summary:

TITLE: It's An Unlikely World Part 1 AUTHOR: halfofone
RATING: NC17 for language mainly CODE: F/W with some B/F and W/T
FEEDBACK: Yup. Tell me the truth.
SUMMARY: This is a Buffy The Vampire Slayer fic. Faith is thrown together with an old enemy in prison.
WARNINGS: This jumps off from the end of BTVS season six and there are some spoilers. What happens next bears no relationship to season seven whatever.
ARCHIVING: If you want ... I would quite like to know where.
DISCLAIMER: BTVS is the property of Mutant Enemy and Twentieth Century Fox. I'm just playing with their toys.
CREDITS: Not beta'd so beware and this is my first BTVS story.
PUBLISHED: 11 November 2002

disclaimer:

TPTB are many. In a perfect world I would be one of them but it's not and I'm not. No infringement of copyright/trade marks or other intellectual property is intended. This story was written for fun and not profit.

warnings:

Warning: This story includes same sex relationships between women. If you are offended by this or it is illegal where you live or you are underage then please read no further.

Full warnings, credits and disclaimers can be found in the contents page and chapter 1.

text:

Cat-calls and wolf-whistles echoed down the hard walls and bounced against metal doors announcing that another inmate had arrived for detention and correction. The bellows of the guards threatening retribution answered and added to the cacophony.

'Jeez it's like the soundtrack to a fucking Tarzan movie. I hope they ain't gonna put her in here,' muttered Faith to herself even though a part of her felt sympathy for the newcomer. She remembered walking the seemingly endless corridors with the countless faces leering from the cell bars, the ugly suggestions and uglier threats, the endless doors being unlocked and then relocked behind her, sealing her in. It had been hard not to run, make a break, get away from this place even though she had voluntarily handed herself over to whatever justice Southern California had to offer.

She had been held in solitary for a month before she was taken to the main cell block while the prison psychs assessed her. After the harsh quiet and darkness of life in the cooler, the noise and lights of the main dormitories had been overwhelming. The slayer had been scared despite knowing that she was stronger than anyone she was likely to meet and that she was here because she deserved it. She wondered if the new woman deserved to be here. Some did. Most didn't. They were mostly stupid or desperate or both. The slayer's frown deepened to a scowl when the prisoner in the bunk below whined.

"There ain't enough room for us'n let alone another fat bitch."

"Did I say you could speak?"

"No'm Faith but I jest wanted ..."

"Then shut up. And the only fat bitch in here is you."

The noise approached closer and then Faith could pick out footsteps, heavy boots and lighter steps, stumbling and shuffling slightly. 'Leg-irons,' thought the slayer grimly. 'This must be a real hard case.' The footsteps stopped and the yelling and shouting from the other prisoners increased. Faith could make out some of the cries. "Lucked out bitch, she's a mean mother." "Ain't no way you gonna get that skinny flat ass out of there alive. You're fucked baby." The cell bolts rattled and then she heard them slammed back and the door was yanked open.

"Fuck and fuck again," Faith growled under her breath.

"Prisoner step inside the door and stand still, hands on the bunk," barked a senior warder. The woman shuffled slowly through the door. From the top bunk Faith couldn't see her face, just lanky hair and very thin shoulders. "Legs apart," snapped the warder. "Search her and then remove the irons." The warder stood back, shotgun at the ready, to watch her two subordinates body search the newcomer for the second time in ten minutes. She sneered slightly when she saw Faith looking down. "Present for you Spencer."

Faith ignored her. She peered at the new prisoner who submitted quietly as the guards roughly ran their hands over her body and an odd conviction of familiarity began to form in Faith's mind though she couldn't yet see the woman's face, hidden as it was by a reddish curtain of hair. Then feeling became knowledge and Faith couldn't prevent herself exclaiming.

"Red!"

"You know each other? The warder was immediately nervous and alert, pale blue eyes flicking from one to other, moving instinctively to raise her shotgun. Friends or enemies could be equally dangerous.

