What would have happened if, instead of going to her friends, Buffy had run to Angel when Faith had switched their bodies during 'This Year's Girl'? Would Angel have known? How could he help? Is Buffy hiding something else from him? And what about Faith? Now that she's in Buffy's body, will she be out for revenge? When the final showdown comes, who will stand victorious? Read on and find out!
This story has grown from a tiny seed planted by Carrie, who issued the challenge. It took on a life of its own, becoming my longest story. Each part is titled, but they are only chapters, not individual stories. The challenge requirements--and fic information--is listed below.
SUMMARY: Buffy, trapped in Faith's body, runs to the only person who can help her.
CONTENT: B/A angst, some fluff and smut, mentions of B/R, F/R, F/?.
DISCLAIMER: No, I'm not Joss Whedon. Oh, don't worry, I get that all the time. We look so much alike and all... Yeah, almost. The characters in this story are his creation, and so I can't claim them. I don't own anything, not even the idea. Sad, isn't it?? Most of the titles are either lyrics or titles of songs, so I wouldn't own those either, now would I?
RATING: R for language, sexual situations, and mild violence
TIMELINE: Directly after 'This Year's Girl' and 'The Prodigal'.
SPOILERS: 'This Year's Girl', 'I Will Remember You', General Season 2 and 3.
DISTRIBUTION: my site, http://www.angelfire.com/ny2/serenav/index.html, the BA_Fluff archive, Felicity, Dreamer, Michelle, Isa, TNS, and Fate's Intervention if they want it, anyone else just ask.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I couldn't resist Carrie's challenge. I would've written it sooner but this was the first free chance I got to... Oh, and this was started before the airing of 'Who Are You'--all the way back in February 2000--so any relations to that episode are based on speculation and spoilers I've heard.
FEEDBACK: I'm a feedback whore, remember?! Send some my way if you like what you see... Flames will be edited for grammer and mocked, because it's fun.
DEDICATION: To Carrie for issuing a kick-ass challenge, and for Jessie because I didn't write her a birthday fic. Hope this is okay, sweetie. Happy birthday!

PART 1
~Nowhere Else To Go
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

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."

PART 2
~Temptation
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Buffy and Angel were silent as they stepped out of the elevator into the apartment. She paused and looked around slowly, her eyes taking everything in. They stood like that, Buffy slightly in front of Angel, until he shifted his weight to the other foot and glanced down at his hands nervously.

"Do you want something to drink?" he asked uncertainly. She turned around to face him and met his eyes for the first time since she had said that Riley was her boyfriend. It was strange, looking at him from this angle. She was taller in Faith's body, and it felt as though she wasn't filling it completely. It was like her soul had molded itself to her body, and now that she was in a new one she felt oddly out of place.

"Do you have anything that doesn't have red blood cells in it?" she replied lightly, trying hard not to get lost in his eyes. That was over, that part of her life had been left behind with Faith and high school and his leaving.

But with everything happening and the past coming back to haunt her, she needed the reassurance she always found in his presence, in his love. What was one little kiss, anyway? Just the feel of his mouth on hers, his body pressed tightly against this different one...she'd do anything for that one moment of heaven she knew being in his arms would be.

Where in the world had that thought come from in the first place?

But staring into his eyes, she knew that the price they would have to pay was too much. No matter how badly they wanted to, and no matter how hard it was to stay away, it was easier. They would never have that peace again.

Angel seemed to snap out of the trance he had been in. He took a hesitant step away from her and then turned and walked into the kitchen. "Would you like some tea?" he called.

"Sure," she replied, swallowing the tears back, pushing down her sorrow and pain. There would be time for it later, when she was back in her own body, in her own bed in the dorm. Only then would she let herself break down. "Tea would be great."

She heard him rummaging around, the faint sounds of cabinet doors opening and closing reaching her ears. Buffy took the opportunity to explore the spacious apartment, her fingertips trailing over the bookshelves and the weapons that adorned the wall; her palm touching the wall itself, borrowing strength and support from the cool brick.

