Granola Bars and Jack Daniels

Setting: Takes place two weeks after Season 7's episode "Empty Places." Buffy has been exiled from the house, Faith has reluctantly taken over as the Potential's leader. Buffy is out slaying, when Faith stumbles upon her and discovers her fellow slayer's condition is not so great.

Rating: R, for sexual situations. Just a bit of kissing and touching, nothing too racy.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon. They are not mine, because if they were Tara would still be alive and the Buffy/Faith relationship would shift from subtext to very obvious text. All those sex scenes Spike and Buffy were having? Yeah. Faith would be in his place.




She had just taken out ten vampires, which Buffy was sure qualified as a hoard. Now she was left with just two, one of whom had just jumped on her back and was trying to strangle her. Grabbing his arms, she whipped him over her head, and ran him through with a stake, which immediately turned him into dust. Quickly she whipped around, but her timing was too late. Before she had time to react, the other vamp had grabbed her arm possessing the stake and gripped it so painfully, that her immediate reaction was to drop her weapon.

He smiled at her devilishly for a moment, relishing in the fact that he was going to have the honor of destroying the slayer. Buffy felt her stomach lurch at the expression and was in awe of the vulnerability she felt. But then something odd happened. His countenance took on a worried, confused look. Before she had time to fully register the change, the being disintegrated before her eyes, and was replaced by the rogue slayer, pointing a stake at where the creatures heart used to reside.

"Wow, B. That was really something, taking on that whole horde of vamps yourself." She had been walking back from the grocery store where she had picked up the essentials, Marlboros and Jack D, when she heard grunts and talking coming from the cemetary. Knowing that that was never a good thing, she scrambled to the scene, were upon she witnessed the older Slayer very methodically and efficiently take out six vamps before she could even register the situation. By the time she started running forwards to help, there were only two left.

Buffy wiped a few strands of hair from off her face, and dusted herself off. "I'm glad I could impress you. I think I can die...again, happy" she drawled out sarcastically. The blonde leaned against a gravestone, breathing heavily.

"Looks like the fight took a bit out of you." Faith went on, ignoring the snide remark. "Shoulda let me taken care of more of them. I've been itching for a good fight." Faith surveyed the blonde, who in addition to looking disheveled, was exceedingly pale and thin. It had been two weeks since Buffy had been exiled from the house, and Faith didn't think she was taking very good care of herself. "B, you feeling all right?"

"Five by five, F." It was made blatantly obvious, however, that Buffy was not as she claimed. That, or she didn't understand the meaning of "five by five." Because when she stood up to leave, relieving the gravestone of her weight, the blonde fell to the grassy floor, unconscious.



Buffy felt something cold on her face. Cold and wet. She bolted awake, gasping in surprise to find a laughing Faith with an empty pail in her hand.

"That was priceless. I didn't think the whole water thing worked for reviving people, but I guess I've been proven wrong." She chuckled again, before taking on a serious demeanor and sitting next to Buffy. It was at this time that Buffy looked around and realized they were inside a crypt, with her lying on top of the stone coffin. Spike's old lair, to be exact. "When was the last time you ate, B?" Buffy shrugged, not really wanting to answer the question, knowing that she'd be seriously reprimanded. In truth, the last time she recollected eating was three days ago, and she had only had a few crackers and water. She just wasn't hungry, lately. Her appetite had been severly curbed ever since she left the house.

As though Buffy had given her internal answer instead of the shrug, Faith grabbed a plastic bag and pulled out a box of granola bars, opened it and handed one to Buffy, who just stared at it intently. "Granola?" Faith nodded. "I hate granola." Her fellow slayer gave her a stern look. "No, really. I'm near being allergic to it, I dislike it that much."

"Near allergic isn't good enough, B. Now eat, before I shove it down your throat. I could do it too, 'cuz you're weak right now. Granted, you'd kick my ass for it later…" Faith trailed off, losing interest in what she was saying when she noticed that Buffy had hungrily ripped open the wrapper and was now chewing quite contently.

After she devoured the first, Faith handed her another. Except her hunger had been diminished a bit. Before she hadn't even paid attention to it's taste. Now her face took on an expression as though she were chewing cardboard. "Got any more of that water?" Buffy asked, really wanting to wash down the taste.

"What?" Faith looked at her confused. "Oh, no. That came from a bucket collecting rain water from a hole in the room. I don't think it's really fit for drinking. It had mold growing on top of it and stuff."

"Oh, but you saw fit to let the mutating water splash upon my face?" Buffy spat out exasperated as she grabbed the bottom of her shirt and hastily wiped her face.

"Hey, you weren't coming to. You were making me worried." Faith thought for a moment, then reached back into her bag. "I've got this, though. I guess I could share. Think of it as a peace offering." She displayed the glass bottle of Jack Daniels to the thirsty Slayer.