"No Ma'am," said Faith recovering quickly. She winked at the warder. I've just always wanted to have a special friend with red-hair Ma'am," and the slayer grinned maliciously. The warder studied them suspiciously for a few more seconds, in which time the thin new prisoner showed no sign of recognising her future cellmate and Faith continued to grin lasciviously; the officer relaxed a little and smirked.

"Well I expect you'll look after your special friend real well Spencer. A pretty little Jew-dyke like her has to be real careful round here."

"Oh I'll take care of her Ma'am."

"Well then I'll just let you two get acquainted and Spencer," the warder leered at the slayer who cocked an eyebrow. "Keep the noise down so Barry Manilow there can get some sleep." She pointed at the small pale woman whose slightly bulging eyes stared anxiously from the cover of the middle bunk.

"Yes Ma'am," answered Faith brightly. The cell door was slammed shut by the departing warder, loud enough so that any prisoner on the block who had managed to sleep through the earlier racket now lost that privilege. The slayer whispered under her breath, "And fuck you and your hell spawn."

The hubbub outside eventually subsided and the cell block returned to its usual uneasy night-time silence broken only by the occasional shouting as inmates threatened or cajoled the occupants of other cells. The lights went down until there was not quite enough to read by and the ill-assorted occupants of cell 28 waited in silence. Faith strained her senses until she was sure the guards had gone. "All clear," she said in an undertone.

"Have they gone Faith? Are you sure? Aah hate that hell-bitch Wilson with her spooky little smiles." Barry Manilow, as she was known to guards and prisoners alike, lowered herself from her bunk and walked cautiously around the back of the silent red-head who still leaned against the bunk for support. "They've gone honey. You can settle back a little there." There was no response and the tiny woman was instantly annoyed. "Hey remember the bottom bunk's yers but maybe Faithy'll make you sleep on the floor. Wontcha Faithy? You won't let Missy here put herself above us."

"Shut up Manny and watch the door." Faith dropped gracefully and silently to the ground and glared at the painfully thin woman who had still given no sign of recognition. She was dressed in the orange prison uniform and sandals and a standard prison holdall lay at her feet where it had been dropped.

"What the fuck do you want Red?"

At last Willow raised her eyes to meet the slayer's angry gaze and Faith, despite her lifetime's experience of despair, flinched as she met the emptiest eyes she had ever seen.

"Nothing," said Willow. She slowly bent over to retrieve the holdall from the ground and placed it on the bottom bunk and then sat down on the edge of the stained mattress and lapsed back into motionless silence. Faith was pissed off.

"Don't expect shit from me Red. Whatever it is that you and the sainted fucking B are doing, find some other poor fuck to screw with. I am over the slaying gig."

Willow exhaled slowly and a grimace of resignation that was almost a smile flitted over her pale face but the expression was empty of cheer, empty of everything.

"I want nothing from you Faith."

"I don't believe you," Faith snarled and strode the four steps to the end of the small cell and whirled about on her heel. "This is some moronic scooby trick to get back at me. Suppose I just kill you here Red?" Her eyes flashed in a dangerous smile. "After all I'm a mindless killer who gets off on death. I don't know what B was thinking letting you get this close to me." The slayer covered the tiny distance between them and forcefully lifted Willow's chin to stare into the witch's face. Cold hope stirred in the dull green eyes.

"That's right Faith, you'll have to kill me." Willow urged, her expression almost pleading, and then she overstated the case by adding, "You don't want me around you spying for Buffy."

Faith was confused now but she didn't like being taken for a fool. Angrily she pushed Willow back onto the bunk.

"Get to bed. We'll talk in the morning when maybe you'll make some fucking sense."

Willow looked at the angry slayer and then her eyes dropped and she swung her legs up onto the bunk and lay back down, passive and obedient. It set Faith's nerves on edge.

"You know her fer sure. I ain't niver seen you all flustered an' all."

The slayer glared angrily at Manny who gaped back with her distinctive and peculiar mixture of animal intelligence and dumb ignorance, mouth slack and open, pale muddy eyes alive with curiousity.

"You can get in your fucking bunk as well." Faith ordered.