She ambled through the apartment, wanting to see every nook and cranny, somehow thinking that it would give her a glimpse into the life he now led. The small stylish couch, the lamps that were placed strategically around the room to allow enough light to fill the place while maintaining the brooding atmosphere that she found somewhat comforting. There was a small training area with a punching bag and weights, and the bedroom had a big brass-iron bed that looked incredibly enticing to her tired body. Buffy found a picture of herself on the night table next to the bed, and she lightly grazed it with her fingertips, marveling at how young she looked in the photo.

She was so engrossed with her exploration that she didn't hear Angel come into the bedroom until he was directly behind her. She whipped around, momentarily startled, knocking the teacup out of Angel's hand. It flew into the wall and shattered, leaving a dark stain as the pieces fell into a heap on the floor.

"Oh God, Angel, I'm sorry," Buffy said with a gasp, rushing over to pick up the pieces. He knelt down to help her, smiling despite himself.

"I guess that'll teach me not to sneak up on you again," he joked. Buffy glanced over at him for a moment, surprised at his joke, before picking up the remaining pieces. She tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear and looked at Angel again, finding him staring at her, his dark eyes catching hers with his hypnotic gaze. She swallowed nervously and shifted, her knee brushing against his.

"Angel," she whispered, her voice betraying her despair. It was strange hearing herself speak with a different voice, it sounded unnatural to her own ears. Only they weren't hers, they were Faith's...as was the body, and the voice... And Faith had hers. She had taken it from her, stolen it. That was what she had to concentrate on, not how close Angel was and how lonely she suddenly felt and *certainly* not how she had a wonderful boyfriend back home.

Buffy looked away first, her gaze roaming over the room as she blinked back tears. She chanced a glance at him again briefly, immediately wishing she hadn't. Angel was still looking at her, his eyes an open door to his soul. She licked dry lips and shifted away from him, her head turning away in shame.

"Buffy...?" Angel asked uncertainly, his voice filled with concern for her. She concentrated on the wood of the floor, fighting hard to keep from looking at him again, something that would risk the fragile control she now held over herself. She heard shuffling as Angel pulled his small garbage pail over to them and dumped the broken remains of the cup into it, gently taking what was left in her hands from her as well. She inhaled sharply when his hands brushed hers. "Look at me, Buffy."

Buffy shook her head, brown hair flying. "I...I don't want you to see me in this body," she said softly, staring at her hands. "Kinda funny that I think of it now..."

"Buffy," Angel said, his voice a bit firmer. He reached over and gently turned her chin, angling her head so she was looking directly into his eyes. "It doesn't matter what you look like or who's body you're in. You're still you."

"But I'm not!" she cried, her tears running again. "I look like Faith, and I sound like Faith, and I *am* Faith! I'm her, and she's me, and all I want is my body back!" With that she allowed herself to collapse against his chest, her face buried in his shirt as she cried. Again Angel wrapped his arms around her and rocked her gently, pulling her onto his lap and whispering soothing nonsense into her ear. She cried until she had no tears left, and only then did she pull back and look at him, ashamed. He saw her look and immediately pulled her against him again.

"Shh, you know that's not true. You're not her and she's not you. Anyone can see that," he told her, smoothing his hand over her mussed hair and laying his cheek on the top of her dark head.

"How could you tell?" she asked suddenly, sniffling and wiping the last of her tears away with the back of her hand.

He smiled bittersweetly at her. "All I had to do was look." Her lips curved upwards in a tiny smile.

"I'm glad you took the time to," she told him, feeling herself become lost once more in his dark eyes. It was suddenly too much, being so close to him, intoxicated by his scent, becoming dizzy by his presence. She scrambled off his lap and quickly stood up, running a hand through her hair. He looked puzzled for a moment, then remembered their situation and quickly stood up with her.

"Why don't we go get you some more tea and then start looking for a way to switch you back," Angel suggested. She nodded and drew in a steadying breath. "Let me just grab a dry shirt and..." he trailed off, not sure what else to say. She averted her gaze from his and nodded again, uncomfortable all of a sudden.

She turned away from him to give him privacy, a pang going through her heart when she remembered him doing the same for her when she had asked him to, all those lifetimes ago on the night they had made love. Buffy heard him open a drawer and then close it again, and assumed he was done changing. She turned around to see his bare chest exposed to her hungry gaze and felt a wave of desire hit her like a ton of bricks. Buffy tried to say she was sorry and turn back around, but her body was frozen and her mouth was dry.