"That'll do." Buffy reached out, cracked it open and downed a huge swig of the alcohol, without even responding with a scrunched up face afterward. Needless to say, Faith was impressed. Grinning evilly, she snatched the bottle from the older Slayer, and making it clear that it was a challenge by the deliberateness of raising it to her mouth and intent eye contact, took an even longer chug of the smooth liquid, letting it slide down her throat. She made sure not to let her face react to the alcohol's potency, as well.

Buffy arched an eyebrow, a silent acceptance of the challenge. Competition was sort of a thing between the two. She held out her hand, as an indication to pass the bottle back. Faith, with a smug expression plastered on her face, obliged and the petite blonde took an even longer swig.

They continued passing the bottle, emptying it of it's contents. By the time it was three-quarters gone, Faith was just passed feeling a buzz and was on her way to slight drunkenness, when she realized the other slayer wasn't quite so lucky, and was continuing the competition out of blind determination. Either Faith was drunker than she thought, or Buffy was swaying back and forth. Not only that, but the blonde was struggling with her words a little. Not really slurring them, but having a hard time finding words from the english language.

The blonde's inability to hold her liqueor really surprised the brunette. After all, they both had slayer stamina and should be able to handle beyond an average person's alcohol consumption. Then it dawned on her. Taking into account Buffy's size and the fact that she was drinking on an empty stomach, it was quite obvious why the Slayer was being severly affected.

"Alright B, I think you've had enough." Faith commented, gently prying the bottle out of the other's hand.

"What?" The blonde protested loudly. Faith couldn't help but groan internally. Buffy was a loud drunk. "That's not..fair! You can't cut your..opponent off in acompetition." Faith looked at Buffy with amusement, noticing that she was quite determined and insulted that she had tried to cut her off. There was really only one way to save Buffy from an evil hang-over.

"What I meant to say B, is that I give in. I can't take anymore. I'm seeing two of you at the moment." Completely oblivious to her opponents fake forfeit, the blonde's face lit up.

"See? Was tha' so hard?" To show off her victory, she grabbed the bottle with surprising speed and took one final chug of the alcohol. Faith grimaced, hoping the victor wouldn't pass out or throw up.

Quite the contrary, the older Slayer whipped the bottle across the room, where it met the wall and made a breaking noise as the pieces fell to the floor. The remainder of it's contents were dripping down the wall. Faith looked from her companion to the wall and back again with a pure look of shock. She was a loud, rowdy drunk. "Um, B, I think you need sleep...and maybe some more granola." Buffy laughed, and leaned in close to Faith, far beyond invading the other's personal space.

"Is that really what you want me to do, Faith? Can't you think of another way we can spend our time?" Buffy's voice took on a seductive quality. "There's nothing you..want me to do for you?" Faith herself being far from sober was in no condition to play responsible Slayer and stave off the blondes advances. The fact that the older Slayer was down-right throwing herself at her was turning her on just a little.

The alcohol had effectively managed to dull her senses and perception, so she wasn't aware of what was happening until after the blonde had captured her lips in a kiss. It began light and unsure, but as the blonde gathered confidence, demanded entrance into her mouth by kissing Faith harder, forcing her lips to part. Buffy deepened the kiss by slipping her tongue inside the rogue's mouth, gently massaging the other's tongue.

Faith's insides were doing funky things, and her breathing was ragged. Instinctively she lifted her hand and wrapped it around Buffy's neck, pulling her in closer. Taking notice of Faith's gesture, Buffy teasingly pulled away, roughly grabbed the brunette by her shirt and pushed her down into a lying position on top of the stone sarcophagus.

Faith never viewed Buffy as the dominating type, but the blonde seductively slid on top of the brunette, sitting on her abdomen and straddling Faith between her legs. "Tell me what you want Faith. What have you been dying to do to me?" Faith had been harboring sexual feelings for the girl before her, but up until now had thought she'd done a good job hiding it. Apparently not.

Before she could respond, Buffy ducked down and expertly attacked Faith's neck, roughly kissing the flesh there and slowly moving up to behind Faith's ear. Faith was so focused on Buffy's ministrations and the effect they were having on her body that she failed to notice the blonde's hand slide down to her wasteband. Her attention was redirected when Buffy hastily unbuttoned and unzipped the rogue slayer's pants.

The full weight of the situation finally landed on Faith, renewing her senses and rational thinking. Just as the blonde was about to slide down to lower regions, Faith quickly and gently grabbed her hand and pulled it away, then rezipped and buttoned her pants. She looked up to see a hurt expression on the smaller slayer's face.

"Sorry, B. This just doesn't seem right at the moment." Faith knew this was true, despite the fact that she desperately had wanted events to unravel and continue in the direction they had been going. Buffy still looked hurt, compelling Faith to raise a hand and cup her face in a comforting manner. The blonde looked at her again and furrowed her brows, as if concentrating very hard.