The older woman peered at her knowingly and smirked. "She an old girlfriend?" Faith didn't answer and Manny took the chance to pry a little more. "A bit skinny, not your usual kinda bitch but perhaps you're different now?"

"Just get to bed Manny and remember not to let your stupid fat mouth run on outside these walls else I'll break your arms off and use 'em for coat hangers." But Faith knew that warning the dumb bitch was useless; Manny couldn't let an opportunity slip if the price was right and even if it wasn't. She'd sell information about anything to anyone, she just couldn't help herself from singing out.

Faith climbed into the upper bunk and lay back. The heavy night air lingered oppressively, carrying its usual foetid burden of disinfectant, urine and boiled vegetables. She could hear the sounds from the adjacent cells; the snoring chorus with some coughing and weeping solos; cell 23 were fucking their brains out, ignoring the complaints from their neighbours. Concentrating, Faith blocked the noises from outside and listened. Manny was pretending to sleep, breathing heavily but not the asthmatic snore that would signal her actual departure for Nod. Faith half-grinned, the good ol' girl in the bunk beneath was determined not to miss anything; most nights Manny was asleep before her head hit the pillow, so staying awake must be real torture for her. The slayer's grin faded.

She could hear nothing from the lower bunk. If Willow was asleep then she was the quietest sleeper Faith had ever known so most likely she was awake but she certainly wasn't crying. Most first-timers would cry themselves to sleep for weeks until they lost the part of themselves that cared enough to cry or realised that they were just hanging up a banner that said 'I'm a weak shit, fuck me over'. Yeah but most first-timers didn't have Buffy 'back from the fucking dead' Summers in back of them, able to crack them out of the joint whenever she pleased. This had to be some kind of slayer deal ....... but then just maybe not. That blank agony in Willow eyes was real, she wasn't faking it, Faith had seen that look on only a few people and none of them lived long. It was hard for the slayer to imagine what could have happened to the too-innocent college girl that would strip the innocence and hope from her and put her in this place but Faith half-wished she had seen Red's fall from grace. She had been an irritatingly perky and self-righteous little geek, and Faith had despised her perhaps more than any of the scoobies; those fucking fluffy jumpers covered in rabbits and ducks were enough to make Faith want to gut her.

'Shit! Ten minutes with a fucking scooby and I'm psycho-girl again - so there are some things that no anger-management can fix.' Faith's bad humour eased, amused by her own reaction but still she knew that sharing a cell with Red wasn't going to be easy.

Faith waited out another long night; she rarely slept. With nothing to exhaust her slayer energies sleep wasn't necessary and it was part of her prison myth: Faith Spencer never sleeps and no-one can take her by surprise. What did surprise Faith was that Willow didn't sleep either.

**************

At seven the next morning the loud banging of prison doors greeted another day as the day shift arrived. An ancient pa system spluttered to life. 'Morning roll call in fifteen minutes, each convict is to stand by her bunk and wait for inspection and then you can all get your fat backsides down to the canteen. I'm told it's waffles today .... but you know I'm fucking lying to you.'

"That bitch thinks she's real amusing," said Manny bitterly. "It ain't right she stole that job from me."

Faith ignored the grumbling from the bunk below, her full attention was on Red. The thin wicca was up already and standing by her bunk. Faith could see her face in profile and if her slayer instinct hadn't told Faith otherwise the red-head's complexion would have screamed vampire, a paleness that spoke of months without sunlight. The reddish hair hung limply, badly trimmed to shoulder length by some incompetent prison barber.

"There's no hurry Red," said Faith casually. "It'll take them another fifteen minutes before they get to us."

"Yeah, and then the bastards give us forty minutes for breakfast, three hundred women in two queues." Manny shook her head. "If you ain't in the first two hunnered an fifty you don' eat. Shit ain't worth eating anyway; my pigs eat better 'n that."

Willow gave no sign of hearing either of them; she continued to stand impassively by the bunks, staring at the end wall of the cell where a small barred window grudgingly allowed the sunlight in.

