The night breeze lifted Faith's hair off her shoulders as she prowled the alley. Buffy watched, both intrigued by Faith's animalistic qualities and.. yes, though she didn't like to admit it, slightly aroused by them. She idly wondered if she could ever have Faith's powers; speaking non-preternaturally, of course..

Something moved in the corner then, interrupting her thoughts. Faith turned to Buffy, placing one finger over her full lips and nodding in the direction the noise had come from. Buffy nodded back her agreement that it was shifty, and the Slayers pounced.

Buffy grabbed the vamp-a male-and flung it against the alley wall. She kicked it down again when it tried to get up. It stood again, and Buffy reached to plunge a stake into its back at the exact moment that Faith plunged one into its chest. After a few seconds when the action had stopped, the 'vamp' hadn't turned to dust, and they both had blood on their hands that didn't belong to them, the Slayers gazed at each other in horror.

"Ohgodohgodohgod," Buffy murmured, staring into the dead man's eyes. Faith gripped her arm, digging her burgundy nails into Buffy's flesh. Buffy stared at her blood soaked hands and clothes, aghast.

"B," Faith said. "B!" when the blonde didn't respond. "Fuck, B, we gotta get outta here!" She grabbed Buffy's hand and took off running, dragging her fellow Slayer behind her.

~*~

Minutes, or maybe hours later, Buffy sat on Faith's bed, her hands on her forehead, her fingers tangled through her hair. Faith was pacing wildly back and forth, nearly wearing a hole in the dingy carpeting. "What the hell are we gonna do?" Buffy whispered, her voice strained.

Faith clicked her tongue and stopped her pacing. She bit her thumbnail and stared at the wall. "I don't know. We killed a guy."

Buffy cringed. She knew it, of course, but hearing those words spoken aloud was a whole other story. She looked at Faith's hands, stained with blood. Blood that stained her own hands, and both their clothes. The blood of an innocent man.

"We gotta leave," Faith said finally, shaking her head and pulling her duffel out from under her bed.

Buffy blinked, finding a whole new level of shocked. "What?! Are you mad? We can't just.."

Faith's voice was firm as she answered. "Oh, yes. Yes, we can just. I can just, and I am. I am so out of here, B, and you're welcome to come along for the ride. If you wanna sit here and rot in jail for Man 2 or something, by all means be my guest. But not me, no way."

Buffy closed her eyes for a moment. Jail. Leave. Jail. Leave. She bit her lip. "We have to stop by my house first," she murmured. Faith just nodded and finished shoving things in her bag.

~*~

"I can't believe we're doing this," Buffy hissed. She knocked the parking break to the off position, put the gear to reverse, and jumped out the door of the van, grabbing right inside the door and holding it back with all her Slayer strength. Faith backed up slowly on the other side, doing the same thing.

Faith glared. "We need a car, don't we? Well, here we go. He's got another one. And we can't exactly start it up right outside his house, now can we?"

Buffy grunted. The two Slayers rolled the van backwards out of the driveway and into the street. Buffy hopped in and put it in drive. They pushed forward, rolling the van down the street.

"And what if Willow hadn't left her keys at my house?" Buffy snapped. It was pretty damn convienient that the redhead had a spare key to one of Oz's two vans, the blue one, and that she'd left her keys at Buffy's house.

Faith shrugged. "I know how to hotwire."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Of course."

They pushed the car down the block, then Faith stopped and hopped in. "Let's blow the fuck outta here," she said, slamming her door shut. Buffy jumped into the driver's seat and put the key in the ignition. She shut her door and started the van, hitting the gas and flying down the street, hoping no one had noticed them stealing the car.

Both girls remained silent until they hit the highway. "Where are we going?" Buffy asked, staring solemnly out the window.

"East," was Faith's only answer. "And yes, just east. I don't know exactly where yet. Just drive."

So, Buffy drove. The gas tank was full, and most of their posessions were in the back. Also in the back was a mattress with a wooden frame surrounding it. The frame was bolted to the floor of the van, and came up high on the edges of the mattress so that one could presumably sleep while the van was moving without getting tossed around too much.

Faith's duffel was in one corner, along with a pile of towels, soap, and other toiletries she'd stolen from the motel supply closet. Buffy's suitcase and duffel lay next to it. Stuffed between their seats was a box that contained both of their CD collections. The van may have been painted crappy, but the engine purred like a kitten and the electronic set up was bitchin'.

Faith slumped against the door. "Put on some music or something."

Buffy turned her head, slightly aghast. "Faith, I think this is hardly time for-"

"Just fucking put it on, B. It's too quiet. I don't care what you play, just put something on."

Buffy sighed heavily and rummaged with one hand through the box, and pulled a CD out. She popped it in, put on one of her favorite songs from it, and continued her driving. She listened slomenly for a minute or so, then shook her head. What the hell..

"The world could end, we wouldn't hear it. I know just what's on your mind. I see the way your face has changed, we're no good for each other. You tricked me into coming here, so let go. I don't want to go to London, I told you I don't care," she sang along softly.