There was a thick tension in the air as Buffy's eyes lazily drifted up to meet Angel's. He was staring at her with a mix of longing and concern in his eyes. The electricity in the air cackled around them as they stood staring at each other, Buffy's eyes drifting down over his body again hungrily. At the sight of his sculpted, pale chest, she felt herself snap. Within moments she was in his arms, kissing him with pent-up passion. Her hands tangled in his dark hair, pulling his head down to hers as his arms slipped around her waist. She nearly cried out in ecstasy at feeling his body pressed up against her, his cool lips on her burning ones. Their tongues dueled viciously as they kissed, releasing months of yearning and longing.

She had been right. This WAS heaven.

And then they suddenly broke apart, their eyes huge as they realized what they had just done. Buffy and Angel released each other and took a step back, their gazes never wavering. A lone tear trickled down her cheek, the pain of his wonderful embrace nearly causing her to break down again. Instead she looked away, somewhat ashamed at her lack of control, and hastily brushed the tear away.

"I don't think Faith's body is used to crying so much," Buffy said lamely, trying desperately to break the tension in the air. Angel pulled on his shirt quickly and ran a hand through his disheveled hair.

"Buffy...about that kiss..." he started. She held up a hand.

"That was all my fault," she interrupted. "I'm...sorry, God, I'm so sorry, Angel. Maybe I should just go..."

"No!" Angel cried, a note of pleading desperation in his voice. He repeated it again, his voice firmer this time. "No. It won't happen again, Buffy. It can't happen again."

"It can't," she agreed, taking a small step towards him.

"We just...have to concentrate on getting your body back," he continued.

"Concentrate," she echoed. Neither noticed that they were inching towards one another as they spoke. "This can't ever-"

"Be anything again. We just-"

"Have to control ourselves."

"Control," Angel whispered, his lips inches from hers again.

"It's better this way," she said, her eyes helplessly lost in his.

"Better...easier," he supplied, licking dry lips.

"Harder," she countered, the ache in her voice apparent.

The elevator lift whirled as it was activated. The one-time lovers jumped and broke out of their trance, looking guiltily at the gate and waiting for Cordelia and Wesley to come down. Angel walked out of the bedroom as they appeared, Buffy hot on his heels.

"Did you get ahold of Giles?" Buffy asked anxiously. Cordelia nodded.

"I talked to him."

Buffy waited for more, but no further explanation came. "And?!"

"He didn't really believe me at first," Cordelia said with a shrug, "not that I blame him. *I* wouldn't believe myself, it's a crazy-sounding story. Anyway, he said he'd gather up the little Scooby Gang and they'd figure out a way to get Faith here."

Buffy began pacing anxiously. "When does he think they can get here?" she asked. Cordelia flopped onto the couch, while Wesley stood next to her. Angel had disappeared into the kitchen, and from the noises he was making, he was getting her more tea.

"He's gonna call back when they know more. He said we should just look for a spell to change you two back while we wait," she replied. Angel returned and handed Buffy a teacup full of steaming liquid. She smiled gratefully and took a long sip, the hot tea calming her frayed nerves.

"So, shall we get started?" Wesley asked. Angel rubbed a hand over his eyes.

"Buffy and I can handle it tonight. Wesley, I want you to check some of the volumes you have, specifically the Book of T'Pluck and that book about souls that we got a few weeks ago," Angel said. Wesley nodded firmly. Buffy was half-expecting him to salute the vampire too...

"What do I do?" Cordelia asked, a somewhat hurt expression on her pretty face.

"You get home and get rest, you have that audition tomorrow," he said, his tone sounding like that of a big brother affectionately looking after his younger sister. She perked up immediately, obviously thrilled that he had remembered.

"An audition?" Buffy repeated. "For what?"

Cordelia stood proudly. "A Tampax commercial," she said. Buffy quirked an eyebrow but remained silent.

"Good luck," she said. Cordelia and Wesley turned to leave. "Oh, and guys?" They turned back around to face her. "Thanks for helping, I don't know what I'd do without it."