"Hey red-head!" Manny pushed Willow hard in the small of her back, shoving her forward a step. "Are you just fucking ignorant? Don't you piss on me and pay me no mind when Ah'm speaking to yer." Manny was used to being ragged by other cons but not by some skinny first-time kid; that was just humiliating for an old hand like herself. If Faith wasn't gonna sort the brat out then she would.

Willow slowly turned to face the aggravated little woman. Her eyes glowed black and a cold ferocity angled her features. Manny cowered back into the shadow of her bunk, realising she had misread the situation totally and was about to pay some awful price. And Faith's slayer senses lit up; she had forgotten what a rush it was. She jumped from the upper bunk with fluid grace, landing just in front of the wicca. As she moved into a fighting stance she realised that the darkness was already fading from Willow's gaze and the evil chill that had been unleashed was fading also. Faith relaxed, dropping her hands and raised her eyebrow in an expression of amused wonder.

"Well get you Red" she drawled, smiling knowingly. "Angel told me your voodoo skills had come on but he didn't say you'd made it to full-on wicked witch of the West."

"Faith don't .... "

"Hey who am I to criticise? And it'll give the friggin' counsellors another super evil chick to focus on. Of course! That's why you're here isn't it? Got carried away by the bad mojo." Faith's grin was even broader as Willow sank down on the bunk. "So what happened Wicca girl? One day you just wrinkled your cute little nose and half of Sunny D dropped dead?"

"Something like that."

"I'm impressed but that leaves me with one big honkin' question Red. What was B doin' while all this bad shit was going down for you?" Willow turned her face away and Faith's grin became more wicked. "No! Don't say anything. Let me guess. She was playing with her latest fuck toy, all wrapped up in herself as usual while you went to hell alone and hey, since we're discussing old friends, please don't tell me that farm-boy is still the scene with B."

"You're still obsessed with her, aren't you Faith. Everything always comes back to Buffy."

Faith mimed being stabbed in the stomach and gasped out. "It's true, I admit it, I have major issues with 'holier than thou' Barbie." She smirked at Willow. "The trauma counsellor reckons I have repressed sexual longing for the 'mysterious' blonde in my dreams even if we usually fight to the death in an open grave. Sex equals death is her theory. Whaddya think?"

Any reply that Willow might have made was forestalled by the rattle of the door bolts. There was a lot of shouting in the background. Something was wrong. The cell door swung back violently and an armed guard poked the muzzle of a shotgun through the opening, scoping out the cell.

"What the fuck are you all doing?" screamed the day-shift warder, "Get your fucking asses off those bunks and get ready for inspection," Frenzied and purple-faced, she entered the cell behind the armed guard. The morning inspection had been a nightmare already for the warder what with one dead body and another inmate, the only suspect, apparently too frightened to speak. It was going to be a fucking bad day and she didn't have time for insolent lazy cons.

"Hey Ma'am! I'm here, standing by my bed. Ain't no need to rag on me Ma'am." Faith winked at the warder but the familiarity only made the woman angrier.

"Don't fuck with me Spencer. You ain't even dressed. You're all three on report."

"On report? Does this mean we'll be getting detention after school Ma'am?"

"We've got a body in cell 23, Spencer. None of you is going anywhere today. This whole frigging block is staying in the cells until we know what happened."

Willow and Manny were standing by this time and the warden gave them all a cursory pat-down.

"Who's dead Ma'am?" Faith was serious at last, she knew and liked both women in 23. If some fucker had hurt them .....

"Dimanski. Neck broken."

Faith had no answer for this bombshell but her hands instinctively closed into fists.

"Real nasty," said Manny interrupting, realising that her skills were needed. "Ah always feel real sorry for someone who finds something so terrible." Gossiping with guards was her job and she was real good at it, sympathy oozed from her, masking the overriding nosiness. The warder opened her mouth and then closed it again, clearly bursting to share the news so Manny prompted her again, "Was it you who found the poor soul Ma'am?" She spoke in a hushed kind of voice that could still carry across three counties. "Course Ah found my first husband in a pool of blood. It must have been ten feet across, Ah can see him now." The small con shook her head sadly, ignoring Faith's snort of derision.

