This story will focus on Faith and not Buffy. It is a sequel to "A Brother's Love," but it's more a companion piece in that it begins during the events in "A Brother's Love" when the Black Widow goes to determine if Faith is redeemable.

Disclaimer: I do not own BTVS or any Marvel characters.

Chapter 1: The Cell Mate

*****California State Prison*****

Faith opened her eyes a few minutes before the lights would come on. It was the same every day. Lights on at six. Breakfast at seven. Yard time at eight. Work details from nine to eleven. Lunch served from eleven to noon. Nearly every hour was scheduled. On Sundays, they would have a movie night if there were no fights in the yard. Faith never thought she would look forward to watching a movie that might've been out for years. Never before could she sit still long enough to watch a movie. Yet in there, anything that helped break up the monotony was welcome. She even went to chapel on Sundays just to hear music. Oh, how everyone who ever knew her would laugh if they could see her now.

The big bad dark slayer was a model prisoner who read a Bible once a week. She would do extra work detail to get someone's saved chocolate pudding. The underworld used to fear her coming. Now she couldn't scare away the mouse that kept running through her cell.

That afternoon, though, something happened that was not according to schedule. She went to her cell after lunch and saw a woman on the bottom bed.

"Who the hell are you?" Faith asked suspiciously. It was not unusual for someone to try to steal from a fellow inmate. However, Faith had kicked enough asses her first month there that most everyone left her and her things alone. Thanks to Angel always putting money on her books, she had more than many.

The redhead girl raised cool, assessing eyes to Faith, who instantly sensed the predator in front of her. Automatically, she stepped back into a fighting stance.

"I won't ask you again? Where the fuck is my cellmate Tina? Why are you on her bed?" Faith demanded.

The woman gave a smile as she stood. "Oh, sorry. They told me that this was my cell. Your cellmate was moved somewhere else," the woman said. "I'm Natalie."

Faith waited to see if the woman would attack—her slayer was on high alert. When she made no move, Faith relaxed. "Oh. I'm Faith," she said.

"Nice to meet you," Natalie said. She had decided that the best approach to getting passed this slayer's defenses wasn't to be tough but to be vulnerable. The slayers were supposed to be protectors. If this woman was worth saving at all, her instinct would be to protect Natalie.

"You probably shouldn't say that to anyone in here," Faith said with a smirk.

Natalie looked scared. "Oh? I don't want to make anyone mad. I've heard it can get kind of bad in here," she said.

Faith gave her a surprised look. "Aren't you a fighter?" Faith asked.

Natalie looked startled. "Why would you say that?" she asked.

"Because that's the vibe you give off," Faith said.

"Really?" Natalie said in surprise. Then she laughed. "I'm a dance teacher actually. I could dance my way out of a fight!"

Faith gave her a skeptical look but didn't argue. Instead, she asked, "Why are you in here?"

"Bad checks," Natalie said with a sheepish grin.

"No shitting? They throw people in jail for that?" she asked.

"My lawyer told me it's the number one reason women are incarcerated," Natalie shared.

"Lehane," a voice called out. "Get your ass to the laundry room."

"Gotta jet. Talk later," Faith said.

A few hours later, it was chow time. She found her new cellmate protesting as Big Barb stole her cookie.

"Hey! That's mine!" Natalie protested, trying to take it back.

Big Barb, though, was six feet and towered over the much shorter woman. Not to mention, she was more than twice her width. She simply held the cookie up.

"If you can take it from me, you can have it," Big Barb said with a smirk.

Faith debated on whether or not she should interfere. However, a fight over a cookie didn't seem like a good enough reason to get into it with another inmate.

Then Natalie decided to stand her ground. She punched the much larger woman in her ample stomach, causing her to bend over.

Faith moved fast before things could get out of hand. Grabbing the cookie off her own tray, she put her hand on Big Barb's shoulder. "Hey, are you okay? Here, take my cookie, too. My roommate her is too green to know how things work around here," Faith said to her.

The larger woman breathed heavily and glared at Natalie. Then she jerked the cookie out of Faith's hand and stomped away.

"Are you stupid?" Faith said to Natalie as she sat down next to her.

"My friend told me that I should never let myself be a victim or I'll always be targeted. Her brother did some time, so I just thought I'd act tough," Natalie said.

"Well, acting tough is one thing. Punching someone in the stomach over such a stupid thing is just dumb," Faith said in disgust.

Natalie gave her a sheepish smile. "I thought it was a good idea at the time," she said.

"Better think smarter or you're going to get hurt a lot in here," Faith advised. "How long you got?"

"A year," Natalie said.

"That's not bad at all. You could be out in six if you can stay out of trouble," Faith said with a pointed look.

"So why are you here?" Natalie asked as she took a bite of her dinner and grimaced in distaste.

"Murder," Faith said.

Natalie gave her a wide-eyed look. For some reason, she reminded Faith of Willow then. Maybe it was the red hair and innocent air. "Did you do it?" she asked.

"Yep," Faith said, meeting her eyes without flinching. "I'll be here in a lot longer than a year."

"Wow, that's awful," Natalie said.

"Which part? Me being a killer or being stuck in here for the next two decades," Faith said.

"Both," Natalie said. "Was it self-defense? You don't seem like the serial killer type or anything. A bad boyfriend?"

Faith gave her an irritated look. "There's no good reason for what I did. Once I accidentally killed someone in a fight. It messed me up in the head. I was a few years younger and dumber. Fell in with a bad dude who got me to kill for him. I betrayed my friends and royally screwed things up. I'm not a good person, so do don't go trying to make me your friend," Faith said angrily. Then she picked up her tray and left the room.

Natasha took the apple of the trap and bit into, thinking about the slayer. She wasn't exactly what her profile said or what Natasha had expected. She should be angrier and more bitter. From what Giles told Clint, Faith came here of her own free will and stayed there under the same will. No jail could hold a slayer against her will. She might not be a threat to the human population anymore, but would she be willing to be the guardian of the hellmouth again?

The next morning, she called Clint and found out what was happening. She was so pissed! What kind of evil people tried to raise the dead, pulling heroes from their final reward?

"I'm going to get there and beat that little witch so bad she won't ever cast again!" Natasha fumed.

"Buffy would defend her. She loves her friends," Clint said. "You should see her, Nat, she's so fragile and broken. But she's alive. I have two sisters and both are so beautiful."

"I can't wait to meet them. But you should call in some big guns to help you deal with the witch. Thor's momma is magical, right? Didn't she teach Loki?" Nat asked.

"Look how he turned out," Clint said.

"That's 'cause he wasn't an Asgard but a Frost Giant," Nat countered.

"Two minutes!" the guard told her.

"I don't have much time," Nat said.

"What's the deal with the other slayer? Can she take over here? Steve's on his way but from what the guys have told me, the slayer is hardwired to sense and kill evil beings," Clint said.

"She is a surprise. Not as angry or bitter as I figured. There's potential. I'll going to give her a day or so then ask her," Nat said.

"Be careful," Clint said, disconnecting.

Natasha hung up and took a deep breath, sinking into her role as Natalie the dance teacher. She would find out all Faith's secrets.

*****Chapter End*****

I know this is super short, but there's a few more chapters to this installment. Thanks for reading. An even greater thanks if you review.