down there things got a little...hot."
"Cordelia, what are you talking about?" Buffy asked, her eyes moving from the actress to the vampire beside her. "I've never been anywhere but this room before."
Angel gave her a pointed glare, and she gasped suddenly. "Oh, that's right. I forgot that you don't--" She cut herself off, clutching her head and moaning suddenly. Angel and Wesley flew to her side, Buffy standing a few feet away hesitantly, as her body convulsed. "Dammit! Doyle, I'm gonna kill you!" she cried as she slumped against Angel and brought a hand up to caress her temples.
"What did you see?" Angel asked, handing her a cup of water and two Advil. She gulped it down and looked up at Buffy, who was staring at her uncertainly.
"I get visions from the Powers That Be," she explained. "And we'd better call Giles soon, because Faith isn't wasting any time. I just saw her flirting with Spike, coming on to some hot college guy, and making out with someone else."
"Hot college guy..." Buffy echoed. "What did he look like?"
"Geez, Buffy, it's not like I had time to take a picture," she snapped. At Angel's look, she sighed. "Reddish hair, tall, nice body. Hair needed a major cut but--"
"Riley," Buffy said softly, turning to Angel. His eyes asked her a question, one he didn't think he wanted to know the answer to. "My boyfriend."
She looked away, not being able to stand the hurt look on his face. He turned away from her, focusing his attention on the bookshelf, and the tension that permeated the air was palpable. Cordelia and Wesley shifted uneasily.
"Okay, you know what needs to be done," he said, spinning around with a book in his hand. Looking at Cordelia and Wesley, he told them, "Come down and let me know what happens. We'll try and figure out a way to reverse it."
"And get me some ice," Buffy said, wincing as her jaw protested from Angel's punch. He smiled lopsidedly at her in apology. They disappeared into the elevator, leaving the actress and the demon hunter alone.
"Are you sure it's a good idea, them being alone like that?" he asked. She shrugged and headed for the phone.
"I doubt he wants to touch her in that body, think of all the diseases he could catch!" she replied. "Besides, they both can control themselves, it's not like they're blind with lust or anything."
"'Blind with lust'?" he repeated. She flipped through her Rolodex, looking for Giles' number.
"Read it in one of those romance novels," she said with a shrug. "I always wanted to say it."
"So you don't believe there's anything to worry about?" he asked as she dialed. She looked thoughtful for a moment.
"Carry a stake with you. Just in case."
TBC...
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