Faith pressed her forehead against the window, staring at the scenery going by. "Take us southeast," she said softly. "We're not driving through frigging farm country." An hour and they'd hit L.A.

Buffy slammed on the brakes. The highway was thankfully empty, as most people don't have anywhere to go at two-thirty a.m. Faith flew forward, almost smashing her forehead on the dashboard. "What the hell?" she cried out, slamming her fist against the dash angrily.

Buffy whirled on her. "I am tired of taking your goddamn orders," she said, her eyes flashing. "Buffy, we gotta get outta here. Buffy, take Red's keys and steal Oz's van. Buffy, put some music on. Buffy, drive this way. I'm the real Slayer here, you know!"

Faith glared, then suddenly relaxed her gaze and slumped against the door again. "Fine. Do whatever you want," she said softly.

Buffy stared at her darker counterpart for a moment, darker then usual because she was hiding in the shadows. She sighed heavily and stepped on the gas again.

~*~

They passed under the sign that announced L.A. was just ahead. She looked to Faith for guidance. After a few minutes of staring at the back of her head, she turned around. "What?" she asked, annoyed.

Buffy motioned towards the next sign. "Should we find somewhere to crash here until later today?"

Faith shrugged, unconcerned. "You tell me. You're the real Slayer an' all." She turned her head away again, popping a mint into her mouth and closing her eyes.

Buffy went past the first L.A. exit. "I'm sorry I said that," she offered.

"Whatever," came the mumbled reply.

The second, third, and fourth exits passed by. Buffy turned onto the eastbound highway and continued driving. "We should hit the Nevada border by sunup or so," she said conversationally.

"Yeah."

Buffy looked at Faith's wrist, to the guitar string bracelets she always wore. They had colored beads stuck in them all the way around, different colors on each bracelet.

"What are those? You always have them on," Buffy asked conversationally, motioning to the bracelets.

"They're called Faithlets," the dark Slayer answered sullenly.

Buffy choked back a snicker. "Faithlets?"

Faith turned away from the window and gave Buffy a glare that went straight through her. "Yes," she bit off. "Faithlets. My brother gave them to me before I left Boston cause that's what he used to call me. Faithlet."

Buffy nodded thoughtfully and chewed on her bottom lip. "I never knew that." Faith turned a sicked gaze back to her window and the passing scenery. "Yeah, well, there's a lot you don't know about me."

"Touche`," Buffy offered. Silence. "Look, I'm sorry I said I was the real Slayer. I didn't mean it."

Faith didn't move. "Doesn't matter," she mumbled.

Buffy slammed on the brakes again, nearly sending Faith flying into the dashboard of their stolen vehicle for the second time.

"Buffy! What is the matter with you? Damn!" Faith cried out angrily, kicking the underside of the dash. "If I go flying through that window I will fucking kill you."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "If you were wearing your seatbelt, you wouldn't have this problem."

"If you quit slamming on the brakes I wouldn't have this problem either!"

"Are you planning on being a bitch the whole time we're on the road? Cause feel free to start walking now," Buffy said.

Faith glared at her, reached into the back of the van for her duffel, and looked at her once again. "Fuck you," she offered matter-of-factly. She got out of the van and slammed the door shut behind her.

Buffy gripped the steering wheel. "Faith. Get back in the car," she called out the window.

Faith flipped her the finger and kept walking. Buffy heaved a great sigh and got out of the van as well, following the other Slayer. "Where the hell are you going?"

"Away from you," came the snide reply. "You're pissing me off. Take the van and go back to Sunnydale or something. Hell, drive to Mexico for all I care. Just get out of my face."

"No." Buffy grabbed Faith's arm and turned her around. "No, no I won't get out of your face. We're in this together, a hundred and ten percent, and there's no way in hell I'm letting you leave me."

"Stop that!" Faith shouted, startling the other Slayer. "Just stop. Don't pretend like you care, okay? Just back off." She whirled around and stood for a moment, staring around the desolate stretch of highway.

"But I do care.." Buffy said softly.

Faith crossed her arms and leaned back on one leg, huffing and rolling her eyes. Buffy found herself thinking that she'd probably been a very, very difficult child. "Look, I don't need your pity or something, B. Go back to your little white bread life and tell them I killed the guy, okay? I'll leave, I'll take the blame, just don't play that I-Give-A-Shit game with me."

"No!" Buffy cried out indignantly. Faith turned with a look of surprise. "No," the blonde repeated for good measure. "I am not letting you take the blame and leave. Hell no. Nuh-uh. You were not alone last night Faith, and I'm just as responsible as you for this whole damn mess. We're in this together, all or nothing, like it or not. I'm not going back to Sunnydale, so you'd better have pity on me since I don't know where the hell I'm going. I need you, Faith."

"Like a hole in the head," Faith mumbled without much conviction.

"Shut up and get back in the car," Buffy ordered, rolling her eyes yet again at the younger girl.