The warder looked behind her furtively. The guard had moved outside the cell. It was against the rules to discuss incidents like this with prisoners but the need to talk about what she had seen overrode any misgivings.

"It was fucking creepy. Dimanski, dead as they come, Bowyer huddled in the corner crying. I ain't never seen a corpse so pale and I've seen a few. Blood all over her neck."

"Who did it?" Faith's dark eyes blazed.

"Why Bowyer of course! Cell was locked and she was the only fucker in there."

"That's a crock o' shit Ma'am. Bowyer worshipped the ground Alice walked on and in case you hadn't noticed, Alice was twice her size."

The warder remembered suddenly that she shouldn't be talking about this. "You can just shut your damn mouth Spencer and mind your own business. I don't want to hear any more gossip from you." She hustled quickly out of the cell, slammed the door and locked it.

Faith swore loudly.

"Vampire," said Willow quietly and unexpectedly.

"What the hell?"

"You're a slayer, you do the math." But Faith simply looked bewildered so Willow continued, "Unnatural strength plus neck trauma equals vampire."

"You're saying Sal Bowyer is a vampire?" Faith shook her head. "Well she wasn't this time yesterday and there just wouldn't have been enough time for her to be vamped and I haven't seen any friggin' vampires in the whole two years I've been here."

Manny was looking disturbed by their conversation, even more disturbed, if that were possible, than she had when Willow turned on her. She did not like the way today was shaping.

"What in hell's name are you two talking about? Faith I don't like her, she's a crazy and you're starting to sound 'bout as crazy as she is."

"Shut up Manny," snapped Faith but the slayer's face was now alive with suspicion. "Call me paranoid Red, but you show up, all witchy and a little evil (hope you don't mind my mentioning that) and suddenly there are women dying, trapped in their locked cells. I'll bet you could do that couldn't you Red?"

Willow looked at her and smiled, a cold tired smile and said in a cold tired voice.

"Yes I could do that. I didn't though."

"Should I believe you?" Faith walked slowly round the witch and then stopped in front of her. "Nope. You're numero uno on my list of suspects Wicca girl. You've got the means, you had the time and I reckon you're a fuckin' psycho-loony (you could say it takes one to know one) so I guess you wouldn't need motive."

"Believe what you like Faith." Willow crawled back into her bunk and lay down with her face to the wall.

"No. That ain't gonna do it because even if you didn't kill her, it's one hell of a coincidence." Faith grabbed Willow by the shoulders and turned her back to face her, she lifted her hand as if to slap the witch. The slayer hesitated when she saw tears staining Willow's face.

"If you want to hit me Faith, I won't stop you. Coincidences happen but I can't blame you for not believing me, there's no reason why you should, and I guess we do have a little too much history." The witch's voice was gentle and shaky, for the first time she seemed like the girl Faith remembered.

Faith didn't hit her so Willow continued. "I really didn't come here looking for you, I didn't want to see anybody ever again. I didn't know they would put me in here with you," she paused for breath, "and I am sorry about your friend."

Faith's anger ebbed and she released her grip on Willow. "Yeah well Alice was alright."

Manny was hanging out of the bunk watching and listening with consuming curiousity. Half of what they said made no sense to her but she was going to make sure she understood even if her brain threatened to explode with the strain. Whatever past these two had together was dynamite. She was sure of that.

"I know why they put Red in here with you," she offered as a way of entering the conversation, "sorry if I have your name wrong Missy but that's all I've heard anyone call you," Willow made no effort to correct the name and Manny shrugged irritably. Getting anything out of this one was tough.

"And why is that then?" asked Faith.

"So you can look after her," said Manny with certainty. "Ain't you noticed how many first-timers and weak fucks they put in with you. The screws know you're a sucker for a sob story."

Faith blushed and then felt even more embarrassed, aware that the former scooby was watching her. She growled, "Yeah well I know they lumbered me with you and you're the most pathetic loser I know, in fact you're the best evidence for your whole dumbass theory, but don't get too comfortable with that idea Manny, I only look after myself. I'm not your fucking babysitter."