To her surprise, Cordelia smiled warmly. "Well, I think the only other option you had was going out and selling that body for some cash so you could get out of the country," she said. Buffy's brow furrowed.

"She's trying to say 'you're welcome'," Angel translated, his lips curled upwards in a slight smile. Buffy still looked unsure, but nodded anyway.

"Thanks, Cordy. I think." Cordelia smiled in return.

"I shall ring you later if I discover anything of importance," Wesley said as they stepped into the elevator. Cordelia rolled her eyes.

"You couldn't have just said 'I'll call if I find something'?" she asked. Wesley's chin jutted out in defense.

"No, unlike you Americans I don't butcher my language," he retorted, reaching out to close the gate.

"Butcher the language? Please! This is America, speak American for God's sake!" she cried. Wesley's response was muffled as they disappeared from view.

"Are you sure they didn't secretly run off to Vegas and get married while you weren't looking?" Buffy asked, amusement in her dark eyes. Angel chuckled and walked over to his bookshelf, carefully reading the titles before picking one.

"They sure act like it, don't they," he commented.

"They're worse than Xander and Anya," she said with a shake of her head, taking another long sip of her tea. She moved to join Angel at the bookshelf and he handed her a leather-bound book, choosing one for himself as well.

"Xander and Anya?" he echoed. "Who's Anya?"

"Do you remember the girl who used to be a revenge demon for scorned women?" she asked. At his blank look, she continued. "Xander took her to the prom..."

Angel's eyebrow shot up. "He sure knows how to pick 'em, eh?" he asked, a hint of laughter in his eyes. Buffy giggled.

"It's an improvement over bugs and ancient Incan princesses," she said, a wave of nostalgia hitting her sharply. She missed all her friends. Angel, sensing this, gently guided her to a leather recliner and switched on the lamp beside it.

"Look for anything about body-switching, there could be an incantation that'll reverse it," Angel said, taking a seat on the couch. Buffy nodded and fought to concentrate on the book in her lap and not on Angel and her overwhelming feelings. This was harder than she had imagined it would be...

"Angel?" He looked up from his book at her voice. "Thanks for everything."

He smiled at her, something he had rarely done before. "You know I'm always here for you, Buffy. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call."

"Thank you," she said sincerely. "You don't know how much that means to me."

Angel's eyes locked on hers. "I think I have a pretty good idea."

Her heart fluttered at his words and she swallowed all the pain and longing and hurt that welled in her soul. Angel sat staring at her, not even seeing that she was in another body, a different body. All he saw was the woman he loved more than anything in the world.

Buffy smiled softly at him and then turned her attention back to her book, suddenly wondering what Faith was doing to her body at that moment.

She shuddered, realizing she didn't want to know.

Faith was bored. She had been hoping that while she had been in her coma Sunnydale would have spiced up a little, but as she looked around the Bronze she realized that that had been too much to hope for.

She'd already burned up the dance floor, choosing nearly every guy in the place to dance with at least once. And now she stood leaning against one of the pillars near the stairs, looking for someone to play with.

Being Buffy was fun.

Faith wrinkled her nose at the thought. No, actually it wasn't. She had to be Miss Mary Sunshine for everyone and it was getting to be more than a little annoying. She had to put up with Willow's whining, Xander's stupid comments, Giles' incessant babble...she wondered how Buffy managed it.

"Give me a pair of leather pants, a stake and a gorgeous hunk any day and I'd be a happy woman," she muttered.

"You seem to have two of those items already," a voice said from behind her. She turned around to see Riley standing in front of her, gesturing at her pants and the stake that protruded from her waistband with a slight smile on his lips. Faith curled hers up in a seductive smile.

"And now that you're here I'm good to go," she said, sidling up to him and pulling his head down for a harsh kiss. "Miss me that much?" They had seen each other a few hours before, at Giles' place, but Faith had gotten bored and said she was going patrolling.

As if he could read her thoughts, Riley said, "Aren't you supposed to be patrolling?" She shrugged nonchalantly.