Faith sighed heavily and turned, shuffling back towards the van. The girls climbed in and Buffy pressed her foot against the gas pedal again.

Several minutes went by, until Faith was glaring at the CD player, where Stephan Jenkins was warbling about swimming in the background or something. She ejected the disk.

"Hey," Buffy whined.

"Oh, shut up. I couldn't stand his whining any longer-or any more then I can stand yours. Damn." The brunette tossed the CD back into their box-allowing herself but a brief moment to think of it as 'their' box, something they shared-and dug around in it a bit. She pulled out a CD and popped it in.

"I really don't want to listen to KoRn, Faith.." Buffy said tentatively.

Faith rolled her eyes. "It's not KoRn." She flicked up a few tracks. "It's KiTTiE," she amended with a grin, as the heavy metal sounds started.

Buffy looked positively pained as the girls of feline fame sang and screamed. "She is not scared to die. The best things in life drive her to cry. Crucify then learn. Sit and watch me burn."

Faith stared absently out the window, bopping her head slightly, and indulging herself in this song that seemed to be written just for her. She allowed herself a glance at the blonde driving their getaway car, and sighed. Buff was great, really, but she just didn't get it.

And maybe Faith didn't get it either. Buffy's it, that was. She had everything anyone could want-everything Faith wanted-yet she never seemed to be too thrilled to be living, either. Why was that? The dark Slayer studied Buffy. Looks definitely weren't her problem. Sure, she was way too skinny to start off with, scrawny little arms and nothing in the way of hips or thighs; and her nose was box-shaped at the end, but Faith actually found the latter trait endearing.

Whatever it was-it went much deeper then the surface. Deeper then skinny arms and an odd nose. Deeper then a failed relationship with Angel. Deeper even then the death of this guy.

Buffy turned slightly, catching Faith's eye, as though she knew the other girl had been staring at her. She opted not to say anything, and concentrated on driving-something she wasn't great at to begin with, which made it that much more important to be paying attention.

Faith watched as Buffy rubbed one temple, and reluctantly popped the KiTTiE disk out. She'd corrupt Buffy's music taste at some other point. Though maybe..

She pulled another disk out and quirked a brow. She knew she had a copy of Bif Naked, but as this copy had "Buffy Summers" traced out in glitter pen on the case, she assumed that maybe she and Buffy had more in common then she thought. She popped that in, letting the first song play. This was probably the one record they could both listen to all the way through.

Her thoughts trailed back to Buffy. If not Angel, and not their recent accidental murder.. then what? Pressures of being a Slayer? Parental issues? Faith sighed. The sun was just starting to rise, and there were more cars on the highway now. Random thoughts began jumping around her head, which was apt to happen when she got way overtired.

~I wish I knew how to play the guitar. Can Buffy play an instrument? We should call Willow from a gas station. We should get gas. Will Buffy mind if I go lay down in the back for awhile? Maybe we should stop and sleep at a motel. What if they trace the call or something, to the gas station, then figure out our motel, and find us? I don't want to go to jail-I'd have to spend the rest of my young life fending off homicidal dykes. Maybe Buffy and I would be in the same cell. That wouldn't be too bad. I don't want her to go to jail. Damn I'm tired.~

Faith closed her eyes, wishing she could shut the thoughts off as cleanly as she could the sights. She felt herself starting to doze off, and within minutes, she had fallen asleep.

Buffy watched Faith sleep for a little while, stealing glances every few seconds or so. She looked almost peaceful, a little bit like a napping child, and a little bit like a severely overtired woman. If Buffy'd had to make a guess, she'd wager that Faith was a little of both. She was only seventeen or so; so young. Buffy herself was young as well, but she felt much older.

Just then the van hit a bump, and Faith was jarred awake. She blinked a few times and stretched. Those little catnaps did ya wonders, she thought. She felt much more awake after what could only have been maybe fifteen or twenty minutes of rest. She rolled her window down and felt the cool early morning air on her face, whipping her hair around behind her. She turned the radio up, using the door as a drum.

"Me and Sophia, driving all week. Giggling and wiggling our feet. Gotta make time so we cannot stop, wearing just panties cause it's too hot. Rolling fast through every hick town," she sang with Bif, shoving thoughts of her and Buffy driving in their underwear out of her head. Bad Faith, she thought.

"You're certainly in a good mood," Buffy mumbled tiredly. "Considering we killed someone last night, ran away in a stolen vehicle, and you've only gotten fifteen minutes of sleep."

"Why are you always such a downer, B? It was an accident, Oz will understand, and maybe you need a good fifteen minutes because you're whining more then usual."

Buffy resisted the urge to make a snide comment. She *could* use a few minutes rest.. She pulled the van over to the shoulder, and put the parking break on. "Here Faith. Drive. You do know how, right?"

Faith didn't bat an eye. "Of course." She watched Buffy climb over the CD box and a few random pieces of what could only be described as 'stuff', and stumble onto the little pseudo-bed. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow. Faith turned and looked nervously at the various buttons, bars, dials, and numbers.

She'd never driven a car in her life.