It wasn't sensible to upset Faith and Manny was not a fool, in any case she understood the dark-haired girl's reluctance to get a rep as a do-gooder; some folks might see that as weakness so she changed the subject.

"It's a sure thing ol' Sal 'll top hersel without Al to take care of her," she speculated. "Maybe just as well too cos if the screws pin this on her they'll send her to the chair."

"Bowyer wouldn't hurt a thing, everyone knows that,"

"Faithy, she burnt her own home down for the insurance."

"She says different."

"She would but that ain't the point. The point is there ain't no-one else in the picture for this."

"Unless you find someone else," said Willow softly.

"Hey check out Detective Cagney," crowed Manny derisively. "Sorry to spoil your fun girlfriend but we don't exactly have the run of the place and you heard what old hog-face said. Sal was the only one there and the door was locked."

"Detective Cagney ..... ?" Willow repeated looking blank. She shrugged. "I may not be a detective but there are at least two alternatives to your friend being the killer: the killer had a key or the killer used magic, either to get in and out, or even to carry out the murder."

Manny looked at the skinny Wicca with dumbfounded disbelief. She looked at Faith for confirmation that this woman was for real and then back again.

"Are you saying you ain't never heard of Cagney and Lacey!"

"Manny get a fucking life," exclaimed Faith irritably.

"But Faith ... jeez ... I mean ... Cagney and Lacey."

"Just shut the fuck up about fucking Cagney and Lacey. I won't tell you again." Seeing Willow was really puzzled, Faith started to explain. "Manny has some kind of obsessive fan thing going on, some kind of chick-tecs TV show from way back and why the hell am I talking about this crap?" She shook her head in exasperation. "But Red I have to say, while Manny may be dumber than a dead lemming, she has one thing right. There's nothing I can do except listen to the lies, gossip and shit and wait for some stupid con to shoot her mouth off. And none of that will help Sal Bowyer now the cops have got her, poor bitch is on her own."

The PA system burst into life again.

"Cells will be unlocked in five minutes. All inmates are to go straight to the canteen for breakfast. Get ready and get moving."

"Looks like normal service has been resumed. That's fucking quick; the last dead body they found, they kept us locked up for two days."

"Ain't no need for them delaying Faith, they know who done it and they ain't gonna be asking no awkward questions. Where do you reckon they'll send her first: sin bin or kook house? Don't 'spose we'll see her again. Fuck! She owed me a packet of ciggies."

"Shut up and get dressed and remember what I said about keeping your fat mouth shut."

The three women dressed in silence stepping awkwardly round each other. Faith wasn't normally bothered about the lack of privacy, she had nothing to hide and a body to die for but this amount of closeness to a scooby felt unnatural and for the first time in a long time she found herself trying to be discreet, a change in her behaviour not lost on Manny, whose watery little eyes watched her curiously.

After a very lengthy five minutes the cell was unlocked and they filed out to join the queues of women heading for the canteen. Willow was attracting attention on account of her looks, her newness and some heavy rumours about why she was here and Manny found herself in demand. A steady stream of prison busy-bodies wanted to know all about the new woman. By the time Willow finally reached the head of the queue and picked up her breakfast tray she was painfully aware of the whispers and pointing. She looked for somewhere to sit and decided on a table which was pretty much unoccupied but she had hardly put her tray down before a roughish voice accosted her.

"This seat's taken asshole."

"Okay, sorry." She made to stand up and take her tray but the thickset inmate grabbed her wrist.

"You can leave the tray. I'm hungry."

"You're welcome," Willow murmured trying to extricate her wrist.

"You're welcome," mimicked the bully and twisted her grip on Willow's wrist. "I don't think I want you to go after all, pretty thing."

Willow stared hard at the table and tried to stem the rising tide within her; powerful words were flooding through her head begging to be spoken.

A bored voice interrupted.

"I have a riddle for you. What walks, talks but has no head?"

"What the fuck .....?" exclaimed Willow's captor.