"It's quiet tonight. Besides, I can't exactly patrol in this," she said, gesturing at her tight leather pants and the black corset top she wore. Faith had been surprised to find them buried in the back of Buffy's closet, she hadn't thought the other girl would have them. Buffy was so uptight about being the goody two-shoes that she was and having leather was an automatic sign of being a 'bad girl'.

"I can imagine, it must have been hard enough in that halter," he replied, giving her an appreciative look and smiling. Faith resisted the urge to roll her eyes, instead plastering a smile on her borrowed face. By being with him, she was ultimately hurting Buffy, and that was the intent.

Faith's grin broadened, becoming almost feral.

She slipped her arm around his waist. "Let's go back to your place and have a real party," she said, leading him to the door. He grinned down at her and slid his arm around her thin shoulders.

That was another problem with this body, it was so...small. Small legs, small torso, small breasts...it had taken the better part of an hour to make them fill the corset correctly. Seeing Riley's eyes on her, she realized it had been worth it.

"And how many people are we thinking of inviting?" he asked, leading her to his car.

"Just two," she replied huskily, leaning up to kiss him soundly, slipping her tongue into his mouth.

"That's what I was hoping you'd say," he said, running a hand up her leather-clad thigh. Faith nearly laughed out loud at the turn of events.

She was gonna kick Buffy while she was down by sleeping with her boyfriend...and maybe letting him in on a few secrets from the blond's past.

PART 3
~The Truth Hurts--A Lot
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Willow sat gaping at Giles. "So you're saying that, somehow, Buffy and Faith switched bodies and that Buffy is now in L.A. with Angel in *Faith's* body?" she repeated, a disbelieving look creeping onto her face. Giles sighed heavily and removed his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose

"That is what Cordelia said when she called," he said, leaning back into the easy chair he sat in.

"And you don't find it the least bit strange?" Willow asked. She glanced over at Anya, who was flipping through the latest Cosmopolitan with a bored expression on her face.

"Quite the opposite," Giles said, startled at her words. "I find it incredibly strange. And not to mention a little far-fetched."

"But why would Cordelia waste her time calling here if she wasn't telling the truth?" Anya spoke up. Willow and Giles turned to look at her. "And why would she tell us something about Buffy, someone she hasn't even *talked* to for seven months, that wasn't true?"

Willow quirked an eyebrow at the ex-demon's words. "That's a good point, Anya...Cordelia *doesn't* care enough to lie. Plus it's just not her style, she likes to go for the brutal truth."

Anya smiled smugly. "That's what I just said, Willow, try and pay attention."

"And, clearly, you picked up her gift of tact," the witch muttered under her breath. Anya, becoming too engrossed in her magazine, didn't hear it. "So what now, Giles?"

"I...I really don't know. Would either of you care for some tea?" he asked, standing and going over into the small kitchen. Willow smiled and leaned over the back of the couch, studying the Watcher's harried movements through the big window.

"What's wrong, Giles?" she asked.

"It's just rather hard to digest...Faith could very well being running around in Buffy's body at this very moment and we have no idea how she did it or how to change it back," he said honestly.

"Wow, I never knew that!" Anya squealed, causing the others to look at her. She pointed at an article in her magazine. "When giving oral sex, you should hum...men seem to be able to orgasm faster."

Giles nearly dropped the teapot he held in his hands and Willow started coughing. "Thanks for the...tip, Anya," she managed to choke out.

"There are a lot more here, would you like to hear them?" she asked. Willow, with a horrified look on her face to be having this type of conversation in front of *Giles* of all people, shook her head as he came back into the room balancing three cups of hot tea in his hands. He handed the girls theirs and sat back down, taking a slow sip.

"Anya, why are you here again?" he asked, his voice strained. She shot him a withering look.

"If I remember correctly--and believe me, I do--*you're* the one who invited me over. Well, you invited Xander, but I go everywhere with him so I thought I'd come along. And then he had to go fix someone's sink or something, so I was sent over here to find out what the big dilemma was," she said, flipping the page.

"It would be a lot easier if he was here," Willow admitted. "Why did he have to go and become a plumber?"

"So he can buy me nice things and take me places," Anya said flatly. Willow sighed and rubbed her temples.

"Any ideas on where to start?"

