Buffy opened her eyes to see Faith standing over her, smiling comfortingly.

"Faith? What.... What happened?"

Faith leaned over to put a cool, wet washcloth on Buffy's forehead. "You gave us quite a scare, girl. Cordy was grillin' you about the sexcapades and you just went," she demonstrated by rolling her eyes up and bending her knees, "and BAM!, you were out."

Buffy groaned, taking the cloth from her forehead. She sat up slowly and leaned against the back of the couch. She looked around the empty room. "Where did everybody go?"

"We sent the girls home, you didn't need to wake up with everyone lookin' at you like in the 'Wizard of Oz' and shit. Thought it might freak you out."

She smiled weakly. "Thanks. I don't think I could have handled that."

"Hey, don't mention it." She patted Buffy's leg.

Buffy rested her head back on the couch and closed her eyes. "I never fainted before."

"There's a first time for everything." Faith sat beside Buffy.

"Yeah, like assaulting a priest and having sex in a chair with him in front of 20 of your closest friends." Buffy sat up to rest her elbows on her knees and put her face in her hands. "It was a big ol' honkin' night of firsts for me!" she mumbled miserably.

"Don't be so hard on yourself! We all thought that guy was the stripper. And you didn't have sex with him, there was no penetration. As for all of us watching -- I guarantee you that that was the hottest thing any of them saw up close and personal-like. We were cheering you on the whole time. None of us think any less of you. And, yeah, at first you might have been a teensy-bit forceful with Billy Boy, but he totally got into it! He was definitely participating."

Buffy flashed back to kissing him, feeling his tongue dueling with hers, his hands touching and groping her, his hardness rubbing against... She jolted upright on the couch, her heart racing.

'Bad, bad thoughts! You're supposed to feel horrible about what you did, not getting hot and bothered thinking about it!'

"You okay?" Faith looked at her with concern.

"Ye-Yes, fine. I just... I can't believe I lost control like that. I mean, even if he really had been a stripper, that didn't give me license to do... that!"

Cordelia entered the living room and handed Buffy a glass of water. "How are you feeling?" she asked, sitting down on Buffy's other side.

"I'll live... unfortunately." Buffy took a sip of the water. "I am so sorry for what happened... I was possessed by the devil, temporarily, to act like a giant ho. That stuff really happens, right?" She was grasping at straws.

Cordelia patted her shoulder. "No real harm's been done."

Buffy gaped at her. "How can you say that? That poor guy! He's traumatized for life! He could have me arrested if he wanted to!" Her eyes widened in panic. "Oh God, you don't think he will, do you?"

"No, I don't think he'll press charges. William is a very nice and understanding person. I'm sure he realizes that it was all a big misunderstanding."

Buffy sighed wearily, relaxing a bit. "I hope you're right."

"Come on, girl, let's get you and your prezzies home and into bed," Faith said, standing up.

"Hey, maybe I'll wake up and all of this will turn out to have been an elaborate nightmare!" Buffy said with false enthusiasm.

Cordy and Faith helped her gather all of her gifts. Buffy opened the front door to begin loading up Faith's jeep. A cop was standing right outside the door, his hand poised to ring the bell.

"Pardon me, ma'am. We've gotten a complaint."

Buffy leaned heavily on the doorframe, she felt like she was going to faint again. William did report her to the police, after all. She was going to jail. She was going to jail and some woman named Bertha was going to make Buffy her bitch. Faith and Cordy came up behind her.

"Are you Michael from 'Exotic Dancers 'R Us'?" Cordy asked.

He looked taken aback. "Uh, yeah. I thought I was supposed to do the whole 'I'm afraid I'm going to have to take you in' routine? So you just want the strip show, then?"

Buffy breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yes!" Faith chirped.

"No!" Cordy narrowed her eyes at Faith. "Sorry, the party ended early. We won't be needing your services tonight. Wait here, after I get my friends on their way, I'll give you a tip for coming all the way out here."

"Thanks. That's cool." Michael smiled. He certainly was a hottie. Under different circumstances Buffy would jump at the chance to see him strut his stuff. But all she wanted to do now was go home and crawl into bed and forget tonight ever happened.





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