Just a Photograph

Timeline: Set during 3rd season of Buffy, though there is none of the mayor stuff going on, okay?
Rating: NC-17 for language and all the nasty and naughtiness
Pairing: B/F
Disclaimer: These characters don't belong to me, they belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy
and all them
Feedback: Hells yes

CHAPTER ONE
"I Remember"

I can't believe I'm in another dirty ass motel room. I thought I wouldn’t have to live here anymore after I met her. She thought more of me than just some whore living in a place the rats don’t even want to be there. Though that’s a lie, the rats DO want to be here. But like that makes me feel any better.

I finger the photograph I have in my hand. It's of us. Me and Buffy, having a great time in one of those little photo booths you see in malls, ya know? We were acting goofy, like good friends that at one point you always seem to lose. And I was right, I did lose her. But that was because of my own stupid decision, a decision that if I could reverse I would. Why did I need to? I mean really, I could've been happy without it. But no, I did and now look at where I am.

I brush my thumb over Buffy's face and sigh. I remember how it all started. How it all felt so right. How at some point I just KNEW that this was how my life was supposed to be.

But my instincts were never the best.

*

This is why I dropped outta high school.

The halls are crowed and people smell, and everyone thinks their better than everyone else. And oh yeah, because I wasn’t smart enough to do the work. But that’s not my point. My point is that I hate the people in it, and if I was patient I'd wait till she got out of school. But no, I'm not patient, so here I am, trying to find this girl.

I came here outta my own curiosity, I could've went a million other places but no, I had to haul my ass to Sunnydale. I guess it's not that bad here, I mean the weathers pretty damn nice, way fuckin better than Boston. But this is Cali what do you expect? It took me so damn long to get here, I wish I had enough money for a plane. But I've barely had enough money for me to live in a motel eating McDonalds dollar menu. But I get by, I always do. I don’t want other peoples help, I can manage pretty fine on my own. I mean, there's some times I gotta steal my food or take someone's purse or something but hey, a girls gotta live, right?

But back to why I'm here.

Buffy Summers. The first "Chosen One." She's apparently everything I'm not and a bag of chips, so I wanna see what makes this chick so great. Because *I* want to be the best slayer. I've had a pretty fucked up life I think the least I deserve is a title with the word "Best" in it, don’t you?

I find my way up to the main desk and lean against it, tapping my fingers on the solid wood. The woman looks up at me, "May I help you?"

"Uh, yeah. I need to know what class Buffy Summers is in right now."

"I'm sorry miss, but we can't give out that information unless it's an emergency." She fiddled with her glasses on her nose.

Fuck. Emergency, huh?

I try to make myself look distressed, "But it is! Our Aunt just died and her father wanted me to come and tell her while he made the funeral arrangements." I sniffed. For effect, ya know.

Her face softened, "Oh I'm so sorry, dear. Here." She leafed through a bunch of papers and pulled one out, looking it over. "She's in History class right now. Mr. Kelley, room 214."

I give her a small smile, "Thank you."

I turn around and roll my eyes as I walk out of the main office. Man, some people are just chumps. I wouldn’t have believed me. But then again, adults are just slow. I walked past a few doors, thank god everyone's in class now, I really don’t have the patience to deal with a bunch of kids right now.

210…211….212…213…..

I stopped outside room 214 and took a deep breath. Okay what am I gonna tell her? Fuck it, I'll figure that out when it comes to it.

I open the door and step into the classroom. I look around the room and my eyes rest on a small blonde girl, who locked eyes with me. Damn, I gotta get her name from Buffy, maybe I could have a nice one-nighter with her. Anyway, focus Faith, back on track.

I look at the teacher, "I have an important message for Buffy Summers."

The blonde girl's eyebrows shot up and she looked confused. The teacher looked at her and said, "Buffy, I'll give you the assignment later."

Damn… *shes* Buffy?

I raise an eyebrow and wait for her to get up before walking outside, her behind me. When Buffy closed the door she asked, "What's the message? Is my mother okay??"

I lean against the lockers and smirk at her, "Well I didn’t actually have a message but now that I think about it I *did* pass by a vamp nest when I got here. I couldn’t take them all by myself but I figured if you--"

"What?!"

"Chill B, no need to shout."

"Who ARE you??" She looked somewhere between pissed and scared. And it kinda amused me.

"My names Faith. The Vampire Slayer."

"You're… huh... what?"

I sighed and got off the lockers to get closer to her, and I spoke every word slowly so shed get it threw her thick but pretty head. "I. Am. A. Slayer. Like. You." Pause. "Understand?"

She took a little while to let it sink in then she nodded, "I should've expected this after Kendra died." She paused and nodded her head in the general direction of down the hall, "Come on, lets go talk to my watcher."

Aww shit. Watcher? Do we have to? Sigh.

"Uh, I'd rather not. Look, I got you outta class, wanna just get the hell outta here? Go eat or somethin'? I'm fuckin starved. I promise we'll talk to your watcher later."

She looked skeptical but shrugged, "Fine. Might as well live up to my reputation as a trouble maker."

I smiled, "There's a good girl. Come on." I take her hand and lead her out of the smelly hell house they call an education center and we run till we reach the street. Don’t wanna get caught by anyone cause well, that just wouldn’t be any fuckin' fun.

We slow down and walk down the street and remember I still have her hand in mine. I let go of her quickly and mumble a quiet, "Sorry."

Buffy give me a half smile, "Its okay."

I stuff my hands in my pockets, "So where ya wanna go? I've only been here a couple hours and the only thing that caught my interest was a bar."

She raised an eyebrow and looked me over, "Figures."

I stopped and looked at her, "What's THAT supposed to mean?" Is she saying that I was being predictable? I mean fuck, bars are just cool, okay? Especially the gay one I found. But like this little dick bouncer would ever go there with me.

"Nothing, I mean, I just figured that well how you dressed and stuff that bars would be your kind of scene. Its not bad or anything, I mean, I wish I could go to bars. I've never been to one because hello, underage and stuff. But I thought it'd be cool cause of, not the drinking and stuff because I don’t think it'd be that fun just the people and just looking… cool? I don’t know, but point is I'm not old enough or look old enough, unlike you. Which by the way how come you got called so late?" She finally took a breath and I could feel my head spinning. God that girl could go on.

"Called late? B I'm sixteen. I ain't old enough either, not like it stops me anyway."

"Your sixteen?? Wow, I thought you'd be at least nineteen or twenty. And sixteen is a little late anyway, I was called at fifteen."

"No, I was called at fifteen, but I just turned sixteen the other day," I said and started walking, hoping shed just shut up and follow.

"Really? Happy Birthday!" She exclaimed as she followed me.

Yeah, happy. That’s exactly what it was when I was all alone on it. But fuck it, I'm over it.

"Uh… thanks."

"I'm seventeen, I'm gonna be eighteen soon. Not like it’s a big deal or anything, I guess it'd be a big deal if I smoked cigarettes or something, but I don’t so its not."

Uh huh, like I care.

"That’s great, B. Now where are we going?"

She pointed to a coffee shop down the street, "I guess there's good."

"Great, your buying," I smirk as I run across the street to get to the coffee shop.

TBC…..