Giles stood and made his way over to the bookshelf, squinting as he read over a few of the titles. He removed one and tossed it at Willow, who caught it easily. "Look for body possession and soul-switching, I suppose. I must admit that this is a rather new field for me."

"Is Buffy with Angel?" Anya asked suddenly.

Giles nodded hesitantly. "That is what Cordelia told me...why?"

"No reason..." she said, shifting her legs under her slim body. "It's just that we all know how bad things go when they're together...either souls get lost or people nearly die..." She stopped at their looks. "I'm just saying."

"Buffy and Angel will be fine," Willow said reassuringly. "They've got a ton of self-control. I think we should be more worried about Faith and what *she's* doing at the moment."

"Don't you mean *who* she's doing?" Anya asked. The red-head sighed and closed her eyes.

"That too."

The darkened room was quiet except for the slightly-heavy breathing coming from beside her. Moonlight filtered into the bedroom, casting shadows in places that normally looked so inviting and light. The corners seemed darker, the walls closer. Faith rolled onto her side, away from Riley, and curled herself up into a ball, allowing herself a moment to reflect.

He'd been pretty good, a little on the gentle side...and he'd been loud. His moans, his cries...she hadn't been expecting it. Not that she'd let it get to her, she'd shown him what it was like to really have sex, something she knew Buffy hadn't done. She had all these muscles and little quirks that had just blown his mind...

But that hollow feeling she could never seem to shake had settled itself in the pit of her stomach and the sense that there was so much that she was missing out on crept lazily into her soul. The emotions that had always seemed to escape her, the sense of completion that some claimed they felt afterwards had managed to always elude her...she wondered briefly what they felt like.

Riley brought her thoughts back to the present when he pressed his hard chest up against her back, wrapping his arm protectively around her body and pulling her close. Faith was startled when she felt him shift and rest his chin on her shoulder, stroking the silky skin of her stomach. No one had ever showed her this tenderness, either she had split or he had been kicked out. Her body was rigid, waiting for harsh words.

"I love you, Buffy," Riley whispered into her ear, brushing his lips against her cheek.

He had just spoken the harshest words anyone could ever say.

She froze. Love? He loved Buffy? When had this happened? She'd seen them together, and even thought it had been brief she could tell it was more like companionship. Who was he kidding? This thing that they obviously shared, it wasn't love. It was like. There was even a little bit of lust. But no love.

Love was sacred. Love hurt, love made you bleed. Love made you want to sing and cry and scream all at the same time. It made you want to die, it made you want to live forever.

Riley was not in love with her sister Slayer.

She felt an anger towards this man, an anger she couldn't explain. What the hell was wrong with her, caring about Buffy like this, caring about what happened to her? Who was she to say whether Buffy was in love with this guy or not? She was supposed to be hurting the bitch, not feeling sorry for her.

And yet she did. For some reason that Faith could not comprehend, she felt sympathy for Buffy. Faith hated it. It made her feel vulnerable and weak, two things she absolutely refused to let herself feel. She felt compassion for the girl who had everything, who had nearly killed her to save her dying lover, who had put her in a coma for eight months and took away the only father figure Faith had ever known.

What Riley had just said had been a mockery of the words. Those words were something that Faith had never heard before, from anyone. It seemed oddly fitting that she should hear them while in her worst enemy's body, fitting in that way that irony always seemed to work. This wasn't love.

It wasn't love.

"No you don't," she said quietly, refusing to turn around. She felt Riley stiffen against her back.

"What are you talking about, Buffy? I just said it, didn't I?" he asked, his voice quivering slightly. She took that as her cue.

"You don't love me, just like I don't love you," she clarified, rolling over to look at him. His face was shrouded in darkness, but Faith's Slayer eyes could detect every bit of his confusion.

"But I do," he protested, leaning forward to kiss her. Faith turned her head to the side, making him miss his mark.

"You don't, Riley, believe me. I know what love is, I know what it feels like. Love is passion, love is trust, love is...knowing the other person, seeing into their soul," she said, her eyes on another part of the room. She wondered briefly at her words and where they had come from, and how she had suddenly becoming an expert on the subject at all.