"Didn't think you'd know the answer which is ..... you moron; in about two seconds if you don't let go of my property."

The big inmate released Willow and turned to face Faith who smiled up at the angry mountain winningly.

"Hey big girl you're smarter than you look. Now get lost."

"She ain't yours, no-one said she was yours."

"Well, I guess no-one was right and you're wrong. She's mine." Faith took Willow's hand and held it to her heart. "See."

The intruder backed away scowling but knowing better than to get into a quarrel with the dark-haired girl from Boston. That was a quick way to be humiliated. She'd seen one big tough killer reduced to tears and attempted suicide after being held down effortlessly by Spencer who then poured scorn and insults on her helpless victim to the delight of other prisoners and the guards. There was just no way to come back from something like that. At least if she handed out a decent beating you could keep some respect.

Faith sat down beside Willow. She was still holding the witch's hand, Willow gently pulled it away and Faith let go.

"You can put away the bad mojo Red. I can see that keeping all these innocent slaughterers and thieves safe from you is going to be a full time job. But if they think you're mine you'll mostly get left alone so I'm hoping they'll survive."

"I'm not going to hurt anyone," Willow answered quietly.

"Not what I hear. I'm told you killed a man, flayed him alive and then confessed to the police" said Faith conversationally.

"How do you ..... ?"

"The amalgamated Union of Prison Snitches and Canaries have been meeting almost non-stop since your arrival. You ought to know Manny is the life-president. By this time tomorrow your life history right down to your high school grades and shoe size will be known to one and all. But let's talk about something more interesting." Faith paused and then repeated. "I'm told you killed a man, flayed him alive and then confessed to the police. Now what is all that about?"

"Vengeance." said Willow abruptly. "I killed him and then I tried to end the world. Xander stopped me."

"Xander stopped you!" Faith choked and snorted through her nose gracelessly. "So .... you tried to stop the world by drowning it in chocolate and Xander Harris ate it all?"

Willow half-smiled. "He talked me out of it."

A small group of prisoners arrived and sat near them and that ended the conversation apart from Faith occasionally and disconcertingly tracing her fingers up and down Willow's back in a generally proprietorial manner. The first time she did it Willow had jumped and glared only to be met by a wink and a cocky smirk. "Mine," Faith had mouthed.

A guard entered the canteen and pinned a list to the wall around which a small crowd quickly gathered. Seconds later Manny scooted in beside the odd couple.

"Hey you both have visitors today. How come I don't get no visitors and Rosenberg here gets one already?" she complained.

"Cause no-one likes you. Ask me something hard next time." Faith turned to Willow. "Angel at last, I've missed the big guy."

It occurred to Faith that it was almost pleasant having someone who shared some history with her even if that history was crap. At least she could talk to Willow about Angel but her sense of familial warmth died almost immediately. Willow did not have good news.

"Angel's been missing for weeks and Cordelia too. So unless he turned up between yesterday and today, it's not him."

"What do you mean missing?" Faith felt her throat tighten. There was only one person in the world who seemed to care about her and that was Angel. She clenched her fists and for the first time in her jail career, wanted to get out. She ought to be out there finding him, not stuck in here.

"Vanished into thin ..... air." Willow cringed a little at her choice of words and Faith's scowl darkened but she tried to hide her fear in mock aggression.

"So who the fuck is visiting me then?" she demanded.

"On the list it's a B. Summers," answered Manny helpfully. "Rosenberg's is a Mr A Harris."

"Wonderful. All the fucking scoobies, and I'll just bet that B isn't here to enquire after my health or smuggle in a file."

"They must have found out where I was sent yesterday." Willow didn't sound as though she cared much. "Buffy would have known from Angel that you were here too."

"I'm fucking sure of that. She wouldn't want me to vanish off the radar. I'm getting out of here." Faith pushed herself to her feet with ill-concealed energy and Willow looked up at her with a shocked expression. Faith rolled her eyes. "Out of the canteen, not the fucking jail. You'd better come too before some crazy Bertha tries to make a pass at you and ends up fried and basted."

TBC