"That's what we have," he said. Faith resisted the urge to laugh in his face.

"Are you kidding me? You call that passion? I've seen worms who've been more passionate when they screw," she told him. "And Riley, my boy, you really don't know me at all."

"So tell me about you," he whispered, propping himself up on his elbow. "Tell me everything about you."

"Why?" she countered. "You think that'll change anything? This is *not* love. I've felt love and this thing that we have doesn't even come near it in the least."

"Oh yeah? Who was this love with?" Riley asked, his voice angry. Faith smiled.

"With a man who knows how to please me, who knows what I want and what I need. Sorry, honey, but you just don't have what it takes."

"And who does? Some jerk who left you?"

"Yeah, actually he did leave. He left because there was no way for us to be together."

"What the hell are you talking about?" he growled, shifting away from her a little bit. The gesture was not lost of Faith. Faith met his stare with a cold one of her own, and Riley was the first to look away.

"First thing's first. The guy's name is Angel and he's a vampire," she said, her voice dripping with glee. Riley's eyes bulged out of his head at her words, his face covered in disbelief.

"A hostile? You're in love with a hostile?" Riley surprised Faith by laughing out loud. "That's a good one, Buffy."

"You think I'm kidding? Riley, I was fucking *in love* with the Scourge of Europe," she said, a sharp edge in her voice. Riley's face hardened as he fought to reject what she said.

"Who's the Scourge of Europe?" Riley asked. Faith sighed and dropped her head into the pillow.

"You really gotta learn to do your homework, College Boy," she said with wicked glee. "That's what Angel was known as before he got his soul." Riley nodded, his action seeming as though he was mocking her. Faith could tell that he was.

"Right, so you fell in love with this vampire...I *almost* believe that one. Are you feeling all right?" he questioned, bringing a hand up to check her forehead for heat. Faith pushed his hand away angrily.

"Don't touch me," she said in disgust. "You don't believe me? Just goes to show that I was right about you not loving me."

"But Buffy, I *do* love you," he whispered. Faith gave up.

"Fine," she growled, sitting up and leaning against the headboard, clutching the sheet to her chest. "Maybe you do love me. But I don't love you. I probably never will."

"Oh yeah?" he challenged. "How do you know?"

"Because I'll be in love with Angel forever and I don't have time to waste on you," Faith shot back angrily. "You and me, we'll never have that Romeo-and-Juliet-vibe working for us, the whole star-crossed lovers deal. That's what me and Angel were."

"Buffy, that's the kind of stuff in fairy tales. This is real life," he protested.

"Right, and vampires and demons are just figments of our imagination," she scoffed. "This was real, Riley, a hell of a lot real-er than whatever the hell it is that we have."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded. Faith rolled her eyes.

"Would you do anything for me, Riley? Would you get hurt for me, go to Hell for me, protect me in every way that you possibly could?" Riley was silent, leaving the question to hang heavily in the air. He didn't answer because he knew what the answer was. So did Faith. "Didn't think so. Angel did."

"So where is this amazing Angel now, Buffy? Off whoring with some new girl?" Riley asked. Faith's eyes narrowed, even as her mind fought to stop this. It was as though she really WAS Buffy, with her emotions and her feelings. And the scary thing was that Faith was enjoying it.

"He left me for some God-awful reason," she said with a shrug, ignoring the pain in her heart. Where the fuck had that come from?

"Why'd he leave?" Riley prodded. Faith resisted the urge to smack him.

"Because if I gave him one moment of true happiness he'd lose his soul for the third time and become Mr. Bad-Ass Vampire again."

"Third time?" Riley echoed.

"Yeah. First when he was turned into a vamp, then again on my birthday when we had sex for the first time," Faith informed him. Those late-night talks in the graveyard with Buffy sure were coming in handy...she had plenty of dirt on the other girl. "God, is that man good in bed. Those hands...that body...that tongue..." Faith moaned despite herself. She could just imagine what kind of a sexual god Angel was in bed with his killer body and centuries of experience. Buffy's body seemed to remember, her skin tingling with his lingering, phantom touch.

"He lost his soul because you had sex with him? That's pretty lame," Riley said with a scowl, unconsciously drawing the sheet tighter around his body.

"Lame? Oh no. Fucking incredible was more like it... I mean, the man has had over two centuries of experience, he knows just how to make a girl scream in pleasure..." Faith trailed off, lost in her own fantasies of the vampire. Yes, she had them, she *did* have eyes and a wonderful imagination, after all.

"And I can't?" he asked, his words sounding almost desperate in the dark room. Faith snickered.

"You've got a long way to go, Riley," she said, patting his leg reassuringly. "Yeah, so anyway...where was I? Oh, yeah, right at the part where I nearly killed Faith for him."

There was a thick silence in the air. Faith played idly with the sheet around her chest while Riley digested that piece of information.

"You tried to kill Faith to save a vampire?" Riley finally said, his voice dangerously low.

"Yeah, I did, is there a problem with that?" she snapped. "The bitch had it coming, she poisoned him. It seemed rather fitting that she be his cure."

"How could she be his cure?"

"A Slayer's blood was the cure." Another silence, this one colder. "But she got away, so I had to get him to feed from me."

"You let a vampire drink your blood?! Are you out of your mind?!" Riley shouted, springing out of bed and pacing around the room, his nudity forgotten. Faith stretched her legs out sinuously and chuckled at his rage.

"Yeah, I did. Had to save him, didn't I?" She reached out and tugged Riley over to the bed, bringing his hand up to touch the fading scar on her neck. "Feel that?" she asked huskily. "That's his mark."

"You're sick," Riley spat as he pulled away from her. She giggled. She'd put two and two together, knowing that Buffy had to have cured Angel with her blood. The scars on her neck must have been from him, Buffy would never let another vampire near her neck. Even if she was wrong, it certainly had managed to effectively kick Riley while he was down.

"Face it, Ry," she said, resting her arms comfortably behind her head. "You've never held a candle to him, and somewhere, deep down inside your good little heart, you've always known that." She suddenly kneeled on the bed in front of him, her voice low and husky. "You've always known that there was someone else, someone who you'd never be able to top. Now you know his name, know what he really is... How does it feel?"

"Get out," he said menacingly. When she didn't move, he took a step towards her.

"What're you gonna do, drag me out?" she taunted. "You couldn't even if you tried."

"What's wrong with you?!" he cried, throwing his hands up in the air in defeat. "Is this all because of Faith? This anger, all these hurtful things, are they because she's suddenly popped back into your life?"

Faith stood and slowly made her way over to him, peering up at the man before her. Her eyes were hard and laced with ice, as was her voice when she finally spoke. "No, this has nothing to do with Faith and everything to do with us. It's just a side you've never seen, Riley, one that's always been here, right at the surface. It just took Faith to bring it out."

She abruptly stopped and stooped down to gather her clothes. She yanked the leather on hurriedly, suddenly needing to get out. He was making her sick.

"So she's what made you don the leather and act like a bitch?" he asked, his eyes on her. She pulled on her boots and marched over to the door.

"Faith would be proud of me right about now," she said with a wicked snicker. "You just don't get it, Riley, do you? There are some things that are just meant to be."

She reached for the doorknob and easily opened the door. Faith stepped out into the bright hallway and glanced back at Riley, who was conveniently hidden in the shadows.

"Buffy and Angel are one of them," she finished, finally acknowledging that they really were and that she wasn't Buffy. Riley, of course, didn't catch on. Faith left him alone in his dark room.

It wasn't until she had stepped out into the cool night air that she realized what she'd just done. She'd just *been* Buffy in nearly every sense of the word. All the emotions that she had never experienced, all the things she'd never known...she'd somehow been able to take all of the things she'd witnessed between Buffy and Angel and all the stories Buffy had told her and weave them into a tale that had broken Riley's heart and shed light on Buffy's past relationship for him.

She realized that she had hit it right on the head, captured the relationship between the vampire she loathed and the Slayer she envied perfectly. She was confused, wondering how in the world she could have possibly said all those things--all those true things--about something she herself had never known.

The thought that she could recognize that kind of love when she saw it and, on some level, yearn for it herself was beyond disturbing.

It was absolutely terrifying.

Go to Part 4